Evening star., 1907-09-01
WHEN NATIONALS
DOWNED OLYMP|CS
In the Days When the Base Ball
Public Was Torn by Faction
and Gangs Fought for
Their FavoriteS. -,

'The Nationals and Olympic ball team.
were great rivals away back in the early
start of the game in this vicinity, and the
spirit of those old fire-eating days Is still
rampant among old hangers-on,' re-
marked the old man of musty records ne
squared himself off In the lounge of the
sporting editors den.
You see, it was the times of clans and
cliques. and every section of our city was
divided into squads parading under the
banners of the two clubs 1t must be con-
fessed that some of the lawless of the
gangs never met that they did not part
with bloody noses and battered faces. The
older residents pinned their faith to the
colors of the Nationals, for, having beer
organized in 1859, they held the faith Of the
people against the claims of the supporters
of the Olympics, who did not organize here
until the latter part of 1863 The clansmen
of the Olympics were mostly those deserv
ing patriots who had made Washington
their home owing to your Uncle Samuel
requiring their presence in the city at the
end of the war. Hence, in measure, it
was a struggle between old and new Wash
ington.
THE Nationals held the center of the
stage for several years. but the Olympics,
through the sage diplomacy of your es-
teemed Uncle Nick Young and Mr.. A. G.
Mills, kept growing stronger until finally
they went to the front in 1870 and won the
southern championship.
In 1911 the Olympics performed a coup
by boldly going out to Cincinnati and buy
ing five of its best players-Brainerd, ALI
son, Sweasey, Waterman and Leonard
and bringing them here the nucleus of
a team with which they expected to startle
the world and eclipse the previous good
nf ha nj faN ha ty
In both of these attempts they failed for
though the team played good ball, it did not
reach high pedestal, nor did it come any
where near ecipsing the record of the Ma
tionalS.
1T did do one thing however, and that
was to temporarily lay away the Nationals
as club, for after three four seasons
the Nationals ceased to exist, and the name
of Olympics was soon absorbed in that of
Washington, according to the prevailing
custom of representative teams and the
old name Nationals was not revived until
the present management of the local pro-
feSSional team resumed ii.
But while the two teams lasted there
was plenty of that spirit in the city that
kept the fans up to high pitch of excite
ment, and their numerous contests always
drew the biggest sort of crowd. The
O1ympics were organized in the latter part
of 1861 but did not make any pretention
as players until the spring of 1866. They
came forth in that year with rush and
surprised the talent by defeating the Poto-
macs in their opening game, and followed
IL up Win victories over the JenerSOnS
Unions and Continentals in such a manner
as to give them the sweled noddle, as they
went around with chip on their shoulders
the Nationals.
''They were pretty good ball players but
their victories over the other teams had
set them craZy-in fact there was no hold
ing the younger element that pinned its
faith to the new organization-and the day
Of the coming game was awaited with great
excitement by this element, but not by the
Nationals, who were going along calmly
and peacefully, defeating all teams with the
regularity of an eight-day clock in good
order.
"The Olympics put off the game until they
thought they were fit to do up the cham
pions, and the first contest between the
two organizations did not take place until
May 81 1866, on the White Lot-a game
that marked the beginning of a strife of
bitterness that lasted through six long sea-
sons, and ended only by the Nationals 60
Ing out of business.
"As game the contest did not pan out
WELL for the old reliables made the Olympics
look like a lot of NUTS, as they suffered
from the worst case of stage fright it was
ever my lot to see. The Nationals opened
up the run getting briskly and did not retire
until they has chased eleven runs across
the home base in the first inning.
"This lead broke up the Olympics' play
ing and. seeing that the game was easy,
Billy Williams, the greatest of great pitch
ers was taken out and Col. Frank Jones
pitched the rest of the game. The Mills
down as pitcher for the Olympics was none
other than A. G. Mills, who was the first
National League president, and whose ad-
minstration made base ball take its first
steps toward the place it now holds in pub
lie esteem. and which was ably carried
forward by Mr.. Young also n player of note
Of this same Olympic team.
'"The ba attng of the Nationals was So ter
rife in that opening inning that II took
away all the enthusiasm of the Olymnic
rooters and not once during the rest Of the
game did they show spirit enough to get
together and yell for their favorites. though
they had splendid chances to show them
selves as the fielding of Hineline and Den
nison of their side was equal to any have
seen in these days Of wonderful plays.
The score of this opening game was hs