America's National Game. Albert G. Spalding

      AS SHOWING the rapid growth in popularity of Baseball from the time of the formation of the National Association of Baseball Players, in 1857, to the breaking out of the Civil War, in 1861, the following figures, though often published heretofore, will be found of interest:

      The number of clubs represented by delegates in the first convention, held in 1857, was 16; in 1858, 25; in 1859, 49; in 1860, 54, and in 1861, only 34. The great falling off in '61 was due, of course, to the beginning of hostilities in that year, and from that time until the close of the war the attendance of club representatives at national annual meetings was very small.

      But in 1865, at the close of the Civil War, so great was the furore for Baseball that 91 clubs had representation in the convention — over 48 being from the State of New York alone, while 14 clubs had representation from Pennsylvania and 13 from New Jersey. The presence of scattering delegates from Portland, Me.; Leavenworth, Kansas; St. Louis, Mo., and Louisville, Ky., showed how the fever was spreading.

      The tenth annual convention of the National Association of Baseball Players, held in 1866, had a most sensational attendance, in the largest assemblage of representatives ever gathered in a similar convention up to that time. Delegates were present from clubs in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, Massachusetts, Iowa, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Maine.

      It was at this convention that Arthur Pue Gorman, afterward United States Senator from Maryland, was elected President of the National Association.

      The eleventh annual convention, held in 1867, was another surprise. It had representation from 237 clubs from the following States: Connecticut, 22; Illinois, 56; Indiana, 21; Maryland, 20; New York, 24; Ohio, 42; Pennsylvania, 27; Wisconsin, 25.

      An analysis of these figures is of interest as showing that between the tenth and eleventh conventions of the National Association an epidemic of Baseball fever had swept out into the West, and that, whereas in 1866 only a few Western States were represented by a mere handful of delegates, in 1867 the four States of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin had 145 clubs represented, which was nearly double the representation of the entire country the year previous. There was also something to inspire conjecture in the fact that in this year, while the great State of New York, where Baseball had its birth, was represented by only 24 clubs, Illinois alone had 56 — more than double the number of the Empire State, and delegates from Indiana and Wisconsin were about equal in numbers to those from New York.

      This great and rapidly increasing interest in the game throughout the West was productive of noteworthy results. Not only were many clubs being formed in the Mississippi Valley and beyond the Rockies, but really formidable teams were springing up on every hand. The great clubs of the Atlantic States, too, were beginning to sit up and take notice of the records of some of the players of the Middle West, while a very natural longing to " take the conceit out " of the " farmers " gained possession of the Eastern clubs.

      Meanwhile the names of the foremost players of the Eastern clubs were becoming as familiar as " household words " to Western fans, so that desire to see the Wright Brothers (Harry and George), Leggett, Berthrong, Williams, McBride, Reach, Fox, Start, Chapman, Ferguson and other notables, was prevalent everywhere. Thus it came about naturally, through the wish of the Eastern players to vanquish the West, and the hope of the Western boys to test conclusions with the fellows who had made the game famous, that a tour was arranged having as its object the playing of a series of matches between an Eastern club and teams in cities of the West.

      The National Baseball Club, of Washington, D. C, though an amateur organization, with membership largely confined to government employees who had developed ability to put up a strong game, conceived the idea of taking upon itself the task of cleaning up the " Wild and Wooly West." Mr. Arthur Pue Gorman, of Maryland, himself a fine player and an enthusiastic supporter of the game, favored the scheme and at once gave to it his personal aid and encouragement.

      On the 11th of July, 1867, therefore, the Nationals, accompanied by a party of friends, started upon a trip to the West that was to include in its itinerary the States of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois. The club was under the personal management of its President, Col. Frank Jones, and with him were the following players:

      George Wright, shortstop and captain; W. F. Williams, a young law student, pitcher; Frank P. Norton, clerk in the Treasury Department, catcher; G. H. E. Fletcher, clerk in the Third Auditor's Office, first base; E. A. Parker, clerk in Internal Revenue Office, second base; George H. Fox, student at Georgetown College, third base; S. L. Studley, clerk in Treasury Department, left field; Harry W. Berthrong, clerk in Comptroller's Office, center field; Harry C. McLease, of the Auditor's Office, right field; E. G. Smith, clerk in the Fourth Auditor's Office, substitute. Henry Chadwick was a member of the party and official scorer.

      The President of the Nationals had arranged a schedule of games to be played on this trip, the list being as follows:

      Capital Club, of Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnatis and Buckeyes, at Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville Club, at Louisville, Ky.; the Westerns, at Indianapolis, Ind.; the Empires and Unions, at St. Louis, Mo.; the Excelsiors and Atlantics, at Chicago, Ill., and the Forest City Club, of Rockford, Ill., which had been winning favor at the game, also at Chicago.

      This schedule involved the playing of games in five States of the South and West and traveling a distance of over 3,000 miles by rail and boat, at an expense of more than $5,000. The sportsmanlike nature of the game in those days may be known from the fact that, from beginning to end, the visiting club bore all its own expenses, absolutely refusing to share any gate money at any game on the trip.

      The tourists left Washington at four o'clock p. m. of the day of their departure, a large company of friends being present to see them started on their journey, and the following gentlemen having interest enough in players and game to accompany the Nationals on their tour: Messrs. Hodges, Cronin, Brown, Patterson, Munson, St. Clair, Ewer, Gramar, Dorsey, Stewart, Corvan and Price. They were met on their arrival at Annapolis, Md., by Mr. Gorman, who subsequently joined the party at Chicago.

      At Columbus, the scene of the first game, the Nationals were received with demonstrations of marked favor and most profuse hospitality. On July 12th they met the Capital Club nine on a very poor field in the suburbs of the city. Two namesakes were pitted against each other as pitchers in this contest, J. Williams, afterwards Secretary of the American Association, appearing for the Capitals, while W. Williams filled the pitcher's box for the Nationals. The Western Williams did not make good in this game, a total of twenty-seven base hits being made from his delivery, while the Columbus team got only ten hits from the National Williams. The score at the end of seven innings — which were quite enough to satisfy spectators and players — was 90 to 10 in favor of the Washington club, an unprecedented score for the West up to that date.

      After the customary banquet and other social functions common to the game in those days, the Nationals left for Cincinnati, where they arrived on the 14th, and on the 15th, after a full day's enjoyment of the hospitality of Cincinnati's players and people, they played the Cincinnatis, on the Union grounds, which had been opened on July 4th. As at Columbus, the Nationals were again victorious, this time by a score of 53 to 10 in a full game. For the Cincinnatis, the afterwards famous Harry Wright pitched, and the noted cricketer, Rogerson, caught.

      I have already remarked that cricket is not Baseball. It was not until Harry Wright put cricket in the background that he became noted as a Baseball player and manager.

      The following day the Nationals met the rivals of the Cincinnati Club, in the Buckeyes, also of the same city, and defeated them, 88 to 12, in a six innings game. On July 16th the Nationals left Cincinnati for Louisville, by the steamer " General Buell," and next day engaged the Louisville team at the Cedar Hill grounds. The result was a defeat for Louisville by a score of 82 to 21, in nine innings.

      July