New Britain herald., 1915-06-26
SPORT GLEANINGS
 PAST AND PRESENT
A Baseball Insured for S1,OO0-
 Was Wells Knocked Out?

recent report from Pittsburg that
 the oldest baseball in existencve had
 been insured for s1,000 against loss
 by fire or burglary. This sphere,
 which Is covered by one piece of
 horsehide sewed in the center, is eaid to be ifty-three years old, hay
 ing made its initial appearance in
 game played between the Eclipse
 club of Kinkston, N. r., and the
 Hudson team of Newburgh, N. T., on
 June 20. 1862, which was won by
 Kingston players 49 to 18
 While this ball is undoubtedly one
 Of the old time spheres it is not the
 oldest by some years if the records
 regarding this department of base
 ball can be relied upon. A baseball
 which ante-dates the Pittsburgh one
 by five years, is, or was, uneil recent.
 ly, in possession of P. M. Wilhite of
 Emporia, Kansas This sphere was
 used in what is claimed to be the first championship game ever played
 In this country. 1t figured in the contest between the Fri ri-Mountain club
 of Boston and the Portland, Me, team in a game played Sept, J
 1857
 Like the Pittsburg ball it has a one- piece cover and measures ten inches in circumference. The contest in which this ball, now preserved by a coating of gold leaf and suitably inscribed, was used was played on
 Boston Commons and was won by Portland. r to 42. The match was. memorable in other respects sin
 it was the first played under the nine inning rule and the first in which
 the pitcher was permitted to pitch instead of being forced to use tho toss or underhand throw
 The Speedway association of Amer ica recently formed to control auto. racing on the speedways of seven cities throughout the country marks a new era in automobile racing. The association, which is broadly defined as a gentleman's agreement among the promoter to avoid conflict of dates, excess bidding for entries and other features where cooperation is more effective than strife, includes speedways at Indianapolis, Chicago, New York, Omaha, Sioux City, Min neapolis and Tacoma with Detroit as a possible member of the near fu- ture.
 The organization as composed at present represents seven speedways with total seating capacity of close to 100000 and 15 miles of track. More than one-fourth of a million dollars is to be offered in purses dur ing the year and the list of events arranged upon a non-conf1ict basis so far as possible. Indianapolis and Minneapolis have the largest courses both being two and half miles tc the lap. The other cities in the as- sociation have two miletracks. Three tracks are wood. three of asphalt and one brick. More than ten million dol lars worth of property and buildings are represented in the organization.
 Early calls for practice are to be the rule in eastern university foot ball circles this autumn. Both Har- ward and Pennsylvania will assemble | a large portion of their squads some | days before the opening of the uni versailles in order that the payers may | be coached in the fundamentals of | the game before the serious work of | the season begins. The Quakers VIII | report at Mt. Gretna, Pa, on August | 2S for two weeks work before the ] training at Franklin Field and liar ward candidates will begin to get &C., ouainted with the pigskin on Septem- Der 13 two weeks before the Cam bridge university opens its scholastic doors for another year
 The all eastern tennis team con- sisting of Williams, Church, Wash burn md Mathey selected to repre- sent the east in matches against the Pacific coast stars, makes its first official appearance at Pittsburg to- Gay in the clay court championships. The form shown by this quartet will be watched closely, since it IS e1- cectcd to give a line on the probable outcome of the West vs. East matches Lok be played at San Francisco about the middle of July. The personnel of the western team has not been made public as yet but it is known that tho Pacific coast has number of racquet stars to select from, including Mc- r.oughlin, Bundy, Murray, Johnston, Fcttrell, Griffin and Strachan. The first five of these arc ranked in the eading ten players of the United States singles and doubles considered md it will be no easy task to defeat he western team especially since the play will be, in all probability, on asphalt courts.
 Last season Williams defeated Johnston twice, winning five out of seven sets only one of which went to luece Murray, Fottrell and Me- Joughlin all fell before Williams ehile his only defeat administered by m American was that by Mclaughlin u Longwood. Washburn won from F. Tottrell and Johnston but lost to Mur- ay. Church defeated Murray but | lso lost to the same playes as we'll as | 0 Griffin. Mathey, who is classed in 1 he third division, 21-So players; is