Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-26
WHIST PLAYERS MEET
SEVENTH ANNUAL CONGRESS
OPENS IN BALTIMORE.
Brilliant Reception Held Last Evening
Phenomenal Growth of League
Handsome Trophies.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

ctNciai correspondence oI Inc Evening sur.
BALTIMORE Md. April 20, 1904.
The seventh anSual congress of the Wo-
mans Whist League was opened in Balti-
more last night by brilliant reception.
The Belvidere was ablaze with light and
music, the large ball room affording
ample space for the number of Baltim Dr.
cans who gathered there to meet their
whist friends.
The reception was rendered by the Mems
Whist Club of Baltimore those specially in
charge being Mr.. Beverly w. Smith, Mr..
john Hinkley and Mr.. George Thomas.
After the reception was over a large num-
per sat down to play and endeavor to win
the handsome prizes offered by the Arundel
club of Baltimore for this event.
while the congress proper does not open
until this morning. many of the members
registered yesterday, and an important
meeting of the board of governors was held
at o'clock. Miss Goldsborough, president,
with the local tournament committee con-
sisting of Miss May Hough and Mrs Geo.
Dobbin Penniman. met the league commit
tees and arranged the details for the next
four days
Congress Committees.
The committees for this congress are:
Reception committee-Miss Wheelock of Mil
waukee. Miss Poultney, Mrs James Boyle
ana Mrs. Rufus Goodenow of Baltimore
Mrs. Robert B. Ridley of Atlanta, Mrs j.
F. Leech of Washington. Mrs. E. L. Hall
of Haverford, Pa. Mrs H. w. Cannon of
New York and Mrs. Charles Anderson Of
Cincinnati
Committee on laws-Mrs. W. H. Barney
of Providence, Mrs. H. T. Fry of Chicago
and Mrs. Joseph F. Hawley of Washington.
Committee on resolutions-Mrs. Waldo
Adams of Boston, Miss Campbell of New
York and Mrs George NJ Gillette of Min
neapolis. Committee on appeals-Mrs. Silas
Petit of Philadelphia, Mrs. James T. Shaw
of Detroit, Miss Ellen Chauncey of New
York. Committee on finance-Mrs. C. s..
Waterhouse, Brookline. Mass; Mrs. Eu-
gene Ellison of Philadelphia Mrs D. C.
Woods of Baltimore Prize committee-Mrs.
T. H. Andrews of Philadelphia Mrs. II. G..
Noel of ST. Louis, Miss Blackburn of Cow
ington, KY; Mrs. Jessie L. Cassard of Bal
timore and Mrs. Noel c. O'Brien of De-
troit
Program of Events.
The program as given in The Star yes
terday will be followed throughout the
congress, and all of the trophy contests,
and large number of contestants in the
open pair games began their play at IL
o'clock this morning.
The opening congress of the Woman
Whist League today marks an event of
great interest even to those outside the
whist world. Delegates are expected from
as far west as Omaha and as far south as
Charleston.
Just after the fire it was thought that
possibly Baltimore would not be able to
hold the congress, and both Washington
and Philadelphia offered to invite the
league to meet with them, but Baltimore
refused to consider the proposition and
to hold the congress. but to make it the
most successful yet undertaken.
Growth of the League.
The growth of this league has been almost
phenomenal. Organized in Philadelphia
in April, 1897 with 265 members, it held its
first regular meeting in that city in April
1898, with over 1000 members. When the
third congress was held in Washington in
1899, it had grown to nearly 1900, and
when the sixth meeting was held in Chi
cago. in April, 1903, the members num-
bered over 1900. Even larger number
will probably be registered at this time.
Every arrangement has been made for the
comfort and convenience of the guests. and
the Hotel Belvidere will be found a most
suitable place for the different contests
The ball room and the large banqueting
hall on the top floor will be used for the
open pair contests, and the plays for the
different trophies will be held in the par
lorS on the second floor, where quiet and
privacy can be obtained
Miss Ellen Lloyd Goldsborough is the
president of the league, Mrs. George Dobbin
Penniman chairman of the board of man
Excellent Scoring.
These ladies, with large corps of as
sistants have been working for several
months to perfect every plan and arrange
every detail In every congress the work
of the scoring is the one thing that causes
the most thought and the greatest anxiety.
Baltimore is particularly aortunate in hav-
ing some excellent scorers among the
ban
to manage this very difficult part of the
congress, and the president is confident of
giving satisfaction on this point.
The most important contest is always
thought to be the one for the Washington
trophy as it is the emblem of championship.
1t was presented to the league by the Wash
ington club of Washington and can only be
played for by a team of four representing
some club. 1t is to become the permanent
possession of any club winning 1t twenty
times.
1t las been won once by teams from
Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and
St. Louis. The only club that has won it
twice is the Cavendish club from Boston.
1t is row in possession of the Hamilton
club of st. Louis, who won 1t last year in
Chicago. Mrs. Henry l. McCrea of Wash
ington will bring team to compete for this
prize The contest will be held in the morn
ings of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Match Score Controls Contest.
The match score will control the contest.
The St. Louis clubs have sent four ind-
vidual prizes to be given to each member
of the team winning the trophy.
The emblem of junior championship is
the Cavendish trophy-a beautiful cup pre-
scented to the league by the Cavendish club
of New York. This trophy will be played
for at the same time and under the same
conditions as the contest for the Washing
ton trophy Mrs. Senator Hawley will bring
a team from the Crawford club to play in
this contest
The Philadelphia cup, presented to the
league by Mrs. John P. Wetherill of Phila-
delphia is the emblem of championship for
club pairs, and will be played for at the
same time and under the same conditions
as the Washington and the Cavendish tro-
phies The highest aggregate score of the
three days will win the prize. The cup is
now in the possession of the Howell club of
Boston. having been won for It by Mrs.
C. s. Waterhouse and Mrs. M H. Taylor.
The Misses Schmidt of Washington will
play for this trophy at this congress.
Handsome Trophy.