davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
LEADING SCORES.
Championship Tourney.

The chess committee of the club has
announced the closing of the Rice gam
hi. tourney April IL. after which will be
commenced the annual championship con-
test. On the date mentioned all unfin-
ished games in the Rice tourney will be
forfeited to the players having played the
most games In other words. of any two
given players who have not played each
other the one who has most games COM
pleted receives forfeit from the other. If
the number played Is equal. then the for
felt is equal also, half to each. A. con-
testants are requested to note this, and to
make the most of the remaining time.
The championship tournament will be
commenced Immediately the compile
ton of the gambit tourney. Entries and
schedules will be announced later. The
greatest interest is naturally evinced In
this contest, as it will be the real test of
the season between the local experts. All
the chess heavyweights OF the District
are expected to appear in this tourney.
Entries should be sent without delay to
Secretary +. j. Lavender at the Chess
Club, 613 18th street northwest
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
OFFICERS TO BE CHOSEN.
Annual Meeting of the Potomac
Boat Club.

The Potomac Boat Club will hold it's
annual election of officers for the en-
suing year Wednesday next the meeting
being held in the parlors OF the Riggs
House. The officers to be elected in
clude every one from president TO the
minor offices and three members of the
board OF governors in place of Messrs
Charles G.. Warden L. Richard Gasch
and John Hadley Doyle. whose term OF
office expires by limitation, and a vacancy
caused by the resignation of Mr. Clar-
ence Dunbar Davis.
The float officers will have some COM
petition. as there is some talk of Capt
Mueller having as his opponent Mr.. Clar-
ence Dunbar Davis and Mr.. Robert Slo-
cum, while the two lieutenants will come
from Dave Brewster, the crack stroke OF
last seasons champions: Ellis, Hart
Spransy. Maury and Miller.
The plans for the year, the liquidation
OF the heavy debt on their new home
and the clubs general welfare will come
up for discussion, and 1t is expected that
there will be large turnout of the men,
hers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
RICE ) GAMBIT TOURNAMENT
RANKS OF LEADING PLAYERS
CLOSING IN TOWARD FINISH.

The leaders in the pending Rice Samblt
tourney at the Chess Club have assumed
a someui hat closer order in the past week;
otherwise there has been no change from
the previous report. Several spirited en-
counters have taken place, and as the
contest is nearing the close each of the
leading players Is keeny co7testing for
the honor of being the first to have his
name engraved upon the Rice trophy now
on exhibition at the clubrooms. AS far
as the gambit was concerned the result
of the by was an exact duplicate of the
previous iweek-that is. the attack ran
behind fhree games. The totals to date
are 1921 wins for the white and 1851 for
the black. the gambit is thus twenty-four
games behind on the whole play.
AS regards the individuals players the
chief distinction again belongs to Byler,
who hast during the week accounted for
four wiIfs against only one loss. and has
boosted This percentage forty-twO points.
He is notS abreast of Telling on the fourth
mark ala seriously threatens to disIodge
him an challenge the positions still
higher Much of Byler,s success is due
to q very neat trap which he has de-
veloped i'm, the variation of the Jasnogrod-
sky defense. which he usually adopts. The
game proceeds normally for about eight
moves at Wi5ch point the trap is set and
cleverly concealed. Of course there is
some bait as well, only a pawn 1t Is true,
but 1t is one OF the center ones and looks
vastly important to the adversary If
the victim bites. however. the black pawn
at king knight five is quietly pushed one
square-and it is all over. The black
queen, unprotected. Is unmasked on to the
white queen, also unprotected: but If the
latter captures the former, black has a
mate with his rock. White. in fact, has
no resource. and Is forced to resign. Lam
dry and Roberts We're the latest victims
of this clever ruse.
Smell has advanced his percentage seven
teen points, while Walker, Mitchell.
Landry and Napoleon all receded slightly
through each winning and losing one
game This was Walkers first reverse.
and the distinction of finding vulnerable
point in his defense belongs to Napoleon.
which was distinct triumph for the Rice
attack. OF the players not mentioned be-
low Mundelle made the best gain of the
week. having three wins and no losses to
his credit. Scores of all players with 800
per cent or above are as follows:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
HOME OF BASE BALL.
Matches First Played by Soldiers in
Franklin Park.

Base ball was played in Franklin Park
several years before the White Lot was
used by the old National base ball club.
remarked James n. Green recently. In
speaking of the early days of the game
in this city. Like most of the parks OF
the city, this square was used during the
first years of the civil war as hospital
camp, and it was during this period that
the convalescent soldiers formed them
selves into teams and whiled the hours
away in playing the game among them
selves. once in while engaging in
game with some outside team os the
neighborhood.
I'm 1853, think ii was. the square was
given up and the hospital camp moved
to Judiciary Square and the Armory Lot.
and the square was then taken possession
of by the young men living in the neigh
borhood and several clubs We're formed,
the Potomacs. Emersons, Eagles and
Quicksteps being among the number. and
they were the first regularly organized
teams in the District
II cannot recall all the boys who played
on Franklin Square in those days. but
some of them were Fred May, Ridgely
McBlair. Jack McBlair. John Poor, Gus
Shubrick. Norman Bestor, Dick Porter.
Harry Whiting. Jimmy Bangs, Waverly
Drinkard, Dick Stone. Dixie Doyle, Car
roll Mercer. Dick Mclean, Charley GLOW
er. Seaton Monroe. Billy Williams. Ned
Price. Ned Hardness. Johnny Lamb Bob
Drinkard. John Chew, Dick Stockton.
Ned Leetch. VIII Lake. Sill Bradley,
VIII Wainwright and many others Of the
same class, who afterward figured In the
development of Washington in every cir
81 - hn N Oh
1T was here that the late Senator Cor
man got his first ideas of the great game
and led him. in conjunction with kindred
spirits, to organize the National club In
1865, with the White Lot as its headquar-
tiers, and from Franklin Square a regular
migration followed. SO much so that in
1867 the place was abandoned as a play
ing ground for the young men.
But prior to its abandonment I saw
many hard-fought games between the
teams Of the square. and often [ saw
some rough-a nd-tumbe squabbles over
the games. They were finished lot of
athletes on Franklin Square in those
days, and the memory of that place re-
calls as many events as the more-talked-
about White Lot.
Zone of the attractions of the place in
those days was the great spring of cool
water that gushed forth near the corner
Of 18th and X streets, which became
favorite spot. Outside of the attraction
or the spring Tor the ball players it also
supplied the central part of the city with
drinking water being carried in wooden
troughs laid under ground down as far as
9th street and Pennsylvania avenue and
this WAS kept up until 1859, when the
water system of the city was all changed
with the exception Of the Treasury De-
partment, whose water supply is fur
nished by this spring
But" continued Mr. Green. 1.-The orig
mai home of the noble game of base ball
for this locality was Franklin Park and
1t remained as such until 1861. when it
went down to the Elysian Fields Of Wash
ington--the White Lot"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
He Laughed.
From Everybody's Magazine.

From Everybody's Magazine.
"Boohoo. Boohoo,'' walled little
Johnny.
why, what's the matter DEAR" his
mother asked comfortingly.
''Boohoo-er-p-picture fell on papa s
toes"
We'll. dear. that's too bad but You
{ mustn't cry about it. you know
II d-d-didnt. ] Laughed. Boohoo.
Boohoo.'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
Candor.
Chicago Record-Heraid.

From the Chicago Record Herald
II don't like it on this route at all"
said the beautiful young woman who was
married to rich old man.
"Why?"
''There are so many tunnels, and my
husband never smokes
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
LOCAL YACHTSMEN PREPARING FOR
THE COMING SEASON-TWO LARGE
AND WELL ORGANIZED CLUBS HERE

After months Of inactivity. due to the
cold Of winter. yachting enthusiasts are
now bustling about In earnest. The recent
warm weather has been a stimulus to
get their boats in condition for season
Of pleasure and comfort. That no time
is being lost in preparing their craft for
active use is attested by the number OF
owners and workmen who may be seen
along the river front giving their craft a
general overhauling. At the Corinthian
Yacht Club recently work was being done
on seven launches at one time In some
instances as many as three and four per-
sons being employed on one boat Near
ly all of the craft which have been locked
during the winter have been stripped OF
their canvas coverings and final touches
in the way of a coat Of fresh paint are
being put on.
Yachting and motor boat racing has in
the past three years made tremendous
strides In popularity. There are two
large and well-organized clubs in the
National capital. the Capital Yacht Club
and the Corinthian Yacht Club, which
have an aggregate of 16o active members
and nearly one-half as many associate
members.
The Capital Yacht Club Is the older or
ganization and. although it has several
power boats, goes In almost entirely for
Yachting. It boasts Of fifty active men,
bers.
The Corinthian Yacht Club. which was
organized in 1908 with a membership of
twenty-three. has grown at surprising
ly fast rate and is now the leading club
of it's kind in Washington in point of
membership. 1t has an enrolment of
nearly 40 members, and of these nearly
eighty are owners of boats. The action
of the new club in extending it's policy
by admitting owners of motor-driven
boats Is principally accountable for its
rapid growth. as is shown by the fact
that there are now about ten launches
to each sailboat.
Recent Corinthian Election.
The Corinthians recently held their an
nual election Of officers. The following
will serve for the year: Commodore.
George n. Waterbury: vice commodore,
w. ]. Ingram: rear commodore, C. w.
Plaskett; secrctary-treasurer. Don K.
Clark; assistant secretary-treasurer, Fred
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05
And Sometimes Mineral.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Teacher-Is there any connecting link
between the animal and the vegetable
Kingdoms?
Pupil-Yes, mum; there's hash"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-05

w. Cromwell; measurer, Thomas w. Nc
Grew: assistant measurer, Harry A. Ut
ter. The above and A. H. Gregory and c.
Hugh Duffey form the board of trustees.
Several improvements nave been made
at Cortnthfan headquarters since last
summer. the most important of which was
the building of a marine railway $50 feet
long. ny means of which every boat in
the fleet may be hauled ashore for clean
ing or repairing with practically no labor
attached to the performance.
At the latest meeting of the club it was
suggested that the lockers in the back
room to the left Of the hall be torn out
and placed upstairs. and the room be
turned into billiard parlor. This would
enable the members to utilize the present
room used for billiards and Iounging
banquet hall, through which an
entrance would be gained from an
house. which Is located in Water street
between NJ and o streets southwest, is
one Of the largest and most attractive on
the Potomac. and. although it is common
ly termed one-story structure, it was
constructed SO that an additional floor
lockers upstairs Is a. good one and more
than likely the change will soon be made.
The next meeting of the club will be
held April 2, when arrangements for the
annual club regatta and summer cruises
will be given consideration. The annual
club regatta will, as usual, take place
Memorial day. May 80. and will be held
off Marshall Hall. The course is over a
triangle, from Marshall Hall to Glymont
and return, a distance of about fourteen
miles. The boats taking part In this race
will be divided in three classes.
Three new launches and two new sail
boats have been added to the club since
last season: The launches are the Hilda.
owned by J. Marconnier: the Mamie H.,
owned by A. Zettel!e, and the Emelne.
the property Of DR.. Newman. The new
sailboats are the Duchess. owned by HI.
B. White. and a 32-foot yawl. owned by
Tod Clarke.
It was announced that with weather on
q par with that Of the past week all OF
the clubs boats would be in commission
by April Is.
The Corinthian Boats.
complete roster of the Corinthia n
boats and their owners follows:
Launches-silvia, owned by G. A. An
thony; Spunky owned by Harrington Bar
ker; Lotus. owned by w. II. Bullinger and
Win Bishop: Lima. owned by Frank A..
Chase: Square Deal and one not named.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12
Death Was On His Heels.

Jesse p. Morris. of Shippers. Va,
had close call in the spring OF 1906.
He says: can attack of pneumonia
loft me 50 weak and with such fear
full cough that my friends declared
consumption had me, and death was
on my heels. Then I was persuaded
10 try DR.. Kings New Discovery. 1t
helped me Immediately. and after talk
man again. found out that New
Discovery is the best remedy for
coughs and lung disease in all the
world" Sold under guarantee at All
Druggists. soc and s1.00 Trial bot
tie free.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12

struction Is established in the death
chamber OF the penitentiary, where all
convicted in this state must die when
once tho law becomes fully operative.
1t Will be necessary for the courts TO
change the grewsome phraseology OF
their judgments, which now tell the
criminal that he must be changed by
the neck until dead, dead. dead, and
may God have mercy OH your soul"
The bill just passed by the leglsla-
tnre--it was approved by the cxecu-
tive March 16-provides that rcla-
tiVcs of the criminal may claim the
body after the execution.
1t likewise contains provisions as 10
the manner in which condemned fe-
IONS must be brought to the prison
and how they can be removed in case
they are allowed new trials.
Arrangements now are being made
Tor the purchase of the necessary an
paratus. which, it is understood, will
cost $4,000, although the bill carries
an appropriation Of only $1,000. Doubt
less a commonwealth can buy electric
chairs on credit or it may he that the
governor will arrange for the deferred
payments.
Curbs the Reporters.
The bill forlfds newspapers to pub
li5h detailed accounts of the cxecn-
lions. and restricts them TO a mere
recital of the fact that the condemned
man has met his doom. In this con-
nection the law has no penal clause.
though 1t is hardly likely that any re-
porter VIII care 10 violate the statute
Newspapers nowadays say Il good deal
about what happens Just before the
prisoners death and about what hap
pens Immediately afterwards. but they
DO not Incline towards the physical
realism which Is interdcted.
1t is an open secret that the pcni-
Tertiary officials do not await the al {.
vent of tho electric chair with any
marked degree of chcerfulness. They
would all rather sec the present sys-
tom of executions continue.
Tho chair" on the days il operates.
Is ant TO cast a gloom over the whole
institution, and its effect on The other
prisoners will be most depressing.
Within the last three or fonr years
the number of law breakers condemn
cd to capital punishment in Virginia
has hecn startlingly large Only Il
few days ago Governor Swanson had
before him the petitions of three mon
who though convicted in different
parts of the state, were all sentenced
to die on the same day.
Within the last two years the total
number who have persisted on the
gallows has probably been as large as
fifty. In days to come the penitenti-
airy will have all this awful business
to contend with.
Doubtless the change gratilies the
shcriffs and town sergeants. whose
fee for such work is only SIS. but Ger
tainly 1t cannot give much pleasure to
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12
The AGE OF THE MOTOR
Auto Carnival in New York
Gives Striking Examples of
the Progress Which Has
Been Made.

The auto carnival In New York this
week recalls that 1t Is only about 10
years ago since the motor cars came
into general use In this country. SAYS
The Boston Globe. OF course. there
were autos before that, but they were
tf the kind usually which gave own
crs and chanffcurs more trouble than
pleasure. They were constantly
breaking down. made the most un
earthly noises, and their mechanism
puzzled the most expert machinists g.
IL an enthusiastic owner were to take
a long ride In his car he did not know
when he could return 10 his starting
place. because of probable mishap5.
and oftentimes the machine had to be
left by the roadside.
Most of those adverse conditions
have been gradually changed during
tho last decade. and now flrst-clags
machines. with experienced chauffeurs
glide over many miles of streets or
country roads with comparatively few
accidents. II tire gives ont another
Is quickly adjusted and the journey Is
continued. N
Then. too. the speed Of motor We
hicles has been wonderfully increased.
An automobile that would 20 10 miles
an hour was once considered very
speedy. but now machines are on the
market which can register from 40
to so miles an hour. and no one can
correctly predict how many more
miles the auto racers OF the future
will make.
Indeed. the machines can he pro-
PEELED so fast now that 1t has become
a scrious problem with the public an
tiorities how to regulate their speed.
The chauffeurs now must be expert :
cnoed and be duly licensed Precau-
tons of all kinds are taken by the
authorities to render the propulsion
OF these machines safe.
II Is remarkable how rapid has been
the growth of the automobile indus
try. The cars are manufactured now
In all leading countries. New York
city alone has at least $4,000 motor
cars. valued at $4i000,O0O.. In the
United States there are probably $50.
900 automobiles Of all types, repre-
senting In value s270.O0O,00O. During
the past decade there has been an in
crease in the number of car factories
all over the country.
Before automobiles were perfected
there had been n demand for fast
moving street vehicle of some sort for
over 100 years. All the time that the
coach and horse car were being i'm :
proved there were experiments on
motor vehicles. The reason probatiy
e---------. - 1879 ~ rr'-~-s='-----
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12

why automobiles were so late I'm maxi
ing their appearance was that tho car.
~ inventors, who were utilizing steam
as a motive power for street convey
ahces, saw that greater progress
would be made by placing tho vehl-
cles on rails. thereby creating tho
steam railroads. In support of this
Theory IL may be noted that 100 years
ago 1t Is believed an inventor was not
sure whether he was making n loco
motive. an automobile or a bicycle.
France appears to have been the
first to make moro practical progress
with this problem than any other ma
lion. Amedee Bollee exhibited two
steam automobiles In the Paris expo-
Sition of 1878. aud two years later
built the omnibus In Nouvelle. which
In the Paris-Bordeaux race OF 1895
made 7i5 miles In 90 hours. Leon
Serpollei. In 1855, invented The fiasi,
boiler in which steam was Instantly
generated by water driven into sun.
erheated tubes.
Two Germans. Daimler and REM.
independently invented gas engines In
1886 and applied them to bicycles AMI
tricycles. Panhard & Leyassor, of
Paris. three years later acquired tho
necessary rights and began TO make
motor cars driven by gas engines
Tho Marquis dc Dion came to the
front with Il steam car OF his own
Invention in the ParisRoucn meet of
1894. achieving the highest average
snced of 70 miles an hour A ma
chine did Is miles an hour In the next
years contest. and the makers scoffe 1
at the prophecy. which came true six
years later. of 50-milc an hour gait
The United States inventors entered
tho field early. and since tho early
nineties have been manufacturing
first class cars of various descrip.
tons. using all the best motive pow
crs, and building vehicles which. for
beauty. comfort and safety, cannot be
cXcelled
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12
Last OF Gibbet i'm Virginia

IuSt who will be the first person TO
die in Virgina's new electric chair,
or when the individual in question
VIII meet his fate, Is problem which
none can answer today, though it will
he many months yet before the use of
the sibbet is altogether discarded in
the Old Dominion, says the Richmond
Journal.
TO begin with, nobody appears to
know for certain when those acts of
The general assembly which lack the
emergency clause will become effec-
tive. Section 53 OF the constitution
says that all laws, save the general
appropriation bill and those with the
emergency clause. "Lecome effective
ninety days after the adjournment of
the session of the general assembly"
Does this mean ninety days after
the final adjournment of the extend.
cd session, which ended its labors
March 9th II so. that would make
the clectrocution bill effective June
81
But even granting that this be the
correct Interpretation of the law it
would appear that man, who COM
mitted Il crime on the evening of
March 90. would still he allowed the
familiar but doubtful privilege of
hanging rather than of dying from
electric shock.
Here is the language of the bill in
This particular: Nothing In this act
shall he so construed as TO change or
alter the manner of execution of the
sentence of death when imposed on
account of crimes committed before
this act goes into effect"
The Right of Election.
To state the case differently, a man
Iuight commit murder on the night of
June 2Gth and not meet the death pcn
atty until two or three years later, if
no managed TO get his case into the
Supreme Court. The effect of this
would be, for time at least. to have
both the sallows and the electric chair
operating at the same time in the
commonwealth.
II may be, however. that a criminal
entitled to hanging might be allow
cd TO substitute elcctrocution for tho
gibbct But the latter medium of dis
{solutcm could not he forced upon
4 rim; he could only get it through the
Nexercisc of his right of election.
H 1t is n pretty safe guess to say that
,Shc law is mighty apt to be tested.
People under sentence OF death catch
VT every straw, and then, too. no OIL
Yer of the law would care TO make
ghistakcs in such delicate matter.
Win New York the first man to die
Id the Chair was the murderer
,mmler. who took his case to the
StgEprcmc Court. on the ground that
" ilatrocution was "a cruel and unus-
AIE punishment" interdcted by the
I'M ititution The appellate tribunal
EfMVSht otherwise. Kemmlcr died in
WIN Chair.
etSA \. Grewsomc Formula to Go.
.YkTfNHl this deadly engine OF de-
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12
Hospitality.

Pat-An' who is that at the piany
singing?
Mike That's me daughter, Katie.
shire.
"Ah. her voice reminds me of my
own wfcs.
Katie! Katie! Shut up yer mouth.
| want Mike to enjoy himself whilo
he's here!"-Yonkers Statesman.
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12

The fact that little Shipke is lead
ing the Nationals with tho stick, Is a
welcome surprise TO the washington
fans. If Shinkc can hit anywhere
around go on the season he will class
up with the best third sackers In the
American League
Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-12
Superintendent Morgan, of the state
prison
BASEBALL NOTES.

reports from Los Angeles are TO
lhe erect that Pitcher Walter John
son VIII not join the Nationals until
May walter left the hospital too
soon and had to return.