Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-12

cause President Taft, the chief executive.
is there. Not only that, but President Taft
Is actually going to start base ball for
1911 by throwing the first ball out to
Dolly Gray. announced to pitch today's
game for the Nationals. The wheels of
legislation stand still and the lame duck
is asked to call again. because there
is base ball game in town today, beyond
which fact nobody seems to know or care
a thing.
President Taft received his annual pass
Yesterday. 1t will admit him to any
grounds in the league, and he chose the
nearest one to the White House With
him to the game went Senator Murray
Crane and Brig Gen. Clarence Edwands
as his guests and Maj. Butt his aid, ana
Charles d. Hilles. his private secretary.
Ban johnson Here, Too.
The Presidents starting the game
would be enough of an honor and dis
JUNCTION, of course. but the Nationals are
also peculiarly honored today by the
presence of Ban Johnson, president of
the American League. He is so much in
terested in the welfare and progress of
the Washington club that he came all
the way from Chicago to see the opening
game and to have a look at the new
stands, which take the place Of the waste
OF smoking ashes Of month ago.
The rebuilding of the stands is in itself
a distinction for the city and a base hall
feature that will be remembered for wears
TO come. Any of the fans who stood I'm
the diamond on that afternoon when
eighteen engine companies did their hesr
to Keep the flames from setting the rest
OF the city afire could tell his neirhbor
today that the phoenix had certainly been
quick in rising from the ashes.
The new stand is complete enough IN
allow the 5000 or thereabouts of fans
to sweep the field with their eyes and
to snin the air with pleasure as they
recognize the old favorftes and the nav
hopefuls, Drowned and 1.-the from their
training under southern skies.
Great Crowd on Hand Early.
The great day opened with a cool breesa
from the east, and the sun gave no prom
Use that he would behave himself and
shine all day long. either. 1t is not what
one might truthfully call typical base
ball day. Not by any means. And, fur
thermore, the forecaster at the weather
department cannot say, on the word of a
gentleman, that II will not rain He says
1t may rain or it may not-it's hard to
tell. At any rate, there may be an issue
of rain checks this afternoon, and again
there may not be. It's just as definite as
that. But what's the odds, say several
thousand fans who evidently spent the
night somewhere along 9Th street so a.
to be able to get seat this afternoon
Long lines Of shouting, happy boys, who
have sworn to see this first game, even
if they have to walk the plank tomorrow,
were on hand at the gate as early as IL
O'Clock. The gates to the bleachers,
which opened at L o'clock this afternoon
swung inside with a jerk, indicating en-
thuSiaStic pressure from the outside. They
were the real kings of base ball, those
boys We're They were right on hand
with the wit that has made the bleachsrs
better than comic opera.
Many Ladies Present.
The more expensive seats were slower
in filling up, but the crowds of people
who thronged eth street on their way to
the game blocked that channel of trade
for fully an hour before the President Of
the United States tossed the ball out.
Hundreds of automobiles and taxicabs
were parked in the adjoining side
streets, and one of the features of the
afternoon was the great number OF
ladies who braved the weather mans
indecision and wore their spring gar
den millinery.
There was a roar as IL a great ex-
plosion had lifted a section Of the city
as the first white base ball suit cleaned
against the green of the outfield, and
the fans recognized that at last they
would get a glimpse of their pennant-
II possible. AS 'the boys
trotted down the field to go through
the preliminaries the roar grew to be
q heaven-splitting yelp Of the full
fledged base ball maniac as he yeps
when sitting side by side with fifteen
thousand other yelpers. Like a hungry
lion roaring with delight when he
espies food. did those fans roar when
they saw The Team, and casting away
the sawdust stuffed enthusiasm of the
Stove League they yelled as IL yelling
would clinch the pennant for good and