Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-22
JUNIOR CLUBS OF
FORTY YEARS AGO
When the ACtives Played Inc
Eagles for the Local
Championship.

Il went out to National Park last Satur-
day to see the two amateur teams play A
double-header for the local championship
and without going into the merits of the
contests. which We're first-Class, | want you
to harken to the fact that there were some
thing like 3,7tO paid people out there. and
they were, to the smallest mite in the
crowd, rooters for good" remarked re-
Gently one of the base ball heroes Of the
past century. 1T was the real spirit that
should center around the game. Every
mothers son of spectator was there ready
to yell himself hoarse for the team Of his
choice. and made us has beens of 1861
glory in that period for here We're repro
duced the scenes that made the White
Lot famous when its junior teams used to
cash.
Il understand this enthusiasm has caught
hold of the powers that control the dest
MES of our present Nationals. and that
| dressing rooms are to be built under the
stands and every inducement viii be made
10 have these lively youngsters use the
grounds when the Nationals themselves are
absent from the city. 1t was this catering
to the junior element in the earlier days Of
base ball in our city, and especially by the
old Nationals that made the game so
strong and the excitement so hearty, while
the two qualities of the sport catered TO
another.
when Arthur Pue German made the
Old National club the power that II was IN
all The branches Of the game, he also
ganiZed a team which was called the Jul
Nor Nationals, which became just as famous
locally as the older team did nationally.
and as the youngsters developed into ri
pened players, they were used as feeders
for the seniors, and many a good man was
secured by the older team in this way.
The city was divided into sections. and
the principal clubs were the Actives Of Cap
itol Hill. Creightons Of the second ward.
Junior Nationals of North Washington,
Pythians of South Washington and the
Eagles of the first ward. Strange to say.
the strongest team of that period was the
husky bunch from Capitol Hill. and. say,
they could play the game for keeps. with
no mistakes, and under the ca9taincy Of
Gee Oyster they won the championship
hands down.
They had successfully defeated the Ju-
nior Nationals. Gre ghtons. Pythians, and
their final game with the Eagles of the
West End made just as much excitement
in the city as these later day games be-
tween Georgetown and the Northeast. rep
resented ny the Trinity and AlOySius CO.
horts: in fact. their fandom was more
loyal in way, for it was generally long
tramp to the grounds in those days as our
city did not have the good car service now
III vogue. but had to depend on uncertain
horse cars, moving each way every thirty
minutes.
We'll do l recall that deciding game for
the junior championship between the
Actives and Eagles that took place on the
brings back many memories of the scenes
enacted that day by the intense partisans
of the contendlng teams, faint counter
part of which was seen last Saturday AT
the park by the adherents of the Aloysius
and Trinity followers.
The Capitol Hill folks were the most
loyal followers Of the Actves you can
Imagine. and no matter where they played
there was always a crowd on hand to cheer
the hill boys on to victory. 1t was in this
game that music was first introduced as a
,..,f- a A.asf 4,
the Eagles and. if my memory serves me
right, the leader Of this music host was no
other than John Philip SousA. the now
celebrated musician. Sousa WAS loyal
rooter, and. besides, was capita! player
on a team OF that section called the TIE
cumsehs, his position being that of pitcher.
We'll besides this music-racking device
they came down into the White Lot with
many other racket raiscrs, and they soon
had the most dccOrOus Eagle fans on the
run though the Eagles had borrowed the
old bell from the Western Hose Company
and used that continually while their side
WAS at th4 bat. The din was 50 great
that Col. William G. Moore. private secro-
tary to President Andrew Johnson, came
on the grounds and ordered the discou-
tinuance of the bell ringing but he might
have lust as well tried To stop the tide
from rolling up the Potomac. Tho per
sstency of the noise makers closed the
White Lot for the use of base ball, as tat
followed the year after ana il was always
charged to the noisy demonstrations as The
cause.
During this contest violent rainstorm
delayed the game thirty minutes between
the NTH and sixth innings but. though
the field was open and there were no seat
ing arrangements. the crowd took tie rain
standing and would not leave the grounds,
and watched out the remainder of tie con- .
test played "A very rggy field, ana the
report is verified that N.opp ople saw the
game. The score Of that deciding game
was as follows:
Actiycs. .. II. Eagles. o. H.
Miller. lb........ = IIniiinGshead, 3b. .