Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1941-02-20
Speaking Of
SPORTS
By ROBERT McSHANE
Re!eo.ed br We,lern New,peper Union

Europe and the United States. Sew
eral other sports have been ver-
boten at one time or another in this
country and abroad, but none of
them has as pious background.
This particular sport traces its ORR
gin not to an English barroom but
to the ancient cathedrals of Ger
many where, in the Middle ages,
the canons encouraged their parish
toner's to play it.
There was a religious significance
to it then. Each member of the
church would place his pin at one
end of the church cloister, the pin
representing 'Heide," meaning
heather. The parishioner was
then given ball and asked to throw
it at the ''Heide." If a hit was
scored it indicated that the thrower
was leading a clean, pure life; If
he missed, it meant that he was
more or less a heel.
The bad reputation under which
bowling once suffered got its start
not from a pool-hal environment
as popularity supposed, but from an
English rulers desire to maintain
a fervent military spirit. King Ed
ward, disgruntled when his soldiers
found themselves so attracted by the
game of "bowIs" that they neglect
ed their archery practice, had par
lament pass law banning it.
To America i'm 1923
The Knickerbocker fathers who
brought the Dutch game of nine
pins to Manhattan island in 1923 are
responsible for our modern sport,
which is not only enjoyed by mil
lions Of Americans for personal re-
Taxation. but which has been adopt
ed by business men throughout the
nation as a means of constructing a
more closely knit pattern Of rela-
tionship between employer and en-
ployee.
The American Bowling congress
estimates that more than 400, 900
men now belong to bowling leagues
sponsored by their employers.
Schenley Distillers corporation,
which maintains plants and branch
offices throughout the country, en-
courages bowling competition for its
employees throughout the winter, the
season being climaxed by telegraph
ic matches each spring. Pan-Amer-
lean Anyways claims the record for
long distance competition, with
teams located in Buenos Aires, Girls
tobal, Mexico City, Miami, San
Francisco. New York and other key
offices.
The first American bowling alley
was located outdoors, on a plot of
ground in front of the Battery Fort
ON Manhattan island, New York. To-
day a small park called Bowling
Green" is still maintained on this
spot.
The New England Puritans for
babe bowling, but the British were
too fond of the sport to leave it
behind when they came to America.
Ninepins were popular in America
for a great many years until the
game fell under the control of gam
blers, and this proved its temporary
undoing. But q nation of bOwlers
in 1871 can be thankful this hap
pened, for the present game of ten
pins was started as means Of cir
cumventing the laws which were
passed to make bowling illegal.
9 Pins VS.. 10 Pins
1t happened this way: When nine
pins became the rage of sporting
men the Connecticut legislature
passed an act prohibiting the game.
New York soon followed suit, but
the real devotees of bowling would
not be discouraged. Why, someone
asked, can't we get around the anti
ninepin law by bowling with ten
pins? And the lawmakers, who by
this time were themselves yearning
for a chance to bowl again, dropped
the fight entirely.
Bowling in America experienced
one more setback when New York.
ers, who were the games staunch-
est supporters, found tenpins be-
coming monotonous after a few
years. Because Of the great size Of
the pins at that time, they were
placed SO close together that even q
fair toss Of the ball would result in
q "strike," that much coveted
stroke In which all ten pins are
knocked down At once.
But in its dark days bowling new
er lost favor among the Germans or
the east side Of New York. In the
1865, through their efforts, inter
est In the game was revived. The
size Of the pins was reduced and
someone invented q ball in which
holes had been drilled to facilitate
handling. A few years later, II
1875, the National Bowling associa
ton was organized by q delegates
from Manhattan and Brooklyn
meeting at Germania hall in th'
Bowery. This group established
rules for the game which were lat
err adapted by the American Bowl
ing congress, established in 1895.