Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-09
Sport Was introduced Into
This Country Early and First
Played Outdoors.
MEANY HAS DONE MUCH
FOR THE N. C. LEAGUE
Has Been President Every
Year Since Its 0rganiza-
ton Except One.

branches of athletics have been traced
back into the middle ages, 1t is worthy
to note that bowling also has a history,
which dates back quite as far. A reputa-
BILE authority, who has made quite q
study of the sport. has written q short
history of the sport, brief of which
follows:
Bowling seems to have originated in
the middle ages. 1t was at that time a
purely outdoor game. as was the rule
with everything of that period. The
sport was known by variety of names
1t was called .bowles. French 'boules
and careau. These three names seem
to have been the most common, but there
are others, quite a number purely local.
AS played at that time the game was
very different from the present sport, but
there was much similarity. The game
was played with sides or teams. as to-
day The balls. or bowles, were made of
sont one-half spherical the other half
ovel-shaped This gave the ball a curve
which appears to have been desirable as
it sped down the bowling green. At each
end was placed a cone, which was the
mark for the bowlers. The cones were
bowled from one end Of the rink and
then from the other. AS in the game of
game was for one side to place their ball
nearer the cone than their adversaries
The side bowling last would. of course,
try to knock the opponents ball away
from the cone, supplanting 1t with their
own. the one nearest the cone scoring a
point for his side. Skill was required to
bowl in such a way as to curve around
an opponents bowl SO as to get nearer
the cone. without knocking the other bali
closer. Later, the stone bowl was sup
The latter was made perfectly spherical.
The outside of the tree being lighter than
the heart naturally gave the ball the
desired bias. though often one side of
the ball was loaded with lead to obtain
the desired effect. The cones were finally
done away with, and superseded by a
stone or earthen ball about three and a
half inches in diameter and known as
Jack. Instead of having a stationary
mark at which to bowl. the jack was
knocked all over the green, while
strategy and skill were required to play
a good game
The bowling green of that period was
one of the most cared for spots in the
village or on the estate A plot of
ground as level as it was possible to find
was picked out for 1t. Draining was
the first process in the making. This
was done in a manner that even the
hardest rains would not soak the ground
and put it in muddy condition. After
draining properly, 1t was rolled. the grass
kept cut to the proper length and. by
the most asslduous care, this spot would
be made almost az level and hard as a
table. The size of the plot was usually
80 by $50 feet. surrounded by a ditch
or gutter four or five inches deep. Dur
ing the reign of Queen Anne and the first
three Georges. bowling green was as
popular and necessary to gentleman's
country seat as billiard table is today.
Usually this spot of ground was sur
rounded by evergreens: which kept the
grass from being scorched by the burn
ing rays Of the sun. as we'll pro-
tecting the spectators and players. In
many places this formed one of the
most picturesque spots about a we'll kept
park or garden. though very frequently
1t was situated in close proximity to
sport OF our burly Dutch and British
ancestors. it aided in the digestion of
their heavy meals of that time, con-
sisiting mainly of beef and pudding lu-
bricated with heavy ale and potent
punch
The game was first introduced into
America early in the eighteenth CEN
fury. and possibly the latter part of the
seventeenth 1t seems to have been
very popular In New York early In the
city, of the date of i72s shows a bowling
green on the north side of the public
garden, situated near the kings farm
near the foot Of Murray and Warren
Bowling Green. at the foot OF Broadway
and known by the same name at the
present day, was leased from the city
government and laid out as public
bowling green. From the time that the
sport was introduced into America it
has really never died out though the
outdoor game has long since given way
to the indoor.
AS an outdoor sport. the game origi-
mated from several games, eagles, French
IL ,I~r
ing the most prominent. In eagles and
loggetts. conical shaped pins made of
bones were set up in rows of six or eight
and the players tried to knock them down
by hurting clubs of ''sheepes joynts'' at
them. Knocking the pins down by bowl
ing ball at them came at a later period.
In the game OF carreau. the players
bowled at fixed mark, which in skayles,
closh. French quilles, cloddynge skittles,
Dutch pins four corners, half bowl rolly
polly, nine pins, the marks bowled at were
pins similar to those Of the present day,
and bowled at with a ball. The games
were immensely popular for long time,
until some laws were passed prohibiting
nine pins and similar games. For a while
this stopped the game, but It did not die
out. The Objectionable features were cut
out. and instead of nine pins set up in a
diamond frame. ten pins were set up in
triangular frame.
played indoors. on a covered alley. is
found in William Fitz-Stephens' Survey of
London about the twelfth century. The
first record of a match game played in
doors in America was a game played on
the knickerbocker alleys in New York
city January i. 1910. Since that time the
game has continued to grow In popular
favor.
Until 1873. when clubs became very
numerous. there was much diversity as
to the length Of the alleys and the size
of the pins and balls. as no standard
had ever been adopted. Before that time.
the pins used were larger and heavier
than the ones used now, and II was
much easier matter to knock all the
pins down by hitting one or two. making
large number of bowlers, representing
few eastern cities, held a meeting and
adopted rules and regulations which at
that time answered the purpose. For
the next ten or fifteen years. or up to
1880, bowling was a sort OF "go-as-you-
please game. In the east they played
under the rules of the National Bowling
League. while In the west. where
sudden boom started. any rule went.
Under these conditions, the boom west
of the Alleghenies lived but few years
can Bowling Congress, which at once
wiped out the old rules. and substituted
new ones which brought the playing of
the game down to a scientific order, things
began to wake up again, and the bowler
from that day to this has been looked
upon as an important factor in sporting
circles.
Eight departments of the Potomac