The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-08-30
ABOUT BOWLING ALLEYS
MANY ARE NOW BUILT ON THE
UPPER FLOORS.

In Recent Years Ihoy Have Bfeh NaNitt | ,
" Improved IN Construction and
Finish - The Finest Are Made Of
Maple and Norway Pine.
at does seem odd, certainly" said
n builder Of bowling alleys, ito THINK
Of bowling alleys on upper floors bur
we are putting them there, nowadays
Until within very recent years the
bowling alley, in cities at least was
always to be found In a basement
Now nobody about to build new alleys
would think Of installing them there
"Thls liberal elevation Of the alley
has been brought about by the eleva-
ton of the game and by great Inn
provements In the construction OF the |
ALLEYS themselves. The first Of these |
new conditions brought In many new
players who demanded more agree
able surroundings the second has
made 1t possible to put bowling alleys
anywhere.
"The elevation Of the game Is due
to the players themselves, acting
through the American Bowling Con
gress. composed of bowling clubs and
leagues, and now including the great
majority Of the bowling organizations
east of the Rocky Mountains, If not In
the whole United States. There has
been adopted a standard bowling al
lev: and alleys made to conform to
American Bowling Congress require
ments are the same as to measure
ments everywhere They may, Of
course, be poorer or better, compare
lively, as to the materials used and
as to their construction.
Bowling alleys in recent years have
been greatly improved in construction
and finish; In fact, In every way. In
old times in the construction they
would lay leveling strips along on
the floor where they were to build the
alley, and then put down the alley bed
of yellow pine or Of maple, 3x1 inch
stuff set ON edge and blind nailed, as
YOU nail down a fine floor. The very
finest of the present-day bowling al
leys are made with the ends-the end
upon which the pins are set and the
end near the foul line which receives
the impact of the ball when first set
rolling-of maple; the long interven
ing space being Of Norway pine, this
: stuff of the usual dimensions, 3x1
inches, and made, of course, to lie o.
, on edge in the alley bed, being al
, tongued and grooved on the deep sides
! 'In building the finest and costlies
! alleys Of such materials, the stuff i
= not laid down on the dwelling piece
r and nailed there, but the bed Is bull
standing up on its edge beside tn
place it is to occupy. Strip afte
= strip is laid up until the entire allie
;, bed, seventy-fve feet or more !
: length, including the runway, has bee
: built up into one continuous stTuctur
strip secured to strip, and the whol
= held togethed by steel clamps I'll
" bed thus built is then tipped down I'M
= It's proper horizontal position on tt
dwelling pieces and made fast Their
le the top being then levelled and fnisht
IL Dnd polished.
u "An alley bed of that charact
81 would be likely to be a revelation to
O. man not accustomed to bowling alley
Ut 1t seems almost white in color, or Ill
at q pale yellow translucent glass, and
II looks as though it were as smooth
~ glass, or as the top Of a piano or al
eu other piece Of polished cabinet wol
1t is some sort of fun to roll ten pi
on an alley like that, to say nothiI
Of the aid to good rolling afforded
It's accuracy and smoothness of 81
face
J. "And then, IL you hadn't been arou
= In bowling alleys much in late yes
you would see other things that won
nd surprise you, say, the return chu
patented, of course, that carries a b
isl returned from the pit back to
player along the level of the alley b
nc and lands it finally up in the tror
ION besides the runway at the old conve
ent level. This is ? surprisingly 81
pie thing. Inste being suppC
Jay ed on Standard placed along the s
~ Of the alley at a sufficient height alb
the floor to give the slope requi
pie to carry the ball back to the play(
bly, end Of the alley, the chute DIR,
abruptly, close to the pin end.
less sudden drop gives the ball an impe
on that carries it rapidly along the ch
at the level of the alley bed to
arc players end, where there is an abr
elf rise in the chute corresponding to
abrupt drop at the pin end. This
or fbo nlavo,s' pnd ic cO cOuStrI1C