Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-07-01
SPORTING CHAT
AND news FROM
EASTERN FIELDS
Some Difference of Opinion as
to Who Owns Oldest Baseball
Auto Racers Organize
Associated Press

NEW YORK. n. veteran base
ball fans, whose memories carry them
back to the early days of the national
game, are discussing the recent re-
port from Pittsburg that the oldest
baseball in existence had been IN
sured for $1,000 against loss by fire or
burglary. This sphere, which is COW
cred by one piece of horsehide sewed
in the center. is said to be 50 years
old. having made its initial appear
ance in q game played between the
Eclipse Club of Kingston, n. Y, and
the Hudson team of Newburgh, n. Y,
en- June 20, 1862, which was won by
Kingston players 40 to Is.
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 baseball
can be relied upon. A baseball which
antedates the Pittsburg one by five
years is, or was, until recently, in the
possession of p. NJ. White of EN-
poria. Kansas. This sphere was used
in what is claimed to be the first cham
pionship game ever played in this
country. 1t figured in the contest be-
tween the Tri-Mountain club of Bos-
to and the Portland tMe.) team in
game played September 8, 1857.
Like the Pittsburg ball it has one
piece cover and measures 10 inches
IN circumference. The contest in
which this ball, now preserved by
coating of gold leaf and suitably in
scribed, was used, was played ON Bos-
ton Commons and was won by Port
land. AZ to AZ. The match was mem
orable in other respects since it was
the first played under the nine-inning
rule and the first in which the pitcher
was permitted to pitch instead of be-
ing forced to use the toss or under
hand throw
The Speedway Association Of Amer
ice 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
IS a gentleman's agreement among
the promoters 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 future.
The organization as composed at
present represents seven speedways
with a total seating capacity of close |
to 100000 and Is miles of track. More
than one-fourth of million dollars is
to be offered in purses during the
year and the list of events arranged
upon on-confiicting basis SO far as
possible. Indianapolis and Minneapo.
lis have the largest courses, both be-
ing two and half miles to the lap.
The other cities in the association
have two-mile tracks. Three tracks
are wood, three of asphalt and one
brick. More than ten million dollars
worth of property and buildings are
represented in the organization.
Early Calls for practise are to be
the rule in eastern university football
circles this autumn. Both Harvard
and Pennsylvania will assemble a
large portion of their squads some
days before the opening of the uni
versities in order that the players may
be coached in the fundamentals of the
game before the serious work of the
season begins. The Quakers will re-
port at Mt Gretna, Pa, on August Is
for two weeks work before the train /
ing at Franklin Field, and Harvard
will begin to get acquaint-
ed with the pigskin on September 13. |
two weeks before the Cambridge uni /
versity opens its scholastic doors for
another wear.