The Washington herald., 1908-04-23

EcBpsins an nrevlous records by nearly
one thousand, yesterdays gathering at
National Park was one that must have
delighted the hearts of the returning
members of the Washington team.
If Joe Cantillon and his men had any
doubts about the way they would be re-
eeived upon their return, the assemblage
that greeted them at the first home game
must have been reassuring.
Nearly 1890 persons struggled through
the entrances at the grounds yesterday,
and despite the Increased seating capac-
ity fringes of humanity stretched from
the blaachers to the clubhouse and solid
lines of fans squatted on the grounds in
front of the left-feld pavilion from the
visitors playing bench to the hospital
fence in the extreme.
The gates to the bleachers were closed
before O'Clock. as the capacity of the
sun seats was already taxed TO overflow
ing Even the holders of the grand-stand
tickets were early in arriving, and half
an hour before the game every seat was
taken. and the watchmen were kept busy
in keeping the crowd from climbing to
the roof The crowd in the grand stand
packed the passage in the back.
Crowd Is Good Natured.
Despite the jam in the stands. the
crowd was good-aatured and few COM
planned because the management was IN
able To seat everybody An unusually
large number of ladies were present
While the Merry Widow hats blocked
the view in some places they were not
so much in evidence as had been ex-
pected-
From the sun gods in the outfeld 20 the
social leaders in the grand stand every
one was in good humOr and enjoyed the
popular tunes t-at were ground out by
the military band behind the Nationals
bench.
Among the prominent visitors were
Representative Nicholas LongwOrth and
Mrs Longworth Senator Walsh and Miss
Walsh. Senator Crane, Postmaster Gen
eral Meyer. Merritt o. Chance. OF the
Post-ofIice Department; Tom Hume, pres
ident of the Washington Stock Exchange
Comptroller Tracewell, Commissioner West,
Eddie Walsh, Percy Foster, Hon A. ].
Cummings, Percy Crawford, ". F, Hart,
president of the Union League Club;
Nick Young. former president of the Ma
ti0nal League; 5. f. Kent, J. Louis Will
lge, Judge Kimball, Phil King, the for
mer Princeton quarter back; Clifford Ber-
ryman. the cartOonist; c. p. Hunt, Dis
trict engineer; Z. Z. Helm. Ralph ".
Lee, a former Lehigh athlete; Dr. J. A.
Reilly, Georgetown football coach; Maj.
NJ z. Uren and Mike Scanlon, former
Washington ball players; Doc Klein
schmidt a prominent amateur ball player;
Roger Wetmura, and Ned Mclean; jim
Dunn who built National Park; f. p.
Schwartz, Billy Mooney, of the POst-ofTice
Department; Harry Walters, a leading
local bowler; Pat Wells the former Co
lumbia Athletic Club football player, Bill
Mckinney, representing the past genera
tion of Orasmen, Fire Marshal Nicholson
and Chief Belt Police Inspector Cross.
Arthur Irwin, manager of the local
Union club; Sully Maize an ex-oarsman;
Norton Little. Ben Minor, and Harry
Rapioy, officials of the ball club. Charles
j. Bell, Joseph E. GoOdkey: Eddie Bow
man. Louis Weaver, Nike Keane, ]. H.
Crawford, John II. Anderson. secretary
of the Departmental League Henry +.
Wilkins, Frank Altemus, and John Had
ley Doyle, former president Potomac Boat
Club.
EAFh Ftils EbFiy.
At O'Clock there was a line extend
ing from the box Office to Seventh street
and down Seventh street to Florida
avenue, while the crowd around the turn
stiles was so great that at times the
police had TO be called in TO get the
anxious fans into something resembling
line.
A crowd of roOters from the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing came to the park
in taXicabs and sightseeing automobiles
and occupied nineteen Of the boxes and
made things lively with tin horns, flags
and confetti
Pistorio's Band was in the grand stand
and worked hard to keep the crowd en-
tertained in the long wait before the
game got under way.
Both arriving and departing. the crowd
was well handled. and there was not a
single disturbing incident to mar the
pleasure Of the afternoons sport.
Too much cannot be said of the mag
unanimous way the weather man acted
yesterday, as IL was one Of the fines,
days enjoyed this spring. There was
nothing lacking excepting a victory Tor
the locals
Three parties of rooters from the
Bureau or Engraving and Printing cele-
brated the opening of the season in this
city by banquets last night
The Smart Set. with fOrty-two members
made merry at La Boheme while the
Eurekas, forty strong. dined at Lynch s
in Seventh street, and the Bug-a- Boos
thirty in number, feasted at Brandts
All three of these clubs attended the
game in a body. and furnished good
share Of the noise that emanated from tie
grand stand.