The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-03-21
VOTED IT GOOD SPORT.
THE LONDON VIEW OF THE AMERI-
CAN NATIONAL GAME.
Wel1-Contested Game at the Oval
Cricket Grounds Witnessed BY 5000
Spectators, Including the Prince OF
MALE S-C0rdi aII
[Cahle disnatch from London

~ oAcs-SoIuAdI1y heCSVeOs
[Cable dispatch from London
The American baseball teams PLAYED their
first game upon English soil on Tuesday after
noon, and aside from the miserable condition Of
me weather, the event may without doubt be
out down as the most memorable in the history
of the American national game The drilling
ain which was falling when the boys turned out
u BET in the morning ceased toward noon only to
gIve place to genuine representative London
og, which settled down like pail upon the city
IS well as upon the spirits of the players Presi-
lent Spalding determined to carry out the pro-
sramme announced, however, if it was in
my way practicable, and at half-past twelve
o'clock the teams entered two handsome
rags asg, in front of the First Avenue
Hotel ae and were driven to Kensington
oval Here number of prominent members of
the Surrey Cricket Club had prepared an elabo-
rate luncheon for the party, the committee which
'ece1ved the players as they entered the club
house consisting of the Duke of Buccleuch the
Duke of Beaufort, the Earl of Coventry, the Earl
u Bessborough, the Earl of Sheffield the Earl
Of Londesborough, Viscount Lewisham, Wis
count Oxenbridge Lord Charles Beresford Lord
kinnaird, Lord Hawke, Lord Lyttleton, the
Lord Mayor, Mr.. White, Charge d'Affaires of the
United States; Mr.. Waller, Consul General of
ne United States; Sir Reginald Hanson, and
pr. w. G. Grace. The for1nalities of introduce
lion over, Viscount Oxenbridge as Chairman Of
The committee, welcomed the teams to England
and to London in an address which. though
or1e1, was thoroughly expressive of the Warmest
hospitality
During the repast which followed the Ameri-
0e1uS WSI0 IIltLu0, through Uno courtesy and the
;,ordiality of their hosts, to feel thoroughly at
nome Capt. Arson remarked afterWard that
after all, the English nobility embraced q sur
pl1slng number OF royal good fellows. "We for
ing with Lords and Dukes. I never felt more
thoroughly at ease in my life and the rest of the
Boys seemed to feel as much at home as I did"
Toasts to the Queen, the President of the
United States, to the Prince and Princess Of
Wales, and to the rest of the rovaI family and
to to the American baseball clubs were drank, and
address to the last. Finally after the toast pro
posed by Nh. White, Charge d'Affaires of the
United States in England, had been drank to
Y1scount OXenbrldge and the Surrey Cricket
Clup, Chree nearly American cheers were given
for all.
The players then adjourned to their dressing
rooms TO prepare for the game. Meantime the
fog had been growing denser but the crowd con-
tinued TO pour through the gates until the club
mouse balconies were filed and q great assem-
blage OF humanity encircled the oval, their nnov-
M ing figures looking not unlike distant specters
III the sticky, drifting fog. When play COM
menced there were s, 900 people upon the grounds
and had the daysbeen fair this number in the
opinion OF many, would have been doubled.
Despite the dampenlng effect of the gloom and
rain the hveliest interest in the players and in
the game was everywhere manifested among the
great crowd. Every American present was
closely questioned as to the rules and the points
OF play, and as to the characteristics and rec
ords of the players; and, indeed, it may be
safely said that never before have Englishmen
baseball as they are at the present time.
Shortly after o'clock the players took the
field for practice, and, although the turf was
soft and in the worst Imaginable condition for
fielding or base running, they gave an exceed
lngly pretty exhibition of the great American
sport, the brilliant throws and catches being
warmly applauded as fast as they occurred and
that was pretty FAST
DR.. W. G. Grace and w. W. Read the cele-
DRAFTED English cricketers, watched the work of
the men from one of the clubhouse windows,
and time and again accorded the bows their
hearty applause
The anxiety of the crowd to see the game
commence, however, soon made itself manifest.
After the boys had INDUCED in ten or fifteen
minutes OF preliminary practice cries of Play
ball, play ball !" and Begin the camel" Gust as
happens on every diamond in AmeIica) arose
from all parts of the oval.
Thereupon George Wright walked upon the
field and called all the American bows to the
bat for the game, which then opened amidst
almost GREATNESS silence. AS exhibition after
exhibition of swift throwing to bases of pretty
fielding, and of clean hitting and desperate base
running followed one another murmurs of adni-
ration were heard, while time and again the
crowd burst into hearty applause which contin-
ued to the close of the game.
While Chicago was at the bat in the second
inning there was q stir among the occupants of
the grand stand in front of the club house. and
then the hundreds of spectators arose and lifted
their hats as the Prince of Wales took q seat at
q big window with Prince Christian and Presi-
dent Spalding
lay WIS lHlll1eulaG91y stopped Wnen the
Prince appeared and Capt. Arson calling the
boys up to the home plate led them in three
hearty cheers and still heartier tiger" for the
Prince. The act called forth responsive cheers
from the spectators. The Prince watched the |
game with keen interest until the close of the |
eighth inning, asking President Spalding innu-
merable questions as the game proceeded, and |
nodding his head approvingly as he grasped the
points of the play.
At the close of the fifth inning an inter1nis-
sion OF ten minutes was called and the players,
led by Ward and Arson, assembled to the Princes |
point of view and were formally presented to the
future King of England. The Prince had q
pleasant word and cordial grasp of the hand
for each Of the players, and complimented them
upon their playing. More cheers greeted the
teams as they descended and took the field for
the remaining innings of the game. The score at
the end of the ninth inning stood: Chicagos, I;
4.
The Speaker of the House of Commons made
for the members of the teams to
visit the House in body The Century Club,
on the nomination of Mr.. White, Secretary of
the American Legation, elected the players hon
orary members during their stay in London. In
the evening they were the guests of Henry Irv- |
ing and Ellen Terry at the Lyceum Theater.
The general impression seems to be that the |
game is far beneath cricket, and that it will |
never be adopted in England
The Post says that the general verdict of En- |
gishmen, if not cricketers will be that there is
no game they would rather play than baseball. |