Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-23
THE BOWLING LEAGUE
Great Increase in the Interest Taken in
This Sport
The Tournament Now in Progress
Shows What . Hold 1t Has
ON Popular Favor.

Bowling has unquestionably come to
Washington to stay. and the Amateur Bowl
ing League of the District is no longer a
doubtful experiment, but already an assur-
ed success.
When the league was first organized In
the beginning Of the fall there were many
who predicted it's ultimate failure, and
many who thought that it would never
play out its tournament or finish the sched-
tie which 1t Lad begun. But with the be-
ginning of the second quarter of the games
to be played. on Tuesday night. the success
Of the league was not only apparent to all.
but there are few now who will not admit
that the league Is not only here for this
year, but that 1t will become q permanent
institution in the city.
For some years past the Columbia Athlet-
ic Club has taken a considerable interest in
bowling, but the sport has never had any
following in any of the other clubs, until
last year. when the Carroll Athletic Club
put in a bowling alley and became interest
ed in it also. This fall, mainly through the
efforts of the Columbia Athletic Club. all
those interested in bowling throughout the
athletic clubs Of the city were called to-
gether, and the scheme of forming a league
and holding a tournament during the win
ter was brought forward meeting with the
approval of all those most deeply interested.
Accordingly the organization was perfected,
the Columbia Athletic Club. the Carroll In
stitute the Young Mems Catholic Club and
the Washington Athletic Club becoming
members. The Young Mems Christian As
ISOLATION had no room to build an alley,
and SO did not enter the league although
some of its members were DESTROYS OF do
ing so.
The rules of the newly organized league
were modelled after the rules Of the New
York Amateur Bowling League and are es-
sentially like them. The first game was
played at the Columbia Athletic Club on
Tuesday, December g. the schedule being SO
arranged that games should be played on
Tuesday and Friday nights, with the ex-
ception of Christmas week, when no games
will be played, from then on until Friday,
February 2, when the tournament would
close The games are played from night
to night in regular rotation on the alleys CT
the various clubs, each club playing one
game with the home club on each night.
Last Tuesday the clubs entered on their
second quarter of the schedule. each club
having up to that time played on the alleys
of all the other clubs, and played two
games against each of the other clubs The
clubs are represented in the games by five
players and two substitutes. Six regular
prizes will be awarded: First the cham-
pionship trophy to the club winning the
greatest number of games: second, the Ed
ward voigt medal to the player making the
highest single score during the tournament:
and the third, fourth fifth and sixth prizes
to the players respectively making the
highest averages IN their own team, who
have bowled not less than eighteen games
in the tournament. Besides these, Parker.
Bridget Il Co. offer handsome overcoat to
the player making the highest individual
average during the tournament
The interest which has been manifested
in the games SO far has been more than
satisfying. and now that the tournament
Is a quarter of the way finished, Ii Is rea-
sonable to predict the league a great sue
cess. The games so far played have showed
q great many things in their true lights,
which were disputed at the beginning. OF
course 1t Is impossible yet to pick the win
ner. but the Columbia Athletic Club are
confident of success in the end. They have
had greater experience and had larger
number of men to pick their team from.
Certainly. II they play as they did last
Tuesday for the rest Of the winter, winning
three straight games, their chances are
very good.
Now that all the alleys have been played
on the points Of excellence and the de-
fects Of each are pretty well known. The
Columbia Athletic Club. perhaps, have the
best all around alley. with the Carroll In
stitute second. The alley of the Young
Mems Catholic Club was just put in this
fall, as was that Of the Washington Ath-
letic Club. The alley Of the latter is ex-
cellent, the only trouble being that IT does
not have long enough run.
The numbers at the contests have been
extremely large often as many as two hun
dred representatives Of the various clubs
being present to cheer their fellows on.
Bowling Is splendid exercise, both for
arm and eye. and one in which man must
keep mis- head cool and his hand steady.
Nervousness Is fatal.
The scores of the clubs up to date are as
follows: