Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-10
COL. JONES TELLS !.
OF NATIONALS TRIP.
People Subscribed to Send the
Champions on the Famous
Tour of 1867.
Enclosed Grounds in Four Cities,
But in Others Games Were
Played on Open Lots.

AS there were few incloSed base ball
grounds in the sixties, the support of the
game was a matter Of some concern. Pro-
fessional ball was almost unknown. OF the
many incidents connected with the notable
trip of the National club Of this city
through the west in 1867 one of the most
interesting was the manner in which the
expedition was financed. The Nationals
were composed Of a large number Of prom
inent residents of this city. who played the
game for pleasure alone and for the sport
evolved from the intense rivalry of intercity
contests. In 1866 the Nationals won the
southern championship. and in the fall Of
the same year the idea came to Col Frank
Jones. president Of the Nationals. of max
ing trip to the wild and woolly west
mirer of the sport. To his exertions the
success of the trip was largely due.
Yes, l suppose you could call me the
father of that first trip" said Col. Jones
the other day. But the support received
from my associates and the business people
of Washington made 1t a success before
we even left home. All the fellows were
true sports, lovers OF the greatest game
ever invented to infuse life. bodily health
and mental pleasure in all who play 1t, and
up to the time Of the trip each had paid his
own Individual expenses.
But this visit to the west was one be-
yond Individual outlay, and. as our club
would not countenance such a thing as ac-
cepting gate money to help defray ex-
penses, the necessary funds had to be sub
scrbed by the bankers, brokers. hotel keep
ers and prominent men OF the city. Enough
was obtained by these subscriptions to give
the team all the advantages of frst-class
passage and to enable them to stay at the
best hotels of the cities visited.
AT St. Louis, Chicago. Louisville and
Cincinnati the games were played within
regular Enclosed grounds, and small ad-
mission fee was charged; but In Columbus
and Indianapolis we played on open fields
The field at st. Louis was called closed. but
there was merely low railing around the
diamond which any one could overstep at
will.
'It brings back many happy memories to
left the Baltimore and Ohio depot early
one morning. Our party consisted Of
Wright. Williams. Fletcher. Parker. Fox,
Smith, 'Studley, Berthrong and Mclean: a
corps du reserve which included Norton,
Robinson, Hodge, James. Cronin. Brown
and Jones. Along with these players also
went the late Senator Arthur p. German,
Charles E. Coon. H. c. Munson. R. ]. VIII
liams; Joe Cowan, the comedian of the trip;
Henry Chadwick the base ball writer, and
lots Of other prominent men whose names
who Is still a clerk in the Navy Depart
ment, was our quartermaster, and his skill
In caring for all the details made the trip
eminently successful :
AS we ESIuSSo punt ufduh 10 accept any
gate money or anything in the way Of ex-
penses, so also we declined any such offers
as banquets, entertainments and the like
in order that our players would not get
used up by any breaches OF discipline and
training.
1--WE played while on the trip with the
Capitals of Columbus, the Cincinnatis and
Buckeyes of Cincinnati Louisville of Louis
vile. Westerns of Indianapolis, Unions and
Empires Of st. Louis. Forest City of Rock
ford, Ill.,: the Excesiors and Atlantics of
Chicago. and In all we lost but one game
to the Forest City outfit This one defeat
was typical Of the uncertainty of the great
game, as just two days prior to our game
the Excelsiors Of Chicago had badly de-