Evening star., 1896-01-11
How the G. Bi G. Team Won
Silver Cup.
WORKING FOR FHE CHALLENGE TROPHY
A Mug That Goes Wandering
Over the Country.
TO PLAY NEXT We E K

Had it not been for slip in the arrange |
ments there would be in progress this after |
noon at the Capital Bicycle Club house. on |
18th street. whist match unique in the local
history of that game. Four of the crack |
whist players of the &C. BIZ as it is
Familiarity called by its members and many
friends, should have been engaged in bitter
combat with four of Philadelphia's lead
ing players, in competition for the American
Whist League challenge cup, which is now
in the second year of lis wanderings through
the country This is unique trophy in the
history of whist, and has given rise to some
of the most interesting and exciting matches
ever played under official auspices. A week
ago today the Capital Bicycle Club team,
composed OF Messrs. Low, Barrick, Carr and
Fogg, went to Albany to compete for the
cup for the first time. and so well did they
play together that they won the match by
seven tricks, and brought the cup to Wash
ington for the first time
This cup, handsome affair in solid silver,
with three handles, was donated by the
American Whist League at it's annual con-
Vention in 1884, to be competed for by the
clubs that are members of the league, on a
system OF weekly challenges, to be played
off in the order of entry. The cup is to be-
&C me the permanent property of the club
that first succeeds in successfully defending
II twenty times. These victories do not need
to be consecutive, and score is kept by the
othcials of the league by virtue of which the
victories of "a will add to those of '95 ard
perhaps of '96 and 81 in the general tally
that will eventually determine the perma-
nent ownership of this beautiful silver mug
At present the Hamilton Club of West Phil
adelphia stands first with eight victories
The Minneapolis Whist Club stands second
with four wins. and the Albany club third
with three Several of the club members of
the league have won once apiece including
BfcyClR which or dc
a cnance OF getting into the race.
The Schedule.
The official schedule was so arranged that
the Bicycle Club team should play four men
from the Art Club of Philadelphia this after
noon and evening, but yesterday morning
the local club was informed by Mr.. Robert
H. Weems, corresponding secretary of the
league, that the Art Club team had with
drawn its challenge The next challenger
being the Chic ago Whist Club 1T was
thought that it would probably be impossible
TO arrange match between two cities SO
widely, separated Later a telegram was re-
ceived from Mr.. Thomas A Wheelan of the
baltimore Whist Club, stating that Mr..
Weeins had wired him assigning that club
10 play the Capital team in this city today
10 this reply WAS sentthat the local club
having been officially notified that thew
would not be required to play, it would be
lmpracticable to arrange the match with
been informed that there would be no match,
and had made other arrangements which
could not be broken. In addition the captain
of the team, Mr.. H. N. Low, will be pre-
vented from participating by the death of a
member OF his family.
This leaves the Capital Bicycle Club sched-
uled to meet the next conner, either the
Hamilton or the Baltimore team, next Sat-
Urday night.
On the 9th of this month the cup will
go TO ST. Louis, without regard to the then
holding club, to be competed for at the
semi-annual meeting of the executive COM
mlttee of the American Whist League
Ihe club holding the cup on that day has
the privilege of defending it at ST. Louis
against the next challenger, but it does not
relinquish its right to be credited with
Previous victories if 1t should decline to
make the journey to st. Louis. The coun-
try is divided into two whist sections by
have the cup taken out to the western
clubs 50 as to give all a chance to COM
pete for it without involving great expense
for travelling over long distances
Frequent Changes of Ownership.
Last year the cup was pretty frequently
in motion, having been won first by Mime
apolis and then by several of the clubs of
the middle section of the country. At the
annual convention at Minneapolis this sum-
mer IT was won by the Nashville club, and
has since then been carried off in success
Whist Club, the Philadelphia Whist Club,
the Continental Club of New York, the
Albany Club and now by the Capital BIZ
cycle Club. 1t Is probable that the cup will
oe Kept IN the west during the first half of
this year, until the annual convention of
the league, which meets next in BROOKLYN
during the summer
Whist playing was not one of the early
OBJECTS OF the members of the &C. b." but
1t has grown up in late years as one of the
effef features of that popular organization
bicycling has come to be so much mat
ter OF everyday experience in these times
tnat as the wheel became more and more
common the members of the Capital Club
one OF the pioneer orsaniza tions of Amer
lea, took to other amusements, and the
members early took leading rank among
the scientific whist players of the country
OF the membership of upward of 125, there
are probably fifty good whist players and
among these are the very best players of
the city The science of whist has been
discussed, digaSted and even improved upon
in club councils, and although the deyotees
of the checkered board have latterly obtain
ed some vogue in the club and chess has
become a more prominent feature than be-
fore, yet, Trist Cavendish Pole and Fcs-
ter are still the chief idols of the club-of
almost equal sanctity with the famous
cat that has reigned over the organization
since IT'S incorporation years ago.
The Whist Committee.
The present whist committee, which has
ties and other like events, is composed of
Messrs. W. P. Johnson, Jules Wootcn
Charles NJ. Barrick, Alexander Britton and
DR.. W. S. Harlan. 1t is their function to
superintend the selection of challenging
teams and championship pairs and the like,
and this is no easy task by any means.
The chief embarrassment in the matter
comes from the riches spread before the
committee in the way of whist talent. which
is unusually plentiful in this club. When it
was decided to send a team into the chal-
lenGe cup contest some months ago steps
were taken to secure the very best combi-
nation of players possible. and after a
number of competitive tests Messrs. Low
Barrick. Carr and Fogg were designated
with MI. Low as team captain. The team
went to Albany under somwhat of dis
advantage. because of the fact that Mr.
FoGg had never played before in cham
pionship match with this combination OF
players.
The team, however, had great good for
tune and played together like clockwork
The match consisted of forty-eight hands
in duplicate. that Is, at each table forty
eight original hands are played and they
are then replayed at the other table. The
scheme is so arranged that each of the
eight players has each adversary an equa
number of times on his right and on hi: