The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-17
THE ROGUE TOURNAMENT
Crack Players Will Begin the An
nual Contests Today.
Championship of the South, the VAN
yyicI<Ie Medals. and n Number of
Prizes to BE Competed for Ihis
Week-Records of the Principal
PIayers-Entries in the Matches.


the Associated Players of the District OF
Columbia will begin this morning at $3.50
o'clock. Rogue is a scientific game that
has been evolved from the nopular croquet.
1t was known as croquet until within two
years, when the manifest differences be-
tween the scientific rules and the popular
form, and the want of distinction in the
minds of the laity, determined the players
to find new name that would distinguish
it from the ordinary pastime. The first
and last letters eliminated from croqueI
supplied the distinctive and euphonious IT,
tie of rogue, which was the name adopted
by the National Rogue Association.
CroQuet is comparatively a modern game.
1t has not the traditions of years in its
favor to establish it in reverence and re-
gard. The orthography and the pronuncia-
ton of the word indicate France as its
origin, and the history Of the game has 1t
that it was brought from there to Ireland,
and later introduced into England. Public
match games were contested in England
as long ago as 1867. AS a lawn game it
became exceedingly popular. and the for
nation Of the "All Englands Croquet
Club" was the Inauguration of annual
Journeys for the championship at Wimble-
don. In England of recent years, croquet
has been nearly displaced by lawn tennis,
but this is ascribed to The faet that no
scientific progress, accompanied by adapted
facilities and rules to increase the difficult
ties, had been made in the game in that
country.
When introduced into America, croquet
was characterized as q simple game almost
devoid of opportunities for the display of
skill The best facilities for the game as
played at that time were found upon q
closely mown grass lawn, with Level sur
face.
With the introduction of scientific rules
the game became much modified. The
number of the arches were increased, their
position changed, and the size Of
the grounds diminished. The need Of
courts better adapted TO the requirements
of the game has resulted in the adoption
of the modern grounds. made of hard clay,
leveled perfectly, sanded and hard rolled.
All tournaments are now conducted upon
such courts. The sizes of the arches and
of the balls have been reduced and many
other alterations in the popular form have
been effected in the game which is now
known as rogue.
Championship and Prizes.
During the course of the present tour
ney, which will be in progress every day
of the present week, contests will be
held for the Southern championship, and
for the Van Wiekle medals of the first
division and of the first and third di-
visions. The Southern championship will
be the award of the successful contest
ant in the games of the first division.
For the Van Wickle prizes. challenges
have been issued TO the holders of both
medals, and the matches will be held
apart from the general contest.
The general contests will be divided
into three classes, the first, second, and
third divisions, and the classification of
the contestants will be arranged by the
committee, W. II. Wahly, C. G. Williams,
and s. L. Duryee. having charge of the
conduct of the tournament. In the first
division will compete players of the
championship class, and in the second
and third divisions the players will be
graded in accordance with their pro-
ficiency at the game. Each contestant
will be required to play one game with
each of his opponents entered in the same
class with himself. Any ties in the
scores that may result will be played off.
The contests for the Van Wickle
medals will be decided by the winning of
four games out of seven by one of the
medal offered for the players of the sec
ond and third divisions is Frank Foss, of
Norwich, Conn, and his challenger is
Louis Yost, of this city. The Van
Wickle medal for contestants of the first
division is held by S. l.. Duryee, of this
city. Mr.. Duryee won this much-prized
award from George C. Strong, of New
London, Conn, in 1898, and has since
then defended it successfully five tim s.
Paul NJ. Peck, local player, is the chaI-
lenger.
The Van WIckfe Medals.
The competition for the Van wickle
medals will be the centring interest
after the championship contest il the
present tournament. These medals were
presented to the national association, to
be contested for by the clubs of the asso-
citation. In the rules governing the coz
test, the badge is to be held by the in
diyidual winner, subject to challenge
once month, by member selected to
play for it by any club belonging to the
national association. The games are to
be contested on grounds selected by the
holder of the trophy.
C. G. WilliaDs. who has teen the
national champion for two consecutive
years, will compete in the present tour
nament for the Southern championship.
He is the present holder of that title.
having earned the distinction at the tour
nament held in this city last year
Among the contestants of note, is Sack
EFT L. Duryee, of this city, who won the
national championship In 1897. He has
been entered in all of the national tour
naments since that time, winning :econd
place in 1899 Mr.. Duryee held the South
ern championship in 1896 and 1898 He
secured second place in the Southern
tournament contests in 1897. In 1899,
when the CHI mpionship was won by C.
G. Williams, Mr.. Duryee did not enter
the contest. He has held the Van Wickle
trophy of the first division since 1898
against all corners. Mr.. Duryee is one OF
the younger players, and is formidable
competitor.
w. H. Wahly, also local player. is
one OF the most brilliant. He is an ex-
pert at difficult shots, and is remarked
for his successful mastery of the oarom
opportunities of the court He was ma
tional champion in 1893. In 1897 he COM
peted for the Van Wickle medal, but was
unsuccessful in wrestling it from its
holder, George C. Strong Mr.. Wahly was
President of the National Rogue Asso-
citation in 1899.
George C. Strong. who has held the ma
tionaI championship three times. VIII
compete for the Southern championship
at this tournament Mr. Strong held the
Southern championship in 1897, and from
1895 to 1897 held the Van Wickle medal
against all corners, losing 1t once in that
time. but regaining it at later match.
contestant whose abilities have de-
cided the committee to place him as n COM
petitor for the Southern championship in
the first division is A. n. MARI, of this
city. Mr. Marr is a dark horse in the
contest, and has never before competed in
any tournament. He has, however, played
several friendly games with the best play