The Washington herald., 1916-10-16
BILLIARDS AND BOWLING

The popularity of the duckpin game
in the National Capital can best be at
tested by making known the fact that
there are at the present time exactly
forty leagues in operation in this city,
with two more to get under way during
the coming week. These circuits range
in size all the way from the r. P.
Andrews. Geological Survey, National
and Reclamation leagues of three-men
teams, to the Masonic organization
whose membership includes twenty-five
five-men quints, undoubtedly the largest
bowling league in the world. To arrive
at the exact number of followers OF
the game in this city is practically an
impossibility, but estimating that there
are two unattached pinners to every one
shooting with some club, the total would
easily pass the seven thousand mark as
there are over 2,lOO men who are now
connected with some regularly organized
team.
The present season promises to not
only be the most successful from the
number of teams and leagues competing,
but from every other standpoint as well.
The scores are showing a vast improve
Tent over those Of last year, thanks to
the -Balke-Collender Company,
following out the suggestion of Harry
Krauss in making the taper of the pin
The advantage to be gained in this Is
that with the added body below the
center the ball cannot get under the pin,
thereby causing the pin to hurdle or fly
over pin that may be directly in its
path as it leaves the spot With the
4 81 inch ball it was not an uncommon
sight to see bowler make what ap-
- peared to be a difficult split spare break
and after the completion Of the shot to
Rv,I Nka
top of the other pin.
Speaking Of Harry Krauss reminds us
trat to this sterling bowler belongs the
undisputed credit for placing the duckpin
sane in this city. The writer well re-
Uembers that during the month Of Sep
to mber 1904, when Krauss was managing
TIE Subway Alleys Of the Palace, that
alter seeing the small games hold in
a timOre, he ordered a couple of sets Of
the little pins and balls. The first game
q ducks ever rolled on the Palace, or
subway Alleys, as they were popularly
known by, was participated in by Krauss,
HI lie Keane and the writer, the games
e ng bOwled on No. alley. While the
exact scOTes which were recorded have
5 ped the writer's memory, it can be
truly said that none Of them went over
the century mark. No effort was made
10 see what the best results that could
he obtained with the little balls and pins
would be, it being the sole object Of the
Players to see how many of the little feI-
lows they could knock into the air, the
pins having a tendency to soar at least
sC1 en- and eight feet high and in the ma
jority of cases descend upon some part
Of the spoilers anatomy, generally that
part farthest from the ground
inside of two weeks the game had taken
hold and among those who could oe
seen shooting the little balls down the
alleys each afternoon and evening were
such later develOpd stars as List, Rod
rick. Gerry, Frank MCKnew, Eddie Ben
nett. Brandt, Parker and others: During
the early part of that season those bowl
ers who had taken up the duckpin game
contented themselves to shooting dot
ard pot" games and it was not until
January 4, 1905, that a match game be-
tween two clubs was staged. While there
had been many occasions when ten men
bowling would line up and indulge in
a friendly game Of sides" It was not
until the date mentioned above that a
match between two regularly organized
Ouints, namely the Government Printing
ONCE and Washington Post was rolled.
The scores of that first match, which
had been widely advertised and attracted
a large gallery, was as follows: