Evening star., 1905-10-29

Bowling Is one OF the Oldest and most
popular OF athletic pastimes. and dates back
at least to the twelfth century. Its origin
is lost in the fables and traditions of the
middle ages, though 1t may have developed
from the ancient game OF queits. which IL
resembles. as that game may have de-
scended from the hurting of the discus,
which was one OF the accomplishments OF
the finished athlete of Greece. The game
was popular in England. in Germany and
the Netherlands at very early period. In
the early day sstone missiles. partially oval,
were used in place of balls. and cone or
q stake took the place of the tenpins or
the modern game. In the description of the
play given by early writer he speaks or
the singing OF the missiles to be delivered
beyond a certain mark.
1t Is difficult to decide whether bowls was
first an indoor game one played in the
open. but 1t is certain that in summer 1t
was generally carried upon the bowling
greens near every small town and even
part of the gardens OF private estates One
of the first histories of London makes ref
erence to the game i'm the year 14W,. and 1t
is stated that the citizens went outside the
city walls into the suburbs to witness the
games. but that there were alleys within
the walls in the midst of the population.
1t seems likely, therefore that the play was
out of doors in summer and indoors in
winter or during inclement weather.
The ancient game of bowls was played
different from the modern game in several
particulars. The missiles We're. the shape
of bowl, from which the game probably
received it's name. They were loaded, or
when made of stone cut with the weight
below the center, so that they would not
roll easily. The game was played with
two teams opposed to one another. but they
stood at opposite ends of the lane or alley,
and slung their bowls at small cone set
up at either end. This cone was not 10
be knocked down, but the effort of the
players was to place their bowls nearest to
the cone. Skill in the game seems to have
been to curve the bowl about that of the
adversary and lodge 1t nearest the goal or
Gene. There was also effort to keep
from hitting the opponents ball and knock
ing 1t nearer the mark The iignum vitae
ball and the knocking down of set num-
ber of pins was the outgrowth or two or
three centuries experience in the game.
The bowling green of the ancient days
was a public Institution. well cared for
as the market or the church. The plot of
ground devoted to the outdoor sport was
level place about 100 by $50 feet. 1t was
made perfectly level, the soil was rolled
down hard and the grass cut short Often
the bowling place was set around with
evergreen trees. which afforded shade for
the visitors and gave the name "bowing
green to the place of play. In many OF
the English towns the bowling greens were
picturesque places, and some of them were
preserved long after the use to which they
were formerly put had ceased Even in
New York. where the game was popular
among the sturdy knickerbocker inhabit-
ants, there Is place called Bowling Green.
near the foot of Broadway, where there
was anciently place for this outdoor
game.
Bowling was the subject of much opposi-
ton on the part of the authorities and
moral teachers of towns from 200 to 1900
In England. King Henry III was opposed
to it, because by Its popularity 1t interfered
with the practice of archery. At his behest
a rule was passed In parliament making the
game unlawful for soldiers and the clergy.
At this time the alleys are described as
scenes of vice and debauchery, and it is
stated that those who frequented them did
so to their own impoverishment. 1t Is
charged that even murders and feionieS
were the direct outcome of the games. One
writer in 1879 says that common bowHng
alleys private moths that eat up the
credit of many idle citizens, whose gains at
home are not sufficient to meet their obii-
cations abroad whose shops are so far
from maintaining their play that their
wives and children cry out for bread and
often go supperless to bed.
Bowling was brought to America with
the first settlers, or al least with those who
followed the coionists from the towns OF
England and Germany. 1t was established
early in New York, and seems to have been
part of the Knickerbocker traditions. The
first recorded match game played on the
Knickerbocker alleys in New York was on
January l. 1910, though it Is likely that the
game was popular long before that time as
it has been since. Bowling had no estab-
lshed rules until about the year 1879
There were numerous clubs before that
time but the alleys were of different
lengths; there was no standard to govern
the size of the pins how they were to be
set or the weight of the balls. The scoring