Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-03
SIGNS OF SPRING
As Seen in the Renewed Activity in
Athletic Matters.
MEMBERS OF CLUBS HARD at WORK
The Coming Season to Be Brim.
full of Interest.
ALL KINDS OF SPOR T

Base ball is already beginning to take on
a good deal of life among its players and
enthusiasts in the city. Teams have been
or are now forming for the coming season,
and the players are attempting to get their
fingers limbered up and their muscles in
condition for the sport. which Is more wide
~ liked and more generally understood than
any other in the country. The old teams
have in most IL stances, been practicing In
the gymnasiums and getting their men to-
gether since the beginning Of the year.
but all are not fortunate Of course,
to have indoor quarters in which they can
get in any practical work. With those who
have it has been found somewhat Of a
task to keep up an interest in ball tossing,
as playing within four walls is necessarily
a little tiresome week in and week out, and
not what 1t is on an open field. Some of
the clubs, however, have learned by sad
experience that IL they expect to be in
form by spring, they must begin practice
long before that time.
The basket ball team of the Young Mems
Christian Association Is now thoroughly
organized and in fine playing form. under
the captaincy of Ed Grove. The date for
their game with the Y. NJ. c. A. Of Balti-
more will be fixed next week.
The boys classes Of the association will
give an exhibition in the gymnasium on
New York avenue next Monday night, and
1t is expected that the boys will both sur
prise and please their friends. The affair
will consist of exercises on the horizontal
bar, on the vaulting bar, musical dumb
bell drill exercises on the parallel bars, on
the German horse, tumbling and other in
teresting performances. The boys classes
have been forging ahead at great rate
this winter and will unquestionably show
performance,
Base Ball Prospects.
The base ball team of the Y. NJ. c. A,
which has been so successful for the past
two years, is now at work getting ready
for the spring opening. Nearly all the old
players, who have won so many laurels In
the past, are back again, and great things
are looked for from the team. Sanford,
unfortunately, will not return, but although
he will be missed by the Y. NJ. c. A. he
has not given up base ball, and will be
found playing on the Petersburg, Va. team.
Most of the otner players are back and will
be seen in their familiar places. Hodge. will
twirl the sphere. McCreery, O'Hagan, John
son. Balway and Hauptman will also play,
| although their positions are not quite de-
cfded upon as yet There are four or five
other candidates for places.
The third team match between the Young
Mems Christian Association and the Wash
ington Chess Club Pollock team" will take
place on Monday night. at the rooms of
the Washington Chess Club. 92l F street
orthwest.
The final bouts in the fencing champion
ship of America, under auspices of the
American Athletic Union and the Amateur
Fencers' League Of America, will be held
on March 80 and 81. The preliminary bouts
will take place for the various clubs wish
Ing to enter men some time during Feb
ruary. Fencing is a thing which few peo-
pie go in for but those who do tackle 1t
are usually enthusiasts over the sport.
There will be several entries from this city.
McKelvey and Nelson and probably some
others will go from the Young Mems Chris
tian Association. while others will go from
different clubs, although it is not known
just who, 50 early.
The Country Club.
The Chevy Chase Club is coming daily
into greater prominence. and as the spring
approaches Increasing interest win gather
about the doings Of this organization. the
only one Of its kind in Washington, and
one which has had a growth no more rapid
than it is deserving. The Chevy Chase Club
is a country club. Washington never had
a country club before it was started, al
though there are five such in New York,
two in Boston, one fifteen years old in Bal
timore, and at least one in most of the
large cities of the country. The club, al
though so new here, has already met with
the approval and the support of many of
the best citizens. Ii is perhaps, first of all,
hunting club. owning some fine horses
and some good dogs and its hunts have
been always occasions of interest to the
members and their outside friends. But
the club also has many polo enthusiasts,
who have been regularly playing the game.
Golf, which Is a game unfamiliar to many,
has also received a good deal of attention,
and is quite popular, although 1t is not of
course, so exciting, from a rough and
tumble standpoint at any rate as polo.
{c lix-al u-nll M ed
to have a good many devotees. Tennis
courts are now being laid off and the club
promises to have excellent facilities for
that game during the coming summer. A
good many of the members even now live
out at the club house. and for the summer
additional quarters are planned for with
many accommodations not now possessed
by the club, and everything will be done
to carry out the idea of a country club in
its true meaning. Eight couples OF Irish
hounds have just been purchased and added
to the pack, so that II now numbers about
thirty fine dogs. The annual meeting of
the Chevy Chase Club will be held on Feb
ruary -. at which time many interesting
matters and new ideas will be taken up.
Basket Ball League.
There is no danger now that basket
ball league will be formed here this winter
There was time during the year when the
channel was clear for such a venture but
no one could be found to take the rudder
and steer the matter successfully into port
and so the whole thing went to pieces on
the rocks, no one knows just where. 1t
has been disappointment to many of
course, for the game seems to have had
quite run of popularity all over the city
The only serious attempts toward organiz-
ing a league were made too late and had
the matter been pushed through a couple
of weeks ago even, when 1t was widely
talked of, there would have been hardly
tO a l,afo
base ball would have begun to steal away
the interest in the sport. The whole thing
has at length wisely been given up. although
most of the separate clubs will continue to
play the game by themselves. In fact, some
| teams are just getting together now and
perhaps enough interest may live through
the summer or be revived next winter to
make the league something more than a
fairy tale another year.
An Ell ACEn Au.RQAn