Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-24
AMONG THE MINISTER'S
The Park Club Defeated by the
Americans.
WALBR00K WILL PLAY NEXT
Modern and Ancient Aspect Of the
Game.
CAPITAL CLUBS TOURNEY

AS ~ W. -. tiOPhy iadtSh OCe"SShA ehS
Park club Of Plainfeld, Nj. and the Amer
lean of Boston came off Saturday, and the
Americans won by seven tricks. The first
half was the closest on record. At the end
of the first half Ctwenty-four boards) both
teams had won sixteen tricks. On the deal
thirty and thirty-one the Americans gained
five tricks, which virtually settled the
game, SO evenly matched were the players.
The score was, American, 20; Park, %.
After Parks defeat of Otis team, the
Americans took the trophy to Boston, and
they have demonstrated their ability TO
duplicate the trick.
The Americans team comprised Bouve
(captain), Fletcher, Whitney and Ward:
the Park club was represented by Rogers,
McCurcheon, Howell and Townsend. The
Americans played the long suit game, with
team Vaccinations. They are strong
combination. They were much feared at
Put-in-B Bay and came near being in Albany's
place. when they played in the finals with
the Toledos.
The Parks played trump-showing leads,
and their game was similar to Boston's,
with few exceptions. Park always leads
ace at the head Of five. Boston, like the
Baltimore, Hamilton and Minneapolis, lead
low II there is any show to establish and
bring In their suit. The play was of the
highest order, and the match was won on
its merits.
Walbrook will be the next contestant be-
tore the trophy is handed over to the COM
mittee at their mdwinter meeting at Buff
falo. Many of the eastern clubs are
anxious to take trip west for the trophy.
ana the scene or war may be transferred
TO the east, where SO much enthusiasm has
been kept up all through the season.
From California to Maine state cham
pionship games are being played daily too
numerous to be chronicled in the space al
iotted to weekly whist column. This in
terest Is not on the wane, and the reason is
easily understood when some of the causes
are given by intelligent writer's why whist
should be popular. New England journals
are teeming with eulogies on the game,
and Buffalo paper publishes an editorial,
which will be particularly Interesting to all
lovers of the game. This article is espe-
clally appropriate, as the mid-winter meet
ing of the A. w. 1. Association is held in
Buffalo this week.
Modern and Ancient Whist.
-Four persons, more or less congenfal,
and with more or less skill in playing,
pleasant surroundings and fifty-two cards
used to be considered all the requisites for
a game of whist. But after time some
one with considerable prestige in society
discovered that whist might be scientific
game, that 1t possessed many good points
that had been apparently forgotten for
humber of years, and Immediately a change
thought all there was in it was a good
time, plenty of talking, some sulkiness, if
the game were lost, and stroke or two of
good luck OF course, whist and cards arc
among the very ancient things. They have
been discovered to have existed in Hin
doostan hundreds of years ago. when no
doubt they were played scientifically and
skillfully; but it is only matter of few
years since the Americans awakened to the
fact that there is deal more in the bits of
pasteboard than they imagined and
straightway made up their minds to get to
the root of the matter With the tenacity
acuteness and determination that usually
go with the race. the American methods of
playing whist are becoming the recognized
rules of the world. Cavendish says in few
years they will be the only rules, and
Cavendish should know, since he is the
greatest authority on cards in Europe.
"A great deal of the praise that has been
and will be bestowed on the Americans for
their cleverness in discovering such admir-
able leads and games, ought; if honor is
given where honor is due. to be handed
over to the women, say many no are in a
position to know. The American men have
been playing scientific games of whist in
their clubs for a long time, but they kept
it all to themselves Finally their wives
wanted to splay at home, and, of course,
were rebuffed by the lords of creation be-
cause of their foolhardiness, their want of
discretion and thought, their recklessness
and great many more shortcomings. I'M
mediately they determined they would play
whist and play it, too, in way to make
their husbands look well to their laurels,
If they cared to keep them. When wo-
man will she WILL though 1t is nothing
more than to become a good whist player
At once whist teachers were placed on
the list of professors, and the whist lesson
twice week became as necessary as dane
ing or music. Indeed, in New York and
some of the eastern cities whist is taught
as an Accomplishment, and the whist
teacher Is quite as important the gym
nastic instructor or the dancing master.
Besides being pleasant recreation and
mental pastime. whist has been placed
among the heaithful and beneficial pur-
suits for men and women. It is beneficial
because it demands system and method to
play 1t we'll 1t trains the mind and is
good for the nerves. so that makes 1t
healthful. Women who are harassed with
household duties, with the demands of
the butcher and baker, incessant calls
from the nursery and never-ceasing So
cial duties take a course of lessons in
whist to quiet the strained nerves and
teach calmness and repose. Those who
have much trouble find course helpful
to divert the mind from its worriments
and the careless and inaccurate find the
lessons good training. Men who have been
engrossed for years on one subject dis
cover their mental faculties dwarfed hav-