The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-19
BASEBALL IN 1865.
How the Fever Spread in Wash
ington City Departments.
PRESIDENT AND HIS cAs,NEr.
Got the Cra1e and Good Players Wero
Given Federal Positions, So They
Could Play With the Home Team.

Po<t-fn.ei.sxezcer CT sunday ana Ao1d4y
last" remarked a Seattle patron OF the
baseball game, proved nishly interesting
reading ard awoke in men,ery mary pleas
ant "reminiscences Of the national game.
whsn II sas in It's infancy. Let me eel
ycu about the great baseball craze which
affected the high and mighty ard the meek
and Iewiy IL the aa-iozal capital in isS-
IL lad fast been mustered out OF he
army ara was preparing 10 enter the gov
eminent service az . clerk in the secretary
os the treAsury's ONCE under Hugh
NcCulioca. ard having nothing on
hand TO beguile the idle hours / visited
the white Io.' in the rear Of the execu-
tive mansion A. This point was induced
70 take hard for the first time at base
hai. and on THAT eventsnl day formed the
Acquaintance and played with A. p. Cor
man. row United States senator from
Maryland Nick Young. now president Of
the National League Of Baseball Players.
and other men whose achievements adorn
the inches Of fame set apart for successful
bali players The club was known as the
National Baseball Club. iss membership at
the time and subsequently, being composed
Of President Andrew johnson. members OF
his cabinet. heads OF bureaus. members OF
both bodies OF congress and other pronni-
nert perSonages- OF course they did not all
play. but most Of them were prssen; al in
portaat matches.
In tss5 there were probably In the city
Of Washington thirty clubs, ten of them
excellent ball tossers, the four leaders be-
ing In their order. the Nationals. Olympic.
Union and Jefferson Greece In her paluii-
est days never appiauds3 her heroes more
than Washington City IN 1855 and lsss wor-
shipped the National Baseball Club. 1t
was the champion OF the South. Games IN
which It engaged in '',he city OF magniacent
distances attracted the culture the fash
ion and the beauty not only OF Washington
City. bat also Of the entire District of Co
lunlbia
TO be frst-class baseball player meant
open sesame almost everywhere. That
qualification was the ste2piag-stone to
prefsrment for positions IN almost any, IL
not all. Of the government departments.
Clsrssh4ps or messenger appointments
were At the command OF men who could
play the game we'll.
The National club imported a number
OF men from the East who had won re-
nown. among them the famous George
Wright Eb Smith. brother OF The famous
Charley Smith. captain OF the Atlantics, Of
brooklyn. Dayy Force, once a celebrated
shcrt-stop. and a raft Of other noted play
ers. All of these had been previously pro-
yidsd with snug births In either the war
or treasury department..
never forget the ADVENT OF the
Athletics Of Philadelphia and the Arlantscs
and Excelsiors of Brooklyn. These were
the three crack clubs al that period. Two
weeks before the arrival OF rhe frvt club
a baseball tournament 20 last three days
tgane every other day. was arranged Sea-
son tickets good for the three games, with
reserved seats thrown in. were sold at IS
each and fully s.ee tickets. netting IS 90.
were sold before the opening game The
baseball was erected al this time by the
National Baseball Club. on the lots al the
rear OF the presidential mansion, and 1t
covered fully block.
Ia those days the courtesy extended Wis
ting clubs was In strong contrast with the
present method. Upon the arrival OF the
AIlanfics from New York they were me.
al the railroad depot BY a reception COM
mtttee who escorted their distinguished
guests In carriages 10 leading hotel. and
on the day of the contest with the Nation
ais they were brought 20 the grounds by
the same committee. The attendance at
the nrst game must have esQuailea % 90
people, the distinguished onlookers being
President Johnson. his cabinet. foreign am
bassadors without number, members of
both branches OF congress and thousands
o, other noted men Over :, 900 ladies' were
present, and they felt deeply chagrined
over the defea: OF the home club The two
other games were also won by tie Excel
sicr and Athletic clubs. by narrow mar
gins The evening after each game the Wis
ting club vas halque;ed al the National
hotel These three banquets-ali In ore
week. cost the Washington City club sIs.-
on
During tournament week very u,,le
business was transacted in Washington
City. The city was. fizura.iveiy speaking.
turned upside down The one great OBJ
Jet N life for ;he tine being was 10 pay
difference 10 baseball AMI its Champions.
While the National was known as Al
amateur ciub. 10 was ser7I-crofessio-af
since Il found sinecures IN governmental
service .o- It's imported players This Is
believed 20 be the beginning % the hired
men' part OF the national game That
term was frequently used hy clubs tina,
objected 20 the methods adopted by IN.
SaiisnAl Among It's strong players. Ike
George WrtSh;. Davy Force. George Fox.
Harry Be-rhrorg. ard in fact. nearly all
re nine. not ore was exempt from, The
term hired men since al were ia the en-
ploy OF the government
The baseball craze. AZ has beea tntl-
msiei- Invaded every department OF the
e1verrrneut. and the treasury. war nost-
once ard interior Departments each ros-
ssSscd So favored uine. In the treasury
nsar'y every one % ihe many bureaus had
4 zine. and these mines always lad a prp.tv
sofi snap when q came 20 getting OF 70
play ball. The bureau with which I vas
connected n the treasury department was
presided over by n devoted lover Of the
nozzle game. named Alice. ard IN order 20
eei OF day, either 20 practise or MAY
n match. Il was only necessary 10 max.
known your wishes and he would smile be-
niSna1fly and grant the necessary permits
sion II you MANNED 4 finger SO "a 10 IN
te-fere with writing he would advfs. YOU
70 stay away until Won felt better ami In a
hundred WAYS. during the alayirz season.
contributed his mite toward making Wash
ing5on C1ty a very baseball paradise.
In The early DAYS Of baseball On one
extremely hot Fourth % July. I had .ha
honor OF playing heaizd the bat for the
Thirt AafitSr's nine. against the Comp
froler Of the C-nrrency's nire Came was
called al o'clock in the morning s-a !,
ended about ; IN the afternoon. cannot
recall whether the whole aiae innings were
played or not. but our club won. the <~,-a
being 10 "a L. The weather was &, az
ceszfinsay sultry thar sf was necessary "a
mop your head with water Frequently 4nr-
ing The game. a1i every PLAYER who
cAancsd 20 cross the home plate was
seized ard spoaSe3 down by men employ
III FOR that purpose
IL is believed the National pasaAsls
Club was i.@ first siah 20 s,.xreS. baxss.9fY
tours. ~ circuits. prior to the open;ns ~
ire ssa=oc- In the spring % fssss -tA cs,,b
toured several % fhe southern states 80
later or visited Eastern and wN~.sr-
states. paying win all .ne known ~-artr ~.
EzuiTaftsrs 7 r@s7 er-he- -AA ss.x -. -
rasHrn@a from SIS triumphant trfn through
Maryland ara Virginia The eto-s,T,.
e-onzesi heroes we're RTE; a. The railroad