New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-21
THE SEASON OF SPORTS.
RACQUET IN THE CITY.
cpowru OF rnE GAME-HoME AND MEMBERSHIP
OF THE NEw-YoRK CLUB.

cnowrH OF THE GAME-HoME AND MEMBERSHIP
OF THE NEw-YoRK CLUB.
Tho NcvYork Racquet Court Club is Of the
most tr, inc clubs in this city and yet it comes before
The rnblc SO seldom and in such unohtlusiNe way
that it, character if not its name is unfamiliar to the
general public This may be due partly TO the fact that
the clubhouse is in the Questionable 'horoughiare oi
SxhaNe at the northeast corner of Twenty -siNthSti
eud partly also to the fact that the members are de-
voted TO games and physical culture and do not make
specially Of getting up club -tics and disputes to al
tract public attention.
The pnino Of racquet from which the club takes its
aamc and osr which il exercises fostering care has
am interesting history in this city which dates back to
the earliest days of racquet players who are now vote
rams. The game is an English blood relation of
lawn tennis and is played almost widely as floats
The British flag. A. scientific games Of racquet are
playcd in China ~ in England. The game was a
IN, oritc with the Court of Charles H. The first
racquet court In This city in Alen-st. the racquet
master hcng Professor William De'oy' a noted payer
who died not long ago in the present racquet club
house. Later there were two courts III tue h'"eiN;
near l gston-st about 1897. which were not rooicd
over. These were succeeded by q closed court IN
Broadway near the site of the METROPOLITAN Hotel The
Ncw-NO,k Gymuas stun Club was organized later and
had racquet court in Thirteenth Professor Do,oy
was the master here and many good games were
PLAYED. l.. La Montague was one Of the earliest ana
most ,kh players of racquet and has won the cham
piuuSip more IMAM once Among wv VI
those DAYS we're Putnam and Mitchell William Gray,
Joseph GRAY and FOukos. all Ene~hmcn. came over
IN 1867 and played some remarkable games with
From 1867 to 1876 there was no court in the city.
In the latter wear the Racquet Court Club was organ
lied by a number of gentlemen including w. K. Tray
ers A. Wright sanford, Edward La Montague. ID.
lydig and others and the site of the old ndng school
wa, purchased. On TIL, was erected conmodIons
brick building the vide projecting roof of which makes
il a landmark in SiXthive. The first hoor - rented
ior stores. The entrance in IwcniySHth-St leads TO
the second floor which Is devoted To- barh. I,i apart
mems ON the third floor the office of ia" club.
the bar. billiard and pool rooms and dre7-nG-rooms
Above these are the gymnasium mIT'' nIu "TiS
machines room for boxing dmnb-oeIi7' lh.'Hi Gums
hovhue alleys and other apparatus Tor physical de
,clopmcut Here members may be seen ON any day
clad boo easy -aih taking exercise. The members are
uo-ti! young men.
now THE GAME Is PIAY"D.
Tho racquet courts are At the top of the building
doabe gallery for spectators running across the ends
Of both courts The courts are .iXtyhrec 10y thirty
one and half feet aud Of good height The bare walls
are Of brick rastercd and painted Racquet is still a
mystery to the majority of people who never see a
game The nnessc of the game il not easily mastered
To ulav IL q cateIt racquet. resembling tennis
racquet hut smaller and perfectly STRAIGHT ana ley
and yarn bail one inch N diameter and covered Nl
sh,ep-kin nrc used The Moor "i he 5'r' !, HN''3H
by line half why between the two ends ana ms l Ill
yidcd laugiudiudly by another lme. i"o squares
inside Of these divisions ucu 90 the cross Ar are
marked for the server to stand in Von the oipo>lt"
end of fine court a line twelve feet from the floor j,
drawn across sIhe server must bat the bell above
that line and his opponent ho stands behind nm
and - half fee, high. The BAH must be struck on the
fr- rebound after It leaves the wall and j. kept gong
until ono Of thc PLAYERS fails o. knock above The base
line Ifr server fails return he loses his innings,
lu If Dis opponent fails the add, an ucc on one.
10 hi, score, and again serves ihe n"u. a S'nc Is
usually fifteen and match Is generally Tor tniee
game, out of five IL Will bc seen al once That II j.
gone requiring quick eye, cool head, great agility
aud iu long game no little endurance good player
will return the ball the base line that II Is
almost impossible for his opponent to strike 1t on the
fr.t hound OR he Will make it rebound Z, far rs
possible from IN, antagonist
II club gives silver prizes every year To encourage
bovin. racquet, pool billiards and amateur pairing
walls OF the billiard The champion ~ racquet
have been in 1876 T. La Montague; lN11, &. {.
Allen: 1873 }. T. Souttcr; 1879. r. h Montague;
IssO. G. C. Allen; 1881, d Lydig; 1oN2, 1883. l..
NJ Kuthcrfud, ir.; 1854 W Shippon The champion
ship for this Year was dceld"d IN Glo-G ana Wen,
PLAYED match on rhur-day. April 3. Mr. RutherImd
al m. best Of the game for a while. but Mr. SlApcn'S
cool and alert playing Won him the match "a the last
game The match watched with interest 10y
l,..c number of members of the club besides many
liGfr, The score SO 10 60.
William X Travers who has been president Of the
club since il was organized. takes warm interest iu all
is aaur. Tho other officers are: NiccprcSident,
Ruth,rfnrd Stuyve-aut; secretary David LIdg treas
On ihe roll Of membership are Cornelius Fcllowc., C.
I. Perkins. James Gordon Bennett; +. Is. StMGls'
panla Appleton c. A. Arthur, jr, john W. Ba.ionr,
I,aAc Bell j George II Bend, Perry Belmont Gcorg'
: Bowdoin. rcIdeIic Bronson, Carroll Bryce. w. l..
BnrctL Prescott Hall Butler, John ID ChecLcr &
IIydc CLARK Caldwell Colt Amos Getting. r. l.. Cut
ing ir. William Cutting, Paul Dana, G. g. Din morc
w Douglas W NJ Draper. j. Comin D1yt'u
George Il Fearing. Austin G.. Fox, &. g. tr1nckiyn
Sheppard Candy Ogden Gocci, Robert Goci"t, Grofge
Gould. George D,foIc,t Grant h. II. Hartman. g. q,
U.(,r' + 4 H.rk-chcr. Ccutcr HitcAcpcl u. Il.
IIolli.icr. Gardner q Rowland. Adrian l~cliu, De
lauccy \ Kane. Woodbury. Llngdon, II. : L.''u,
IIcrre Lombard. John \. Lowery Bradley Martin. H.
q McyicLcr. II W Miller, ?. \. c. Miller " starr
Miller W " Miller 4 T. Moutant, !. MlsV1y
Moore the Marquis dc More. F. Nelson. Roland Red
noud T. H. Roosevelt Ai.ewon Saitou-. F. \.
S.lcim,rhorn. Philip schuyler, jane IL >ieouiu,
HAIRY Stevens, + W Stevens, Edward Tuck. u. Mch
Iwu.pI.,. " X. Naudci bit. Paul Iuekeiuar, j.
I.c.,cr NJ llack james Waterbury, Berry Wall q.
T. Wrtmorc ,ud George T. Work The limit # mem
btr.lup l. 800 and the list Is now full.