Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20

opens the season of 19Os9 tomorrow
night. the Bureau and Commissioners,
two old-time rivals, having the opening
date. The Departmental league is one
of the strongest In the District, as we'll
as one of the most interesting, COM
prising, as it does, representative teams
from ten various departments of the
government The Interior, Bureau and
Navy Yard teams have all won the
championship, the Interior having that
honor on three occasions, the Bureau
twice and the Navy Yard once. The In
terior's grand finish of last season was
Of a sensational nature, coming as II
did from the head Of the second di-
vision into first place with a rush that
swept aside all opposition, and hmshlns
the season with safe lead over It's
opponents.
The present season is a hard one to
dope, although on past work the Interior
quint appears to be the faVorlte rms
team can do no better than s'aha pa
on last years lineup, for in Garrett,
Lemmons and Rice it has three ster-
ling bowlers about whom to build a team
and If Cooper, who was sick greater
part of last season, can get started rislt
it will have but one other man 10
quint last season was of such hlgh
order that one can hardly look Tor II 10
improve upon 1t this year. But II IL
should do so. then it will repeat without
any serious opposition, for the othef
teams can hardy be expected to make
enough improvement TO overcome sucH
a handicap.
The Bureau team, comprising Such Sood
boWlerS as Hardie, Land, Hess, LORD anu
Heimerchs. was a great disappointment
to it's friends last season, NOTWITHSTANDING
ing the fact that 1t finished second, ana
somehow or other its work poor on many
occasions, cannot be accounted for, I'M
less it proved to be one of those slumps
which every team In any branch OF
sport often experiences. Ihls team is the
same one which won the league cham-
pionship On two occasions. and is capa-
Bile of better work than that of last sea-
son. 1t got bad start, being in the
second division for a time, but soon
struck it's gait and came strong at the
finish-too late. however, to catch the
fast-fying Interior.
The Navy Yard quint was also a dis
appointment to its friends. although II
led the league at one or two stages OF
the race. 1t was handicapped by inju-
ries to it's best bowlers-Crist and . Don
nell-but somehow or other it did not look
as strong or bowl with as much confl-
dence after its star bowlerS became dis
ab,ed Fritz Crist, Miller and O'Don-
nell should be good foundation for d
strong team this season, provided, OF
course, they decide to bowl. The navy
ward has a league of its own-some really
good material-and should get together
a strong aggregation even should any
of the above mentioned boWlers decide to
drop out.
The Agriculture quint got off last sea
son in the lead, and held 1t for about one
third Of the schedule, when two of its
regulars left the team. causing 1t to drop
games to the weaker teams when the win
ming of those games would have strength
ened it's grip on first place Its work last
season was OF high average, and owing
to the fact that the Interior. Bureau and
Navy Yard quints had all won the cham
pionship was the popular choice for the
honors. This season will find 1t In fairly
good shape, Field, German and Williams
again being the backbone, and with
DOYLE, Rose, Drake and McLennan in
good form 1t should not be hard to round
out the team.
The Commissioners were rather unfortu-
nate last season in the matter of being
beaten when they bowled what were ap-
parently winning games, for when they
hung up high total it was beaten by
their opponents going them few pins
better. This season will find them with
practically the same team Meyers, Ak
ers, Brosnan and Myers being the ones
around whom the team will be built. This
once gets started.
The Treasury team was more or less a
puzzle last season. occupying nearly every
position in the race, and finally landing in
fifth place. It's work was noted for its
inconsistency, which with the bowlers
they had at one time or another, ought
not to have been the case. DeYo was de-
cidedly off his game all season. probably
owing to his many league duties. Par
ker was also erratic and Smith had his
ups and downs. These three bowlers are
above the average, and 1t is to be hoped
that they will come strong this season.
and that two more good men will be
found who will make this qunt a hust-
ling aggregation and thus add interest
to the fight for first place.
The War, Capitol. Post Office and Gov
eminent Printing Office teams were all
second division teams last season, but
at that they caused much trouble to all
the first division teams upsetting calcula-
lions in the figuring of games won. All
the big five felt the pangs OF defeat at
their hands when the games We're most
sought for and needed in order to re-
cuperate from a previous hard match.
Bowling. like base, ball and many other
sports, is hard to dope out. but after
looking over the work Of the various
teams for the past season. the logical
favorites look to be the Interiors. with the
Agricultures for place, and the Bureau to
finish third. To be sure. The last named
uuint had better average for the season
than the Aggies. and the same might be
said of the Commissioners and one or two
others, but when taken game for game
the Aggies must be considered for place
in view Of their uniform and consistent
work The above selection to win Is
based on the supposition that the Interiors
will again bowl at the top of their game
whcih was the case during the second half
Of the past season, and keep up to that
high average. If they should fail, the
Bureau team. by coming back to the game
of which II is capable, would make
first place hard to hold, and If once In