The Republican journal., 1903-10-29
BASE BALL IN BELFAST
And How 1t Was Played Third of Cen
tury Ago.

And How 1t Was Played a Third of Gen.
tury Ago.
Not long since l wrote for The journal
brief article relating to base ball in Belfast
in the late COS, which was about the time
of this game taking on its extreme popular
itv over all others in the United States, a
position in the minds Of the sport-lovlng
public which it has more than held good in
the intervening time. The few details given
then related to the Passagassawakeag and
Pastime clubs, composed entirely OF our
own young men. They had much pleasure
and gave our citizens lots of sport and ex-
citement in their friendly games with our
neighbors in Rockland, Bangor. Portland,
Augusta and Waterville l doubt If we ever
enioved games so keenly, even if the error
column ran into the 'steens and the runs
frequently tailed close to hundred IN
single game. The scorers simply needed
pencil, plenty OF paper and unlimited time.
Sometimes these games were delayed
quarter of an hour or so while the players
and spectators hunted for the ball where
Arvida Hayford had pounded it across two
or three of the adjoining lots. That was
mart of the game in those days. Bunt hits
had not been called into existence by the
many changes in ball, pitching and rules OF
the game generally, which since then have
gradually been made and have established
this style of batting most scientific method
of run getting.
While these early games were being play
ed and educating our people to the genuine
snort in base ball as played by amateurs,
the bows of our city, as was natural, were
infected with the same disease in most ag-
grayated form. The formation OF many
clubs resulted, and much friendly rivalry
was manifested in the games which were
played between the years 1868 and 1874. L
recall the Cherokee, Eureka, King Philip,
Pioneer and River-driver clubs; probably
there were several others. | have the rec
0rd-book and ScOre-bOok of the cherokee
club, of which it was my pleasure to be
member These show many interesting
and curious things about base ball i'll its III
fancy as played by the youngsters OF that
dav Then every club had special appel
lation of It's own, seeming to run locally TO
Indian names, as we have seen Even the
clubs of the large cities used fanciful names
instead of the name of the city, as at pres
eut At its inception the Cherokee ciup
was a social organization as well as athlel-
ic, huldiM- meetings for amusement III the
winter season and getting on the field for
practice early in May. The initial meeting
anpeHrs 10 have been held Dec. 30 1868, at
the home Of Walter II. Bickford. At that
meeting MI Bick ford was elected secretary,
Charles : Hartman, treasurer, Edward q.
Thorndike, president, and Horace NJ. Thur
low. vice president, Later in the season
Charles II. Field was chosen captain OF the
First Nine. $50 called and Sumner Lothrop
of t1e Second Nine On the official club
hook appear the following rules, among
Others. phrased in language readily to be
understood, if not fowery. Rule I'd, "any-
one leaving the club can't come back.
Rule 4th, ''any mai swearing on the held
will be fined cents Rule 5th, "disputing
the umpire. fined cents Rule 9th. mot
obeying captain on the field or president at
meetings, fine cents. Admission fee was
cents.
At the winter meetings charades were
acted and the evenings passed not only with
pleasure but profit to all. Books were read
aloud by the different members, alternately.
These boys We're too young to make calls
on the girls in their early baseball days.
hence ile>e meetings. The ball games of
the Clerokees with the King Philip and
Pioneer clubs were generally, though not
al, hot on,,tnSta6 Spvara1
being decided by a single run even where
the score of each team ran into the fortes.
On August ]. 1870, the Pioneers trounced
the CLe1obees to the tune of 81 and 49,
making al even hundred runs. This was
very bad defeat even for this period, but
later, ON sept. 90. 1870, the Cherokees won
from the same club Al to Is, and on Oct II,
1870. by score of IS to SO.
In closing l will give the score in full of
the latter game. as showing who were
the players on these two clubs almost
exactly a third of a century ago. The
names will be familiar to the older readers
of The Journal as sons OF some OF the lead
ing families at the time. Most of the young
men afterward removed into distant States;
several have died. The scoring was very
simply done-only the runs and outs being
registered. From that time scoring began
to be something of science, until today
student of the game can obtain good out
line of the plays, hits, errors and all points
of the game from the official scores, which
to the uninitiated seem such mess of
blind letters and figures.
Following is the score of games played
October II, 1870:
CHEROKEE. PIONEER.
O. r o. r.
F.V. Cottrell, c.. 81 Locke, c:......
E. S. smith, p. 4iO'Connell, p.... 4
f. p. Craig, 5. S. 6lStickney, S. S.
Perry, b....... 4Sargent, l bt.... 4 4