The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-15

tngin this city, aud us there arc good
prospects for II professional club tlis
season, a local retrospect OF tho nation
al game will not only DO timely, but tho
ancient history, tho carly struggles OF
The pasiims for popular favor will com.
mand lively interest ut this juncture.
The game was first introduced in the
early COS By the late Q. II. Collier, who
ut that time was principal OF the Second
ward school, whore the Lincoln school
now stands, Mr.. Collier was Just fresh
from college and firm believer In the
bouedis TO be derived from outdoor
sports in connection with the mental
tasks OF the studeut, and SO it was not
long after ho became settled in his posi-.
ton that hs set about organizing the
older scholars into n foot ball club. This
sport did not take with most oil tho boys,
when 1t struck Mr.. Collier TO try base
ball on them. the galae then being in
It's infancy aud almost wholly confined
to The fur east. The similarity OF the
game to the familiar game OF towa bali,
and having many attractive points the
latter did not possess. captured the boys
at once, and as a consequence tho old
Star base halfclu5, the first in the city,
came into existence. II would be
tedious to follow the history OF the
game through all thu years until the
lever, which had been increasing in
virulencc every summer, resulted in the
organization OF some very fair amateur
teams. The mos. important one in
the early history OF the game was the
Baltic team, from the fact that it toured
the prominent towns OF the state, win
ming an uubroken succession OF vic.
tories. The old Nears club, OF Steuben-
vile, however, was their Jete nor. They
never did beat them. TWAS during the
life oil the Baltic team tina, thu cee.
brated Cincinnati Red Stockings were
a. the zenith oil their fame. Harry
Wrights pets wero induced 10 stop
over in Wheeling and try conclusions
with the Battles. The game was inte-
resting only from the standpoint OF the
largo score, tho ked Stockings making
siSty-six runs and the Wheeling team,
through some inadverteuce. scoring
six, in ak innings. turing this time
and in after years there tiourished the
Bridge City. Anchor, National. United,
Champion and Osceola, with many
minor clubs such as the Enterprise.
Eagle. etc. There were many warm
contests in those days, but they lef, no
bitter memories, as the days OF PROBES.
sional ball had not yet come.
1t was when the old Standard club
was on the diamond that the livelest
interests conferred around the fortunes
OF Wheeling team, and from that
period until the organization OF the
semi-proiessioual Wheeling club the
patrons OF the spor. were as great cranki
as the fans" OF later years. Then fol-
lowed 4 long interim OF inactivity and
Indifference until once more the fever
struck the town and Wheeling launched
strictly professional team as a men,
Der Of the Tri.State League. The his.
tory Of that revival is too we'll known
to be mentioned Mt length in the scope
OF this article. 1t ia only necessary to
state that from the inception OF the
CANA to the second interregnum.
Many OF the star players OF the
national league OF to-day were grad
uated from the diamond OF the Wheel.
ing club.
During all these years there have been
come remarkable contests, and in
chronological order the famous game
between the semi.proIessional Ne.-
hammock team OF New Castle,
Pa, and the old Standards comes
first With the Neshanuocks us
catcher was Charley Bennett, after.
wards OF the champion Boatous. Well.
the Wheeling boys didn't DO thing
that day but wipe up tho earth with the
Pennsylvania aggregation, defeating
them to the tune OF 10 too.
Then CAME along como years after.
wards the Indianapolis Association
team, and they found the Wheeling
boys to be made OF sterner stuff than
they counted on. Tho first game re-
suited to 0, aud The second game . to
: in favor OF the visitors. but the home
team and their friends were very much
gratihed in having been able to make go
good showing.
The game between the Cincinniti
. Cluo INV leu t'kUIhlbk, kuG
feeble oilspring) and tho somi.proies
sional Wheeling team was n mild corGer
( for those days. On the ninth inning
the score stood . to in favor OF the
Cincinnati's. and the Nail City boys came
to tine bat worry languidly for tileir cIo1.
ing hnlt. Somehow the first man al
the bnt knocked out n corking two
bascr. which put some life into those
who followed, and before tho lust man
was out they had piled up six runs
winning tho contest by score OF / to q
The greatest, aud, At the same time
most unexpected victory OF the Wheel.
ing Tri.state team was tho morning
game with tho Ianesvillns on July 4 in
1886 or 1887. There vaa n tremendous
crowd OF spectators Oh the grounds, but
during tho prOgross OF the game the,
thinned out, many leaving in disgust
about tho sixth inning because " heel
ing hadn't scored with XanOByiIlo ava,
in tho lead. But those "eaay cutters
missed it. Wheeling took q batting
streak, tied tho score in tho ninth aud
won out in tho tenth. fou could lleal
tho ironzicd yelling OF that crowd Oh
the Island at tho city building Fact.
Another remarkable game was Tho
defeat, several years later. OF the Pitts
burgh team In an exhibition game, b.
!, Il gcoro OF TO o. There were man,
other eycntful games but these nrc TIN
only ones that tho writer eau recall
wrilin. from r trrachcrous memory
With all these old triumphs spread
before the public it 10 to DO hoped thai
their imperfect recital vii! rOvive som,
OF the spirit and local patriotism tim
,rnunilnd in ihnan hnrI md nnnnn.a...