The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-10-20
GAME OF LAWN BOWLING.

Growing Popularity of This New Out
door Sport-How it is Played.
Up to the present year bowling on
the green, or lawn bowling, as it is
sometimes called, that ancient and
royal game of Scotland could not be
counted one of the popular pastimes of
Americans, but it's merits have at last
been recognized, and to-day it is being
enjoyed from New York to California.
Why it has been so long in catching the
fancy Of the sport loving public of the
United States is difficult to say, for.
there is no game more calculated to
give the greatest amount Of exercise at
the least physical cost, nor is there one
more sociable. Indeed, its chief cham
lies in the facilities it gives for social
intercourse and the cultivation of good
fellowship.
While it is true that a form of the
game was played by our ancestors-as
witness the stained glass window in
the building at No. II Broadway por-
traying the game as played on the old
Bowling Green-it may be said that the
introduction of lawn bowling into the
United States was in 1879, when Chris
tian Schepflin, of Plainfield, N. Jflfi i'm
ported a set of bowls from Scotland,
and built private green at Dunellen,
N. J., for the entertainment of himself
and his friends The history of the de-
velopment of the game from this hum
BILE beginning forms a most interesting
chapter in the annals of American
sport,
Until 1885 the members of the Dunel-
len Bowling Green Club, as this coterie
of players styled themselves, were con-
tent to engage in matches with each
other, but in that year a number of
men from New Brunswick, N. J., went
to Dunellen to watch the games there,
became interested and formed what
was termed the Middlesex Bowling
Green Club. Both organizations played
on the greens at Dunellen until 1894
when the membership of the Dunellen
club had grown to such an extent that
it was deemed advisable to seek new
quarters in location more convenient
to the players, many of whom came
from Jersey City, New York and Brook
lyn.
Accordingly, ground was leased at
Communipaw, N. J., and six full sized
greens were built there The club, with
it's change of home, changed it's name,
and is now known as the New Jersey
Bowling Green Club. Meantime other
clubs were formed in various parts of
the country, the most notable being the
Boston Curling Club, which turned
from curling to bowling with such good
will that it holds the championship of
the United States. Other cities and
towns where strong organizations have
also been effected are Brooklyn, Fall
River, Mass. Kearny, N. j., Buffalo.
Chicago (the Wanderers Club, Louis
Vile and San Francisco.
OF all these the New Jersey Bowling
Green Club continues to be recognized
as the leading association. Some of the
founders of the parent club at Dunellen
are still active members Including Mr.,
Schepflin, John Young, of New York,
and D. S. B. Cockburn, of Jersey City.
The president of the club, James Thaw,
of HobokerE, N. j., is also one of the
older members, though he did not come
in at the time of formation. To him
and to the secretary, James w Greig,
is due much credit for the way in whcih
the club continues to hold it's own with
more youthful rivals 1t was through.
Mr.. Greig's efforts that strong teams
from New Zealand and Australia visit
ed Communipaw last summer.
Although defeated, the men of the
Antipodes went home with the kindliest
feelings for Jimmie Thaw and his
Draw ladies" The visitors were en-
tertained as old Scotch bowlers only can
entertain. Moreover, they found the
best of greens to play on, thing that
they appreciated. In fact, there are no
finer greens in the United States than
at Communipaw, and throughout the
continent they are to be excelled by
possibly only those at Niagara-on-the
Lake, Ontario, where ethe Canadian
championship tourney is held annually.
and by the greens in Toronto Cana
dams are devoted to lawn bowling. al
most every hamlet, especially in Onta-
rio. having its green. In both countries
the laws of the game are the same. and
it should not be difficult at some future
day to arrange an annual information
tournament, an event that would do
more than anything else to increase