Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-11-16
North Side club discussed the POSSIBLE.
ity Of organizing some Of the clubs into

ity Of organizing some Of the clubs into
a league to further interest In the game
and add the novelty OF interclub match.
en-. Not the most sanguine OF the group
dreamed Of the possibilities underlying
that simple effort to unite the scattered
bowling clubs Of the city. Not one OF
them dared to hope that there would be
an interest in the game engendered
which would result In the formation OF
hundreds OF clubs In Chicago. In the In
stalling Of alleys on the second, third
and fourth floors Of downtown build.
ings and In the investment OF thou.
sands Of dollars In bringing che mp.
pointments Of the alleys up to date. all
within five years. Yet that was the out.
come Of that casual conversation re-
garding the formation Of bowling
league.
Growth IL Phenomenal
The growth Of the game was rapid
after the start had been made by the
formation of that old league. But, new.
ertheless, 1t far outstripped the hopes
Of the most enthusiastic bowler. In the
next year a dozen other leagues were
formed and matches were pla!Cu con.
stantly. The keepers Of big billiard
rooms began to wake up to tlfc posi-
billties Of the game and constructed
modern regulation alleys In the down.
town district, where they could catch
the "trade" of ambitious bOwlers eager
to practice In their spare time and un.
able to reach their club alleys, located
In outlying parts Of the city. People
who had never handled bowling ball
became interested when they went tC
billiard halls and. passing tho alleys
saw earnest men striving to knock
down the inoffensive pins. They watch
ed while and then took a hand,
and after that they were infected with
the enthusiasm.
About two years ago the "boom" II
bowling began to take on proportions
which attracted attention from ever
those who had been inclined to sneer a
1t as al "old mans game" which prop
erly belonged OH Bowling green
among the first settlers Of New Amster
dam. They realized that game whicl
could interest and hold so many hun
dreds of people must have something IL
1t, and the alleys steadily increased II
number. but were still unable to accom-
modate the demand. Every club II
town added bowling alley to its equip
ment; clubs were formed In nearly al
the large Wholesale houses. and tn,
game grew by leaps and bounds unit
there are now thirty leagues In the city
each composed of eight clubs, with ~
average membership Of fifteen.
This by no means represents even ap
prOXimately the number of b0wlers II
Chicago any more than the membership
of the cycling clubs few years ag,
aggregated the number of riders II
town. There are hundreds of enthusi
astic bOwlers who are seen nightly OF
the public alleys who have no inclina
ton to join clubs, and there are half ,
hundred clubs which are not associate,
with any Of the leagues.
The game Is very popular anon
women, and there are thousands O
women players. but, strangely enough
there are no women In the clubs atfili
ated In the various leagues, nor Is Their
league of wOmen's clubs, although al
most dozen leagues could be fOrme,
from the clubs composed exclusively 0
women. On one North Side alley al0n
six womenfs clubs bowl weekly, eac
club having an afternoon assigned o.