South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-23
BOWLING IN CITY
CROWS IN FAVOR
Becoming One CT the Most
Popular PaStimeS for Men
and Women.

Few sports have come so sudden
~ into the popular favor as bowl
ing. A few years ago it was con-
sidered one of the chief inventions
Of Satan. diabolical game cal
! culated to lure young men away
from home and decency and de-
grade them into whisky-soaked-
| good fOr-nOthings A bowling-al-
ley was considered a veritabIe vice
| resort and the young man who had
| the temerity 10 enter one was like
| ~ TO forfeit the respect of his
| orthodox and narrow-minded ac-
/ quaintanCes.
Pool and billiards came in for an
i equal share of the execration. Far
from seeing the beneficial elements
/ in all three games, the ignorant
read into their meaning a signih-
canre not there. This is due O.
/ course. TO the fact that these pas
/ times, like so many others. have
been sadly abused, and it is no
travesty 10 say that many pool
rooms and bowling alleys have in
deed been conducted in an evil and
/ debasing manner.
In the games themselves. how
| ever, there is nothing injurious. In
| bowling particularly, there is much
| to recommend it not only to men,
/ but to women as well. 1t is excel
lent for the development of muscle
and brain. 1t possesses real health
| full factors as well as being a clean,
entertaining pastime. Lately it has
served to act as a social mediator
/ between men and women, affording
| them an opportunity for mutual
/ enjoyment, and making them com
I paniOns in recreation.
Substitute for Summer Sports.
AS a substitute for golf, tennis
and other summer games, bowling
/ is Incompatible. IL is impossible
| to find another game better for
/ keeping the physique in good shape
/ through the winter months when
| the outside is uninviting for the
! open air sports so popular during
| the summer months.
In Detroit there has laro'v been
built a magnificent seven story
building devoted entirely to bill
lizards and bowling. The alleys are
among the most expensive and per-
feet in the world, and cater prin-
cipally to women. Indeed, men are
not permitted in the place except
/ when they serve as escorts. Girls
are used exclusively for setting pins
/ and doing the other jobs usually
performed by boys. An air of re-
/ fnement and gentility is inme-
/ diately noticeable on entering the
\ place and one is struck with the
/ idea that sports but recently held in
I such i'll repute may be made so at
! tractive and entertaining.
No better evidence of the grow
ing popularity of bowling is af-
] forded than by the figures recent
/ ~ compiled showing that while in
; 1901, when the first national tour
nament was held in Chicago, there
were but Al teams, in 1916 at the
| tournament in Toledo there were
! 100 teams. And last year ia teams
were entered in the big meet at
Grand Rapids. The first interna-
tional tournament for women will
be held in Cincinnati in March and
April of this year
The first public bowling alleys in
! Mishawaka were operated by Fink
and Edwards at the site now oc-
cupied by the EIlsasser alleys.
These were not sufficiently sup
| ported, however and the owners
were forced TO discontinue. In or
around 1906 a man called Kid
Hartman opened two alleys which
he conducted for two seasons. sell
ing out in 1908 to Edward Ellsas-
ser. who has made of the alleys one
of the most popular places in the
state.
Alleys ut c. y. c.
There were alleys in the old c.
a &. club and in the Century
; club, one Of the early social or
CARNATIONS for the men. At this
time. of course, the women were
not interested in the game except
to condemn it for the most part.
The Century club had its rooms
and alleys above what is now the
First National bank. These alleys