The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-01
wOMEN,s WHIST CONGRESS-.
A Meeting of Interest tie Amateurs
and Professionals.
New York Evening Pos

New York Evening Post.
The women's whist congress, which will
be in session in Philadelphia at the Hotel
Walton is unques-
%tionably one of the most important events
in the annals of the game since the Amer
lean Whist League was founded in Mil
Waukee in 1890. At that time there were
many who prophesied that the American
Whist League would live a year or two
and then die out. Next summer its seventh
annual meeting will take place, and it has
to-day a larger club membership than ever
before. The success that has attended the
original association may safely be predicted
for its sister organization.
The congress will begin next Tuesday,
with a business meeting, at II a. m, where
all matters in connection with the forma-
ton of a women's national whist league
will be discussed. Business meetings at the
same hour will take place on the two follow
ing days. Play will be begun every day at 2
o'clock. On Tuesday and Wednesday after
moons there will be a progressive game
for pairs, for which seventy-five entries
have been received. The following places
will be represented in this contest: Wash
ington, d. c., San Francisco, Brooklyn,
Staten Island, Minneapolis, indianapolis,
P%ittsburg. Norristown, Media, Boston,
Camden, N. j.; Toledo, O.; Richmond, Va,
and Pottsville, Pa. Philadelphia will. of
course, be represented by its strongest
teams and pairs, and, as that city has
the reputation of containing the strongest
bod of women players in the country, a
great deal will be expected of them by the
rest of the whist community.
AOn Thursday afternoon a match for wom-
ems tours will be played. For this contest
twenty-four entries have already been
made. On Tuesday and Wednesday even
ings there will be a match for mixed pairs,
and on Thursday evening a match OF men
against women. In all these contests indi-
vidual prizes will be awarded to the Win
ners. All the expenses of the congress VIII
be borne by the women of. Philadelphia,
and no entrance fees to the contests VIII
be charged. There is also no restriction
as to the composition of pairs or tours.
NV nj NrorC NAV nnfaP tnOGfhar whether
they belong to the same club or not, or even
if they reside in different localities, The
foundation of a Womans whist league VIII
open avenues to women that have been
practically closed to them before, and Will
serve to Increase the whist spirit through
out the country. Outside of Philadelphia
itself Washington has shown the greatest
interest in the coming congress. The women
of that city have contributed a handsome
trophy to be competed for by club fours.
This prize is a silver shield attached to a
background of velvet.
There seems to be a little doubt in the
minds of some of the leading whist writer's
as to just how and when the idea of a
woman's whist league first originated. AT
the last congress of the American WHIST
League, which was held at Manhattan Beach
last summer, there was q large delegation
of Philadelphia women present, members
of the Trist Club of that city, whose inten-
ton it was to bring the project of forming
a. Woman'S whist league before the eXecu-
tive board of the American Whist League.
After considerable informal discussion the
movement was dropped at hat time and
lay dormant until this winter. Last Novem-
Der, at the tournament for the Andrews
trophies. which was held in Philadelphia,
the delegates from other cities Who We're
present were asked if they considered that
the time for forming a woman's whist
league had arrived, the decision being
in favor of the formation of
such a body. Mrs. Thomas II. Andrews
was appointed chairman of a committee of
five, the other members TO be selected by
her. Mrs. Joseph r. Hawley. of Washing
ton. D.. c.; Mrs. Clarence Brown, OF To
ledo, o.; Miss BiddIe, OF Detroit, and Mrs.
Waldo Adams, of Boston, were named as
her coWorkers in the organization.
Up TO the 22d of last February, when the
executive officers of the American Whist
League met at Nashville. nothing had ever
come before that body in regard to the for
nation of a wonan's whist league, on The
first day of the Nashville meeting, Mr..
Kribben, the recording secretary, stated
that he had a communication from PreSi-
dent Barney to read. This said that Mr..
Barney had received a letter from the
Trist Club, of Philadelphia, In regard to a
woman's whist league. Mr.. Barney refer
red the matter to a committee consisting
of Messrs. Elliott, Walton and Schwartz.
who made a report which was adopted
without debate. This explanation has been
felt necessary because a number of persons
nave jumped at the conclusion that the
formation of a Woman'S whist league was
opposed at the Nashville meeting, an idea
that is utterly at variance with the facts
of the case. So far as IS known, NOT a sin
gle director has ever opposed the forma-
ton of a woman's whist league, most of
them, lilUctu, HdNlilE OilClllS tAII tSStQ
themselves in favor of it. The following
from the pen of j.. j. Tormey. in the San
Francisco Call, shows his feeling in the
matter pretty thoroughly: California sends
greeting to the women whist players of
America, and would no doubt send dele
gates to this congrcss if the time We're not
quite so short. The whist clubs of Cali
fornia are the only clubs in the American
Whist League that have lady and gentle
man members. Our whist clubs were the
first 10 say women should be accorded equal
privileges or rights as men, and
in our clubs we welcome our
daughters as well as our sons. We have
been a stanch advocate of women IN
whist for years, and we hope the good work
done at this congress will spread. If the
right spirit prevails, it will always have our
hearty and earnest support Mr.. Tormey
is a director in the American Whist
League. He has always been a warm sup
porter of women in whist. and was present
at the Nashville meeting. Mr.. Barney,
president of the American Whist League,
will be at the congress in Philadelphia, as
will also Mr.. Mandell. the vice president
T. F.. Otis, director of the American Whist
League; Wilbur +. Smith and A. Harvey
Mccoy. leading experts of Baltimore, and
Charles r.. Coffin. Of Indianapolis.
The meeting at Manhattan Beach last
summer was characterized by the large
number OF women visitors. They were
treated during the congress with the ut