Evening star., 1896-01-11

by the bicycle club men in the first half.
When forty of the last forty-eight hands
had been played the Washington team was
only one trick ahead, so steadily had their
gained ground. When they
realized that the victory that had seemed
SO sure at the end of the first half was
likely to slip away from them, they nerved
themselves for particular efforts, and in the
last eight hands pulled away from Albany
with steady gains until the match was f1n-
ished some time after midnight with seven
points to their credit.
Then each member of the Albany Club
imprinted farewell kiss upon the silver
mug, passing it from hand to hand, and 1t
was finally placed in the custody of the
&c. Bi." boys, who brought it to Washing
ton.
The match in Albany was umpired by
Robert H. Weems of the Montauk Club Of
Brooklyn, secretary of the American Whist
League. He has umpired about all the
games played in this contest so far, and
has general charge of the tournament 1t
was impossible for him to attend this
ma tch, and he delegated Mr.. A. G. Stafford
of this city, well-known whist authority,
and one of the directors of the league. as
well as a member of the Capital Bicycle
Club, to act as umpire in his stead. The
Albany team defeated by the Washington
men week ago Is compC sed of Messrs.
harrington Lodge. jr., David Muhlfelder.
Snow and Mr.. E. Leroy Smith form the
champion whist pair of the United States.
'The Guerillns.'
The style of game of the C. Bi. c.. is, and
always has been, decidedly less conven-
tional than that of any other club in the
whist league, and their many victories in
the past have been traced to individuality
in their playing. Their adversaries fire.
quently win single trick on greater
number of hands, but where there is an
opportunity to jump in regardless OF con-
x,,s,1 l,rnn fyio 70 ~
a single hand, they rarely miss it. Through
ont the country they are known as guer-
rillas One of the Albany Clubs best play
ers paid a striking compliment to the
Washington team when the match last Sat
urday was completed. In response to an
inquiry as to what kind of a game GER
tain other club played, he said: They play
a sharp, steady and conventional game. Ii
playing with your club is certain to give
one headache"
The Hamilton trophy, denoting' the cham
pionship of tn country, was won by the
Capital Bicycle Club team at the conven-
ton of 1892 and was held during the en-
suing year. 1t was intended to send
team to Minneapolis last summer to com.
pete for the trophy, but the business en-.
gagements of some Of the best players In
tervened, and at the last moment the plan
was abandoned
There is in this city a small whist club
called the Rejoue Club, composed of eight
OF the leading WHIST players OF tne capita
Bicycle Club and eight of the most exper,
members of the Woman's Whist Club
Some excellent games have been played
and the ladies have become exceptionally
scientific in methods of play. Since the re-
turn from Albany of the team a challenge
has been issued by the lady members of the
Rejoue Club to the winners of the match
all of whom are members of that organiza
ton, for a championship game between
them and four of the best lady players OF
Washington. the outcome of which will bt
awaited with interest.