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The BOOK of SPORT
s
(g&itton tic %uxt
This Edition is limited
to Fifteen Hundred
numbered copies,
of which this is
N2 46
Ijj
MiHtKY «
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)OK of S. v>KT
(T 0 n t
;: T I I T J
ThlE GIRL WHO RIDES.
From 11 pf>i"""L- ).\ H'liry Hun.
m
ftnGr
THE
BOOK of SPORT
Or0tttribut0rs
Miss RUTH UNDERBILL
Miss BEATRIX HOYT
HERBERT M. HARRIMAN
O. H. P. BELMONT
FOXHALL KEENE
RALPH N. ELLIS
EDWARD LaMONTAGNE
ALBERT C. BOSTWICK
J. PARMLY PARET
H. L. HERBERT
IRVING COX
WILLIAM L. RICE
CHARLES E. FOX
CHARLES F. KIMBALL
BURNS HENRY
ARTHUR J. CATON
R. HALL McCORMICK
GEO. RICHMOND FEARING, Jr.
STEWART GORDON
FAYETTE BROWN
GEORGE GILLESPIE
J. B. ABBOTT
F. F. ROLLAND
CHARLES McEACHRAN
ARTHUR MIGNAULT
Major WILLIAM FORESTER
GEO. W. BEARDMORE
H. H. HUNNEWELL, Jr.
T. SUFFERN TAILER
LAWRENCE M. STOCKTON
JOHN JACOB ASTOR
JOHN E. COWDIN
H. B. DURYEA
MALCOLM D. WHITMAN
FINDLAY S. DOUGLAS
HOLCOMBE WARD
W. P. STEPHENS
E. H. MILES
JOSEPH E. G. RYAN
SAMUEL T. CHASE
E. G. BASIL HAYMON
ARTHUR T. ALDIS
FRANK M. LOWRY
ROBERT A. McGONNIGLE
D. L. McCarthy
W. C. J. HALL
H. H. STEVENSON
Colonel F. L. LESSARD
Colonel G. A. STIMSON
WILLIAM HENDRIE, Jr.
ADAM BECK
W. R. MILLER
VICTOR MORIN
CAMPBELL MEYERS
J. F. TAYLOR m COMPANY NEW YORK MCMIV
3S<t5^
,0-
Copyright, 1901-1904 J. F. Taylor ii Company
Most of the portraits having been made especially for the publishers, their reproduction is strictly forbidden
Golf — The Women.
Miss Underbill, Amateur Cham- 'i pion, 1899
A Note by Miss Beatrix Hoyt Amateur Cbampion, 1896, '97 and '98 ...
Women's Cbampionsbip Records Compiled by H. L. P'itzPatrick
Golf — The Men.
By H. M. Harriman, Champion 1899 ....
A Note by Findlay S. Douglas, Champion, 1898
Amateur Championship Records Compiled by H. L. FitzPatrick
Court-Tennis, Racquets, Hand-Fives and Squash- Tennis. By Eustace H. Miles, Winner of the Gold Prize at Cambridge, 1897, '98, '99, and Amateur Champion of England and the United States at Court-Tennis, and of the United States and of Canada at Racquets and Squash-Tennis
Page
16 41
47 66 76
83
New York and Tuxedo Court- Tennis AND Court-Tennis Players. By T. Suffern Tailer . . .101
Court-Tennis in Boston and
Its Players.
From Notes collected and arranged
by George Richmond Fearing,
Jr. Winner of the National
.y^
Page
Championship for Court-Tennis, 1897 ; and L. M. Stockton, Winner of the National Cham- pionship for Court-Tennis, i896-'98, '99 . . .Ill
Racquets in New York, and Its Players. By Edward La Montagne . .121
The Boston Racquet Players. By H. H. Hunnewell, Jr., Winner of the Club Championship for Racquets, B. A. A., 1897 • ^^7
Racquets and Racquet Play- ers AT Philadelphia. From Notes Furnished by Walter Rogers Furness . . -131
Polo in America. By John E. Cowdin .
Polo in England. By Foxhall Keene
Polo Ponies. Bv H. L. Herbert
'37
163
166
Polo Association Member- ship, 1890-1900 . . 175
Song " The Girls Who Ride." From "The Songs of Myopia" . 180
Fox-Hunting and Drag-Hunting.
By Ralph N. EUis, M. F. H., Meadowbrook . . .181
/s^..^
VI
Table of Contents
Song "The Road."
From "The Light of Other Days." By S. Nicholson Kane .....
Coaching.
By Oliver H. P. Belmont . Automobiles and Automobiling.
By Albert C. Bostwick The Automobile and Its Relation TO Good Roads. By Colonel John Jacob Astor. The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn-Tennis. By Malcolm D. Whitman, Champion (Singles), 1898, 1899, 1900
The Theory of the Modern Game
OF Doubles.
By Holcombe Ward, Champion (Doubles),
1899-1900 . . . . .
The Chronology of Lawn-Tennis.
By J. Parmly Paret. Winner of All
Comers, 1899 . . . .
Yachting — Ideas and Opinions of a Racing Owner.
By H. B. Duryea ....
A Half-Century of American Yacht- ing.
By W. P. Stephens .... Steam-Yachting — The Ideas of a Designer.
By Irving Cox Steam-Yachting in America.
By W. P. Stephens Golf in the Middle West.
By Joseph E. G. Ryan Golf in Detroit, Cleveland, and
Pittsburgh. Racquets in the West.
By Samuel T. Chase Racquets in Detroit. Western Lawn-Tennis.
Bv Samuel T. Chase Polo in the Middle West.
By E. G. Basil Haymon Onwentsia Drag Hunt.
By Arthur T. Aldis Riding in Detroit.
From Notes by Burns Henry . Fox-HuNTiNG IN Pittsburgh Coaching in the Middle West
P»ge
218 219
243 275
283
301
309
331
341
385
391
4'5 442
465 469
470 475
483
485 487 501
President Mont- B. Abbott and F.
Coaching in Cleveland.
By William L. Rice .... The Matinee Club of Pittsburgh
and Allegheny Automobiling in Chicago. Automobiling in Cleveland, De- troit, and Pittsburgh Yachting on the Great Lakes.
By E. G. Basil Haymon The Chicago Clubs.
By Charles E. Fox .... Golf in Canada.
From Notes supplied by Stewart Gordon, Secretary Toronto Golf Club; Fayette Brown, President Royal Montreal Golf Club; W. C. J. Hail, Hon. Secretary Quebec Golf Club; and H. H. Steven- son, Hon. Secretary Ottawa Golf Club
Rackets in Canada. Bv George Gillespie, real Racket Club; J. F. Rolland
The Montreal Hunt.
By Charles McEachran, M.F.H. . Le Club de Chasse a Courre Cana- dien. By Arthur Mignault, M.F.H. Fox-Hunting in Toronto.
By Major William Forester, Field Marshal Toronto Hunt; Geo. W. Beardmore, M.F.H., Toronto Hunt; D. L. Mc- Carthy, Toronto Hunt
Driving in Toronto.
Bv Colonel F. L. Lessard, Colonel G. A. Stimson and William Hendrie, Jr.
The London Hunt Club.
By Adam Beck, .M.F.H. Polo in Montreal.
By W. R. Miller and Victor Morin Toronto Hunt Polo Team.
By Campbell Meyers, M.D. Yachting on Lake Ontario.
From Notes supplied by Members of the Royal Canadian, Royal Hamilton and Rochester Yacht Clubs
The Rochester Yacht Club.
From Notes supplied by Members . Yachting on the St. Lawrence River.
From Notes supplied by the Officers of the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club .
Page
507
512 521
531
545 551
561
585
597
607
615
629
633 641
649
655 661
667
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
The Girl who Rides . . Frontispiece
From a painting by Henry Hiitt.
The Robert Cox Trophy .
Miss Underhill. At the top of a Swing
Mrs. H. B. Ashmore .
Miss Frances C. Griscom .
Winner of the Amateur Championship, igoo.
Miss Griscom. A Mashie Approach Mrs. Edward A. Manice . Miss Edith B. Burt .
Marginal drawing of Miss Burt.
Mrs. J. Franklin McFadden
Marginal drawing of Mrs. McFadden.
Miss Katharine M. Rowland Miss Eunice Terry .
Marginal drawing of Miss Terry.
Mrs. W. B. Mcllvaine Mrs. H. C. Chatfield-Taylor Miss Sargent Miss Ruth Underhill .
Winner of the Championship, tSgg.
Miss Maude K. Wetmore . Mrs. William Shippen
Marginal drawing of Mrs. Shippen.
Miss Elsie F. Cassatt
Marginal drawing of Miss Cassatt.
Miss May Barron
Mrs. A. De Witte Cochrane
Mrs. W. J. Berg
Miss Beatrix Hoyt
Winner of the Amateur Championship, i8<)6, '97,
Miss Hoyt's Follow Through
Miss Grace Fargo
Mrs. W. Fellowes Morgan
|
age |
Page |
|
|
Miss Marion Oliver . . . . . |
27 |
|
|
Marginal drawing of Miss Oliver. |
||
|
I |
Mrs. C. F. Fox |
28 |
|
2 |
Prominent Players of Philadelphia |
29 |
|
4 |
Miss Genevieve Hecker . . . . |
30 |
|
5 |
Mrs. R. C. Hooper |
31 |
|
6 |
The Morris County Team, 1900 |
33 |
|
Miss Margaret Curtis . . . . |
35 |
|
|
7 |
Miss Helen F. Bishop . . . . |
36 |
|
8 |
Miss Georgianna M. Bishop |
37 |
|
9 |
Miss Lucy Herron . . . . . |
39 |
|
Miss Marvin |
40 |
|
|
10 |
Miss Louise Maxwell . . . . |
43 |
|
II |
Championship Badge, 1899 |
44 |
|
The Havemeyer Trophy . . . . |
45 |
|
|
12 |
H. M. Harriman . . . . . |
46 |
|
13 |
The Finish of an Iron Shot. |
|
|
14 |
John Reid, Jr. . |
48 |
|
15 |
Charles Hitchcock, Jr. . . . |
49 |
|
James A. Tyng .... |
50 |
|
|
17 |
W. J. Travis ..... |
51 |
|
18 |
The Finish of a Full Iron Shot. |
|
|
R. E. Griscom |
53 |
|
|
19 |
Hugo R. Johnstone .... Marginal drawing of Hugo R. Johnstone. |
54 |
|
20 |
Percy R. Pyne, 2nd .... |
54 |
|
21 |
Walter J. Travis .... |
• 55 |
|
22 |
Winner of the Championship, igoo. |
|
|
23 |
Walter B. Smith .... |
• 57 |
|
Roderick Terry, Jr |
• 57 |
|
|
24 |
H. B. Hollins, Jr |
• 58 |
|
25 |
R. C. Watson, J r |
• 58 |
|
26 |
Chester Griswold, Jr. ... |
• 59 |
Vlll
List of Illustrations
|
Page |
Page |
||||
|
J. G. AvcrcU . |
' |
59 |
Diagram of Court-Tennis Court . |
• 92 |
|
|
David R. Forgan |
■ |
60 |
Newbold Etting .... |
• 93 |
|
|
Findlay S. Douglas . |
. |
61 |
George T. Rice .... |
• 94 |
|
|
W'iniur of Ihf Championships iSgS. |
F. R. Sears |
• 94 |
|||
|
Walter Fairbanks |
63 |
||||
|
Maurice La Montagne |
• 95 |
||||
|
J. G. Thorp . |
• |
64 |
Morton Paton |
• 95 |
|
|
Herbert M. Harriman |
65 |
||||
|
Winiii-r of the Championships iS()i}. |
•J |
0. S. Campbell .... |
. 96 |
||
|
C. B. Macdonald |
67 |
Lawrence M. Stockton |
• 97 |
||
|
Winthrop Rutherfurd |
• |
68 |
Winner of Kational Championship for Racquets, iSgb, iSg8—iSgg. |
||
|
Findlay S. Douglas at |
the End of his |
Stroke |
Hand Fives ..... |
. 98 |
|
|
on the Tee . |
69 |
W. B. Dinsmore, Jr. |
• 99 |
||
|
A. G. Lockwood |
70 |
Marginal drawing. Defending the Grille, |
Tennis. |
||
|
A Full Swing. |
Marginal drawing .... |
. lOI |
|||
|
Gardiner G. Hubbard |
. |
71 |
Preparing for the Backhand Stroke, Tennis. |
||
|
Jasper Lynch . |
, , |
72 |
J. Macdonough ..... |
. 102 |
|
|
J. A. Stillman . |
. |
72 |
E. A. Thomson .... |
• 103 |
|
|
Reginald Brooks |
. |
73 |
Charles Sands ..... |
. 104 |
|
|
A. M. Robbing . |
73 |
T. SufFern Tailer .... |
. 105 |
||
|
A. M. Coats |
, , |
74 |
James Henry Smith .... |
. 106 |
|
|
H. J. Whigham |
74 |
John S. Tooker .... |
• 107 |
||
|
Henry P. Toler |
• |
75 |
B. S. de Garmendia .... Marginal drawing. Waiting for the St |
. 108 rvice. |
|
|
M. R. Wright . |
75 |
Racquets. |
|||
|
From the Statue by Fitzgerald Peploe |
82 |
Hon. Michael Herbert |
. 109 |
||
|
Quincy A. Shaw, Jr. |
84 |
Marginal drawing. Forehand Stroke. Ten |
tiis. |
||
|
Philip S. Sears . |
84 |
Cecil Baring ..... |
. no |
||
|
Austin Potter . |
85 |
W. E. Glyn |
. 112 |
||
|
Payne Whitney . |
85 |
Alexander Morten .... Marginal drawing. Preparing to take the Si |
• "3 rvice. |
||
|
Arthur Hunnewell |
86 |
Tennis. |
|||
|
Marginal drawing. The Correct IVay of Holding |
C. Lawrence Perkins |
. 114 |
|||
|
the Racquet, Tennis. |
|||||
|
Marginal drawing. Tennis. |
|||||
|
Robert G. Shaw |
87 |
||||
|
George Richmond Fearing, Jr. . |
• "5 |
||||
|
Edgar Scott |
88 |
Winner of the National Championship for |
Court |
||
|
Walter Rogers Furness |
88 |
Tennis, iSgf. |
|||
|
Hugh D. Scott . |
89 |
Thomas Pettitt |
. 116 |
||
|
James Potter |
89 |
M. S. Barger |
• 117 |
||
|
Nathaniel Thayer |
90 |
Fiske Warren ..... |
. 118 |
||
|
Eustace H. Miles |
91 |
Joshua Crane ..... |
• "9 |
||
|
Amateur Champion of |
England and the |
United |
Robert Bacon ..... |
. 120 |
|
|
States at Court-Tennis, and of the United States |
|||||
|
and of Canada at Racquets and Squash- |
Tennis. |
Edward La Montagne |
• 123 |
List of Illustrations
IX
Preparing to serve Racquets
Clarence H. Mackay . . . . .
H. H. Hunnewell, Jr
Winner of the Club Cliampionship for Racquets, B. A. A., tSgy.
Alfred Tompkins ....
The Markers' Court ....
Marginal drawing. Service from the left hand court. Racquets .
Marginal drawing. Waiting for the forehand Stroke. Racquets ....
Polo Association Championship Cup
International Polo Challenge Cup
Won by the Hurlinghain Team at Newport.
Harry Payne Whitney
Marginal drawing.
Albert Edward Kennedy
Samuel D. Warren
John E. Cowdin
Polo Ponies. Mr. Cowdin's "Jay Gould,' Mr. Cowdin's " Ellis "
" Well Backed Savage ! "
F. S. Conover, Jr.
C. C. Baldwin .
Marginal drawing.
George J. Gould
H. H. Holmes .
George P. Eustis
A Lakewood-Devon Game
Sidney Dillon Ripley
William A. Hazard
J. M. Waterbury, Jr
Marginal drawing. Persian Chaug'an or Polo Stieis. Seventeenth Century.
Waiting for the Ball.
Pjge 124
125
129
130
130
133 135 136
138
139 140 141
142
143
144
'45
146
147 148 149 150
151 152
|
Robert G. Shaw, 2d |
• '53 |
|
Stanley Mortimer |
• 154 |
|
Foxhall Keene . . . . |
• 155 |
|
E. C. Potter . . . . |
. . 156 |
|
P. F. Collier . . . . |
• 157 |
|
R. L. Agassiz . . . . |
. 158 |
Benjamin Nicoll ....
Marginal drawing. Flushing System for Field.
George W. Kendrick, 3d .
Marginal drawing. A Miss. Polo.
Allan Forbes H. L. Herbert .
Chairman of Polo Association
W. W. Keith . Charles Wheeler William C. Eustis R. L. Beekman Jay B. Lippincott
Marginal drawing. A Close Call. Polo.
Charles Cary
Lawrence Waterbury
"Stumpy"
Marginal drawings. Polo Cups
A Polo Patron .
Redmond C. Stewart .
Edward L. Smith
Miss Florence Dobson
Miss Bessie Dobson (Mrs. L. C. Altemus)
Mrs. J. L. Kernochan on " Rebel "
Mrs. A. Ladenberg on " Goodboy "
Ross W. Whistler ....
Mrs. Robert E. Strawbridge
Type of English Hound at Meadowbrook
E. A. Jackson .....
Marginal drawing. Riding for Scarf.
Leander W. Riddle ....
Marginal drawings. Genesee Games. Riding 'Pan- dent.
Ralph N. Ellis, M.F.H., Meadowbrook
Mr. Ellis's Hunter "Baritone" .
Robert E. Strawbridge ....
Marginal drawing. .'Slicing the Lemon.
Mrs. George L. Peabody on " Sepoy " Mrs. Bryce Allan on " Starlight " Charles E. Mather, M.F.H., Radnor .
Page
•59 160
161
167
168 168
169
170 171
172 173
176
177
178
182
•«3 184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193 194
195
196
197 198
List of Illuitrationi
Page
A Group of Hunters at the Bryn Mawr Horse
Show, 1900 . . . . • '99
Mrs. Ross VV. Whistler .... 200
Edward F. Beale . . . . .201
Atarginal diiiwiiig. On the Way lo the Meet.
F. A. B. Portman, M.F.H., Warrenton Hunt
Club 202
Captain Samuel D. Parker, M.F.H., Nor- folk Hunt Club 202
Major W. A. Wadsworth, M.F.H., Genesee
|
Valley Hunt |
203 |
|
Dr. C. A. Dohan, M.F.H., Lima Hunt Club . |
203 |
|
Marginal drawing. Dr. Dalian's " Trouble." |
|
|
F. Gray Griswold . . . . . |
204 |
|
H. W. Smith |
204 |
|
In the Meadowbrook Country |
205 |
|
Mrs. C. G. Rice on " Ladylike " |
206 |
|
Mr. C. G. Rice on « Dr. Felix " |
207 |
|
Henry W. Bull |
208 |
|
George von L. Meyer . . . . |
208 |
|
Samuel W. Hopkins |
209 |
|
John Rulon Miller |
209 |
|
Marginal drawing. Plenty of these doivn Meadow- |
|
|
brook way. |
|
|
Maxwell Stevenson . . . . . |
210 |
|
L. C. Altemus |
211 |
|
Marginal draiving. Training a Hunter. |
|
|
Frank Seabury ...... |
212 |
|
Mrs. R. G. Shaw, 2d . . . . |
213 |
|
Mrs. E. A. Jackson |
214 |
|
Colt Hyllas Hercules — The Shrew |
215 |
|
Mrs. Ladenberg . . . . . |
216 |
|
" The Road " |
218 |
|
Edward Morrell |
220 |
|
George P. Wetmore . . . . . |
221 |
|
F. K. Sturgis |
222 |
|
F. T. Underbill |
222 |
|
Oliver H. P. Belmont . . . . |
223 |
|
Reginald VV. Rives |
225 |
|
Colonel William Jay ...".. |
225 |
James V. Parker
Theodore A. Havemeyer, Sr.
Barclay H. Warburton
The Club House at Jerome Park
W. Seward Webb .
W. Watts Sherman .
The Arrival at the Brunswick
W. L. Elkins, Jr. .
C. Davis English
Edward Browning
E. B. Smith
James J. Van Alen
W. K. Vanderbilt .
George R. Read
A. J. Cassatt
Neilson Brown .
George R. Fearing
Some Members of the Coaching Club, and their Friends
Bryce Allan
Harrison K. Caner
Fairman Rogers
Robert L. Gerry
Marginal drawing. Button 0/ Coaching Club.
Alfred G. Vanderbilt .
W. C. Gulliver
De Lancey A. Kane .
Four-in-Hand Club Badge .
A. R. Shattuck .
R. R. Conklin .
Marginal drawing. Mixed Race Cup, Neioport Races, igcxj. Presented by Mrs. Herman Oel- richs.
Alexander Winton
A. L. Riker
J. Dunbar Wright
Albert C. Bostwick, Vice-President of the Automobile Club
Eugene H. Lewis
Page
226
227
228
229
230 230 231 232 232 232 232 233 233 234 235 235 236
237 238 238
239
240
240
241 241 241
246
247
248 249
250
251
252
Liit of Illustrations
XI
|
Page |
Page |
||||
|
Willard P. Reid |
252 |
Malcolm D. Whitman, Champion in Singles |
> |
||
|
William H. Hall |
252 |
1898, 1899, 1900 |
. 289 |
||
|
G. Creighton Webb . |
253 |
Low Volley ..... |
. 290 |
||
|
Marginal drawing. Cup presented by IV. /i |
^ Van- |
M. F. Goodbody .... |
. 291 |
||
|
derhilt, Jr. , Newport Races, Steam Class. |
|||||
|
Dr. Truman J. Martin |
254 |
G. M. Brinley |
292 |
||
|
Colonel Albert A. Pope |
255 |
One of Larned's Easy Back-hand Passing |
|||
|
Hon. Josiah Quincy . |
256 |
Strokes ..... Forehand Ground Stroke . |
293 294 |
||
|
Edwin W. Adams |
257 |
||||
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F. H. Hovey ..... |
295 |
||||
|
Charles R. Flint |
258 |
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|
Marginal drawing. 'J wist {reverse) Seri'ice. |
|||||
|
Marginal drawing. Electric Class Cup. |
|||||
|
Charles R. Otis |
259 |
W. A. Lamed |
296 |
||
|
Samuel T. Davis, Jr. |
260 |
G. L. Wrenn, Jr. . |
297 |
||
|
Le Droict Langdon Barber |
261 |
R. D. Wrenn |
299 |
||
|
George Isham Scott . |
262 |
The Everlasting Attack of Wrenn |
300 |
||
|
J. Wesley Allison |
263 |
Carr B. Neel |
302 |
||
|
E. G. Fabbri .... |
264 |
Samuel R. Neel .... |
303 |
||
|
George F. Chamberlin |
265 |
Davis's New Twist Service, 1900 |
304 |
||
|
Marginal drawing. Cup presented hy Mrs |
O. //. |
Dwight F. Davis, Champion (with Ward) in |
|||
|
P. Belmont for Gasoline Tricycles, ! Races .... |
Vr.i'port |
266 |
Doubles 1899, 1900 . Back-hand Ground Stroke . |
305 306 |
|
|
Carleton Macy .... |
267 |
||||
|
The New Defensive Position of the Servers |
307 |
||||
|
Dave H. Morris |
269 |
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The Smash ..... |
308 |
||||
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J. M. Ceballos .... |
271 |
||||
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S. S. Wheeler .... |
272 |
J. A. Allen |
310 |
||
|
H. W. Hedge .... |
273 |
E. P. Fischer |
3" |
||
|
Miss Madeleine I. Goddard |
276 |
Richard Stevens .... |
312 |
||
|
Colonel John Jacob Astor . |
277 |
Holcombe Ward, Champion (with Davis) in Doubles 1899, 1900 . |
313 |
||
|
C. Gray Dinsmore |
278 |
||||
|
John H. Flagler |
278 |
Typical American Volley (forehand) F. B. Alexander .... |
314 315 |
||
|
Mrs. George B. de Forrest . |
279 |
||||
|
R. D. Little |
315 |
||||
|
Mrs. J. Lawrence Van Alen |
280 |
||||
|
L. E. Ware |
316 |
||||
|
The Davis International Challenge Trophy . |
281 |
||||
|
George P. Sheldon |
317 |
||||
|
Whitman's Cautious Style of Defensive Play . |
282 |
||||
|
Beals C. Wright |
318 |
||||
|
R. D. Sears |
284 |
||||
|
R. P. Huntington |
319 |
||||
|
H. W. Slocum, Jr |
285 |
||||
|
J. C. Davidson . |
320 |
||||
|
Marginal drawing. Typical American Volley |
|||||
|
{bank hand) . . . . . |
286 |
J. Parmly Paret |
321 |
||
|
Dr. W. V. Eaves |
287 |
Krieg Collins . |
322 |
||
|
Clarence Hobart |
288 |
George F. Whitney |
322 |
|
xii List of Illustrations |
|||||
|
Page |
Page |
||||
|
Lawn Tenuis at Newport |
• 323 |
Henry C. Rouse .... |
• 364 |
||
|
Miss Myrtle McAteer |
• 324 |
The Seawanhaka-Corinthian Yacht Club a |
|||
|
Samuel Hardy . |
■ 325 |
Oyster Bay .... |
• 365 |
||
|
C. Sumner Hardy |
• 325 |
August Belmont .... |
• 367 |
||
|
Miss Juliette P. Atkinson |
326 |
L. F. d'Oremieulx .... |
• 368 |
||
|
Miss Marion Jones . |
327 |
Archibald Rogers |
• 369 |
||
|
A. Bryan Alley . |
332 |
A. Gary Smith Marginal drawing. Titania, -jo-footer. |
■ 370 |
||
|
Charles F. Adams, 2d |
333 |
John Hyslop ..... |
• 371 |
||
|
John F. Lovejoy |
334 |
Marginal drawing. The Shona, a Watson cutter. |
|||
|
H. B. Duryea . |
335 |
C. Smith Lee ..... |
• 372 |
||
|
Dr. John Bryant |
337 |
Henry Bryant ..... |
• 373 |
||
|
Marginal dra-uiiiig. El Chico (2^-/oot das |
')■ |
E. D. Morgan |
• 374 |
||
|
A Start of the Thirty-Footers |
339 |
New Club-house of the New York Yacht Club |
» 375 |
||
|
Small draiuing. Defender on the Ways |
340 |
W. Butler Duncan, Jr. . . . |
• 377 |
||
|
Robert Center .... |
342 |
' J |
|||
|
Newbury D. Lawton |
• 378 |
||||
|
J. R. Busk .... |
343 |
Frederick T. Adams .... |
• 379 |
||
|
Oliver E. Cromwell . |
344 |
||||
|
S. Nicholson Kane .... |
380 |
||||
|
George H. Richards . |
345 |
Marginal drawing. Gloriana in dock. |
|||
|
Howard VV. Coates . |
346 |
Theodore C. Zerega .... |
381 |
||
|
The Larchmont Yacht Club, Ladies' |
Day, |
J. Pierpont Morgan .... |
■ 384 |
||
|
Race Week |
347 |
What Speed Means .... |
■ 389 |
||
|
F. M. Hoyt .... |
348 |
William Astor |
392 |
||
|
The Harbor at Larchmont . From the Club House, |
348 |
E. S. Jaffray |
393 |
||
|
Augustin Monroe .... |
349 |
James Gordon Bennett |
394 |
||
|
Oswald Sanderson |
350 |
A. J. Drexel |
395 |
||
|
Richard S. Palmer .... |
351 |
Thomas W. Lawson .... |
396 |
||
|
Bayard Thayer ..... |
352 |
Eugene Tompkins .... |
397 |
||
|
Atlantic Yacht Club .... |
353 |
A. L. Barber |
398 |
||
|
Small drawing. Hostess — a modern Jiacin^ |
' Freak |
E. C. Benedict |
399 |
||
|
0/ the 21-foot class .... |
354 |
Isaac E. Emerson .... |
400 |
||
|
R. P. Doremus ..... |
355 |
Alexander Van Rensselaer . |
401 |
||
|
Marginal drawing. The Gloriana in dry a |
'ock. |
||||
|
E. A. Willard |
356 |
Evans R. Dick |
402 |
||
|
Marginal drawing. The Dogrook (21 -foot sec |
nv class |
)• |
Howard Gould ...... |
403 |
|
|
Edward Burgess .... |
357 |
J. E. Widener |
404 |
||
|
J. Frederic Tams .... |
358 |
H.Walters . . . |
405 |
||
|
Rutherfurd Stuyvesant |
359 |
J. Murray Mitchell |
406 |
||
|
Charles J. Paine .... |
360 |
F. G. Bourne |
407 |
||
|
C. Oliver Iselin .... |
361 |
J. Harvey Ladew . . . . . |
408 |
||
|
William Krebs |
362 |
C. H. Postley |
409 |
||
|
J. R. Maxwell . |
»: |
363 |
H. Clay Pierce ...... |
410 |
|
List of Illustrations xiii |
|||||||||
|
Page |
Page- |
||||||||
|
The Alexander Cup . , . . •413 |
Miss J. Anna Carpenter . .... 432 |
||||||||
|
Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, Illinois. |
Mrs. Wallace L. DeWolf |
432 |
|||||||
|
Alfred L. Baker, President . |
414 |
Mrs. W. A. Alexander |
433 |
||||||
|
William Holabird, President Western Golf |
Miss Frances D. Everett |
. |
434 |
||||||
|
Association, Chicago |
415 |
Mrs. John M. Cutter |
, |
434 |
|||||
|
T. S. Fauntleroy ..... |
415 |
Milwaukee Country Club, |
Milwaukee, |
Wis- |
|||||
|
William Holabird, Jr |
416 |
consin |
435 |
||||||
|
Louis N. James, Amateur ChampioH, 1902 . |
416 |
Hamilton Vose |
, |
436 |
|||||
|
Exmoor Country Club, Highland Park, Illinois. |
Oliver Clyde Fuller . |
. |
436 |
||||||
|
John M. Cutter, President ; W. A. Alex- |
Louis Allis |
437 |
|||||||
|
ander, Founder |
• |
417 |
Garth Bigelow |
437 |
|||||
|
H. Chandler Egan |
• |
418 |
Lloyd Tilghman Boyd |
. |
43« |
||||
|
J. 0. Hinkley |
• |
418 |
George H. Russell |
438 |
|||||
|
William Waller |
419 |
||||||||
|
R. Harvev McElwee |
• |
439 |
|||||||
|
Alan Le Roy Reid . |
• |
419 |
Detroit Country Club, Detroit, Michigan |
441 |
|||||
|
Walter E. Egan |
• |
419 |
W. Howie Muir |
442 |
|||||
|
Thomas Taylor, Jr. |
• |
420 |
Benjamin S. Warren . |
442 |
|||||
|
Phelps B. Hoyt |
420 |
Thayer McMillan . |
443 |
||||||
|
The Glenview Club. Wiley J |
Littlejohn, |
Mrs. W. Howie Muir |
444 |
||||||
|
President . , . . |
421 |
||||||||
|
Mrs. H. B. Joy |
444 |
||||||||
|
Wallace L. DeWolf |
422 |
Allegheny Country Club, Sewickley, Pennsyl- |
|||||||
|
H. J. Tweedie |
422 |
vania. Harry Darlington, President . |
445 |
||||||
|
Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, 111 |
inois . |
423 |
Mrs. M. 0. Williams |
446 |
|||||
|
Edward P. Martin |
424 |
Miss Muir |
446 |
||||||
|
F. Lyon Roach |
424 |
E. H. Brown |
447 |
||||||
|
Midlothian Country Club. |
George R |
Nathan Kendall |
447 |
||||||
|
Thorne, President |
425 |
Oliver P. Clay |
447 |
||||||
|
A. P. Bowen |
• |
426 |
Raymond Russel |
448 |
|||||
|
J. Marshall Weir . |
426 |
Wylie Willing Carhartt |
448 |
||||||
|
Fred R. Hamlin |
• |
426 |
John Moorhead, Jr. . |
449 |
|||||
|
Lake Geneva Country Club, Lake Geneva, |
J. E. Porter |
449 |
|||||||
|
Wisconsin. Julian M. Rumsey, Presi- |
0. D. Thompson |
449 |
|||||||
|
dent; I racy C. Drake, Secretary . . 427 |
|||||||||
|
^ |
T. S. Beckwith |
450 |
|||||||
|
James Waller Knott |
. 428 |
||||||||
|
Charles Stanley |
450 |
||||||||
|
Miss Bessie Anthony |
. 428 |
J Country Club of Pittsburgh, Beechwood Boule- |
|||||||
|
Mason E. Phelps |
■ 429 |
vard. A. M. Jenkinson, President |
451 |
||||||
|
Charles Counselman, Jr. |
• 429 |
B. S. Home |
452 |
||||||
|
Frank D. Frazier |
• 429 |
E. M. Byers |
452 |
||||||
|
W. I. Howland, Jr. |
• 429 |
George M. Laughlin, President Pittsburgl |
|||||||
|
Nathaniel Ford Moore |
■ 430 |
Golf Club .... |
453 |
||||||
|
George F. Clingman, Jr. |
• 431 |
William S. Dalzell, President Edgewood Gol |
|||||||
|
W. E. Clow, Jr. |
• 431 |
Club, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
454 |
||||||
|
K. Sawyer Goodman |
• 431 |
W. Linford Smith |
. |
• |
454 |
XIV
List of Illustratiom
K. M. Laughlin
Dr. D. P. Fredericks ...
George A. Ormiston
Edgeworth Golf Club Team, Sewicklcy Pennsylvania. S. S. Liggott, C. B McVay, Jr., David Hays, VV. N. Kerr, C. I. Shannon, F. M. Hutchinson, C. H Mc\'ay
Highland Golf Club Team, Highland Park Pennsylvania. W. C. Fownes, VV. C Fovvnes, Jr., H. C. Fownes, G. A Ormiston, C. B. Fownes, Harry Penn
Edgeworth Club, Sewickley, Pennsylvania W. McC. Grafton, President
Remsen \ . Messier
Frank C. Neale
R. P. Nevin, Jr.
Mrs. Elliott F. Rodgers
Mrs. R. P. Nevin, Jr.
T. VV. Stephens
Harold F. McCormick
Walter Feron .
Frank A. Rehm
Louis E. Burr .
B. F. Cummins
George A. Thome
I. C. GifFord .
Theodore Sheldon
George J. Williams
Frederick Ciardner
Clarence Carpenter
P. H. McMillan
Samuel T. Chase
Charles A. Chase
Clinton L. Childs
G. D. Edwards
Sidcny C. Love
Charles G. King
VV. Vernon Booth
Marshall M. Kirkman
Page
455 455
456
457
458
459 460 460 460 461 461 464 465 465 466 466 467 467 467 467 468 468 469 469 470 470
471 471 475 475 476 476
James Carey Evans .
Howard T. Gillette .
Frederic McLaughlin
Marshall Jay Kirkman
Walter Farwell
George A. Seaverns .
F. M. Lowry, M. F. H., on " Big Ret
Miss Mary Flinn on " Big Red "
Arthur T. Aldis, M. F. H.
Howard Tracy .
Burns Henry
Frederick M. Alger .
F. M. Lowry on " Rapidan "
G. M. Laughlin, Jr., on " Buckle " J. R. Tindle on " Blue Boy " .
Pittsburgh Hunt Club. F. M. Lowry, Miss Rebecca S. Jones, Miss Winifred Jones, Miss Mary Flinn, P. M. Donner
Percy M. Donner
Robert A. McGonnigle on " Ginger "
Reed Knox on " Royal Stag "
Henry L. Collins
D. Hayden Collins . George W. Eberhardt
E. Groetzinger, Jr. . Edward B. Webb on " Maud " Miss Blanche Margaret Harper on " Blue Boy ' Miss Edith Flinn on " Pendennis " Miss Winifred Jones on " Mikado " Miss Rebecca S. Jones on " V^ictor Hugo " Miss Sarah Murphy .... Miss Ida M. Fisher .... Miss Nellie Murphy .... Miss Gertrude Mueller on " Tokay " .
Entrance to Saddle and Cycle Club, Chicago- Illinois ..... Saddle and Cycle Club, Chicago, Illinois James Hobart Moore Arthur J. Caton , , . .
Page
477 477 478 478
479 479 481
482
483
483
485
486
487 487 488
489
490
49' 492
492
492
493 493 494 494 495 495 496 496
497 497 498
500
501 501 502
List of Illustrations
XV
|
Page |
Page |
|||||
|
Potter Palmer ...... |
502 |
Robert Shaw 521 |
||||
|
Louis F. Swift . |
503 |
Henry D. Sturtevant . |
521 |
|||
|
R. Hall McCormick . |
503 |
John A. Drake . |
522 |
|||
|
Col. G. G. Pabst |
504 |
Charles W. Gates . |
522 |
|||
|
Frederick Pabst, Jr. . |
504 |
Honore Palmer . |
523 |
|||
|
Walter H. Dupee |
505 |
John C. King . |
523 |
|||
|
Clarence C. Chapman |
505 |
J. K. Robinson, Jr. . |
524 |
|||
|
Walter A. M. Chapman |
505 |
Walters. Brewster . |
524 |
|||
|
Richard W. Houghton |
506 |
|||||
|
0. E. Babcock . |
525 |
|||||
|
Sherburn Merrill Becker |
506 |
Ira Couch |
525 |
|||
|
D. R. Hanna . |
507 |
Paul Picard |
526 |
|||
|
William L. Rice |
507 |
|||||
|
F. C. Donald . |
526 |
|||||
|
Belden Seymour |
508 |
A. A. Carpenter, Jr. |
526 |
|||
|
Charles A. Otis, Jr. . |
508 |
Sam E. Thrall . |
527 |
|||
|
H. M. Hanna, Jr. . |
508 |
P'rederick R. Babcock |
527 |
|||
|
Four-in-Hand and Tandem Club, Cleveland. |
Calvin S. Smith |
527 |
||||
|
Euclid Avenue Parade |
509 |
|||||
|
Mrs. Henry D. Sturtevant |
528 |
|||||
|
R. H. York |
510 |
Mrs. Robert Shaw |
528 |
|||
|
J. B. Perkins |
510 |
Mrs. T- D. Wassail . |
529 |
|||
|
James H. Hoyt . . . . . |
5" |
|||||
|
E. A. Merritt |
5" |
Mrs. John B. Murphy Mrs. Walter Newton Jones |
530 530 |
|||
|
W. S. Steele driving " Senator K.," owned by |
||||||
|
T. H. Newberry |
• 531 |
|||||
|
Harry Darlington .... |
512 |
Charles A. DuCharme |
• 531 |
|||
|
" Dr. Leek " and " Wert," owned and driven |
||||||
|
by P. C. Knox |
513 |
H. B. Joy |
• 532 |
|||
|
"Rubber," owned and driven by J. G. Bennett. |
514 |
Russell A. Alger, Jr. |
• 532 |
|||
|
" Nora Chimes," owned and driven by Henry |
William H. Burtenshaw |
• 533 |
||||
|
Oliver |
514 |
W. C. McMillan |
• 533 |
|||
|
" Blue Blossom," owned and driven bv J. H. |
Hugo Scherer . |
■ 534 |
||||
|
Moore ...... |
515 |
D. M. Ferry, Jr. |
• 534 |
|||
|
" Josephine Dixon," owned and driven by |
E. Shriver Reese |
• 535 |
||||
|
R. H. Boggs |
515 |
William F. Bonnell . |
• 536 |
|||
|
Frank Doreman driving " Joe Watts," owned |
Addison H. Hough . |
• 536 |
||||
|
by Charles Donnelly .... |
516 |
0 Harry E. Hays . |
• 537 |
|||
|
" Minuet," owned and driven by H. S. Denny |
516 |
|||||
|
Loftin E. Johnson |
• 537 |
|||||
|
" Ramona," owned and driven by Henry |
||||||
|
Buhl, Jr |
517 |
Walter C. Baker |
■ 53« |
|||
|
Alexander Winton making record mile in |
Walter C. Baker in his |
raci |
ng machin< |
|||
|
i.02>^, Glenville Track, Cleveland, |
" Torpedo " |
■ 53« |
||||
|
Sept. i6, 1902 |
519 |
Thomas Edward Rook |
• 539 |
|||
|
Mrs. Bruce Clark |
520 |
Charles B. Shanks |
• 539 |
|
xvi List |
of Illustrations |
||
|
Page |
Page |
||
|
W. C. Temple |
540 |
G. H. Balfour |
564 |
|
W. W. Darley .... |
540 |
Rev. Dr. Barclay |
565 |
|
W. M. Murray .... |
541 |
Andrew Macphail, M.D. |
565 |
|
Francis T. F. Lovejoy |
541 |
J. P. Taylor |
566 |
|
D. N. Seely |
542 |
Dr. R. F. Ruttan |
567 |
|
Club-house of the Chicago Yacht Club |
543 |
Kenneth R. Macpherson . . . . |
568 |
|
J. H. Wade's S. S. Wadena . |
544 |
Silver Trophy of the Toronto Golf Club |
569 |
|
Ernest P. Warner, President Yacht Racing |
J. Lamond Smith . . . . . |
570 |
|
|
Union of the Great Lakes . |
545 |
A. W. Smith |
570 |
|
John Cudahy ..... |
546 |
Toronto Golf Club .... |
571 |
|
Henry L. Hertz .... |
546 |
E. B. Osier |
572 |
|
C. E. Kremer, Founder of the Chicagc |
) |
Walter Cassels .... |
572 |
|
Yacht Club .... |
547 |
||
|
Robert H. Bethune .... |
573 |
||
|
Charles H. Thorne |
547 |
||
|
Walter Barwick .... |
■ 573 |
||
|
F. W. Morgan .... |
548 |
||
|
D |
George S. Lvon .... |
574 |
|
|
F. W. Morgan's S. S. Pathfinder |
548 |
F. R. Martin ..... |
574 |
|
Edward Rosing .... |
549 |
||
|
A. W. Austin .... |
575 |
||
|
William Hale Thompson |
549 |
G. H. Muntz .... |
575 |
|
George R. Peare .... |
550 |
Reuben Millichamp |
575 |
|
O. T. McClurg .... |
550 |
Lambton Golf and Country Club |
575 |
|
Charles E. Fox .... |
SSI |
||
|
J J |
M. McLaughlin .... |
576 |
|
|
Charles B. Warren .... |
551 |
||
|
Dighton W. Baxter |
• 576 |
||
|
Franklin H. Walker |
552 |
||
|
Charles Hunter .... |
577 |
||
|
John C. Shaw .... |
552 |
Stewart Gordon .... |
577 |
|
Alexander I. McLeod |
• 553 |
||
|
Miss Mabel G. Thomson |
578 |
||
|
George H. Worthington, Commodore Cleve land Yacht Club |
_ |
||
|
553 |
Mrs. J. D. Hay .... |
579 |
|
|
George W. Gardner |
554 |
Mrs. John Dick .... |
579 |
|
Percy W. Rice .... |
554 |
Miss Frances O. G. Phepoe |
580 |
|
The Interprovincial Cup . |
559 |
Miss Muriel Dick .... |
. 580 |
|
The Royal Montreal Golf Club |
560 |
George H. Perley .... |
581 |
|
Alexander Dennistoun |
561 |
Judge Lafontaine .... |
585 |
|
Hon. G. A. Drummond . |
561 |
Henry Rolland .... |
586 |
|
John Taylor ..... |
562 |
General De Winton |
586 |
|
W. W. Watson .... |
562 |
Major Penn ..... |
587 |
|
John L. Morris .... |
563 |
Harry Abbott |
587 |
|
J. G. Sidey |
563 |
Peter Barnston . . , . |
588 |
|
Fayette Brown . . *' . |
564 |
Russell Stephenson .... |
588 |
List of Illustrations
xvu
|
Page |
|
|
E. S. Clouston . . . . . |
589 |
|
Andrew A. Allan |
590 |
|
Frank F. Rolland . . . . . |
590 |
|
George Gillespie . . . . . |
591 |
|
A. E. Abbott |
592 |
|
W. R. Miller |
592 |
|
Montreal Hunt Club . . . . |
594 |
|
"Solomon " . |
595 |
|
Dr. Charles McEachran, M.F.H. |
596 |
|
John Crawford |
597 |
|
Sir William Hingston . . . . |
597 |
|
Bartlett McLennan, Dr. Chas. McEachran |
» |
|
Colin Campbell |
598 |
|
Leopold Galarneau .... |
599 |
|
A. Baumgarten .... |
599 |
|
Archibald Allan .... |
600 |
|
Lt.-Col. E. A. Whitehead |
600 |
|
Hugh A. Allan .... |
601 |
|
George R. Hooper .... |
601 |
|
H. Montagu Allan .... |
602 |
|
Leslie H. Gault .... |
602 |
|
Hugh Paton ..... |
602 |
|
F. N. Beardmore .... |
603 |
|
Major F. S. Meighen |
603 |
|
Colin Campbell on "Royal Bob" |
603 |
|
Miss Eadie ..... |
604 |
|
Dr. Arthur Mignault |
606 |
|
Paul Ouimet ..... |
607 |
|
J. D. Gauthier, M.D. . |
607 |
|
C. C. C. C. Hunt Club, Montreal . |
608 |
|
Dr. Mignault and Hunters |
608 |
|
Dr. A. Brosseau .... |
. 609 |
|
C. Theoret |
. 609 |
|
T. A. Reeb, J. B. A. Tison, |
|
|
Arthur Le Grand, Paul de Bellefroy |
. 6io |
|
Hon. J. E. Robidoux |
. 611 |
|
Geo. W. Beardmore, M.F.H. . |
. 612 |
Toronto Hunt Club
The Earl of Minto .
Andrew Smith
D'Alton McCarthy .
Colonel F. L. Lessard, R.C.D.
H. C. Osborne
Hume Blake ....
Miss Beardmore, Miss Hendrie,
Miss Cawthra . William Hendrie, Jr. D. L. McCarthy . Mr. John Hendrie and Mr. Copeland Edmund Bristol Major George A. Peters . Miss Louise Janes . Mrs. Henry Ledyard Mrs. J. K. Kerr . Murray Hendrie on "Jim Lisle " "Martimas " .
Col. G. A. Stimson and Four-in-Hani William Hendrie Fox Hounds .... Geo. A. Simard ...
Mr. Watson, Mr. Mills, Major W Captain Emsley
J. C. Watson
Dr. Mignault and His Polo Ponies
"The Green Sixteen"
"Darius" ....
Toronto and Montreal Polo Teams
Campbell Meyers, M.D. .
J. Ewart Osborne .
Captain J. H. Elmsley, R.C.D.
A. D. Beardmore
Major V. A. S. Williams, R.C.D.
"Strathcona"
"Canada" ....
Hi;
Page 613
614 615 615 616 617 617
618 619 619 620 621 621 623 623 624 625 626 628 630
634 638
640 641 642 644 645 646 648 649 650 651 651 652
653
|
xviii List of Illustrations |
|||
|
Page |
- |
Page |
|
|
itmilius Jarvis |
• 654 |
Charles Van Voorhis |
. 661 |
|
"Merrythought" . |
• 654 |
Albert E. Vogt |
. 661 |
|
A. R. Boswell |
• 655 |
Frank T. Christy . |
• 663 |
|
Thomas McGaw . |
• 655 |
Thomas B. Pritchard |
• 663 |
|
"Gloria" .... |
• 65s |
" Irondequoit " |
. 664 |
|
George H. Gooderham |
. 656 |
" Glencairn I " . |
. 665 |
|
Captain Arthur G. Peuchen |
. 656 |
The International Challenge Cup |
. 666 |
|
"Clorita" .... |
. 656 |
James Ross .... |
. 667 |
|
Frank M. Gray |
• 657 |
Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal |
. 667 |
|
Fred. G. Cox ... |
• 657 |
Hon. Justice C. P. Davidson . |
. 668 |
|
H. C. McLeod |
. 657 |
"Bug" .... |
. 668 |
|
"Vreda" .... |
• 657 |
F. P. Shearwood . . . |
. 669 |
|
Stephen Haas .... |
. 658 |
G. H. Duggan |
. 669 |
|
C. A. B. Brown . |
. 658 |
"Trident" .... |
. 669 |
|
"Yama" .... |
. 658 |
W. F. Angus . . |
. 670 |
|
W. H. Pearson, Jr. |
• 659 |
W. C. Finley |
. 670 |
|
G. Temple McMurrich . |
• 659 |
"Dominion" |
. . 672 |
GOLF :: THE WOMEN
MISS UNDERHILL
Amateur Champion, J 899
MISS H O Y T
Amateur Champion, '96, '97, '98
The Robert Cox Trophy.
GOLF-THE WOMEN
BY MISS UNDERHILL WITH A NOTE BY MISS HOYT
E all know that Scotland is the birthplace of golf; we know, too, that the game has been played there for several hundred years ; but very few of us know that women's golf, properly so-called, is but little older in Scotland and England than in the United States. This does not mean that women did not play occasion- ally hundreds of years ago ; in fact, there are several well-known instances of their doing so back as far as the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, but it may be assumed that the practice of these players would hardly come under the same head as the game of the present day. There may, of course, have been obscure experts whom history does not tell of, but it is safe to say that there were no women golfers of importance until after 1890.
The following extract from the famous Badminton Book, published in that year, gives an excellent idea of the condition of the game ten years ago : " Ladies' links should be laid out on the model, though on a smaller scale, of the ' long round ; ' containing some short putting holes, some longer holes, admitting of a drive or two of seventy or eighty yards, and a few suitable haz- ards. We venture to suggest seventy or eighty yards as the average limit of a drive advisedly, not because we doubt a lady's power to make a longer drive, but because that cannot well be done without raising the club above the shoul- der. Now we do not presume to dictate, but we must observe that the posture and gestures requisite for a full swing are not particularly graceful when a player is clad in female dress."
It is, in fact, on this principle that most of the women's links of the United Kingdom have been laid out ; the famous women's course at St. Andrew's, established in 1867, which was probably the first concession made to feminine golfers, is little more than a succession of putting greens ; while the other greens, of which a great number were laid out between 1890 and 1895, are, as a rule, so short that it would seem to us merely an aggravation to play on them, accustomed as we are to the men's long links. Many of the holes are simply approach shots of seventy or eighty yards, and few of the courses can boast of more than one or two holes over two hundred yards in length ; while the putting greens are small and the hazards tricky and often arranged with the expectation that no player will drive over one hundred yards. The bogey is usually from seventy to seventy-five, and on a basis of liberal allowance at that ;
3
4
Golf — the Women
although we must remember that these short and confined courses as a rule require unusually accurate play. It is on such links as these that the English women have learned the game, and it is all the more to their credit that they not only play with finish and precision, but possess a brilliancy and power in the long game which few or none of our women can rival. The better players, of course, have opportunities to use the men's courses, and this in itself
must be a great incen- The women's game ganizedform until i 893, Union was established ; in this direction the men, for the Ladies' era! golf organization in eleven clubs and in i 898 ject was primarily to ar- pionship,but it also holds authority on women's of reference for the dif- lishing par scores for the it promotes uniformity places the clubs on an the English women to do United States Golf Asso- to do for us, and some- The first champion- St. Anne's -on -the -Sea,
r
Mrs. H. B. Ashmore.
tive to good play, in England took no or- when the Ladies' Golf and it is noticeable that women outstripped the Union was the first gen- England. It started with numbered fifty ; its ob- range the annual cham- and exercises supreme golf, acting as a court ferent clubs and estab- courses, by which means of handicapping and even footing. It enables for themselves what the ciation is kind enough thing more.
ship was held in i 893 at and was easily won by
Lady Margaret Scott, who also gained the title in 1894 and 1895. ^^^ first entries were thirty-eight, and since that time they have increased greatly uptil now they usually come close to one hundred. The succeeding cham- pionships were won in 1896 by Miss Pascoe, in 1897 by Miss Thomson, in 1898 by Miss E. C. Orr, in 1899 by Miss Hezlett, and in 1900 by Miss Adair. In England as in America the championship history of the game opened with the reign of a three years' champion who was head and shoulders above all her rivals. Lady Margaret Scott appears to have been as supreme in her country as Miss Hoyt was here ; and though in England and Scotland golfers have since appeared who rank at least equal with their first champion, still the latter will always be remembered as one of the steadiest, most graceful, and most accurate players who ever went over the links ; while in this country Miss Hoyt has kept pace with her newer rivals and still stands at the head of the list of our women experts.
^
Miss Frances C. Griscom,
fVinner of the Amateur Champiomhip, igoo.
Miss Griscom. A Mashie Approach.
Golf — the Women
Besides the championship there are in England and Scotland every year a number of large open tournaments, or " open meetings," as they are called, for which the entries often mount over one hundred. These consist, as a rule, of a single medal-play round, which would seem to us a questionable way of decid- ing a tournament, but which has the advantage of shortening the time required for play. The clubs in the neighborhood of the cham- pionship course often throw open their links for this purpose, and thus give the women the oppor- tunity of trying several courses in a short time. In 1898 there were eleven of these open meetings, and the number of them is steadily in- creasing.
Team matches are also very popular and are played with much larger sides than we could muster; one form of competition especially is much used which has not yet been introduced in America. It amounts to a medal - play team match, and consists of adding the gross scores of all the members of each team, the lowest total, of course, winning ; by this means any number of teams are able to
play for the same trophy in one day. Several inter-club and inter-county per- petual challenge cups are competed for annually in this manner.
There is little doubt that in a competition between English players and ours the result would be unfavorable to this country. If we take the best- known golfers we find in the United Kingdom between twenty and thirty women who are rated at scratch and may be counted on to play clean and even golf; while our front rank numbers only ten or fifteen and our scratch standard is undoubtedly below that of the English women ; for, although our golfers are occasionally brilliant, with the exception of Miss Hoyt, and possibly Miss Gris- com, they lack steadiness. So far as I have been able to gather from the opinions of those having any knowledge of conditions on both sides of the ocean, it seems probable that Miss Hoyt is the only player our country has yet
Mrs. Edward A. Manice.
8
Golf — the Women
produced who sufficiently combines these two qualities to enable her to compete on approximately even terms with the scratch players of Great Britain.
The difference in the play of the two countries may be seen if we look at the medal-play scores in the open tournaments ; in America they come in rag- gedly, one or two cards perhaps leading the field by five or six strokes, then a few scattering scores, and then a bunch of mediocrity which represents the field.
In England and Scot- winner, as a rule, is seldom more than a tween her and her is close at their heels of good and even shows that our golf regular, while in comparatively steady. have, of course, had eral additional years surroundings of ers among the men. first championship years, but also they especially in Scot- before golf took an them. And then we
Miss Edith B. Burt.
land, however, the hard pressed, with stroke or two be- rival, while the field returning a number cards. This alone is unformed and ir- Great Britain it is The English women the advantage of sev- of practice and the countless good play- Not only did their precede ours by two had been playing, land, for some time organized form with must admit that, as
a race, they are stronger and more athletic than we are, and more accus- tomed from childhood to outdoor sports of all kinds. They have a greater natural love for such things and probably will always excel us in them ; so that while in time we may be able to furnish a few players who will rank with England's best, still I doubt if the day will ever come when we shall feel able to challenge "all England" with an "all American" team.
When we come to golf in the United States we find it almost as difficult to say where the game was first played here by women as it is to trace it to its beginning in Scotland ; for so suddenly and completely did it take possession of the country that its appearance must have been almost simultaneous in many places. St. Andrews, organized in 1887, was, of course, the first golf club, but it was exclusively for men, and preceded the general spread of the game by five or six years.
The first clubs to be organized where women's playing was encouraged were the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, 1891; the Chicago Golf Club, 1892;
Golf — the Women
9
the Newport Golf Club, the Morristown Field Club, the Meadowbrook Hunt Club, and the Essex County Club, where golf was introduced in 1893. The Albany Country Club, the Morris County Golf Club, and the Devon Golf Club, near Philadelphia, laid out their courses in 1894; while the year following so many new clubs were formed that they cannot be catalogued here. Those mentioned by name were from the beginning, and have been since, with a few important changes, the largest and most active headquarters of women's golf;
not only did the called, begin on their since maintained out the best Ameri- I n attempting the women's game water, a brief glance ships which have tell the story in the for these tournaments tended and have ex- interest that they may resentative of the best and although their re- sive than the cham- other sports, still they we have at present relative standing of
Mfs. J. Franklin McFadden.
game, properly so links, but they have their lead by sending can players, to give a history of on this side of the at the six champion- been held here will best possible way; have been so well at- cited such widespread be taken as fairly rep- ability of every year; suits are less conclu- pionships of most are the only means of ascertaining the the different players.
The first championship was held at the Meadowbrook Hunt Club in November, 1895, under the auspices of the United States Golf Association, which takes charge of the women's, as well as the amateur and the open championships. The trophy was a cup presented by Messrs. R. D. Winthrop and W. H. Sands, and the tournament differed from those that followed it in that it consisted only of a simple medal-play round of eighteen holes instead of the combination of medal and match play now used. The game was still in its infancy and only thirteen entries were made, most of which were from Morris County, Essex County, and Shinnecock. The winner was Mrs. Charles B. Brown, of Shinnecock, with a card of one hundred and thirty-two, while Miss Sargent, of Essex County, was second with one hundred and thirty-four. The remaining nine scores handed in went as high as one hundred and seventy- three, and, as the cards show, the golf throughout was scarcely better than that of beginners. Still it is interesting on reading the names of the women who took part to notice that most of them have since become players of noted skill ;
lO
GolJ — the Women
especially Miss Sargent, Mrs. William Shipper), Miss Sands, Mrs. Turnure, Miss Shelton, Mrs. Fellowes Morgan and Mrs. Robert C. Hooper.
The second championship, held at the Morris County Golf Club in 1 896, showed the most marked im- provement in play which has been made in any single year. The golf had changed from that of beginners to something very nearly equal to what we have at present ; for it was this year that the women may be said to have learned the game. This tour- nament was conducted on practically the same plan as is now used ; that is, a preliminary round of medal play gave to the makers of the eight best scores the right to continue at match play to decide the contest. The num- ber of those to qualify for match play has since been raised to sixteen, but in other respects the competition has not been changed. The Robert Coxe trophy, a perpetual challenge cup held by the champion's club, was competed for in 1896, for the first time. This meeting was especially memorable as the scene of Miss Bea- trix Hoyt's first appearance in the golfing world. Although only six- teen years of age, and new at the game, she at once demonstrated that great superiority which she showed for three successive years. She won the championship with ease, defeat- ing Mrs. Turnure, also of Shinnecock (who gave her her closest match), in the finals, after having led the field on the medal-play day by seven strokes. Of her game I will speak later, and will only say here that from her first appear- ance on the scene, she set a pace in women's golf which has probably done more than anything else to show the would-be golfers of the country what their standard should be, and to help them to come up to it.
Miss Katharine M. Rowland.
Golf — the Women
II
The eight best scores in the qualifying round ranged from ninety-five to one hundred and eleven, which, although the course used was much shorter than the present Morris County course, is still some measure of the gain made since the previous year.
Miss Grisom, next to Miss Hoyt, was the most conspicuous of the new entries. She was at the time the best of the Philadelphia players, and is now the National champion. Miss Cora Oliver, of Albany, was another new comer, whose game was greatly admired, while Miss McLane, of Baltimore, also made her first ap- pearance, and has since played well and steadily.
Of those who had taken part the previous year. Miss Sands, Mrs. Turnure, and Mrs. Shippen showed great improvement. It has been a matter of much regret among the golfers that neither Mrs. Turnure nor Miss Cora Oliver has entered for a championship since 1896.
The tournament of 1897 was held at the Essex County Club of Manchester, Mass., and proved as easy a victory for Miss Hoyt as that of the year before. It was interest- ing to the metropolitan players, as it brought them against the New Eng- land women, who had been notice- ably absent the autumn before, and who now proved themselves, as a
class, quite the equals of the New Yorkers; for Essex County furnished one half of the eight who qualified for match play, including the runner-up. Miss Sargent.
The medal play round took place in a cold wind and drenching rain, so heavy that in fifteen minutes it soaked through the thickest garments ; never- theless all but five of the twenty-eight starters handed in cards, Miss Hoyt's score of one hundred and eight being good even in fair weather. Miss
Miss Eunice Terry.
12
Coif ~ the Women
Sargent, the best of the Boston women, was second with one hundred and fourteen.
Of the new players, the most important was Miss Lucy Herron, of Cincin- nati. Ahhough on account of her uncertain medal play she has never come near the championship, still she is a golfer whose ability is known and recog- nized as of the front rank. Other new players of interest were Miss Margaret
Curtis, a girl of thirteen, who has since risen to be among the foremost ; and Miss Longworth, of Cincinnati, who won third prize.
Of the better-known players. Miss Sargent, Mrs. Hooper, and Miss Gris- com, as well as Miss Hoyt, showed great improvement; Miss Sargent and Miss Griscom winning the second and fourth medals respectively.
Altogether the play was better than that of the previous year, although there was no such marked gain as had been shown at Morristown. If the play of the field had improved, that of the champion had gained quite as much, for Miss Hoyt demonstrated her supe- riority as clearly as before.
The championship of 1898 was held on the course of the Ardsley Club at Ardsley -on -Hudson, and naturally brought out a large entry from the Metropolitan district. Philadelphia was also well represented, while Boston and the West sent only two or three competitors each. Nevertheless, the entries were also twice as many as the previous year (sixty-one), and for this reason the number of those to qualify for match play was increased to sixteen. In the medal play Miss Hoyt led the field by her usual wide margin, handing in a card of ninety-two, a new record for the course which has not since been broken.
This year an unusually large number of good players made their first appearance ; chief of these was Miss Maude K. Wetmore, of Newport, the runner-up, whose game was so little known away from her home club that her brilliant performance throughout the tournament and survival to the finals was a surprise to most of those who saw it. The match on the last day, between
Mrs. W. B. Mcllvaine.
Golf — the Women
13
e
iss
her and Miss Hoyt, was the best exhibition of golf which the finalists in th championship have yet given us. Another new player of prominence was Mi Carol D. Eidlitz, of Ardsley, who won third prize. She had distinguished her- self a few months previously at the women's open tournament at Shinnecock. Other new entries deserving notice were Miss Grace B. Keyes, of Concord, who gave the champion her closest match of the tournament; Miss H. S. Curtis, of Essex County, Mrs. Manice, of Pitts- field, Miss Shearson, of Chicago, and Miss Burt, of Philadelphia, all of whom secured places in the first sixteen ; while of the unsuccessful division Miss E. F. Cassatt and Mrs. Fox, of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Cochrane, of Ardsley, have since taken a high rank.
Miss Hoyt, for the third time champion, played a game all through this tournament which showed her title to be well deserved ; she had improved since the previous year, especially in her long game, which had gained in distance ; and the steadiness of her rounds, which, if finished out, would probably have been between ninety and ninety-five all through the week, was remarkable. Miss Griscom, with her usual skill, easily won her first two matches and for the second time took fourth prize, succumbing in the second semi-finals to Miss Wetmore. Mrs. Fellowes Morgan and Mrs. Shippen
also won good places. The play of the field had become somewhat more even, and the number of good golfers had greatly increased ; but they had approached no nearer to the champion than they had been before.
The tournament of 1899 was played on the links of the Philadelphia Country Club at Bala. There were seventy-eight entries, of which twenty- nine were from Philadelphia. New York and New England also sent many representatives, while the West, as usual, entered but three or four.
Miss Hoyt again won the prize for the best score on the first day, with a card of ninety-seven, but this time there were only three strokes between her and the second, Miss Griscom.
^.iVt
Mrs. H. C. Chatfield-Taylor.
H
Golf — the Women
The feature of this meeting was the performance of Mrs. Caleb F. Fox, of the Huntingdon N'^alley Country Club, who made the sensation of the first day by defeating the three years' champion. Miss Hoyt showed a nervousness which was new to her, and her defeat was a surprise to every golfer in the
country, although due credit was given to the good and courageous play which had enabled Mrs. Fox to do what for three years had proved impossible. On the second day Mrs. Fox defeated Miss Sands at the twentieth hole after a des- perately contested match ; and in the semi - finals she put out Miss Marion Oliver, of Albany, after cutting down an overwhelming lead. Altogether her path to the finals was the most brilliant and difficult which any player has yet travelled in the history of tournaments in this coun- try ; and the performance served to make the championship of 1899 one of the most interesting yet seen.
The number of players of promise , who entered here for the first time was larger than ever before. Prominent among them stands out Miss Marion Oli- ver, of Albany, whose good showing was due entirely to the excellence of her golf, for, being a new player, she naturally lacked that confidence which comes with a few years of experience in tournaments. Another new entry of first-rate impor- tance was that of Miss Eunice Terry, of Ardsley. Although she failed to qualify in the first sixteen, she showed, after the first day, that she ranked high in the championship class, and her subsequent performances have more than borne this out. Other new golfers of ability were Miss Genevieve Hecker, of Wee Burn, Miss Pauline Mackay, of Oakley, Miss K. M. Rowland, of Fairfield, Miss May Barron, of Ardsley, and Mrs. Pendleton Rogers, of the Hillside Golf Club.
Among the older players. Miss Sands, who had been absent for two years, Miss E. F. Cassatt, and Mrs. Cochrane, who had failed to qualify at Ardsley
Miss Sargent.
Miss Ruth Underbill, Winner of the Championship, i8gg.
7\/fISS RUTH UNDERHlLL,the 'winner of the ■*■ ^-^ G'jlf Championship of the United States for iSgg, succeeded to the title after a series of matches in which she displayed a nvonderful amount of nerve — it al- most invariably comes to her aid in time of need. To be able to steady one' s play by calling on reserve force is, as every player knows, the hardest thing to do in any sport. Since her triumph at Philadelphia she certainly deserves great praise, for instead of resting on her laurels, as she might easily have done, she has been sportsmanlike enough to go into frequent competitions, whether she was on or off her game. Besides winning the tournament at the Golf Club of Lakewood in the spring of l8gg. Miss Underbill has always been prominent in the open evefits at Baltusrol and Ardsley. Her game on the tees and through the green is characterized by a very full swing. The back-handed stroke which she uses in putting is unusual, but she is very good in this depart- ment of the game, and in short approach shots.
"Nothing succeeds like success,'' and Miss Under- hilPs game, which, like Harry Vardon's, tnay be classed as distinctly individual, has, like that of the professional, won its way into the front rank.
C3olf — the Women
17
the previous year, and Miss Griscom, all showed first-class form. Miss Cassatt
won third prize, and the match between her and Miss Griscom on the first day
deserves special mention, for it was easily the best golf of the tournament. Miss
Cassatt, who won by three up and two to play, would almost certainly have
broken the course record of ninety-three
if she had finished her round, while Miss ''■
Griscom was only two or three strokes
behind her. The match was probably as
good an exhibition of golf as American
women have yet given.
The important changes shown this fall were a falling off in the game of the three-years champion, and a marked im- provement in the play of the first ten or twenty women. The long game in par- ticular had gained greatly since the pre- vious year, not only in the case of a few especially long drivers, but in the standard of excellence of the players in general.
The championship of 1 900 took place in August, on the links of the Shin- necock Hills Golf Club, at Southampton, L. I., and, probably owing to the inac- cessibility of the ground as well as to the unusually early date, the number of en- tries was less than it had been the year before. The majority of the players hailed from the Metropolitan district, Philadelphia and Boston also being well represented, while Chicago sent but a single competitor. Miss Hoyt for the fifth time captured the prize for the best gross score, her card of ninety-four lead- ' ing Miss Griscom's by two strokes.
In winning the championship Miss Griscom did the best work she has yet done, for she played excellent and steady golf throughout the week and fully deserved her high honor. She defeated first Mrs. Manice, a player of known ability, then Mrs. Pendleton Rogers, of Plainfield, N. J. Although Miss Gris- com won this match easily, she played her best golf of the week in doing so, her medal score being an approximated ninety-two. In the semi-finals she
Miss Maude K. Wetmore.
i8
GolJ — the Women
defeated Muss Terry at the nineteenth hole, who thus took third prize, and in the finals she won easily from Miss Margaret Curtis, who, like Mrs. Fox the previous year, was unable to maintain at the end the form which had brought her so far. Her achievement, however, was next in importance to Miss Gris-
com's victory, and her defeat of Miss Hoyt in the semi-finals, with a medal score nine strokes worse than her opponent's, shows her great ability as a match player. She took second prize and Miss Hoyt fourth.
This tournament brought out fewer new entries of importance than any previous one; among the first sixteen there were but two, Mrs. Toulmin and Miss Livingston, who had not already competed at least once for the championship, and these, although promising golf- ers, were both put out in the first round. Miss Margaret Curtis, who may be called the " surprise " of the tournament, made her first ap- pearance at Manchester three years before, where she gave every prom- ise of what she has since become ; while Mrs. Rogers, who also showed improvement, had played at Philadelphia in 1899.
Miss Hoyt's play was uneven, and not up to her best, but her defeats should make her a better match player than her victories did. Her success over Mrs. Fox was noticeable as being the first uphill match she had ever won. Her record of eighty-nine for the course was approached by no one during the tournament. Mrs. Manice and Miss Hecker, the Metropolitan champion, contrary to expectation, were both put out in the first round. Miss Hecker especially was looked to to attain a high place, for in the Metropolitan championship in the spring she had exhibited the most brilliant and perfect game ever played by a woman in America.
The golf shown at this tournament was of a higher class than any we have
Mrs. William Shippen.
Golf — the Women
19
yet seen, both in point of steadiness and brilliancy ; although the fact that there were but three or four new entries of much promise cannot fail to be noted as significant and raises the question whether golf is going the way of so many games in this country — losing favor among the many as it is carried to greater perfection by the few.
The most striking gain made by the women during the past year is in the length of the drive and brassey stroke. If in 1899 great improvement was shown in this respect, during the past year it has been repeated and emphasized to a surprising extent. It is no longer possible for a woman whose drive averages less than one hundred and forty yards to compete in the championship class ; while the longer players, such as Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Manice, Miss Hecker, Miss Hoyt, Miss Herron, Miss Margaret Curtis, Miss Griscom, Miss Cas- satt, and Miss Oliver, drive a ball whose average length is from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and seventy yards. The winning drive in the competition this year was one hundred and eighty-nine yards five inches in length, while there were no fewer than five other drives one hundred and eighty yards
and over. If we look at similar competitions held at earlier championship tourna- ments we find that in i 897 the best drive was about one hundred and thirty -seven yards; in 1898 one hundred and thirty-four yards; and in 1899 one hundred and sixty-four yards. Although local conditions, of course, count for a great deal, still such a gain as twenty-five yards over the previous year, and fifty-five over the year before that, proves conclusively that the women have developed a different class of long game from that of two or three years ago. Their improvement in other respects has almost, if not quite, kept pace with the length of their drives, and the tournament of 1900 showed us some golf by Miss Hoyt, Miss Griscom, Miss Curtis, and Mrs. Fox which far surpassed in power anything known before.
Miss Elsie F. Cassatt.
20
Golf — the Women
except perhaps Miss Hecker's performance in the Metropolitan Championship in the Spring of the same year at the Morris County Golf Cluh.
This gives the record of the championships up to the present time and
shows some of the principal changes in the game. In order to give some idea of the present condition of women's golf, it may be interesting to say a few words of'the differ- ent clubs and individual players of special note. Without doubt Philadelphia has from the first been the most active and enthusiastic centre of the women's game. Although none of their clubs ranks among the oldest, still the number of good courses within easy distance of each other and the keen interest of the players combined early to put their golf on a firm foundation. In 1897, '^he Women's Golf Association of Philadelphia was formed, and for three years remained the only or- ganization of its kind in the country. It is composed of the five principal suburban clubs, the Philadelphia Country Club, the Philadel-, phia Cricket Club, the Merion Cricket Club, the Huntingdon Valley Golf Club, and the Aronomink Golf Club. Under its auspices the championship of Philadelphia is played for annually, and was won in 1897 ^Y Miss Davids, of the Philadelphia Country Club, and in 1898 and 1899 by Miss E. F. Cassatt, of the Merion Cricket Club. The team championship is also competed for among the allied clubs; each club plays every other club once in the spring and once in the autumn, last year's matches resulting in a victory for Merion. These local competitions naturally excite much interest among the players, and their organization greatly simplifies all their arrangements for tournaments and matches. Similar Women's Golf As- sociations have since been formed, both in New York and Boston, but to Philadelphia belongs the credit of showing the way.
In addition to their competitions under the Association, the enthusiasm of the Philadelphia women has been the means of arranging several interesting matches away from home. Important among these was the Philadelphia- Canadian team-match, which occurred at Toronto in the autumn of 1898. There were seven on a side, and the Philadelphians won by forty-eight holes.
Miss May Barron.
Golf — the Women
21
The Canadian captain, Miss Ethel White, was the only one of her country- women to win, which she did by defeating Miss Griscom by five holes. It was a surprise .to the American golfers to find the Canadians so distinctly below our standard ; for Miss White was the only player among them who could have held her own in the United States.
Another interesting series of matches were the three between All-Philadelphia and the Morris County Golf Club. Each side won on their own grounds, and the third match, played last autumn on the neutral course at Ardsley, went to the Philadelphians.
The strongest of their individual clubs are the Merion Cricket Club and the Phila- delphia Country Club. From Merion comes Miss Frances C. Griscom, the present cham- pion. Her game is as well known as that of any woman in the country, and her tourna- ment record is second only to Miss Hoyt's. She has played for every championship except the first, has twice taken fourth prize, and has never failed to qualify for the match-play ; so that her recent victory is only the just reward of her unfailingly excellent play. She has had the advantage of many years of practice, for she took up the game when it first came to America. She is good both at match and
at medal play, and has that frequent characteristic of a seasoned golfer, that her best work is done only under the stimulus of competition. Miss Griscom, to- gether with Miss Hoyt, Miss Sands, and one or two others, is among the few older players who have kept pace with the development of the game. Her put- ting and approaching, always her strong point, have gained in accuracy and beauty of execution, and her long game in distance as her newer rivals have raised the standard from year to year.
From Merion comes also Miss Elsie F. Cassatt, who, with Miss Griscom and Mrs. Fox, of the Huntingdon Valley Golf Club, form the front rank of the Philadelphians. Although a much newer player than Miss Griscom, and not quite so steady, still for two years Miss Cassatt has ranked even with her at home, while at times she exhibits a game of extraordinary brilliancy. She has held the Philadelphia championship since 1898, and last autumn took third
Mrs. A. De JVitte Cochrane.
22
Golf — the Women
prize in the National Championship. Her long game is magnificent both on account of its distance and the ease and strength of her style; and her short game, when she is at her best, is wonderfully sure. Mrs. Toulmin, a new player of much promise, is also a member of the Merion Cricket Club.
At the Philadelphia Country Club the strongest player is probably Miss Nina Davids, who held the champion- ship of Philadelphia in 1897, ^"^ ^^ ^^^^ of the few women in the country who excel at medal-play. Although she has never entered for the National Cham- pionship, and has played very little away from home, her ability is well known among the Philadelphians. Other good golfers of this club are Mrs. MacFadden, who holds the course record of ninety- three; Mrs. Gorham, Miss Burt, and Miss Riley.
The Huntingdon Valley Golf Club is the home course of Mrs. Caleb F. Fox, the runner-up in the championship of 1899. She was also runner-up for the championship of Philadelphia for the year before, when she was defeated by Miss Cassatt in a close match. Her record in 1899 has already been given, and shows sufficiently the quality of her game, which for pure nerve and perse- verance has few equals. In her recent close match with Miss Hoyt at Shinne- cock, although it resulted in her defeat, she showed a decided gain over her game of the year before, her driving and brassy work being among the finest of the five or six examples of remarkable long games which the last champion- ship brought out. Her putting and approaching, unusually accurate at all times, seem able to meet any emergency.
The other clubs in this neighborhood can boast of many players, who, although they have not attained distinction in the National Championships, are still known at home as good and steady golfers. Among these are Miss Sup- plee and the Misses Maule, of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, and Mrs. Smith and Miss Taylor, of the Aronomink Golf Club.
Mrs. W. J. Berg.
Miss Beatrix Hoyt.
Winner of the Amateur Championship, l8g6, 'gj, 'g8.
Golf — the Women
25
Coming to the links near New York we find a greater number of good players than at Philadelphia, but until this season without Philadelphia's organi- zation and local spirit. Last winter, however, the Women's Metropolitan Golf Association was organized, and has already outstripped those of both Boston and Philadelphia in point of size and ac- tivity. It is formed on the lines of the Men's Metropolitan Golf Associa- tion, and embraces twenty-two of the more important clubs suburban to New York. It holds an annual champion- ship and arranges for whatever team- matches the association may elect to hold. This season twelve clubs have entered teams of six for the champion- ship, and, as each club must play every other club once, the schedule calls for sixty-six matches, and is the most am- bitious organized series of team-matches yet undertaken in this country. Wheth- er it will prove a success or not remains to be seen, but even if in its present form it should be found too burden- some, the enthusiasm of the women golfers will doubtless call for some other arrangement of team -matches which will bring them into competition with their neighbors.
The most conspicuous of the in- dividual clubs, so far as the women are concerned, is that of Morris County. Here are to be found not only more regular events, but also more enthusi- asm and a greater number of good golfers than are at any other single club in the country. Miss Wetmore, Mrs. Shippen, Miss Willis, Miss Bryce, Miss Swords, Miss Day, Miss Kip, Miss Shelton and Miss Hurlbut, making a team of nine which any other club would be rash to challenge ; as was proved by the close matches which Morris County was able to give the All-Philadelphia team. The club holds two weekly competitions on the point system for the long and short course cups, besides many special matches for buttons and other prizes. The championship is decided semi-annually, and the present champion is Miss Kip.
Miss Grace Fargo.
Mrs. fV. Fellowes Morgan.
Among the players at MorrLs County the most prominent are Miss Maude K. Wetmore, and Mrs. William Shippen. Miss Wetmore was the runner-up in the championship of 1898, and her excellent play on that occasion has already been spoken of. Her game is at all times wonderfully accurate and well judged and her approaching and putting deadly. Although she entered at Ardsley from Newport, she has lately played at Morris County in the spring and autumn, and has a place on the club-team. Mrs. Shippen has the dis- tinction of being the only woman in the country who has played in every National Championship. That she is the steadiest golfer among her club- mates was shown by her winning both the long and short cups for 1899; and she has several times held the Morris County Championship. Her style is easy and graceful, with a particularly good follow-through, giving a long roll.
Miss Cornelia Willis won the club championship of 1899, and although rather a new player she shows no little skill. She is a clever putter and uses her irons with unusual cleanness and surety.
Miss Marie G. Bryce would be better known if she played more away from her home-course. She has held the Morris County Championship and plays one of the strongest long games in the club ; with a little additional steadiness in the short game she should make one of our best players.
Miss Elsa Hurlbut and Miss Elizabeth Kip are two strong golfers, both powerful drivers and good match-players, while Miss Helen Shelton, who for a
Miss Marion Oliver.
long time held the course record of Morris County, Miss Swords, and Miss Day are all good and consistent players.
The first Metropolitan championship was held at Morris County in June, 1900, and was won by Miss Genevieve Hecker of the Wee Burn Golf Club, who defeated many of the best of the New York players, among them Miss Hoyt and Miss Wetmore. Miss Hoyt in practice lowered the course record from one hundred and five to ninety-three, and, as if to show that all they required was a pace-maker, the Morris County women have since trod close upon her heels with ninety-six and ninety-eight.
Half an hour from Morristown is the Baltusrol Golf Club, at Short Hills, a favorite among women on account of its yearly open tournaments. These are usually arranged to take place soon after the championship, and draw a large entry from the first ranks. They are conducted in regular tournament form — medal-play followed by match-play — and are among the foremost events of the golfing women's year. In 1898 the winner was Mrs. Berg of the Nutley Golf Club, who defeated Mrs. Shippen in the finals; and in 1899 Miss Eunice Terry, of Ardsley, carried off the honors after a hard fought match with Mrs. Morgan, of Baltusrol.
Miss Terry's victory was one of special merit, for the field was almost identical with that of the National championship the previous week, includ- ing nearly all the best players of the country. The fact that Miss Terry, who was defeated for the Consolation Cup at Philadelphia, came out first at
28
Golf — the Women
Baltusrol, goes to show how equal are the fifteen or twenty best golfers, and how indecisive may He the results of a single tournament.
The leading Baltusrol player is Mrs. W. Fellowes Morgan, who has taken part in most of the National championships. She is one of the few left-handed
women, and before golf held the tennis cham- doubles. Her game is its driving and brassy while her unusually im- her especially formida- de Bary and Mrs. H. B. Baltusrol's best. The tion by carrying off the nament in the autumn
The Shinnecock as the home-course of point of age second only is much playing among though the interest in keen than it was a few consequently less formal an open tournament of sequence, which was it has not been repeated
Of Miss Hoyt's essary to speak, except superiority is no longer against defeat, she is still, woman golfer in Amer-
Mrs. C. F. Fi
ox.
came into fashion she pionship in women's powerful in character, work being very strong, perturbable nerve makes ble in a match. Miss Ashmore are also among latter won great distinc- Ardsley invitation tour- of 1899.
Hills Golf Club, famous Miss Beatrix Hoyt, is in to St. Andrew's. There the women there, al- the game is perhaps less years ago, and there is play. In 1898 there was more than ordinary con- won by Miss Hoyt, but since.
playing it seems unnec- to say that, although her so great as to insure her to my thinking, the best ica. Her three recent
defeats by Mrs. Fox, Miss Hecker, and Miss Margaret Curtis were due to lack of nerve more than want of skill, and from her work in the last championship tournament she appears to have learned the up-hill game, which, combined with her other qualities, should make her again pre-eminent. Her rivals are now many and very close to her; but the odds are that if twenty large open tourna- ments were played. Miss Hoyt would win half of them, and the remaining half be divided among several different players.
The most noticeable characteristics of her game are its accuracy, strength, and steadiness; in other words, its excellence at every point. While most women miss or " flub " many strokes in every round, Miss Hoyt misses very few, and even her mistakes are "rarely serious. Her form is graceful and vigorous, though
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30
Golf — the Women
unorthodox, and her long game is as long as any woman's and wonderfully sure. Of the other players at Shinnecock the most prominent are Mrs. Charles S.
Brown, the first champion, who still holds a good rank among golfers ; and Mrs. A. B. Turnure, runner-up to Miss Hoyt in 1896; while Miss Wickham, Miss Parrish, Miss Clark, and Miss Russell all have places on the club team. The Ardsley Club, the scene of the championship of 1898, has produced several golfers of note. Chief among these are Miss Eunice Terry and Miss Carol D. Eidlitz, who have both captured third medals in championship tour- naments; Miss Terry's match against Miss Griscom in the semi-finals last summer being only lost at the nineteenth hole. Miss Terry has also to her credit her victory at Bal- tusrol in 1899, and the fact that she shares with Miss Hoyt the excellent record of ninety- two for the Ardsley course. She is one of the first players of the country, and probably no other has so easy and graceful a style. Miss Eidlitz has been playing very little lately, but at the time she won her third medal, two years ago, she was a golfer of first-rate ability, her game especially being remarkably fine, and her swing large and free.
Mrs. A. de Witte Cochrane, of this club, made a good showing in the championship of 1899, and last autumn won the Ardsley invitation tournament, defeating Mrs. Manice in the finals. Although not possessed of great steadi- ness, she is at times a brilliant golfer, and for a long time held the champion- ship of Ardsley. She lost it last year to Miss Vanderhoef, the present club champion, a girl of sixtreen, who was a surprise to most of her clubmates. The
Miss Genevieve Hecker.
Golf — the Women
31
latter won, however, on her merits, and gives every promise of hecoming a golfer of the front rank. It is, of course, to the school-girls we must look for our future champions, who will put us on a par with the mass of players across the water. Miss May Barron, Miss Lilian Brooks, and Mrs. Eldridge also play on the Ardsley team.
The Wee Burn Golf Club is the home of Miss Genevieve Hecker, the present Metropolitan champion. Too much cannot be said of the power and brilliancy of her game, but like all new players she lacks steadiness, and al- though she is capable of giv- ing an exhibition of golf which three years ago very few people in this country would have believed possible for a woman, still she cannot always be relied upon to play more than an ordinarily good game. When golfers like Miss Hecker settle down to their best, we shall be in a position to sustain at any rate an honorable defeat at the hands of our British sisters.
Other good players of the Metropolitan district are Mrs. Pendleton Rogers, of Plainfield, Mrs. William J. Berg, of Nutley, Miss Grace Fargo, of Seabright, Miss Katherine Rowland, of Fairfield, Miss Elizabeth Goffe, of the Westchester Golf Club, Miss Caroline Livingston, of Westbrook, and Miss Louise D. Max- well, of Nassau, who won the driving competition at the last championship, with the remarkable distance of one hundred and eighty-nine yards five inches.
Going farther from New York, we come to the Albany Country Club, for which, in 1899, Miss Marion Oliver played in Philadelphia. Although this was her first appearance in a large tournament, she took fourth prize, being put out in the semi-finals by Mrs. Fox, and won the driving competition with one hundred
Mrs. R. C. Hooper.
J 2 CmoIJ — the Women
and sixty-four yards eight inches. She is one of the most promising of the new players. Her driving and brassey work are extremely good, and she needs only a little more steadiness, particularly in the short game, to make her the equal of any golfer in America. Albany has also produced another medallist in the person of Miss Cora Oliver, who in the championship of 1896 was defeated in the semi-finals by Mrs. Turnure.
In Boston, as in New York, a women's golf association was organized in the spring of 1 900. Although it embraces as yet but four clubs, it has held a championship tournament won by Miss Grace B. Keyes, of Concord, and has been most successful in conducting a system of home-and-home team matches, of which the winner — Oakley — was not the club winning the greatest number of matches, but the greatest number of holes.
Of the Boston Clubs, the Essex County Club, at Manchester, is the oldest, and has led from the first with respect to women's golf. Here the most dis- tinguished player is Miss Margaret Curtis, who, although only thirteen years of age at the time, attracted attention by her excellent play in the championship tournament of 1897, where she was defeated in match play by Miss Hoyt. In the tournament of 1900 she had her revenge, for she put out Miss Hoyt in the semi-finals, thus winning the second runner-up medal which has gone to a member of her club. She is among our five or six most brilliant players, her long game having the ease and strength of a man's. She and Miss Hecker are perhaps the most promising among all our golfers.
The other runner-up from Manchester is Miss Nellie C. Sargent, who was defeated in the finals by Miss Hoyt in 1897, ^'^'^ ^^^ ^^^^ second in the first medal-play championship two years before. Miss Sargent began the game before it was fairly started in this country ; she spent several winters at Cannes, where she won numerous prizes. Her game, although it lacks the remarkable distance of which Miss Curtis gives so fine an example, is sure, and her putting and approaching are deadly.
Miss Sargent has the honor of being one of the first women golfers of this country to develop a good game.
Mrs. Robert C. Hooper, although she seldom plays away from her home club, is another of the best golfers of the Essex County Club, as are Miss Harriot Curtis and Mrs. Philip Dexter.
The Country Club, of Brookline, has lately opened a new eighteen hole course, and is very active with regard to women's events. Last year a number of informal team matches were played, in which this club easily proved its superiority by winning ninety-nine holes in the course of the season to fifty-nine won by its opponents. The best player here is Miss Louisa A. Wells, a golfer of great promise. Her style is vigorous but easy, her driving being superb.
Golf — the Women
33
Other good players are Mrs. F. E. Zerrahn, Mrs. T. C. Thacher, Mrs. Fred- erick Brooks, Mrs. G. H. Francis, and Miss Alice Sargent.
The Oakley Country Club has a strong representative in Miss Pauline Mackay, who did well at Philadelphia last year. She is an excellent player,
Miss Willis.
Miss March.
Substitutes. Mrs, Adams.
Miss Swords. Mrs. Morgan.
Miss Wetmorc. Miss Bryce. Mrs. Shippen, Captain. Miss K.ip. Miss Hurlbut.
The Morris County Team, igoo.
possessed of great nerve and resolution, and may be expected to win a high place for herself within the next year or two. From Concord come Miss Fiske and Miss Grace B. Keyes, the latter very steady and always dangerous.
The Newport Golf Club is the hcme-course of Miss Anna Sands and Miss Maude Wetmore. The latter has already been spoken of as a member at Mor- ristown. Miss Sands from the first has held a high place. She played in the
j^ Golf — the Women
first championship at Meadowbrook, and the following year won third prize at Morris County. She was then absent for two years, but her play in 1899 showed that during that time she had quite kept pace with her rivals. Her game is steady and accurate, and her nerve indomitable, as was proved by her desperate match with Mrs. Fox, when she brought the score from five down to all even at the last green. Her swing is graceful and easy, with a perfect follow- through.
From Bridgeport, Conn., come the Misses Bishop, both good, while from Pittsfield, Mass., comes Mrs. E. A. Manice, a golfer of first-class skill, who has not yet done herself justice in championship play. Her long game is especially strong, and in 1898 she won the driving competition at Ardsley, and in 1900 her drive of one hundred and eighty-nine yards one inch was beaten by only four inches.
Leaving New England and going toward Chicago, we find some good golfers at Cincinnati. Among these Miss Lucy Herron deserves an even higher place than she has made for herself. She is one of the largest and surest drivers in the country, and her game is throughout clean and effective. Her best point is match-play, at which there are few stronger than she. Other good players at Cincinnati are Miss Anne Harrison and Miss C. E. Longworth, winner of the third medal in i 897.
In Chicago the two principal homes of women's golf are Wheaton and Ontwentsia. Since 1895 Ontwentsia has held an annual open tournament, which is the leading event of its kind in the West. Within the last two years it has had as many as fifty entries. In 1895 the winner was Miss John Anna Car- penter, in 1896 and 1897 Miss Marion Shearson, in 1898 Mrs. H. C. Chat- field Taylor, and in 1899 Mrs. W. B. Mcllvaine. All these are residents of Chicago, so that the Governor's Cup has been kept at home, although the tour- naments have been open to all comers, and have received many entries from other parts of the country. Besides these four successive winners, there are many other good players in Chicago, among them Miss Anthony of Evanston.
Wheaton also has held several open tournaments, and that of last season was won by Mrs, Mcllvaine of Ontwentsia. Her talent for golf must be called brilliant, inasmuch as she has played for little more than a year. She at one time held the lawn-tennis championship of America. Mrs. Chatfield Taylor, Miss Shearson, and Miss Anthony are all familiar figures in the National cham- pionships, Mrs. Taylor's game especially having been always noticeable ; while Miss Carpenter, still a school-girl, gives every promise of becoming an unusually fiine player. It is much to be regretted that so few Chicago women have been seen in the championships ; for as it is, no satisfactory comparison can be made of their play with that of the Easterners.
Golf — the Women
35
Of the clubs of the far West, it is impossible to speak, since they have never been represented on the championship courses. The same is true of the Southern clubs, Baltimore being the only Southern city to send forth aspirants
for the highest prize Coming from there, Griener have both ap-
In attempting to of the golfers, it is, of that only those can be in some way brought notice; there may be whom the general such as Mrs. B. D. among our first three who is known gen- her participation in which was held at
I n comparing ent players, it is best drive, which betrays individual pecu-
Mi
Miss Margaret Curtis.
of our golfing world. Miss McLane and Mrs. peared to advantage, give this general idea course, understood spoken of who have themselves to public many strong players public never hears of, Robinson, who ranks or four golfers, and erally only through one small tournament Knollwood. the style of the differ- to speak first of the the most marked liarities.
As examples of the orthodox full swing. Miss Hecker, Miss Curtis, and Mrs. Manice are as good as can be found. Their styles resemble each other both in appearance and result. All three bring the club back slowly, rather low around the shoulders, letting the arms go out so that the club head describes a large circle. After a full back swing they sweep the ball easily off the tee without the appearance of much exertion, changing from one leg to the other, and getting the full advantage of their shoulder and body weight. They all get a very long ball. Miss Hecker's perhaps being a trifle the lowest of the three. Miss Marion Oliver and Miss Cassatt have much the same swing, with an equally good result, and so also has Mrs. Fox, except that in her case it is not quite so full. Her drive, however, is quite as long as any woman's in America.
Of our other longest players. Miss Hoyt has a style peculiarly her own. She brings the club very low around her shoulders, and at the same time her whole body curves away from the ball like a bent spring. As she strikes the spring is released, and the suddenly added weight of her body helps to give the ball distance. There is not an inch of her, from her feet up, which does not help, with weight or muscle, to send the ball farther. A very complete control of all the muscles, together with great suppleness and vigor, are necessary to maintain successfully such form as this. Miss Hoyt's driving, how-
Miss Helen F. Bishop.
ever, is excelled by none of her rivals, although her actual strength is less than that possessed by many of them.
Miss Lucy Herron is a long driver who gives a beautiful example of the quick, machine-like swing used by so many of the school-boys. The club is brought back very rapidly, the shoulders turning squarely to follow the arms, and giving them free play to swing out from the body. Miss Herron's club usually describes a small circle over her head at the finish, so great is the force of her follow-through.
Miss Griscom, whose driving is almost as good as that of the players already mentioned, uses an orthodox full swing, giving the appearance of little more effort, especially in the follow-through, where her arms throw themselves across her body from right to left instead of going outward and upward after the ball.
Mrs. Morgan is a rather long driver, who gets her distance entirely from the great size of the circle of her swing, and the force of her blow ; the exact opposite of Miss Terry, whose play is so easy and natural that she seems to put hardly an ounce of strength into any of her strokes.
In the driving competition at the last championship, four out of the six best drivers used only a half swing ; while the winner. Miss Louise D. Maxwell, of Nassau, hardly raised her club head above her hip. This might be taken as an argument in favor of the half swing ; but its force is lessened by the fact that the women who made these four excellent drives, while they occasionally get remarkable balls, do not as a rule average as far as some of those I have men-
>
Miss Georgianna M. Bishop.
tioned, who use the full swing. If we study the methods of our best drivers, we find a few points which they have in common. First, of course, is the smoothness and harmony of the swing, bringing in the weight of the body and the strength of the arms at exactly the right moment ; second, the size of the swing — the clubhead describes an unusually large circle through the air, either by means of using long clubs, or allowing the arms great freedom in going out from the body ; third, the lowness of the swing — the club is brought low around the shoulders, so that its head travels close to the ground for some time before and after hitting the ball. There are of course many points of difference among the finest drivers — they may take a short or a long swing, a quick or a slow swing, stand near to or far from the ball — but in these few points they appear to agree.
It is often asserted that women do not know how to play their irons. This is true of all but a very few. Miss Hoyt is the best all-around iron player, her cleek shots going as far as an ordinary woman's drive, and her general play with the irons being almost perfect. The uneven ground at Shinnecock has taught her to run her short approaches with the midiron, which she does with great effect, although this style of play is in itself not so pretty as that of the ball pitched up and dropped dead on the green. Miss Hecker is the only woman I have observed, who uses the real professional midiron stroke for approaches of one hundred yards or so — pitching the ball very high into the air, so that it rolls but a few yards. Miss Griscom gives the most perfect and graceful exhibition
J 8 Golf — the Women
of short approaching, using her forearms and wrists with beautiful flexibility and accuracy. Miss Wetmore, Miss Terry, and Miss Herron are all unusually fine- iron-players, but apart from these and a few others the general run of women players, and especially beginners, rely too much on the brassey, and are at a loss when confronted by a stroke of medium length. When it comes to the short game — putting and short approaches — the oldest golfers, those who have been playing for four or five years, appear to excel. Miss Griscom, Miss Wetmore, Miss Sands, Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Morgan, and Miss N. C. Sargent are all safe and steady putters, and far more certain on the green than most of the women, who, although they have had time to become brilliant golfers, have not had the advantage of so many years of practice.
Taking the players collectively, New York is undoubtedly the strongest of the large cities, then Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago. In naming a team of ten for " All-America," I should choose Miss Hoyt, Miss Griscom, Mrs. Fox, Miss Terry, Miss Margaret Curtis, Miss Elsie Cassatt, Miss Hecker, Miss Wet- more, Miss Sands, and Mrs. Manice, although the skill possessed by a large group of leaders is so nearly identical that the list might be doubled and made to include Miss M. Oliver, Miss Herron, Mrs. Morgan, Miss Mackay, Mrs. Pen- dleton Rogers, Miss N. C. Sargent, Mrs. Mcllvaine, Miss Davids, Miss Wells, and Miss Hurlbut without materially lowering the quality of the team. Indeed, if we stretched it ten more and took in Miss Keyes, Mrs. Cochrane, Miss Van- derhoef. Miss Fargo, Miss Howe, Mrs. Shippen, Miss Bryce, Miss Kipp, Miss Wickham, and Miss Willis, there would still be no very great difference between the first and the last.
As to the skill of our best golfers, it is of course respectable, and constantly improving ; each year shows a gain, both in the distance covered and in surety of stroke. Nevertheless it is a fact which has been commented upon that American women are less advanced in golf than the men. We do not play so near by several strokes, to the women's bogey, or " Mrs. Bogey," to whom due allowance is made for her slighter strength, as the men do to their Colonel. " Duffers " among us are as a rule worse than among the men, so that although we have not advanced as far, we have probably made at least equal progress relatively in arriving where we are ; but for all this there is no reason why women should not play as clean and perfect golf, on a more limited scale, as men do.
The healthfulness of golf has been so often spoken of, especially as com- pared with tennis, that it is interesting to notice here that tournament golf is, if anything, more difficult and fatiguing to the women players than tournament tennis. A golf match is distinctly a greater tax upon the nerves, and demands a longer and more intense concentration of attention and effort than any
Golf — the Women
39
game that has the soothing influence of violent exercise. I know from observa- tion that a championship golf tournament is more exhausting to the competitors than were the championship tennis tournaments. Probably quite as many women have broken down from overgolfing as from too much tennis. There is always curiosity to know the relative standing of the men and women. It is only the very best among women who have any right to be compared. The most expert often play in class B in the men's competitions, and receive a han- dicap ot from ten to twenty-five from scratch ; while in match-play they need at least a half or two-thirds of a stroke a hole from a professional or a crack who is at the top of his game. The best woman player must receive some handi- cap from any man of pretensions ; while she may be relied upon to defeat one who would be classed as third-rate. Miss Hoyt's record of eighty-nine for the Shinnecock course is thirteen strokes be- hind the men's ; most courses show a difference of fifteen to twenty-five strokes between the men's and women's records. The best of us, of course, play "better golf" than many of the men who defeat us ; but it is of a smaller pattern, so that we lose in distance more than we gain in accuracy. A woman handicapped in the men's class is more effective as a partner in a foursome than when alone, for here her lack of distance may easily be com- pensated for when near or on the green. It is greatly to be hoped that the ever- more pressing question of women's privileges on the men's links will be decided by those with whom the decision rests, the men, in a spirit of favor for women. The latter ought not to be turned off the courses en masse on certain days, as many of the men would like to have done ; but, instead, a certain grade of play on the women's part might be made a basis for their admission. While, of course, it cannot be asked that the men shall subject themselves to being both- ered on their holidays by woman beginners, it would none the less be ungracious
Miss Lucy H err on.
^ o Coif — the Women
and generally hurtful of the game if women of keen interest and enough profi- ciency in it to entitle them to enter in class B should be shut out, as many pro- pose. The men, by sharing the courses with us from the first, a courtesy which would never have been dreamed of in the foreign homes of golf, have shown that it is not as women that they object to us on the links, but merely as the cause of delay and interruption. We may, therefore, hope, as the courses be- come more crowded and the women's playing more restricted, as must inevitably happen, that to such women as are fairly entitled to compete with many of the men there will be accorded the privileges they deserve.
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Miss Marvin.
WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS
Compiled by H. L. FitzPatrick
The first women's championship was at eighteen holes medal play, at the Meadowbrook Club, in November, 1895, ^^^ special prize being a cup presented by R. D. Winthrop, Jr., and W. H. Sands. Since then the competitions have begun with a medal-play qualifying round, the survivors finishing at match play. Eight only qualified in 1896 and 1897, ^ut since then the number to qualify has been sixteen. The winner has her name inscribed on the perpetual cham- pionship trophy, the gift of the late Robert Cox, M.P., of Edinburgh, presented in 1896 to the United States Golf Association, and wins outright a gold medal. There is a silver medal for the runner-up, with bronze medals for the defeated semi-finalists. The special gold medal for the best score in the qualifying round has been won as follows :
1896. Morris County Golf Club. Low score, Miss Beatrix Hoyt, 95; high score to qualify, 1 1 1.
1897. Essex Country Club. Low score, Miss Beatrix Hoyt, 108; high score to qualify, 131.
1898. Ardsley Club. Low score, Miss Beatrix Hoyt, 92 ; high score to qualify, 109.
1899. Philadelphia Country Club. Low score, Miss Beatrix Hoyt, 97 ; high score to qualify, 107.
1899. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Low score. Miss Beatrix Hoyt, 94; high score to qualify, 1 1 1.
Meadow- brook, 1895,
Miss May Barron, Ardsley
Miss May Bird, Meadowbrook 173
Miss G. M. Bishop, Brooklawn —
Miss Madeline Boardman, Essex —
Mrs. Charles S. Brown, Shinnecock Hills 132(1)
Miss Edith D. Burt, Philadelphia ' —
Miss Katharine Cassatt, Philadelphia —
Miss Elsie F. Cassatt, Philadelphia —
Mrs. A. DeWitt Cochrane, Ardsley ' —
Miss Margaret Curtis, Essex —
Miss Harriet S. Curtis, Essex —
Miss Alice Day, Morris County I —
Miss Caryl Eidlitz, Ardsley 1 —
Miss Louise Field, Morris County No card
Mrs. C. F. Fox, Huntingdon Valley I —
Miss F. C. Griscom, Merion —
Miss A. Howland Ford, Morris County 158
Mrs. J. E. Grainer, Baltimore —
Miss Harrison, Baltusrol I 50
Miss G. Hecker, Wee Burn —
Miss Lucy Herron, Cincinnati —
Miss Beatrix Hoyt, Shinnecock Hills
Mrs. R. C. Hooper, Essex.
Miss Grace B. Keyes, Concord
Miss Caroline Livingston, Westbrook. Miss C. E. Longworth, Cincinnati . .
No card
Morris Co., 1896.
N.Q.I22
R'd I
Won
N.Q..29
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Manchester, 1897. |
Ardsley, 1898. |
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— |
— |
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N.Q..39 |
R'd I |
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R'd 2 |
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R'd 2 |
|
R'd I |
N.Q.I 12 N.Q...3 |
|
|
R'd I |
|
— |
N.Q...3 Semi-finals |
|
|
N.Q.I 20 |
Philadelphia „, . ,
^ "^ bhinnecock
R'd I Won R'd I
Semi-finals
R'd
R'd I R'd I
N.Q.iio N.Q.121
Semi-finals R'd 2
R'd
Runner-up R'd 1
N.Q.108 N.Q..09 R'd I N.Q.113 'N.Q.108
Won I R'd I
R'd I N.Q.117 - N.Q.I 2.
N.Q.I 19 N.Q.M3
N.Q.I. 3 N.Q.n3
R'd I
Runner-up R'd 1
N.Q.I 23
R'd 2 Won
R'd 2 N.Q..13
Semi-finals
R'd 2 R'd I
42
Golf — the Women
Meadow- brook, 1895.
Miss Pauline Mackay, Oakley
Mrs. E. A. Manicc, Lenox
Mrs. J. Warren Merrill, Essex
Mrs. J. F. McFadden, Philadelphia
Miss P. K. McLjne, Baltimore
Miss F. McNceley, Merion —
Mrs. W. Fellowes Morgan, Baltusrol 164
Miss Cora Oliver, Albany —
Miss Marion Oliver, Albany —
Miss C. H. Parrish, Shinnecock Hills —
Mrs. N. Pendleton Rogers, Hillside —
Miss Anna Sands, Newport 155
Miss N. C. Sargeant, Essex i 34( 2)
Miss Marion Shearson, Chicago —
Miss Helen Shelton, Morris County 161
Mrs. William Shippen, Morris County . 145
Miss Alice Strong, Seabright —
Miss lane Swords, Morris County —
Miss Eunice Terry, Ardsley —
Mrs. W. B. Thomas, Essex 141
Mrs. H. Toulmin, Merion —
Mrs. Arthur Turnure, Shinnecock Hills I 55
Miss Ruth Undcrhill, Nassau —
Miss Maude K. Wetmore, Newport —
Miss F. Ethel Wickham, Shinnecock Hills | • —
Morris Co., Manchnter, 1896. j 1897.
R'd I
R'd I 1 —
N.Q.I I 7
Semi-finals
Semi-finals — — Runner-up
R'd I —
R'd I N.Q.141 N.Q.128 —
Runner-up - —
- ,N.e..4. N.Q.I2; N.Q.I48
Ardsley, 1898.
Philadelphia -. . ,
_ "^ Shinnecock
'^T'^' , Hills, .900. 1899. t ' ^
R'd I
N.Q.I 10 R'd 2
R'd 2 —
Withdrew R'd I
R'd 2 —
N.Q.I 10
R'd I N.Q.108
— Semi-finals N.Q.I 10
R'd I
N.Q.I 10 R'd 2 R'd 2
R'd I
N.Q..21
R'd I
R'd I
N.Q.I 10
N.Q.I 15
j R'd I
N.Q. 108 Semi-finals
R'd 2 i Won Runner-up Withdrew N.Q.iizI —
R'd I R'd I
R'd I
OTHER QUALIFYING ROUND STARTERS, WITH
RETURNED)
CARDS (WHEN
1896. — Miss E. R. Catlin, Morris County, 135; Miss F. A. Clarke, Misquamicut, 129; Mrs. H. E. Coe, Shinnecock Hills, 133 ; Miss Alice D. Field, Morris County, 130; Miss Anabel Green, Englewood, 137; Miss E. N. Little, Morris County, 127; Mrs. H. W. McVicker, Tuxedo, 118; Miss E. S. Oliver, Albany, 116; Mrs. G. R. Parsons, Agawam Hunt, 162; Miss Alice W. Post, Morris County, 122; Miss E. M. Wylie, New Haven, 161 ; Mrs. F. E. Zerrahn, Brookline, 113.
1897.— Mrs. M. B. L. Bradford, Concord, 153 ; Miss Julia Bacon, Brookline, 149; Mrs. S. V. R. Crosby, Essex, 151; Mrs. J. R. Dilworth, Pittsburg, 154; Miss C. S. Gannett, Essex, 139 ; Miss M. P. Hamlen, Essex, 133 ; Mrs. H. W. McVicker, Tuxedo,
145; Miss McArra, Essex, 148; Mrs. F. Warren, Jr., Brookline, 172.
1898. — Mrs. H. B. Ashmore, Baltusrol; Miss E. A.Anderson, Scranton, 117; Mrs. J. J. Astor, Newport ; Miss Ann Ar.chbold, Ardsley ; Miss Helen Barney, Ardsley ; Miss B. C. Howe, Pittsburg, no; Miss Lillian Brooks, Ardsley, 121; Miss Grace Chauncey, Dyker Meadow, 125; Miss A. H. Davis, Lakewood, 118; Mrs. F. L. Eld- ridge, Ardsley, 125 ; Mrs. C. S. Farnum, Philadelphia, 127 ; Mrs. N. M. Garland, Marine and Field, 130; Mrs. W. M. Gorham, Philadelphia, 112 ; Mrs. H. Lewis, Philadelphia, 129; Mrs. F. B. Keech, Ardsley, 117; Miss Jeannette Kittridge, Ardsley, 120 ; Miss H. H. Maule, Philadelphia, 122 ; Miss M. de L. Merian, St. Paul ; Miss L. D. Maxwell, Nassau, 116; Miss M. C. Maule, Philadelphia, 130; Miss G. L. Maxwell, Nassau, 143; Miss M. Murphey, Albany, 160; Miss C. Mock, Philadelphia ; Mrs. J. Curtis Patterson, Hunt- ingdon Valley, 123 ; Miss Reid, St. Andrews, 120; Miss Sophia Starr, Philadelphia, 119; Mrs. H. C. Chatfield Taylor, Onwentsia ; Mrs. John T. Terry, Jr., Ardsley ; Miss Aline S. Taylor, Philadelphia, ,133 ; Mrs. J. B. C. Tappan, Westbrook, 130; Mrs. M. M. Van
Golf — the Women ^j
Buren, Ardsley, 115; Mrs. J. J. Vatable, Tuxedo; Miss C. G. Willis, Morris County, 113; Mrs. J. T. Welles, Knglewood, 119; Mrs. F. K. Zerrahn, Brookline, 120.
1899- — Mrs. R. H. Barlow, Merion, 108; Miss Ethel Burnett, Misquamicut, 11 1 ; Mrs. William J. Berg, Yountakah, 112; Miss J. A. Berwynd, Philadelphia, 112; Miss Helen Darlington, Merion, 116; Miss G. H. Fiske, Concord, 116; Mrs. W. M. Gorham, Philadelphia, no; Miss E. W. Goffe, Westchester, 114; Mrs. Alan H. Harris, Philadel- phia, 112; Miss Elsa Hurlbut, Morris County, no; Miss Sybil Kane, Tuxedo, 115; Miss E. N. Lockwood, Lexington, in ; Miss Louise D. Maxwell, Nassau, 109; Mrs. P. C. Madeira, Huntingdon Valley, 112; Miss Grace Marvin, Albany, 115; Mrs. S. C. Price, Philadelphia, 112; Mrs. J. C. Patterson, Huntingdon Valley, 116; Miss K. M. Rowland. Fairfield, 108; Miss Margaret M. Riley, Philadelphia, 109; Miss Elizabeth Steele, Merion; Miss A. P. R. Spence, Merion, 112; Miss E. N. Supplee, Philadelphia, no; Mrs. F. R. Shattuck, Cape May, 109; Miss M. S. Spence, Merion, 108; Miss C. G. Willis, Morris County, n5; Miss L. A. Wells, Brookline, ni.
1900. — Miss Bessie Anthony, Evanston, 117; Miss C. Barnes, Lenox, n2; Miss E. Burnett, Misquamicut, 1 14; Mrs. W. J. Berg, Yountakah, 1 16 ; Mrs. S. Bettle, Merion, 133; Miss Lillie Brown, Ardsley, 133; Mrs. R. L Carter, Cincinnati, 120; Miss G. Chauncey, Dyker Meadow, 120; Miss M. Chauncey, Dyker Meadow, in; Miss E. Collins, St. Louis, 122; Miss J. S. Clark, 119; Mrs. W. Curtis, Essex, 113; Miss A. B. Eddy, Nassau, 119; Miss M. S. Eddy, Nassau, 125; Miss M. J. Goddard, Newport, 124; Miss E. W. GofFe, Westchester, 130; Miss Bessie Howe, Pittsburg, in; Miss M. Harrison, Misquamicut, in ; Miss M. P. Lippencott, Huntingdon Valley, 136; Miss Grace Marvin, Albany, 112; Miss Louise D. Maxwell, 115; Miss Marion Morse, Kansas City, 121; Mrs. S. C. Price, Philadelphia, 138; Mrs. Quackenbush, Maidstone, 121; Miss L. Richardson, Nassau, 141; Miss M. M. Riley, Philadelphia, 124; Mrs. E. M. Roesbeck, Cincinnati, 117 ; Miss J. Russell, Shinnecock Hills, 1 15 ; Miss Sophia Starr, Huntingdon Valley, 113; Miss F. Suydam, Dyker Meadow, 117; Mrs. H. St. John Smith, Tuxedo, 135; Mrs. T. C. Thacher, Brookline, 114; Miss C. G.Willis, Morris County, 124; Miss M. Wilson, Onwentsia, 119; Mrs. M. C. Work, Atlantic City, 112.
Miss Louise Maxwell.
GOLF - THE MEN
H. M. HARRIMAN
Champion J 899
K S. DOUGLAS
Champion J 898
The Havemeyer Trophy.
GOLF-THE MEN
BY H. M. HARRIMAN, WITH A NOTE BY FINDLAY S. DOUGLAS
HIS seems to be a transitory period in American golf. New men are coming up, the new links are planned under the most scien- tific conditions, and new ideas have come in regarding the con- struction, equipment and management of the club-houses. The new-comers will likely play in more " orthodox " style, but ex- cept in the rare instances when the element of luck enters in, the record scores of the present will hardly be beaten much in the future, especially as the tendency is to lengthen out the links. Presumably the golf of the rising set will not be so much better than the best of those playing at the present time, but the good performances will be more often duplicated.
With the advent of the new and steadier players comes a wide-spread desire toward perfecting the golf courses with the object of placing a never-failing premium on good play. Yet there is no attempt to make the game more expensive. To the individual, golf is, and should be kept, less expensive than yachting, racing, polo, or trap-shooting, while it is as sporting and healthful as any form of recreation on land or water.
That golf has come to stay as a popular American pastime, is in my opinion established beyond doubt. The fact is demonstrated by the enthusiasm with which it is being played by persons of all ages and conditions in every part of the country. A further guarantee of its endurance in favor is the sound and compre- hensive spirit in which the game is controlled by the United States Golf Association. Organized in December, 1894, by the representatives of five clubs — St. Andrew's, Shinnecock Hills, Chicago Golf, Country Club of Brookline, and Newport — there are now nearly thirty associate, or voting, members, and nearly two hun- dred allied clubs. The success of the association was at the start vastly aug- mented by the zeal in golf of its first president, the late Theodore A. Have- meyer, and his energetic work has been well supplemented by his successors in the office, Laurence Curtis and W. B. Thomas. A very active worker, too, in the early days, was the first secretary, H. O. Tallmage, who represented St. An- drew's, which under the presidency of John Reid, the " Father of American Golf," is the oldest American club, dating back to 1886. The present secre- tary, R. Bage Kerr, of the Golf Club of Lakewood, is also a painstaking official. The work of the gentlemen I have named has always been earnestly supported by those who have served at different times on the Executive Committee. The
48
GolJ — the Men
influence of the United States Golf Association has been advanced materially by the subsidiary local organizations established in different parts of the country, on State or other divisional lines. Perhaps the best known is the Metropolitan Golf Association, which is a union of the leading clubs within fifty-five miles of New York, or on any part of Long Island. H. B. Hollins, of Westbrook, has been the president until this year, when he was succeeded by R. H. Robertson,
of St. Andrew's and Shinnecock Hills. The association has done splendid work in regu- lating the conditions of open tournaments in its district, and in establishing a general han- dicap, the first ever attempted by a local organization here. The problem was a hard one, and those who have worked it out de- serve much credit. Those who labored to rate the men were Daniel Chauncey, Dyker Meadow; A. M. Robbins, St. Andrew's; and E. C. Kent, Tuxedo.
With those for whom the game is some- thing more than a means of obtaining exer- cise, there is a growing demand for improved courses on championship lines. There are few, if any, really championship courses in the country at present, but there are three or four which could be brought up to that stand- ard with a comparatively small amount of labor. To my mind, Wheaton comes nearer to the requirements than any other. The distances are well thought out, and the greens are thoroughly protected in some manner or other, while through the green is very good except in extreme seasons of the year. I should place Onwentsia and Garden City about on a level, although they differ greatly as regards turf, kind of bunkers, etc. The characteristics at Onwentsia are a clay soil and coarse grass, while at Garden City the soil has a tendency to be sandy and the grass is of a fine prairie variety. On the whole, I think perhaps the greens at Garden City are better, but the arrangement of holes, and the distances are not so good as at Onwentsia. In the natural advan- tages of climate, quality of turf, rolling land, and natural hazards, Atlantic City holds first place, and I am looking forward to seeing the championship there in the near future.
It is not my intention to lay down a hard-and-fast schedule on which a golf
John Reid, Jr.
Golf — the Men
49
course should be laid out. The general principle should be to have the holes as varied as possible in their playing conditions. Taking the basis of a full shot at one hundred and seventy to one hundred and ninety yards, a hole should be one, two, or three full shots from the tee, and the bunkers and side traps should be so placed that every poor shot would be punished. A short hole or two, especially when over a quarry or some similar hazard, is often a pleasing varia- tion on the round. No expense is too great to bring up the turf, by constant cutting, roll- ing, and watering. Taking as a guiding prin- ciple that a links should be laid out to com- pel first-class play, the natural advantages of the land must be utilized to give variety to the play and character to the course.
One's ability at different games must de- termine his rate of progress at golf. Person- ally, when the amateur championship was under way at Newport in 1895, ^ ^^^ teach- ing myself the game at Bar Harbor, in com- pany with Tyng, Robbins, and Fenn. In I 896 I failed to qualify in the amateur cham- pionship at Shinnecock Hills, but I was in the first set at the Chicago Golf Club in the following year. I did not play at Morris County in 1898, my entry having gone astray in some way, and in 1899 I had the good fortune to win. Through this experience, therefore, I should say that four years are re- quired to make a fairly good player of any person who cares to take up the game in ear- nest. It is easy to learn to play well enough to enjoy a round, or even to win a friendly match or so, but it takes time to learn to golf in good form, and to keep up to form before a " gallery " in a big competition, especially when your oppo- nent is making no mistakes. To do this is a test of both nerves and muscles, for, after making a mess of a hole, the inclination to press must be checked, or else the bad luck will put the player off his game, while to keep on edge during a hard thirty-six-hole match is quite a trial of endurance. The amateur cham- pionship since 1898 has called tor a week of thirty-six-hole rounds.
Undoubtedly, a good professional is an advantage in beginning the game, although I never had a regular lesson. In taking up the game alone, although it is against the teachings of nearly all the experts, I think it is best to begin
Charles Hitchcock, Jr.
^o Oolf — the Men
with an iron, and to practise the different shots for an hour or two a day. Then the course should be played over with the kit of iron clubs, until the prin- ciples of the game are learned, and the wooden clubs taken up last of all.
I think each player should suit himself in the choice of clubs, and indi- vidual option, too, seems to be the present idea in regard to stance and swing. I use a driver with a thin face, i ^ inches to be exact, and the shaft measures 42
inches. A dogwood head, with a square of leather in the face, is what I like best, but doubtless persimmon or beech would be quite as good. I grip well toward the bottom of the leather, the top of the shaft projecting about three or four inches. The club is held across the base of the fingers, not in the palm of the hands, and I do not believe in holding the right hand very loosely. My wooden clubs are of the or- dinary weight, but I like a rather stiff and springy shaft. In these respects, of grip, length of shaft, weight of head, and the suppleness of the shafts, each player must suit himself to obtain the best results. The old bramble pattern of ball, a 27^^ , is what I like best.
James A. Tyng. I believe that one cannot learn cham-
pionship golf except on a championship course, for continual play on a short, badly arranged course cramps the style and takes away the boldness needed in trying for distance when a long carry must be made to clear a hazard. At this juncture the player only familiar with a links of puzzling hazards and with so narrow a playing width that a cautious, tacking system of play has become a habit, will nearly always fail when a bold, dashing, almost reckless full shot is required to reach the safe ground beyond the distant bunker. It is the early training on links that compelled good golf that forms the game of the young Scotch and English players, which, with the fact that they take up the clubs very early in life, when the muscles are elastic, gives them a power and method as yet beyond our amateurs as a class. The two best amateurs I have played against, H. J. Whigham and Findlay S. Doug- las, are fine examples of the class of players I have referred to, the first having learned his game at Prestwick and the latter at St. Andrew's. Both began as school-boys and kept up their game at college, the latter, when he left Scotland to come to this country, having been the Golf Captain of St. Andrew's Univer-
Golf — the Men
53
sity team. There was great curiosity to see Mr. Douglas play on his advent here, for it was known that he had made a 76 at St. Andrew's, and it was thought that he would strengthen the forces of the Eastern amateurs, who until then had had only homebred talent to pit against Mr. Whigham, Mr. Macdonald, Mr. Forgan, and the other Scotch-taught golfers in the West. Mr. Douglas handled the clubs for the first time on this side in the open tournament at the Baltusrol Golf Club, in May, 1897, and, although he had
never teed up on hard dirt before and was -^
afraid to swing, he was fifth in the medal play round with 86, H. P. Toler winning with 81. In the first round at match- play, however, the new arrival was put out by Spotswood D. Bowers, who was then at the top of his game, by 4 up and 3 to play. Mr. Douglas did not play again in an open tournament, although he won some private matches that proved his game was all that had been said of it, until the ama- teur championship, in July, at Chicago. His game there was a sterling good one, marred only by a tendency to be wild in direction from the tee, but in the semi- finals he was beaten by H. J. Whigham, by 6 up and 5 to play. Mr. Douglas had his revenge when he next met Mr. Whig- ham, at the Golf Club of Lakewood open tournament the following Novem- ber, when he beat the Onwentsia player in the semi-finals. The next year Mr. Douglas won the amateur championship, and when I won at Onwentsia in 1899 he was the runner-up. Needless to say Mr. Douglas had won many cups at open tournaments, although an infrequent starter in such contests ; and in the three years he has played Number One on the Fairfield Golf Club team, he has not lost a hole for his side. He did not play in the team match against Canada in 1898, but the next year, in the return match at Morris Ccmnty, he scored 6 holes for the United States team by beating G. S. Lyon, the Canadian amateur champion. This year Mr. Douglas won the score prize in the Metro- politan and was runner-up to Mr. Travis in the amateur championship. On two other occasions he lost to the amateur champion, but in the last open tour- nament of the year, at Atlantic City, Mr. Douglas had his revenge.
As an instance of an easy, natural style, Mr. Douglas, to my mind, comes nearer to the ideal of perfection than any amateur on our links. His form
R. E. Gri scorn.
54
Golf — the Men
shows a perfect mastery of all the clubs and of every department of the game, from tee to the putting green. He drives a clean, long ball, generally with a hook which gives it a fine roll. Through the green Mr. Douglas is a grand player with the spoon, using it where other men would take a brassey or cleek, or at times a mid-iron, and he also relies much on the driver through the green.
Hugo R. Johnstone.
Percy R. Pyne, 2d.
very seldom taking the brassey except when a rough lie compels it. Mr. Douglas has, too, a command of all of the iron clubs, but, if one were to pick out a flaw in the otherwise well-balanced game, he is somewhat uncertain on the putting green.
H. J. Whigham, our amateur champion of 1896 and 1897, ^^^ somewhat the same style as Mr. Douglas, but his is the rounder Prestwick swing instead of the full circle of classic St. Andrew's. However, he seems to have more snap and determination in his game than his Fairfield competitor, and he keeps the ball much lower to the ground in all his shots, and, on the approaches, run- ning up when the ground permits with a driving mashie or a slightly laid back mid-iron, much as Vardon does. Mr. Whigham is invariably straight and at times he drives a very long ball ; this, with a general control over all his clubs, makes him a very steady and impressive antagonist.
Very prominent, too, of the Scotch-instructed school, are Charles Blair Macdonald, of the Chicago Golf Club, and A. M. Coats, of the Newport Golf Club. I name first the Western amateur, for he has done perhaps more to
Walter J. Travis. Winner of the Championship, igoo.
Golf — the Men
57
spread the light in golf than any other clubman in the United States, and, after being the runner-up in the two informal amateur championships of 1894, at Newport and St. Andrew's, won very easily in the first United States Golf Association amateur championship, in 1895, at Newport. He has been in the last four at our championships more often than any other player, and, besides
Walter B. Smith.
Roderick Terry, Jr.
Western successes, Mr. Macdonald has won international honors in Canada. In style he is not perhaps as ** orthodox " as the formal Scotch rules require, but he is usually very effective. His long experience has made him a very capable match-player. In putting, Mr. Macdonald is very good ; he plays all his shots to be up and goes straight for the back, of the hole. A. M. Coats has played more in Scotland than any other American, and learned the game there when a boy. He is an old member of the Prestwick Golf Club, where he plays for some months nearly every year. Mr. Coats has played in three of our amateur championships, it having been his luck to be put out by Mr. Whigham at Shinnecock Hills and Wheaton, and by Mr. Macdonald at Morris County. That his game is a strong one was demonstrated last fall at the Agawam Hunt open tournament, when he easily disposed of J. G. Thorp, of the Oakley Country Club, who had been very prominent in the amateur championship and in the tournaments later on at Bar Harbor and about Boston. There is none of the home-bred golfers who may hope for an easy match against Mr. Coats. He
s^
Golf — the Men
plays a beautifully even game and uses the wooden putter more than any player I know of. Personally, I don't like this club, but I don't know just why. A. G. Lockwood, the young Englishman who had things quite his own way about Boston last season, has a very confident, easy style of play and is quite in
H. B. Hollins, Jr.
R. C. Watson, Jr.
the first rank. To simplify matters I will consider the amateurs in two divis- ions : those who began to be prominent in 1897, ^^^ Y^^'' ^" which the col- lege boys first appeared, and those who have come out since.
As the holder of the title of amateur champion, won (as when it was my luck to win the title a year before) after having won the Metropolitan cham- pionship, Walter J. Travis deserves first consideration in the older set. His first appearance in public was in the competition at Van Cortlandt Park, on Novem- ber 28, 1896, for a set of prizes presented by some members of the St. Andrew.'s Golf Club. Immediately thereafter Mr. Travis joined the Oakland Golf Club, and (for he is a zealous supporter of the open tournaments) I suppose that since then he has won more medals and cups than any other golfer in this country, a record held by A. H. Fenn until he joined the professional ranks in i 897. C. M. Hamilton, the Baltusrol player, who won the first cup at Van Cortlandt ; A. Z. Huntington, later of the Scranton Country Club, and Sidney W. Lockhart, of St. Andrew's, also played in public for the first time in the Van Cortlandt Park contest, in which Mr. Travis was fifth.
GolJ — the Men
59
The competition was at medal play (Mr. Hamilton scoring 99 and Mr. Travis 106), the form of the game at which the latter is perhaps the best player we have, for the close calculation necessary in the score game suits his strong individuality and great nerve force. Personally, I believe that this studied
Chester Griswold, Jr.
J. G. Averell.
method is a weakness at match-play, especially on account of its tiring effect during a championship, but that it does not mar Mr. Travis's game to any appre- ciable extent is demonstrated by the list of high-class players he has defeated. In driving he has a fairly full swing, following through well and getting a long, low ball that usually runs far after the pitch. Mr. Travis is accurate with all his clubs, but at times I have seen him miss some very simple puts.
James A. Tyng, of the Morris County Golf Club, is also a methodical player and probably the most conspicuous of the old-time base-ball players who have taken up the game. In 1896 he won more first cups in open tournaments about New York than any other amateur, and, although he has not been so conspicuous as a winner since, Mr. Tyng is now playing a better game than at any time in his career. He is still in the first flight, but there are more good golfers now than there used to be. He has rather a short back swing and a quick, snappy follow through, the vigorous finish to the stroke being done by the turn of the shoulders and the muscles of the arms, developed by his early training in athletics. He is a very good putter. Herbert C. Leeds, who
6o
Golf — the Men
won the Southern Cross championship at Aiken, in the spring of 1896, was also a famous base-ball player and general athlete in his college days. He has a shorter swing than Mr. Tyng, but drives quite as long a ball and he is very reliable in all phases of the short game. In the open championship of 1898, at the Myopia Hunt Club, his home links, Mr. Leeds led all the amateurs with
347, and, on the Hrst day, with 165, he was third on the list, only two strokes be- hind Will Ar.derson, the leader in a field of forty-one professionals and eight amateurs. A comment or two on the personages in the amateur championship of 1896, at Shinnecock Hills, will clear the way for the consideration of the younger set who came out later. In the runner-up to Mr. Whigham, the Oakley Country Club in- troduced to the Metropolitan players a self- taught golfer in Mr. J. G. Thorp, who has since kept himself well to the front. His style reflects several mannerisms, almost oddities in fact, with which or in spite of which his game at times is very effective. One peculiarity is that Mr. Thorp invari- ably takes three full back swings in ad- dressing the ball on the tee or through the green, a procedure I should think very tir- ing in the course of a long match. An unusual accuracy and an intense determi- nation to win are the qualities that seem to pull him through with success so often. William H. Sands, of the Country Club of Westchester, whom Mr. Thorp beat in the second round at Shinnecock, was at that period regarded as one of the strongest players in the country. His game is of the dashing, powerful sort, any lack of finish in swing or follow through being compensated for by the strength and vim he puts into every stroke. Mr. Sands was the first to supplant L. B. Stoddart, the winner of the St. Andrew's amateur championship of 1894, as the record-holder of the old links on the Saw Mill Road. One of Mr. Sands's most noted achievements was to win out by three successive victories the John Reid Gold Medal, representing the annual championship, at thirty-six holes, medal play, of the St. Andrew's Golf Club. The last match was on the new St. Andrew's links at Chauncey, on November 2, 1897, ^''- Sands winning
David R. Forgan.
Findlay S. Douglas. Winner of the Championship, i8p8.
/
Golf — the Men
63
with 93, 86, 179. The medal had been in play each year since 1887. In the semi-finals at Shinnecock Hills, Mr. Thorp beat Henry P. Toler, of the Bal- tusrol Golf Club, a leader in his day in Princeton foot-ball and general athletics, and a vigorous, dashing player, who tries hard to be orthodox, and succeeds in being so on the short game, and who is often very brilliant in his performances. Walter Fairbanks, of Denver, a veteran Scotch golfer resident here, has gained a sterling reputation as a thorough golfer among the amateurs East and West. Mr. Toler, to gain admittance to the semi-finals at Shinnecock Hills, had beaten H. G. Trevor, of the home club, then the leading left-handed player in the country, an honor now held by A. M. Ripley, of the Oakley Country Club. H. R. Sweny, of the Al- bany Country Club, after beating W. Bay- ard Cutting at this tournament, was put out by Whigham in the second round. Then Mr. Sweny was decidedly radical in his golf- ing opinions and a certain thick, potato- masher sort of driver of his invention was his favorite club. Since then Mr. Sweny has become a conservative. A. H. Fenn, a great winner at tournaments until he be- came a professional a year later, and now, perhaps, the leading home-bred professional we have (for he atones for any departure from the ideal style by a great ability as a coach, and by a machine-like expertness in
the different branches of the game), was put out in the first round by Mr. Sands. Among the others who qualified but who were beaten in the first match-play round were L. P. Bayard, Jr., of Baltusrol ; John R. Chadwick, of the Richmond Coun- ty Country Club, who, while only of medium power from the tee and through the green, is a wonderfully accurate putter ; Lawrence Waterbury, of the Country Club of Westchester, who is a crack polo player and would be a crack golfer if the pig- skin had not more attractions for him than the links; A. L. Livermore, of St. Andrew's, a forcible and nervy player then at the top of his game, and Dr. E. C. Rushmore, at that time the leading golfer of the Tuxedo Club, who has one of the most graceful swings and generally easy style possessed by any of the ama- teurs who have not studied on the classic links abroad.
Walter Fairbanks.
64
Golf — the Men
Equally famous at that time as any whom I have mentioned and who are still sterling good golfers were L. B. Stoddart, of St. Andrew's and Staten Island, the amateur champion at St. Andrew's in 1 894, who learned the game in England,
and who is now a model to imitate in the accom- plished handling of all the iron clubs ; Dr. Charles Claxton, of Philadelphia; F. H. Bohlen, also of Phil- adelphia, who brings to golf a quick eye and a gen- eral training acquired on the cricket crease ; D. R. Forgan, who learned the game at old St. Andrew's and who is a worthy graduate of the famous links ; Jasper Lynch, of Lakewood ; O. W. Bird, of Mead- owbrook, who includes golf among the several sports which he plays with enthusiasm and ability ; Win- throp Rutherfurd, also a master of many sports; and Quincy A. Shaw, Jr., who took part in the amateur championship at Newport in 1895, ^"'^ v{\\o has steadily advanced in his game so that now he is one of the most formidable of antagonists. He was the amateur racquet champion of the country and has won nearly as great fame in court-tennis. Oddly enough he is a left-handed wielder of the racquet, but Mr. Shaw plays golf right-handed and he has a wonderful eye, a stirring, daring method that gives distinction to his style.
In 1897, among the older class of golfers to make an impression on the annals of the year, per- haps the first place should be awarded to Foxhall Keene, of the Oakland Club, who learned the game during one of his hunting trips to England, and who, while only using a three-quarter swing, is one of the longest and most accurate men we have from the tee and through the green. He plays golf with the finish and devotion to what is best in the game that has made him so successful in other sports. In this class, too, are M. R. Wright, of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, a particularly graceful, all-around golfer, who has played much at Cannes, Pau, and Biarritz; Arden M. Robbins, of St. Andrew's, a brill- iant but somewhat erratic performer; Devereaux Emmet, of Garden City, a very long driver and a most zealous student of the game; F. W. Menzies, of St. Andrew's, another converted cricketer ; Alexander Morten, of the Country
J. G. Thorp.
Herbert M. Harriman. Winner of the Championship, i8gg.
//' has fallen to the lot of few golfers to achieve as many successes as Mr. Harriman in the short time he has been playing the game.
In l8g6 he failed to qualify in the Championship, but the follow- ing year saw him well up in the first sixteen and staying until the third round. Through a misunderstanding, Mr. Harriman s entry was not received in time for the Championship at Morristown in j8g8, and he was forced to act the part of spectator. In the annals of golf l8gg might be described as " Harriman' s year.'' Starting with the Metropolitan Championship at Garden City in the spring, Mr. Harri- man followed this success up by carrying off the National Championship two months later at Onwentsia, playing better class golf all through than had as yet won championships. In the Open Championship of the same year held at Baltimore, Mr. Harriman was the sole main- stay of the amateurs, finishing well up among the professionals and scoring one brilliant round of jg. That this brilliant ivork was not of the " sky-rocket" order was evideticed by his game this past season. He hung tenaciously to both his titles, giving up that of Metropolitan Chatnpioti in the final round by a close margin, and playing right up to the semi-finals of the Amateur Championship in I goo. Outside of the championships, he has won many tournaments in representative fields.
Mr. Harriman' s style is forcible and impresses one as having remarkable power back of it. This may account for his brilliant work with the . irons ; indeed, he plays a sterling game all through, his only weak point beifig a tendency to unsteadiness in direction off the tee. His putting is irreproachable, anything under six feet from ih.' hole being dead.
Perhaps the one point in which Mr. Harriman stands facile princeps in golf is his wonderful power of recovery. No matter the kind of lie or how great the odds, Harriman will usually be found equal to the occasion. Of a big-hearted and genial disposition, there is no better sportsman on or off the golf links.
fda&(/ S^. yhf^^.
Golf — the Men
67
Club of Westchester ; A. DeWitt Cochrane, of St. Andrew's and Ardsley ; C. A. Lineaweaver, of Philadelphia; F. O. Beach, of Meadowbrook ; G. D. Fowle, of Philadelphia; Hugh Toler, of Baltusrol ; H. M. Billings, of Ardsley; C. H. Tappin, of Westbrook; T. A. Havemeyer, Jr., of Meadowbrook, and two who learned their game at Newport, James A. Still- man, Jr., and Reginald Brooks. The former has a bold, slashing style and nearly an ortho- dox St. Andrew's swing, while, quite to the contrary extreme. Brooks has only a three- quarter swing, but, while not getting such a long ball, he atones for this by his marvellous accuracy in direction. The pair may point to several victories ot importance, and the latter in 1899 won the Southern Cross championship, besides being runner-up in the Metropolitan championship. I believe that neither has de- veloped his game to the full extent. Both are very capable with the iron clubs, and Brooks is quite a phenomenal putter.
It was a surprise when W. Rosseter Betts, then of Yale, proved to be the runner-up to Mr. Whigham in the amateur championship at the Chicago Golf Club. It was a surprise of the same sort when Walter B. Smith, also of Yale, a year later finished next to Mr. Douglas in the amateur championship at the Morris County Golf Club. Joseph H. Choate, Jr., of Harvard, won the gold medal in the score round on the same occasion. Mr. Smith has a very " ortho- dox " style and drives perhaps as long a ball as any amateur we have. He and the others in the little band of collegians who first gained prominence in golf are now out of college and striving for honors in our national champion- ships. Some have since made the round of the links in England and Scotland, to give a finish to their game. To complete the roster I may name John Reid, Jr., and Roderick Terry, Jr., of Yale ; J. F. Curtis and W. Bayard Cutting, Jr., of Harvard; and L. P. Bayard, Jr., J. I. Blair, Jr., and W. D. Vanderpool, of Prince- ton, all of whom are now in the first fiight of our players. But it is to the players who are still in college, and even to the school-boys, that the golfing
C. B. Macdonald.
68
Golf — the Men
world looks at this time with the most interest. This set of golfers took up the game after it had passed the experimental stage and become an established recreation. They have had better amateurs to cope with, or at least more of them, and also the benefit of the best professional coaching. I think the present set at the colleges is playing stronger golf as a class, therefore, than their pred- ecessors did. A proof of this state- ment is the high average of the play at the last Intercollegiate tournament, held at Garden City in the fall of 1899. The standard of play was as high as had been seen in a tournament here to that time. It is true that the links were in exceptional condition for low scoring. The putting greens were like velvet, and the fair greens so fast and glossy after the prolonged drought that the golf balls rolled along like a boy's marble over a pavement. Only the successful negotiation of a stimie by Pyne, on the home green in the semi-finals with Hitchcock, Jr., which halved the hole in three, won out the title for the Princetonian, and some of the other matches were as closely fought out. J. G. Averell, then of Harvard, had an 80 in the qualifying round, and J. A. Edwards, Columbia, an 8 I . These were record marks un- til the amateur championship over the same course last July. The course had been extended to over 6,100 yards, yet the four leading scores were W. J. Travis, 85, 81 = 166; R. C. Watson, Jr., 83, 86= 169; J. A. Still- man, 83, 92 ^ 175; and E. M. Byers, 87, 89 ^ 176. During the week of match-play, Douglas got a 78 and Travis a 79, while the best marks for the outward holes were a 35 for Travis and a 36 by both Lockwood and myself. The college set made up over a half of the survivors to the third round, when only John Stuart, Princeton; C. Hitchcock, Jr., Yale; and Harry Hol- lins, Jr., then the Interscholastic champion, but now of Harvard, had a life left, as they say at pool. Nearly all of the college boys who qualified at the amateur championship will be seen again at the Intercollegiate meeting in May,
Winthro-p Rutherfurd.
Golf — the Men
71
but whether the old set will qualify again is an open question. The new recruits who have been playing in the school-boy tournaments are very apt to upset some of the calculations of their senior classmen. Byers is now champion of Yale, but the holders of that title in other instances are new men — Poole, at Princeton ; Hill, at the University of Pennsylvania; and Wheelock, at Harvard. But whether the new or old set of col- legians win out, it is safe to wager that the tournament will bring out golf of the highest class.
The present holder of the Inter- collegiate championship, Percy Pyne, 2d, has since been beaten by Abram Poole, Jr., for the Princeton cham- pionship, but it is by no means certain that Poole could repeat his success on a long course. Pyne is a slasher on the long game, but, unlike most of the college boys, an uncertain putter. There is not space enough in a single article to mention all of the worthv college golfers, past and present. Gar- diner G. Hubbard, of Harvard, for instance, has a very charming style. Without the least effort he gets an exceptionally long ball, but this is of- ten offset by a tendency to be wild in direction. Still, I think Hubbard is sure to become a renowned player should he keep up the game. John Reid, Jr., who has the credit of having
introduced the game at Yale, has a sterling good style, and his trip abroad after leaving college helped his game materially. A. G. Lockwood only beat him in the amateur championship after forty holes had been played ; in my opinion the hard fight took the edge off the game the young Englishman had been playing. J. F. Curtis, late of Harvard, is one of the best exponents of the short game that we have, the result, I am told, of early lessons from the late Willie Campbell, who was so famous in his handling of the irons. Joseph H. Choate, Jr., W. Bayard Cutting, Jr., I. Townsend Burden, J. I. Blair, Jr., and W. D. Vanderpool, the last two old Princetonians, all made their mark at golf while in college. I have already referred to the long driving powers of Walter B. Smith, formerly
Gardiner G. Hubbard.
72
Golf — the Men
of Yale, but I think these are now discounted by the ball sent out by Hugo R. Johnstone, another player of the Chicago set. Roderick. Terry, Jr., another old Yalesian, has a commanding and most graceful style. C. Hitchcock, Jr., Yale, is one of the youngest and best of the college set, with an especially good nerve for match-play, and Vardon, on his trip to New Haven, spoke in praise of the game of L. G. Myers and T. Markoe Robertson. C. Tiffany Richardson, Har-
Jasper Lynch.
J. A. Stillman.
vard, who learned his game at Shinnecock Hills, is a good all-'round player, and so is J. G. Averell, also of Harvard, whom Pyne only beat on the thirty-seventh hole for the Intercollegiate championship. Averell beat Lockwood in one of the Myopia tournaments last season.
The school-boys of the present have no excuse for not golfing well, for they have quite as many advantages to help them on as the youths in Great Britain. The coming season will show to what extent the youngsters have profited by their opportunities, for those who have been leaders in Interscholastic golf since its start are this year in the freshmen classes at college. Both the present and the former Interscholastic champions are at Harvard. The title- holder was Harry B. Hollins, Jr., of Westbrook. As far back as 1896, when only fourteen, he won an open handicap at Meadowbrook, 191-4= 187, and in the same year the gold medal at the Westbrook open tournament. I regard young Hollins as the equal of any player of his experience in the world. The
Golf — the Men
73
other Interscholastic champion was G. Owen Winston. He is not as tall nor as strong as Hollins, Jr., but Winston has quite as perfect a style.
Among those who are no longer at college, yet might be mentioned in the class, are G. C. Clark, Jr., of Shinnecock Hills, who displays a well-balanced game, and four Westbrook players who are in the first rank as true golfers and at tournaments — R. C. Watson, Jr., Louis Livingston, Jr., Lindsley Tappin,
Reginald Brooks.
A. M. Robbins.
and W. L. Gunther. They play much alike in style and all are hard to beat. Three of the older set who are now golfing well are C. M. Hamilton, of Bal- tusrol; W. H. Davis, of Buffalo; and Fred P. Kimball, of Lakewood, the latter a most accurate player of the short-swing, steady-going sort.
Howard A. Colby, Wirt L. Thompson, Allan Kennaday, Archibald Gra- ham, Jr., C. H. Murphey, F. M. Mackey, and Frank Croker are other players of promise. Public golf within the year has become an established recreation, to be fostered by the park officers, and doubtless there are hundreds of fine players whom I have never seen at all.
To pass from the players to the caddies is- an easy transition. Yet much depends on a competent service from the caddie. In an important match I sometimes think it is not very desirable to have a professional of renown to caddie for you, for the expert too often frames his advice on what he can do and ignores your own capabilities. On this account I think you need a boy
74
Golf — the Men
A. M. Coats.
who knows your clubs and does not have to be prompted as to which one to pull out of the bag; in other words he must be inter- ested and understand the game. Some cad- dies have to be told everything; others grasp the idea as cleverly as if by intuition. Cad- dies should relieve you of all the trivial wor- ries of the game without being told.
Since writing the foregoing notes the amateur and open championships have both taken place, and in both the golf was much finer than in previous years. A number who qualified last year failed to do so in this year's championship, and their places were gener- ally filled by the younger set of players. Ten of those who qualified this year were, for the most part, in college, others had just graduated, and some were not yet in college.
This gives us a good line on what to expect in the future. In the match-play all of these played ex- cellent golf until they were matched against older players, and then they seemed to lose through lack of ex- perience and over-keenness to win. Strange to say, three of the men left in the semi-finals were the same as last year, Mr. Lockwood taking the place of Mr. Macdonald, who did not play. Mr. Travis's win was a most fortunate one for the game, and he thoroughly deserved it — it shows what perseverance and prac- tice, with study, will do. There is no one whose game for the past year shows greater improvement. He has lengthened out his drive thirty to forty yards, he has im- proved in putting, and his short game is a marvel. All this he has
H. J. IVhigham.
Golf — the Men
75
gained by continued practice and unusual patience. Personally I should rather acquire Mr. Douglas's game, as I think it more perfect in style, easier, and more
Henry P. Toler.
M. R. Wright.
graceful. If he could only put better he would certainly have won the two championship matches in which he was runner-up.
A. G. Lockwood seemed to be a dangerous man this year, and, after his victory at Myopia and the great game he put up at Baltusrol, he looked to be a winner. The nervous strain was too much for him, however, and that com- bined with the heat, which seemed to affect him, caused him to collapse. R. C. Watson, Jr., had also been playing very well, and finished second to Travis in the qualifying round with 169. He met his fate in the first round, however (in what might be considered an unfortunate draw), being beaten by Travis. On the whole it seems as though the older players could still hold their own in important matches, but on the average the golf has greatly improved since 1899.
>//7^Aa^.
^
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS
Compiled bv H. L. FitzPatrick
Two "amateur championships" were announced for 1894, in September, at the Newport Country Club, at eighteen holes medal play, in which seven cards were returned, and in October at the St. Andrew's Golf Club, at eighteen holes match play, twenty-eight appearing for the first round. In December the United States Golf Association was organized, and it has since had control of the championships, which have been held under the following conditions:
1895. Newport Country Club. Match play, eighteen hole rounds, final at thirty- six holes.
1896. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Medal play, thirty-six holes, sixteen to qualify for eighteen hole match play rounds, with final at thirty-six holes. Low score, H. J. Whigham, 163 ; high score to qualify, 180.
1897. Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton. Same conditions; lowest score, C. B. Mac- donald, 174; high score to qualify, 197.
1898. Morris County Golf Club. Qualifying and all match play, rounds at thirty- six holes, with thirty-two to qualify. Lowest score, Joseph H. Choate, Jr., 175; high score to qualify, 189.
1899. Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest. Same conditions; lowest score, C. B. Mac- donald, 168; high score to qualify, 187.
1900. Garden City Golf Club. Same conditions; lowest score, Walter J. Travis, 166 ; high score to qualify, 187.
The championship trophy of the United States Golf Association is a silver vase, the gift of the late Theodore A. Havemeyer. The winner's name is placed on it and he receives a gold medal ; the runner-up gets a silver medal. The third and fourth prizes are bronze medals. The maker of the low score in the qualifying round receives a gold medal.
The appended table shows the subsequent play of all who returned cards or were en- tered for match play in the meetings of 1894 and 1895, ^"^ ^'^° ^^^ records of all who have qualified since 1896, inclusive. " N. Q." denotes non-qualification, the medal play score being added when a card was returned.
|
Newport, |
St. Andrews, |
Newport, |
Shinnecock |
Wheaton, |
Morris Co., |
Lake Forest, |
Garden City, |
|
|
1894. |
1894. |
1895. |
Hills, 1896. |
1897. |
1898. |
1899. |
1900. |
|
|
G. E. Armstrong, Fox Hills. . |
_ |
RM I |
N.Q.I92 |
|
N.Q.I92 |
N.Q.2IO |
||
|
F. I. Amory, Brookline |
|
— |
Semi-finals |
N.Q.181 |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
J. C. Averell, Rochester |
|
|
— |
— |
|
— |
R'd 2 |
|
|
C. Wheeler Barnes, St. Andrew ' s |
|
R'd 2 |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
— |
|
Robert Bacon, Brookline |
|
R'd I |
. - |
— |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
L. P. Bayard, Jr., Baltusrol . . |
|
|
— |
R'd I |
— |
R'd 2 |
— |
— -" |
|
G. Bement, Essex |
|
|
R'd 2 |
— |
— |
— |
|
— |
|
T. Sterling Beckwith, Cleveland |
|
|
— |
— . |
— |
— |
R'd I |
R'd 2 |
|
W. R. Betts, Shinnecock Hills |
|
|
— |
N.Q.I 84 |
Runner-up |
— |
— |
— |
|
S. H. Bennett, Brookline .... |
|
|
R'd I |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
0. W. Bird, Meadowbrook . . |
|
R'd 2 |
R'd 2 |
|
— |
— |
— |
N.Q.217 |
|
L. A. Biddle. Philadelphia . . . |
|
— |
R'd I |
N.Q.208 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
H. M. Billings, Ardsley |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
Def.R'd I |
N.Q.187 |
— |
|
J. I. Blair, Morris County . . . |
|
|
|
|
— |
R'd I |
N.Q.188 |
— |
|
Reginald Brooks, Newport . . . |
|
|
|
|
— |
N.Q.194 |
— |
R'd I |
|
J. H. Brooks, Allegheny .... |
|
|
|
|
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
|
|
J. L. Breese, Tuxedo |
. |
|
R'd 1 |
|
— |
— |
. — |
— |
|
F. H. Bohlen, Philadelphia. . . |
|
|
|
|
— |
R'd 2 |
. — . |
N.Q.191 |
|
E. McB. Byers, Yale |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
Golf — the Men
77
|
Newport, |
St. Andrews, |
Newport, |
Shinnecock |
Wheaton, |
Morris Co., |
Lake Forest, |
Garden City, |
|
|
1894. |
1894. |
1895. |
Hills, 1896. |
1897. |
1898. |
1899. |
1900. |
|
|
Sheldon Gary, Cleveland . . |
R'd I |
|||||||
|
W. C. Carnegie, Pittsburg. |
— |
— |
— . |
— |
— |
N.Q.I97 |
R'd I |
N.Q. 1 89 |
|
Joseph H. Choate, Jr., Harva |
rd — |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
— |
|
|
J. R. Chadwick, Richmond C |
0. — |
— |
— |
R'd I |
R'd I |
N.Q.195 |
— |
— |
|
Dr. C. Claxton, Philadelphi |
J. — |
— |
Semi-finals |
N.Q..91 |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
R. J. Clark, Brookline |
|
— |
R'd I |
— . |
— |
|
— |
|
|
A. DeWitt Cochrane, Ardsle |
y- — |
|
|
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
N.Q. 1 89 |
|
A. M. Coats, Newport.. . . |
— |
|
Semi-finals |
R'd 2 |
R'd 3 |
— |
N.Q. 1 97 |
|
|
Richard Crowell, Cleveland |
|
|
|
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
|
|
W. B. Cutting, Jr., Westbro |
ok — |
— |
|
R'd I |
— |
R'd I |
|
|
|
I^urence Curtis, Brookline . |
221 |
R'd 2 |
R'd I |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hon. \^'m. Curtis, England |
|
R'd 1 |
— |
|
— |
|
|
. |
|
1. F. Curtis, Essex |
— |
— |
N.Q.I 88 |
— |
R'd I |
R'd I R'd I |
||
|
J ' H. H. Cumming, Swannano |
a. — |
N.Q.191 |
||||||
|
B. S. de Garmendia, St. A |
n- |
|||||||
|
drew's |
|
. |
Def. R'd 1 |
N.Q..91 |
|
|
|
|
|
Findlay S. Douglas, Fairfield |
|
|
Semi-finals |
Won |
Runner-up |
Runner-up |
||
|
James Dwight, Brookline. . . |
246 |
— |
|
|
— |
— |
|
|
|
W. E. Eagan, Onwentsia.. |
— |
— |
|
|
— |
— |
R'd I |
— |
|
Devereaux Emmet, Gard |
en |
|||||||
|
City |
N.Q.191 |
R'd I |
||||||
|
W. Fairbanks, Denver .... |
_ |
|
_ |
__ |
R'd 2 |
_ |
||
|
Arthur H. Fenn, Palmetto . |
|
|
|
R'd I |
R'd 2 |
|
|
|
|
D. R. Forgan, Chicago . . . |
— |
— |
|
— |
R'd I |
— |
R'd 2 |
— |
|
G. D. Fowle, Philadelphia. |
— |
— |
. |
. — |
— |
R'd 2 |
— |
— |
|
J. F. Gray, Shinnecock Hills |
— |
R'd I |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
R. E. Griscom, Merion. .. |
|
|
|
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
— |
|
C. S. Hanks, Essex |
|
RM 2 |
— • |
— |
— |
— |
||
|
H. M. Harriman, Meadov |
V- |
|||||||
|
brook |
N.Q.194 |
R'd 2 |
Won |
Semi-finals |
||||
|
M. J. Henry, Brookline. . . |
|
|
R'd 2 |
|
||||
|
D. Henderson, St. Andrew' |
s. |
R'd 3 |
— |
|
— |
|
— |
— . |
|
C. Hitchcock, Jr., Point Judi |
th — |
|
|
|
— |
|
. |
R'd 3 |
|
H. B. Hollins, Jr., Westbro |
ok — |
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
R'd 3 |
|
W. Holabird, Jr., Glen view |
|
|
|
|
— |
. |
R'd 2 |
|
|
Gould Hoyt, Tuxedo |
|
|
Def. R'd I |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
W. E. Hodgman, St. Andrew |
's _ |
R'd 3 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
— |
|
F. L. V. Hoppin, St. Andrew |
's — |
R'd 2 |
|
N.Q.iSs |
— |
|
|
— |
|
George Hunter, Richmond C |
0. |
R'd 2 |
|
— |
|
— |
— |
|
|
G. G. Hubbard, Oakley . . |
|
|
|
|
— |
R'd I |
R'd 3 |
R'd I |
|
T. C. Jenkinson, Baltimore |
|
|
|
|
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
Allan Kennadav, Montclair. |
|
|
|
|
— |
— |
|
R'd I |
|
E. C. Kent, Tuxedo |
|
R'd I |
|
|
. — . |
— |
— |
— |
|
Wm. Kent, Tuxedo |
|
|
R'd I |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Foxhall P. Keene, Oakland. |
|
|
- . |
|
N.Q. 199 |
R'd 3 |
— |
|
|
R. Bage Kerr, Lakewood . . |
|
|
R'd I |
N.Q.I 88 |
|
|
||
|
H. T. Kneeland, Buffalo . . |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
Wm. Lawrence, Newport . |
. 188(1) |
Semi-finals |
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Herbert C. Leeds, Myopia. |
• 217 |
— |
— |
N.Q.181 |
— |
N.Q.192 |
— |
N.Q.188 |
|
A. L. Livermore, St. Andrew |
's |
R'd 3 |
R'd 2 |
R'd I |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
C. P. Lineaweaver, Philadelph |
ia - |
|
|
|
R'd 1 |
R'd 2 |
N.Q.191 |
|
|
L. Livingston, Jr., Westbroo |
k. — |
— |
|
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
|
A. G. Lockwood, Allston. . |
|
— |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
Semi-finals |
|
P. Lorillard, Jr., Tuxedo. . |
|
R'd I |
|
i |
|
— |
— |
— |
|
Jasper Lynch, Lakewood. . . |
|
, |
N.Q.I 87 |
— |
R'd 2 |
R'd I |
N.Q |
|
|
Henry May, Washington . . |
|
R'd I |
|
N.Q. |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
C. B. Macdonald, Chicago |
• '89(2) |
Runner-up |
Won |
R'd I |
Semi-finals |
Semi-finals |
Semi-finals |
— |
|
Herbert McBride, Cleveland |
— , |
— |
|
— |
|
R'd I |
— |
|
|
W.M. McCawley.Philadelph |
ia — |
— |
— |
N.Q.192 |
— |
— |
R'd I |
R'd 2 |
|
F. W. Menzies, St. Andrew' |
5. — |
— |
— |
N.Q. 1 80 |
— |
R'd I |
— |
— |
7S
Coif — the Men
|
Newport, |
St. Andrewa, |
Newport, |
Shinnecock |
Wheaton, |
Munis Co., |
Lake Forest, |
Garden City, |
|
|
i«94. |
1894. |
1895. |
Hills, 1896. |
1897. |
1898. |
1899. |
1900. |
|
|
John Moorhead, Jr., Pittsburg. |
^_ |
|
R'd 1 |
N.Q.I9S |
|
|
N.Q. |
N.Q. 209 |
|
A. Morten, Westchester Co. . |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
R'd 2 |
N.Q. 193 |
N.Q. |
|
A. L. Norris, Dyker Meadow. |
— |
|
— |
— |
|
— |
N.Q. 188 |
R'd I |
|
James Park, Richmond County. |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
N.Q. 189 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Richard Peters, Newport .... |
— |
— |
R'd 1 |
N.Q. 180 |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q. |
|
Percy Pyne, zd, Princeton . . . |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q. 1 80 |
— |
R'd 1 |
|
R. A. Rainev, Cleveland .... |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 1 |
|
Rev. W. S. Rainsford, St. An- |
||||||||
|
drew's |
~~" |
— |
R'd 3 |
|
R'd 1 |
R'd 2 |
R'd 3 |
|
|
John Reid, Jr., St. Andrew's . |
R'd 3 |
|||||||
|
John Reid, St. Andrew's .... |
— |
R'd 3 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
C. T. Richardson, Shinnecock |
||||||||
|
Hills |
— |
— |
Def. R'd 1 |
— |
— |
N.Q. 195 |
— |
R'd I |
|
G. T. Rice, Brookline |
||||||||
|
A. Rogers, Shinnecock Hills. . |
— |
Semi-finals |
R'd 3 |
N.Q..93 |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
T. M. Robertson, Yale |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q. 187 |
— |
N.Q. 196 |
— |
R'd 2 |
|
R. H. Robertson, St. Andrew's |
— |
R'd I |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
R. Robertson, Staten Island . . |
— |
R'd 1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Arden M.Robbins.St. Andrew's |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
R'd 1 |
|
W. Rutherford, Meadowbrook |
— |
— |
R'd 3 |
N.Q.182 |
— |
N.Q. |
— |
— |
|
Dr. E. C. Rushmore, Tuxedo. |
— |
R'd 1 |
R'd I |
R'd 1 |
— |
R'd 1 |
— |
— |
|
C. E. Sands, St. Andrew's . . |
— |
— |
Runner-up |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
VV. H. Sands, St. Andrew's . |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
R'd 2 |
— |
R'd 1 |
— |
— |
|
G. McC. Sargeant, Essex .... |
ZOl |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
C. H. Seeley, Wee Burn .... |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
|
Alfred Seton, Jr., Tuxedo . . . |
— |
R'd I |
R'd 3 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Quincy A. Shaw, Myopia . . . |
— |
— |
R'd 1 |
N.Q. 1 82 |
— |
N.Q. 190 |
— |
R'd 2 |
|
W. Breeze Smith, Tuxedo. . . |
— |
R'd 1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Walter B. Smith, Onwentsia. . |
— |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q..98 |
Runner-up |
R'd 2 |
— |
|
A. H. Smith, Huntingdon Val- |
||||||||
|
ley |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
R'd 1 |
N.Q..91 |
|
Harold C. Smith, Onwentsia . |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
|
|
Victor Sorchan, Newport .... |
— |
— |
R'd I |
— |
— |
N.Q. 204 |
— |
— |
|
L. B. Stoddart, St. Andrew's. |
— - |
Won |
R'd 2 |
N.Q. 180 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
W. Girdwood Stewart, Scotland |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
— |
— |
— |
|
J. A. Stillman, Jr., Meadowbrook |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q. 200 |
R'd I |
R'd 3 |
— |
R'd I |
|
John Stuart, Princeton |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
R'd 3 |
|
Stewart Stickney, St. Louis . . |
— - |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
R'd I |
|
|
R. Svkes, Denver |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
R'd 1 |
N.Q.201 |
R'd I |
|
|
H. R. Sweny, Albany |
— |
|||||||
|
Roderick Terry, Jr., Ardsley . |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q..96 |
— |
— |
R'd 2 |
— |
|
Slason Thompson, Onwentsia . |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q. 219 |
R'd 1 |
— |
|
J. G. Thorp, Oakley |
— |
— |
— |
Runner-up |
N.Q. 203 |
R'd 2 |
R'd 3 |
N.Q..87 |
|
Gilman P. Tiffany, Povvelton . |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd 1 |
|
H. P. Toler, Baltusrol |
— |
— |
— |
Semi-finals |
— ■ |
R'd I |
R'd 3 |
— |
|
H. K. Toler, Baltusrol |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
— |
— |
|
H. G. Trevor, Shinnecock Hills |
— |
— |
R'd 1 |
R'd 2 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Walter J. Travis, Garden City |
|
|
— . |
— |
— |
Semi-finals |
Semi-finals |
Won |
|
J. A. Tyng, Morris County. . |
|
|
— |
R'd 2 |
R'd I |
R'd 2 |
R'd 2 |
R'd 2 |
|
J. B. Upham, St. Andrew's. . |
— |
R'd 2 |
— |
N.Q. 198 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
E. Van Cortlandt, Tuxedo. . . |
— |
R'd 1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
O. Van Cortlandt, Tuxedo . . |
|
R'd 1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
W. W. Watson, Canada |
214 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
■ — |
— |
— |
|
R. C. Watson, Jr., Westbrook |
— |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q.210 |
— |
R'd I |
|
|
Wm. Waller, Onwentsia .... |
— |
— |
— |
— |
N.Q.203 |
N.Q..98 |
R'd 1 |
N.Q..98 |
|
L. Waterbury, Westchester Co. |
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
H. J. Whigham, Onwentsia . . |
|
— |
— |
Won |
Won |
N.Q. 194 |
— |
— |
|
G. S. Willetts, Chicago |
|
— |
— |
— |
R'd I |
— |
— |
|
|
M. R. Wright, Philadelphia.. |
J |
— |
— |
— |
|
R'd I |
N.Q.192 |
Golf — the Men yg
STARTED IN QUALIFYING ROUNDS,
WITH SCORES WHEN RETURNED
1896. — G. Atterbury, Shinnecock Hills, 213; James Brown, St. Andrew's, 206 ; Charles S. Brown, Shinnecock Hills, 195; Charles Bohlen, Philadelphia, i 87 ; F. O. Beach, Meadowbrook ; G. C. Clark, Jr., Shinnecock Hills, 189; W. H. Crittenden, Dyker Meadow, 195; W. B. Crittenden, Dyker Meadow, 205; H. D. Chapin, Brookline, 216; Peter FJetcher, St. Andrew's; T. B. Gannett, Jr., Essex, 180; H. F. Godfrey, Shinnecock Hills, 206; R. P. Huntingdon, Staatsburg, 203; O. Hockmeyer, Harbor Hill, 190; Dr. Paul T. Kimball, Lakewood, 187; John M. Knapp, Westbrook, 191; Grenville Kane, Tuxedo, 216; L. E. Larocque, Shinnecock Hills, 202; D. M. Little, Cambridge, 202; J. H. Merritt, Dyker Meadow, 204; C. A. Murphy, Baltimore, 221; Henry May, Washington; C. T. Newhall, Philadelphia, 184; G. E. Perkins, Baltusrol, 201; A. L. Ripley, Brookline, 182; C. T. Stout, Richmond County, 186; Wm. Shippen, Morris County, 193; R. B. Stone, Essex, 209; J. F. Talmage, Dyker Meadow; C. L. Tappin, Westbrook, 182 ; Henry W. Taft, St. Andrew's, 190; Lindsley Tappin, Westbrook, 193 ; Beverley Ward, Jr., Baltusrol, 202 ; J. A. Weekes, Jr., Nassau County, 198 ; H. R. Win- throp, Jr., Newport.
1897. — S. D. Bowers, Otsego, 199; E. I. Frost, Chicago, 204; V. Shaw Kennedy, Onwentsia, 204; Howard Morris, Chicago, 201 ; Sol. A. Smith, Onwentsia, 200.
1898. — B. C. Allen, Philadelphia, 197; C. D. Barnes, Shinnecock Hills, 202; J. B. Baker, St. Andrew's, 191 ; Maturin Ballou, Apawamis, 200; F. O. Beach, Meadowbrook, 195; F. W. Bacon, Jr., Morris County; John B. Bowman, Rochester; G. C. Clark, Jr., Shinnecock Hills, 190; D. Chauncey, Dyker Meadow, 192 ; W. B. Cheney, Orford, 202 ; E. R. Driver, Riverside, 193; F. L. Denny, Washington, 213; W. B. Dinsmore, Jr., Tuxedo, 194; Sherman Day, Shinnecock Hills, 214; Howard Elting, St. Louis, 208; E. 1. Frost, Chicago, 211 ; H. M. Forest, Philadelphia, 210; R. D. Graham, North Jersey, 209; Patrick Grant, Palmetto, 199; A. Z. Huntington, Scranton, 196; H. Holbrook, Jr., St. Andrew's, 195; O. Hockmeyer, Harbor Hill, 196; B. S. Home, Pittsburg; Jarvis Hunt, Onwentsia; A. G. Jennings, Tuxedo, 208; Grenville Kane, Tuxedo, 196; E. Leavitt, Fairfield, 202 ; M. M. Michael, Yountakah, 191 ; J. J. Manning, Seabright, 208 ; J. N. Manning, Denver, 195; W. Y. Marsh, Morris County; Clarence Moore, Chevy Chase; DeLancey Nicoll, Ardsley, 200 ; O. McCammon, Washington ; Dr. B. O'Connor, Staten Island, 209; C. L. Perkins, Rockaway, 197; J. F. Palmer, Riverside; A. W. Post, Morris County, 200; A. L. Ripley, Brookline, 198; T. T. Reid, Montclair, 205; J. C. Rennard, Tuxedo, 197; H. W. Slocum, Baltusrol, 219; W. P. Smith, Huntingdon Valley, 190; C. T. Stout, Richmond County, 195 ; John Sippola, Milwaukee, 193 ; O. D. Thomp- son, Allegheny, 201 ; C. L. Tappin, Westbrook, 197; W. R. Thurston, Morris County, 196; R. Talbot, Tuxedo, 192; W. P. Thompson, C. B. Van Brunt, Crescent A. C, 217; W. D. Vanderpool, Morris County, 189; J. B. Winsor, Jr., Philadelphia, 191; G. E. Watson, Westbrook, 191 ; F. L. Woodward, Denver, 203.
1899. — W. A. Alexander, Exmoor, 192 ; H. K. Allen, Riverside, 198 ; K. L. Ames, Exmoor; L. T. Boyd, Milwaukee, 190; C. A. Barnard, Rock Island Arsenal, 199; C. W. Burr, Rock Island Arsenal, 203 ; Mark C. Cummings, Washington Park, 192; Ralph Cracknell, Oakley, 193; C. B. Cory, Wallaston, 201; D. M. Cummings, Washington Park, 203; J. D. Cody, Rock Island Arsenal, 222; F. L. Denny, Washington, 218; E. R. Driver, Riverside ; Howard Elting, St. Louis, 202 ; F. D. Frazer, Glenview, 205 ; E.
So Golf — the Men
I. Frost, Chicago, 205; G. V. Fiske, Onwentsia, 209; K. C. Green, Onwentsia; H. K. Havemeyer, Knollwood, 210; J. D. Hubbard, Onwentsia, 208; B. S. Home, Pittsburg, 198; Phelps B. Hoyt, Glenview, 197; Fred R. Hamlin, Chicago, 192; J. P. Kellogg, Seabright, 190; W. B. Kirk, Onwentsia, 195; Grenville Kane, Tuxedo, 196; J. M. Kirk, Glenview, 208; E. F. McGlachlin, Dyker Meadow, 190; Clarence Moore, Washington, 194; F. C. Miller, Glenview, 196 ; Walter McKittrick, St. Louis, 203 ; G. A. McKinlock, Onwentsia, 205 ; D. H. McAlpin, Mt. Pleasant Field, 226 ; J. J. McCloskey, Swannanoa ; W. J. Osborne, Glenview, 205 ; Dr. B. O'Connor, Staten Island ; Ralph Poole, Onwentsia ; W. F. Pillsbury, Onwentsia, 195 ; W. J. Patton, Allegheny, 208 ; Allan Reid, Cincinnati; G. H. Russell, Milwaukee, 195 ; H. R. Rhea, Onwentsia ; H. H. Shearson, Chicago ; Albert Shailer, Sinnissippi ; J. M. Sellers, Glenview ; Thomas Taylor, Jr., Onwentsia, 193 ; O. D. Thompson, Allegheny, 195; P. K. Tyng, Buffalo, 207; W. D. Vanderpool, Morris County, 189; T. T. Watson, Exmoor, 226; R. G. Watson, Jr., Onwentsia, 200; J. W. Watson, Exmoor, 205 ; W. D. Young, Baltimore, 206 ; Roy S, York, Cleveland, 213.
>^iiiva,gw, iwy, ^K^iiviiiw J1.C111V., i UAVia.J, -^ ■ J , i ■> . J^vyiigvy Willi, ■.^iiiviiiiKti.i, ^w^ , j. ^. i^lll^_-
aweaver, Philadelphia, 202 ; G. C. Lafferty, Washington, 203 ; H F. McGlachlin, Dyker Meadow ; S. Maddock, Crescent A. C, 189 ; M. M. Michael, Yountakah, 197 ; Dr. C. W. O'Connor, F.ssex (Orange), 190 ; Archie Reid, St. Andrew's, 203 ; R. Russell, Detroit, 216 ; C. M. Ransom, Buffalo, 189; A. Shailer, Sinnissippi; D.Sully, Providence, 211 ; M. M. Singer, F'ox Hills; W. Poulteney Smith, Huntingdon Valley, 189; O. D. Thompson, Pittsburgh, 197; W. L. Thompson, Baltusrol ; W. Wadsworth, Hillside, 199; G. O. Winston, Westchester Golf, 202; Dr. J. A. Wells, Englewood, 216; B. S. Warren, Detroit, 190.
COURT-TENNIS. RAC- QUETS. HAND-FIVES & SQUASH-TENNIS
EUSTACE H. MILES
Winner of the Gold Prize at Cambridge, 1897 -'98 -'99, and Amateur Champion of England and the United States at Court- Tennis, and of the United States and of Canada at Racquets and Squash-Tennis,
T. SUFFERN TAILER GEO. RICHMOND FEARING, Jr.
Winner of the National Championship for Court-Tennis, 1897
LAWRENCE M. STOCKTON
Winner of the National Championship for Court-Tennis i896-i898-i899
MOLLIS H. HUNNEWELL, Jr.
Winner of the Club Championship for Racquets, B.A.A., 1897
EDWARD LA MONTAGNE
COURT-TENNIS, RAC- QUETS, HAND-FIVES, AND SQUASH-TENNIS
BY EUSTACE H. MILES
HE various authors of the Badminton Library volume on Tennis and other Ball-games did not foresee that these games would take deep root in America. But they have taken deep root, and are flourishing and spreading continually. The end of 1899 and the beginning of 1900 witnessed a unique series of International and Exhibition Matches in this country, and now Courts and players are multiplying rapidly, the interest is growing, and the standard of play is rising. It will be interesting to all lovers of sport to know who have been responsible for this excellent result, and what are the chief features and merits of these Ball- games, and who are the best players in America at the present time.
Racquets came from England — we trace it back no farther — to Montreal in Canada, about a century ago, and from Canada the game entered the United States. Court-Tennis came from France to England, and from England, to the United States: it has not yet reached Canada, but probably it will very soon. Squash and Fives also came direct from England.
It was Mr. La Montagne who brought Racquets from Canada to New York, and he might be called the father of Racquets in the United States. Bos- ton and Chicago also have their Courts and their good professional teachers, Pettitt and Boakes. Court-Tennis had its first home not in New York, but in Boston, in which city Mr. Hunnewell introduced the game, and Pettitt taught it with simply astonishing keenness and success. New York has its Court, with Alfred Tompkins as marker and indefatigable teacher. Besides Newport and Chicago, Tuxedo can now boast of its Court — probably the finest in the whole world; and within a year the list will have to be considerably enlarged : it already includes, for example, the private Court of Mr. George Gould.
The above Clubs have Squash-Courts as well ; but it will not be long before the Squash-Courts attached to private houses. Schools and Universities will easily outnumber the Club-Courts. Mr. Hunnewell's Squash-Court at Wellesley seems to have been the first in this country.
Now what is it that makes these games so popular in America ? They are
84 Court -Tennis^ I^aa^uets^ Hand- Fives ^ and Sc^uash -Tennis
not played in the open air, and they are somewhat expensive ; what are their great merits? What is there in them which makes it certain that the heads of the various American Univer- sities and Schools will introduce them before long into the regular course of School and University Athletics, and then Inter-School and Inter-University Athletics, till at last America produces its World's Amateur Champion ?
America is a land of energetic brain-working com- petitive men, and a land of severe weather, of frost, snow, and rain. It is also a land of wealth. The brain-workers crave for relaxation, and they crave for relaxation of an ^ energetic kind; this, for a great part of the year, they can not obtain out of doors. Hence they seek indoor exer- cise, and they prefer it in its most exciting form, in the form of rapid competition. Lastly, being rich, they can afford the very best of indoor games — viz.. Racquets, Court -Tennis, and Squash. It has been very, very sad to see the decay of Racquets in England, and at
t Oxford and Cambridge in particular, on ac- count of nothing else but the expense. There is yet another reason why these games appeal to Americans: they not only give the mind a complete
change from business, but they also allow it to exercise itself and to be original. In these games there is great scope for originality, as Tom Pettitt has often proved to the cost of his old-fashioned opponents. As in Lawn-Tennis in 1 900, so in Court-Tennis, there is plenty of room for a new idea : and there is no earthly objection to this new idea being put in practice and being successful, so long as it is fair.
If we add that these games are splendid exercise for most of the muscles of the body, that they give a good sweat, that they improve the general health and the appe- tite, and that they enable friends to meet in a very pleasant way, and that so they fall in with the American social in- stinct, we shall cease to be surprised at their otherwise in- credible growth ; and we shall see before them a wonderful future of assured and increasing popularity and success. They are perfectly adapted to modern conditions in the United ^uincy A. Shaw, Jr. States and Canada.
Philip S. Sears.
Court -Tennis, I^acquets, Hand- Five f, and Scjuash -Tennis 8^
So far no mention has been made of Fives, a game
which is sometimes known as Hand-Fives : this game has
most of the good features of Squash, and also gives exercise
to the left hand and arm as well as to the right. Though
^^_ there are hundreds of Courts in England, especially
jl '^^B ^""^ "^^ ^^ great Schools and Universities, there are
.Jl ^B g \ comparatively few in the Schools and Universities
^ ^^ ^ ^ oi America. But there will be more every year,
for already certain Schools (such as Groton and St. Mark's) have taken to the game very keenly. Fives is the game which of all others is nearest to Boxing.
Leaving Fives on one side, and coming to a brief de- scription of the three other games, we may say that their main principle is that a racket shall hit a ball above a cer- tain line, and within certain limits (especially of height), before that ball has bounced twice; that the player who shall hit the ball too low or too high or after its second bounce shall lose the stroke, and that one of the objects of the player is to hit the ball just above the line, and out of the reach of his opponent.
How do the three games differ from one another ? Squash might be called Baby-Racquets, though this is not quite accurate. It is true that the Squash-Court is very like a baby Racquet-Court, and that in both games the ball has to be hit above a tell-tale board on the front wall. But Squash is played with a soft ball, usually very much larger than a Racquet ball (which just fits into the eye ! ) ; and Squash has several sets of rules. In fact, it is possible to play Squash with Lawn-Tennis rackets and Lawn-Tennis balls and Lawn-Tennis scoring. But Squash and Racquets differ radically from Lawn-Tennis in having side-walls and a back- wall against which the ball may be hit; these walls, with the various angles which they give to the course of the ball, and the extra chance which they allow to the player of getting up a ball which has passed him, are among the chief fascinations of the game. We may note that at Squash, which is played a good deal by ladies, it is easier to reach the standard at which one enjoys the game than at Racquets, Payne Whitney.
Austin Potter.
86 Court- Tennis^ I^acquetf^ Hand-Fiver, and Squash -Tennii
which has more ground to be covered. Besides this. Squash is decidedly the best preparation for Racquets and Court-Tennis.
Squash can reckon some very well-known Americans among its players and patrons ; many of these have Courts of their own. Mr. George Richmond Fearing, Jr., would probably be accounted the champion player, owing to his great reach and activity. After him might come Messrs. J. S. Tooker, H. H.
Hunnewell, J. Prentice, and T. S. Tailer. Then would follow a larger class, including Messrs. Milton Barger, O. W. Bird, Charles Bohlen (of Philadelphia), R. Brooks, H. M. Harriman, T. Hitchcock, and one or two others.
It is at present very hard to classify the leading players, since there has as yet been no championship with large entries, and the same players differ greatly from day to day, according to their state of training and other conditions. The first championship was held at Tuxedo in June, 1 900 ; but several of the leading players of America were prevented from coming, by pressure of business. Among older players and patrons might be mentioned Mr. Hunnewell, Mr. Travers, and Mr. Hitchcock, the two lat- ter having Courts of their own at Aiken. Nothing would better illustrate the growth of the game than a full list of other owners of Squash-Courts ; but here we must be content to quote the first names that come to mind — Mr. August Belmont, Mr. H. M. Harriman, Mr. W. L. Stowe, Mr. W. C. Whitney — these four names are from a single locality — Mr. Henry W. Poor, Mr. James L. Breese, and Mr. Augustus P. Gardner.
The game has such popularity, not only because it is simple and — up to a certain point — easy, because ladies and boys as well as elderly men can play it and enjoy it, and because it is healthy, but also because it does not take up a large piece of ground nor need a long time, and because it can be played hy electric light after business-hours are over. Hence the game can already count its devotees by hundreds, and will soon count them by thousands, as it already does in England. The growth in interest in i 900 warrants this belief.
It is chiefly because of early practice in Fives (Hand-Fives) and Squash that the English people have hitherto so often been successful at Tennis and Racquets.
From Squash we pass on to the more expensive and somewhat more diffi- cult game of Racquets ; but it may be suggested, en passant, that Racquets, like
Arthur Hunnewell.
Court -Tennis^ Racquets ^ Hand- Fives ^ and Squash -Tennis 8 J
Court-Tennis, would be far easier, far better played, and far more popular, if people did not start with the harder game until they had mastered Squash as a foundation for their play. To have learnt Squash is already more than half-way toward learning Racquets or Court-Tennis, as the great American masters of the arts, Tom Pettitt, Bob Moore, and George Standing, would probably all agree.
We shall understand the present state of Racquets in America far more clearly if we bear in mind that America has fewer Courts than England, fewer professionals, fewer players; that American players seldom begin the game till after their School and Uni- versity life is over ; that the players have not had abundant training in Squash; and that the American Courts are (with the exception of Philadelphia) slower, and the balls softer. The two latter differences tend to encourage begin- ners, but do not give such good practice for the faster game as it is played in England. If, however, Bickley is going to repair some of the American Courts when he comes over to build the new Racquet-Court at Tuxedo, then one condition at any rate will be altered. And it is probable that any School or University that goes in for Racquets will follow Tuxedo and have the fast Bickley-cement also.
The result of these conditions, and especially of the small number of pro- fessionals, Courts, players, and competitions, is that the standard of play is lower here than in England, where the Public Schools, the Universities, and the Army, tend to keep the play at a very high level. Still it seems to me that the Amer- ican standard is rapidly rising, and will rise steadily; for Americans are always ready, not only to watch Exhibition Matches, but also to learn new points and to put them to trial. Besides the standard, the style in America is usually dif- ferent. There is, chiefly owing to the slowness of the Courts and balls, less of a free swing and more of a " push," less of the straight low drive down the side- walls and more of the play onto the side-walls. There is decidedly less volleying and half-volleying, especially in taking the service, and the most useful backhand service into the right hand Court is rarely seen. But there are exceptions to some of the above general statements: thus Mr. Quincy Shaw, Jr., has an almost thor- oughly English "fast-court" style, and so has Mr. Clarence Mackay. In Canada, also, I noticed that Mr. F. F. Rolland was developing the half-volley and the back-hand service. It will not be long before the most modern English game is adopted in America.
Robert G. Shaw.
88 Court -Tennity Racquets ^ Hand- Fives ^ and Squash -Tennis
But the task of discussing the leading American players is in more competent hands than mine, and I shall pass on to a topic in which I feel more at home.
For now we are brought to the hardest of all Games, perhaps the hardest to play, certainly the hardest to describe ; and yet the most fascinating — at least the most fascinating to play. Court-Tennis, the game of kings and nobles, goes back to comparatively early French and not very modern Eng- lish history; thus Shakespeare, in a classical passage, uses the technical terms (such as "chase" and "hazard") metaphori- cally. We find allusions to the game in England before 1400. It is these old features of the game that make it so difficult to understand, so utterly complicated for most spectators. Here I can only try to tell of a few of the salient features of the game for the benefit of those who already know Lawn-Tennis, the daughter-game. I trust that some more light will be thrown on the subject in the article on Court-Tennis and Court-Tennis players at Boston. The game is not often seen by non-players, though Tuxedo welcomes lady - spectators and boy - spectators, and other Clubs might well have their ladies' days, both for Court-Tennis and for Rac- quets. It is for non-players that I write the following, in the hope that some of them may be dis- abused of the fallacy that Court-Tennis is impossible either to learn or to understand.
The actual scoring of points is the same in Court- Tennis as in Lawn-Tennis: a game might run as follows — "15 — love, 15 — all, 30 — 15, 30 — all, 40 — 30, deuce, van- tage to A, deuce, vantage to B, game;" and six games go to a set. But, in Court-Tennis, whoever has won the last point has his score called out first, instead of the server's score being called out first. Besides this, both games have a net in the middle, to separate the players; over the net they must alternately hit the ball before it has bounced twice; they may volley it or half-volley it. The ball is of about the same size as a Lawn-Tennis ball, and the rackets used in Court-Tennis and Lawn-Tennis are somewhat sim- ilar in size and in shape and weight.
But the differences are very marked. The Court-
Edgar Scott.
fV alter Rogers Furness.
Court -Tennis^ I(acquets^ Hand- Fives ^ and Squash-Tennis 8g
Tennis racket has a thicker frame and a smaller face, and is heavier and has stronger gut ; the ball is heavier, being full of compressed cloth and not of " nothing." The floor is of stone or cement, not of grass, or dirt, or sand, or gravel. The lines on the floor are not to mark the side-boundaries and back-boundaries, etc.; for such boundaries are practically abolished by side-walls and back-walls, although there is a "limit" of height.
These walls are all-important; a ball which would go out of Court at Lawn-Tennis will come back — be thrown back, as it were — into the Court at Court-Tennis. This makes the play far more complicated and, to many, far more interesting, owing to the number of angles at which the ball can approach the player. Hitting a ball onto the side-wall first, instead of straight over the centre-net, is called Boasthig. Again, in these walls there are certain openings into which one is allowed to hit the ball. This means that a stroke, for example a hard drive, which would go far out of Court in Lawn-Tennis, in Court-Tennis may en- ter an opening and actually win the stroke. It is not every opening, every " hole in the wall," that counts as a " winning open- ing." The winning openings are three: In the back-wall, on the side where the server al- ways stands, is a long, narrow slit, netted over to protect the spectators behind. This is called the Dedans, a word showing the French origin of the game; hitting into this is called Forcing. If you sit in the Dedans, behind the net, you notice a small hole or box in the wall — right oppo- site to you, beyond the centre-net, and to your right. This is called the Grille.
Now look down the left side-wall of the Court, and you will see another great long slit, divided (by posts and nettings) into what are called Galleries. The Gallery far- thest from you is called the Winning Gallery ; this and the Grille and the Dedans are the three winning openings. Glance above your head, as you sit in the Dedans, and you will notice that the roof (called the Pent-house) slopes downward toward the Court ; this roof runs all the way along the left side (over the Galleries), and along the back-
Hugh D. Scott.
James Potter.
go Court -Tennis^ Racquets ^ Hand- Fives ^ and Squash-Tennis
wall, finishing up just over the Grille. Balls which are hit onto this roof fall or "drip" into the Court, owing to the slopes.
Above this Pent-house is the side-wall again, up to a certain height. Then come (in some Courts) windows, and the roof. There is one side of the Court, the right side, which has no Pent-house at all ; but beyond the centre-net it
has a projecting Tambour . The of this at an angle beginner. It is Hazards, the but- and the open box further side of the the Hazard-side.
The Dia- make the above Court clearer. It bered, by the way, larger than a Court, and the net sides than in the there is a great corner to corner^ pass over the low-
And now for ences in the play
The Lawn-Tennis server serves over the net directly onto the "floor;" the Court-Tennis server always has to serve onto the Pent-house above the left-wall. He serves always from the same side of the net ; he can, however, serve not merely from the back of the Court (as in Lawn-Tennis), but from practically anywhere in it. Moreover, his service need not be the somewhat monotonous " overhead railway" drive, but may be an underhand or overhand twist or cirt, as well as a smash, and it may hit the side-wall above the Pent-house or it may not. Prob^ ably one of the most effective services is the overhand "Smash" with a cut, of which Mr. Stockton and Mr. Crane are the best exponents. The server does not serve just for one game; he may serve for only part of a game, or he may serve for many whole games. It just depends on the "chases," which state- ment leaves the non-player not an atom wiser than before. For what is a chase ?
In Lawn-Tennis, if a ball has bounced twice without being returned, a point is scored; the ball which you miss, you miss once for all, for good or evil. But in Court-Tennis there are many balls which you may miss without neces-
Nathaniel Thayer.
buttress, called the ball will come off which puzzles the because of these tress or Tambour, or Grille, that the Court is called
gram may help to features of the must be remem- that the Court is Lawn -Tennis is far higher at the middle, so that deal of play from that the ball may est part of the net. some of the differ- and scoring.
Eustace H. Miles.
Amateur Champion of England and the United States at Court- Tennis, and of the United States and of
Canada at Racquets and Squash-Tennis.
Court -Tennis J I(acquets^ Hand- Fives ^ and Squash - Tennis pj
sarily losing the point. The place where these balls bounce at their second bounce — i.e., the place where they "fall," is called out by the marker. Later on, you change sides, and play these points out over again ; but now every stroke which you make must be a better stroke than the one which you left alone — i.e., at its second bounce it must fall between the place where the other ball fell and the back-wall. An instance will make this rather more intelligible.
Supposing you are 40 — 30, and have served, and your opponent, B, hits a ball which you can- not reach, and which falls, at its second bounce, three yards from your back-wall. The marker calls " Chase 3," and you and B change sides. B now serves, and you have to send every stroke so that it will fall, at its second bounce, less than three yards from the back-wall ; between the line of " Chase 3 " and the back-wall; or else you can "force " for the Dedans. But, if you play on the floor, and if B thinks that your stroke will fall more than three yards from the back-wall, he leaves it alone; if it does fall as he expects, then and not till then does he score the point; if it falls between "Chase 3" and the back-wall, you score the point.
There are lines across the floor to mark the various " Chases."
These chases not only demand considerable judgment, but they also give pleasant intervals while one is changing sides ; this relieves the strain of the game, and gives the less active player who has more experience an advantage over the more active player who has less experience.
If, then, we bear in mind the side-walls and back-walls, the Winning Openings, the Pent-house, the Galleries, the Tambour, and the Chases, we see that one of the great charms of Court-Tennis must be its almost infinite variety, and the choice of strokes of which it admits. It needs not only rapid decision, but also calmness. It absorbs the whole attention, so that it is impossible to think of business cares or other worries.
The typical stroke at Court-Tennis is a very heavy cut or slice ; the racket does not meet the ball with the full face, but at an angle ; this takes off some of the pace, but it brings the ball down sharply off the walls. Thus, in the above instance, when you were playing for "Chase 3," if you put on a "cut"
Newbold Etting.
g^ Court -Tennis^ I(ac(juets^ Hand- Fives ^ and S(juash -Tennis
the ball would very likely come down off" the back-wall between 3 and the back-wall, and so win the chase, whereas, from a simple hit it would come out to five or six yards from the back-wall, and so lose the chase. It is this cut that marks so many strokes at Court-Tennis and nearly every Service at Rac- quets. An English marker is said to have advised a beginner to cut or slice the ball " like 'e was kill- in' a dorg."
This variety in the strokes, and this use of the cut-stroke, are sufficient to mark Court -Tennis off" as a separate game ; but it has another feature besides, which is of even greater interest, viz. : its system of Handicaps. These can- not be enumerated here, but they are so nicely adjusted that the very strongest player may have the greatest possible difficulty in beat- ing a novice ; he may have to play up his very hardest, without spoil- ing his own play in the least. Such odds as "Touch-no-walls" (any ball hit by the stronger player and striking any wall or opening before its second bounce counts against the stronger player) would be a good instance; it makes the stronger player take great care to get complete control of the ball, and it gives the weaker player a number of easy strokes to return. Thus any two men can play together, how- ever diff'erent their standard. The social and "democratic" influence of this system is considerable.
In Tennis, as in Racquets, America has fewer Courts than England, fewer professionals (or markers, as they are called), fewer players, and therefore fewer competitions. Its only Club Courts at present are those at Boston, New York, Newport, Chicago, and Tuxedo, though it must be remembered that at least three of these (Boston, New York, and Tuxedo) are very busy, often for the whole day, and before long there will be many new Club Courts, just as soon as the Uni- versities and rich individuals recognize the extraordinary advantages of the game.
George T. Rice.
F. R. Sears.
Court -Tennis, I(acquets, Hand- Fives, and Squash -Tennis g^
American Courts are mostly shorter than English Courts, and have lower roofs as well, partly owing to the fact that on a fourth or fifth floor the height is limited by law. The floors and walls are probably (with the exception of Tuxedo) slower and less true than those of the best English Courts, but, as the
American balls are hard- er, the game is played under more or less simi- lar conditions. I should say that the American Courts are not so good as the very best, although better than the average English Courts, whereas the American balls are better than the English balls — they seem to me less "fluffy" and "pud- gy" and "stuggy" — I think the words express my meaning.
After these few words as to the scoring and play, and the advan-
I^^^^^HpJT tages of the game, and
jBB^ the American Courts
'' -^^^'^ apifj balls, we may now
note a few general feat- ures of American as compared with English plays, leaving the accounts of special players for the special articles which will follow mine. It will be found that the features depend partly on the differ- ences between English and American Courts, etc., partly on the general dif- ferences between the two nations, but still more on the differences between the two greatest of American teachers.
Undeniably the new game compares unfavorably with the old, in respect of grace and dignity; in respect of the free use of those many Handicaps which are still to be found in the rules of the game; and in respect of the science of varying the service. But the gain has been vastly greater than the loss, if only because Tennis is ever so much healthier than it used to be, and gives ever so much more scope for originality.
Maurice La Montagne.
Morton Paton.
g6 Court -Tennis^ Racquets, Hand- Five s^ and Squash - Tennis
So far we have compared modern with ancient Tennis, and the task has been easy. But it becomes very difficult when we have to compare and contrast the American and English styles of play. For America has at least two styles of play, almost entirely diverse from one another; it is probable that Tuxedo
will produce a third style, in which the accurate position and severity of cut of the "New York School" will be combined with the bustling activity and power of return of the " Boston School." Let us begin by contrasting these two schools before we contrast American and Englivsh play generally. The New York style is very closely akin to the older English style, of which Mr. J. Heathcote and the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton were the leading Amateur exponents. The Hon. Cecil Baring is the most typical instance in New York. What are the character- istics of the New York play, and to what are they due?
If we except the overhead smash service of Mr. E. Thomson, and the hard straight forcing of Mr. T. Suffern Tailer and a few others, we should de- scribe the New York players as trying to keep the head of the racket above the level of the wrist, putting on a heavy cut, and paying attention to the sideway- position of the body ; but as putting little pace on their strokes, and usually hitting, on the floor, to the place where the opponent expects the ball to come. The typical New York service is quiet, and the play in general is quiet and not ungraceful.
Among the causes must be noted the slightly uneven surfaces of the floor and walls, the nature of the balls, and, above all, the example and precept of Alfred Tompkins, whose painstaking care (even with the veriest duffer), and infectious enthusiasm, have helped to fill the New York Court to overflowing. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude.
How does the New York style contrast with the English style of, let us say, Mr. J. B. Gribble or Mr. Percy Ashworth ? There are few contrasts; but these English players use the volley, the half-volley, and the "boasted force" for the Dedans far more than the players of New York or even of Boston. The
O. S. Campbell.
Lawrence M. Stockton. Winner of the National Chiampionship for Racqucti, l8g6, l8g8, iSgg.
Court -Tennis J :Racquets^ Hand- Five i^ and Squash - Tennis gg
Boston style contrasts with the EngHsh style very much as it contrasts with the
New York style. If we consider the Boston style, we cannot fail to reckon
among its causes not only the somewhat more even surfaces of the floor and
walls, and the nature of the Boston balls, but also the example and precept of
Tom Pettitt. He takes infinite pains
with everyone ; he infuses his keenness
into everyone, so that his Court is
going all day long. But, whereas
Tompkins insists on the cut and the
position of the body, Pettitt — at any
rate with most beginners — ignores the
cut and the position of the body. His
advice is "Get the ball over; when in
a difficulty, play for a winning opening
or for the 'nick'; and above all, keep
on the alert and — hustle."
Thus the average Bostonian — Mr. Austin Potter is not included here, since he plays more on the floor, and so rather in the New York and Eng- lish style — usually keeps the head of his racket below the level of his wrist (as in Racquets or Squash) ; he puts on little cut, but often some twist, as he gets his racket below and behind
the ball ; he pays little attention to the sideway-position of his body, so that he uses his wrist rather than his shoulder and body muscles; but he hits hard, especially for the openings and for the length of the Court; he tries to "dodge" his opponent by "masking" his stroke; and, last but not least, he aims at get- ting everything over and rushing about rapidly in any direction. The Boston service is in keeping with the stroke: it is a fast over-hand smash, and keeps the opponent on the run — oh, terribly on the run !
And what of the standard of play?
I think that, so far as the leading players are concerned, England is a little, though a very little ahead ; but, so far as the average is concerned, America is a long way ahead, and is likely to remain so and to increase the lead, since more Americans can afford to play, and there will be more Courts every year, and, above all, the Americans are always en the alert to put new ideas into practice — to give every suggestion a trial. They have almost incredible keenness and energy, and, with a little more varied experience, they are bound to improve
W. B. Dinsmore, Jr.
100 Court -Tennis, Racquets , Hand- Fives, and Squash - Tennis
continually. It may be that they take the game too seriously, but — generally speaking — in this game they never let their desire to win get the better of their spirit of absolute fairness. There are not three better "sportsmen" in the whole world than Lawrence Stockton, Richmond Fearing, and Morton Paton.
The game of Court-Tennis is great not only because of its successful daughter, Lawn-Tennis, not only because of its venerable past and distinguished players in the past, but also because of its glorious present and future, and its distinguished players in the present or in the immediate past. I need only mention the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, Sir William Hart-Dyke, Sir Edward Grey, Professor Darwin, Sir Andrew Noble, and Lord Kinnaird, to prove that some of the very greatest Englishmen have been or still are among its patrons. When I left England in December, 1899, ^ brought with me the good wishes of more than one of the above for the success of the game of Tennis in America ; and the good wishes will certainly be fulfilled.
When I visited England in May to play in the Final of the English Ama- teur Tennis Championship, I met several past and present experts who were most desirous to see or to play the game on this side of the water. Among these were Sir Charles Pontifex, Mr. J. Byng Gribble, Sir Edward Grey, the Hon. L. Guest, Mr. G. E. A. Ross, and Mr. H. S. Mahony. We hope to see every one of these, and many others, in the Dedans or the Court at Tuxedo and elsewhere.
In early times the game was a display of graceful poses, rather than a severe exercise. There has been a growing tendency to make the game faster and faster, with more activity and "bustling," more volleying, more half-volleying, more "forcing" for the winning openings, more hard "boasts" onto the side- wall, more hard drives for the nick [i.e., the space where the floor and the wall meet). This tendency has been seen not only in America but also in England, where a player of the old school remarked recently : " This game is quite spoilt. Why, I should get so hot, if I played it in this modern style, that I should have to wear flannels." And in some respects Americans, or rather, Bostonians, have gone farther in the direction of "fastness" than the average Englishman, But in both cases one of the causes is the desire to win, and another is the fact that the Courts are truer and the rackets more tightly strung than they used to be.
SUl^ciJfyM.
NEW YORK AND TUXEDO COURT- TENNIS A ND COURT-TENNIS PLAYERS
BY T. SUFFERN TAILER
HAVE been asked to write about Court-Tennis and Court-
f Tennis players in New York and Tuxedo, and I have been told
that the general characteristics of American play have already been dealt with by one who has the advantage of seeing them from the outside. So I can proceed almost at once to class the different players and to point out the most strongly marked features in their game. But, before I do this, let me say a few words in praise of those who have founded and fostered Court-Tennis in New York.
The first great step was taken when the Racquet Courts were moved up- town from Twenty-sixth to Forty-third Street, and a Court-Tennis Court was added : the experiment was bold and thoroughly sporting, and it is to the pluck, energy, care, enthusiasm, and generosity of such men as Robert Bacon, Percy Chubb, D. Crawford Clark, R. J. Cross, Paul Dana, W. E. Glyn, the Harri- mans, the Hitchcocks, Amory Hodges, the Hoyts, the La Montagnes, C. W. Maury, J. Pierpont Morgan, H. C. Mortimer, C. Lawrence Perkins, Isaac Townsend, Walter Trimble, the Vanderbilts, David B. Van Emburgh, W. C. Whitney, and Bronson Winthrop — to mention a few out of many — that the Club at New York owes its birth, its growth, and the greater part of its grand success.
First and foremost among New York Court-Tennis players came B. Spalding de Garmendia, who was Champion of the United States as well as of the New York Club, both at Court-Tennis and at Racquets. His power of getting to the ball, and of judging it with such accuracy that the return was almost a certainty, marked him as a born player of ball-games. He had received a fine training at other ball games on the other side — at baseball, lawn-tennis, and basket-ball — before he started Court-Tennis, and had already practically acquired a graceful and correct position and stroke : this gave him a great advantage over most other Americans, who came to the play as to something rather new. He was also a splendid Match-player : for example, he often used the opening games for the purpose of studying his opponent's play, and he never gave up. For many years
102 New York and Tuxedo Court- Tennis and FHayers
Boston had no one to equal him ; for Sears had retired, and Stockton and Fear- ing were not yet in their prime; but de Garmendia went abroad and has lived there since. He has been in Paris recently.
de Garmendia left behind him in the New York Club many players who might be classed together, with one exception. Ernest Thomson, owing to his over-hand twist service (like the Boston service, which probably owes its origin to Mr. R. I). Sears), and, owing to the amount of time which he has been able to devote to practice here to the present kept just or three Boston players
stronger than he, rect in their form, the New York Club so that it is impossible O. S. Campbell. In Cecil Baring, who Alfred Lyttelton or J. say, he plays quietly, a good length, and volley and half-volley, stroke, are among his J. J. Cairnes is a if he had practice, front rank ; his stroke cut, in contrast to the the Ex -Champion of 8. Campbell. This beginner brings from habit of coming up and his lightning rapidity wrist-flick, and his ac- the Tambour, mark off anyone else. But he
J. Macdonough.
and in England, has up ahead. There are two who are accounted though not more cor- He did not enter for Championship in 1900, to compare him with this class will come plays after the style of B. Gribble; that is to with a fairly severe cut, plenty of return. His and his backhand strongest points, more active player, and, would rise to the very is also correct and well self-developed stroke of Lawn-Tennis, Mr. O. versatile and energetic his former game the volleying incessantly: and judgment, his curacy in playing for his style from that of has a weakness : an op-
ponent who uses the side-walls freely is liable to have the advantage over him.
Keeping to alphabetical order, we return to the older type of play, as shown by W. E. Glyn, whose cut was especially severe, and Hon. Michael Herbert, who to the severest cut of all American Amateurs, and to the most graceful and accomplished play, added plenty of return.
Within fifteen for a bisque of Messrs. Thomson and Campbell should be mentioned J. H. Morgan and his brother, L. H. Morgan, who are both thor-
New York and Tuxedo Court -Tennis and Players loj
ough tennis players, and equally good whether at the single or double game. Both are severe in their stroke, volley well, use excellent judgment, and are sure at killing easy balls.
A. Morten, who not only has cut but also good length, time after time places the ball with wonderful accuracy and lays down very short chases. His style is easy and not ungraceful — he actually plays much better than he seems to be playing. The same might be said of Morton Paton, one of the best and
keenest all-round only those who know ize how much Paton in Matches; for he is Match - players. H i s seem lucky or else easy nothing of the kind, always keeps perfectly throws away a Charles Sands, the France, is a very differ- lives now in Paris, of many of the old away at his terrible ser- somewhat like Stock- more at getting the the opponent far for- Following this up as tainty in his volley and certs any but the most players. The next and fast line can be teurs of whom several the class just mentioned more time for practice, bered that most of the
9r
E. A. Thomson.
sportsmen in America : the game well can real- uses his head, especially one of the best of returns might often to kill, but they are He has a splendid eye, calm, and seldom chance.
present Champion of ent kind of player : he where — to the horror school — he pounds vice: this service is ton's or Sears', but aims "nick " than at driving ward into the Court, he does with such cer- half-volley, he discon- thorough all-round class — though no hard drawn — includes Ama- would certainly enter if they could only get For it must be remem- devotees of the game
are not men of leisure — as so many are in England — but men of business.
The best example of this would be Robert Bacon, who was a well-known Harvard all-round athlete not long ago. With his judgment, his eye, his strength, and his return, he has the making of a splendid player.
G. P. Eustis, with his wide reach, might also improve, if it were not for the counter-attractions of Polo, at which form of sport he has already won fame. It is not Polo but Yachting that attracts J. Macdonough, whose strength at
/ 04- New York and Tuxedo Court - Tennis and Mayers
Court-Tennis lies in his puzzling overhand service — a service of his own inven- tion. He has a thorough knowledge of the game, from having played a great deal on both sides of the water, and is in quite a literal sense indefatigable. He is particularly good in the four-handed game. In this class are J. W. Henning,
who uses his wrist more player, and has a useful cut; and James Henry supporter of the game, opportunities for prac- a respectable rank as a space to mention the show promise; for a few the newest and most cos- Courts, viz., the Court was opened with a series 1899 and the beginning played the first Interna- which produced an ex-
Charles Sands.
than any other New York half-volley and a heavy Smith, who is a stanch and with more time and tice he could easily take player. There is not many other players who words must be said about mopolitan of American at Tuxedo. The Court of Matches at the end of of 1900. Here were tional Amateur Singles, citing game between
Eustace H. Miles and Lawrence Stockton; the first International Doubles, in which no fewer than four Champions took part. Both of these matches re- sulted in hard-won victories for England. There were also other excellent matches, which made a fortnight of Tennis quite unique in the history of the game. But the combinations and variations of all the styles of play were not the sole interest of Tuxedo. In the first place the Club was of a non-local charac- ter, including not only the best players and sportsmen from Boston and New York, but also some from Philadelphia and elsewhere. Secondly, the Court is made of the very best material, Bicklev cement, and in the very best proportions, viz., those of Mr. Julian Marshall's ideal Court, which differs little from the Match-Courts at Queen's and Lord's. The light and ventilation are perfection. Last of all, the English Amateur Champion Court-Tennis, who is also the Am- ateur Champion of the United States and Canada at Racquets, made his home for some time at Tuxedo, and is one of the Governors of the Tennis and Racquet Club. Thus the Club can fairly be regarded as International.
Tuxedo has its Squash-Courts as well ; its Racquet-Court is to be ready as early as possible, and it may possibly witness some interesting opening Matches.
The Tuxedo Courts will probably serve as a model for all future Courts built in America: Mr. George Gould, who bids fair to become one of our great pa- trons of Sport, has already followed the proportions in his Court at Lakewood. It is to such places, with their fine country air, that business men will come more and more frequently to spend their Saturdays and Sundays, especially when the
^
T. Suffern Tailer.
|
James Henry Smith. |
• |
New York and Tuxedo Court- Tennis and Players loy
weather is cold or rainy. Already the Court is quite a new element in Tuxedo life: among the most enthusiastic of the beginners might be mentioned, to take a few names at random, H. T. Carey, Price Collier, C. T. Condon, George Dodge, Richard Delafield, William R. Garrison, Grenville Kane, William Kent,
Pierre Lorillard, Jr., and history of the Court the true sportsmanlike America. A number of many advantages ot ample, as a game inde- weather, and as a game cise and pleasure and yet So they subscribed over Governors to manage the of the Governors and will do more than any- many of the leading men realized the value of the
John S. Tooker.
Dr. Rushmore. The throws a bright light on feeling prevalent in rich men recognized the Court -Tennis, for ex- pendent of season or bringing healthy exer- requiring active thought. $80,000, and appointed fund for them. The list some of the subscribers thing else to show how in every line of life have game, and have had the
generosity to back up the scheme with their money and their co-operation. The list includes Robert Bacon, Cecil Baring, Harry Walters, J. Macdonough, Henry W. Poor, James Henry Smith, T. Suffern Tailer, C. B. Alexander, George Baker, James L. Breese, A. Cammack, Amory S. Carhart, the late C. H. Coster, R. Fulton Cutting, Richard Delafield, George E. Dodge, Theodore Frelinghuysen, Amos French, William R. Garrison, C. Hyde, F. R. Halsey, Oliver Harriman, J. W. Henning, A. D. Juilliard, Grenville Kane, Pierre Loril- lard, Jr., Richard Mortimer, Clarence Mackay, Bradley Martin, H. W. Munroe, Herbert Pell, Percy Pyne, S. S. Spencer, W. K. Vanderbilt, Walter Watrous, Fernandez Yznaga, George Eustis, Arthur Kemp, Hollis Hunnewell, Geo. Rich- mond Fearing, Jr., Lawrence Stockton, Morton Paton, Whitney Warren, etc.
This short account gives no idea of the beauty of the Tennis Club building, both inside and outside. Designed by Warren and Wetmore, situated just by the two Club-houses of the Tuxedo Club, looking in front on a lovely lake and the Lawn-Tennis Courts, and behind, on another lake — with white columns and piazzas and a red roof, with a Turkish Bath, Plunge Bath, and five Dressing- rooms within — what more could be desired? Add to this that this is the only residential Tennis Club in America, and that it has a unique Dedans Salon in various shades of green, with green furniture, for the ladies, and an equally hand- some red lounging-room, with dark furniture, for the men; add also some fine old prints, and for instruction in the games some of the best professional talent that England could supply, and we see no reason why the young sons of
io8 New York and Tuxedo Court - Tennis and Players
the members shoiilti not develop into enthusiasts over the sport and perhaps some day produce a champion from among them. Several of them already show not a little promise. It will be the duty of the influential members of this Club to impress upon the Presidents and Heads of their old Universities and Schools the necessity of introducing the Racquet-Games. America must not lag behind England here, especially as she has her severe winters to provide for. Amer- ica can afford these games — there are plenty of liberal patrons already — and. she should certainly develop her cham- pions in this as well as in other forms of athletics. This she can only do by start- ing the players while they are young.
The Amateur Champion is not a born player of Tennis and Racquets. He says that at school he was known as having the worst possible style at Ball- Games; nor did those who saw him then have any faint hope that his style would ever improve. But, a few years ago, the veteran Racquet-Coach at Wel- lington College told him what his faults were : explained that he stood in the wrong position, and held his racket in the wrong way. Even then. Miles tells me, he could not correct himself: there were too many faults to be corrected. He relied entirely on strength and en- ergy and a good eye. So he started to alter each part of the stroke by itself, viz., the position of the feet before a stroke, the body-swing, and so on. He used to do hundreds and hundreds of special exercises morning after morning ; and these he still continues. While P'iske Warren improved his play by incessant practice of actual games in the Court, Miles improved his play by incessant practice of parts of strokes outside the Court. He says that he now does without effort and unconsciously what he used to do with effort and consciously. In fact, one of the chief features of his game is that he is nearly always in position before the ball comes. His stroke has a free swing of the body on the hips — somewhat like a golf-swing. Some idea of his progress can be gathered from the fact that, before he did these exer-
B. S. de Garmendia.
New York and Tuxedo Court -Tennis and Players log
cises, Robert Moore used to give him seven aces at Racquets, whereas now the two play even; in 1899 Miles won the open Competition in the Amateur Racquet Championship of England. Like Latham, he volleys and half-volleys very frequently, and hits across the court — sometimes with a cut — as well as down the side-walls. He says that he owes a good deal of his activity and endurance at Racquets and Tennis to his diet. Before he gave up the flesh and fish foods, about four years ago, he lost several important matches through cramp. Now he can play three hard matches in a single day, as he has proved at Montreal and at Tuxedo. But he at- tributes his power of return largely to his morning practice-exercises.
His returns, and especially his half- volleys and his volleys from the back- hand court, are the most marked char- acteristics of his play. He tries to return everything. No player uses the half- volley or volley nearly so frequently. His volley is hardly ever defensive — he uses it for attack. He puts on a heavy cut, which, however, like Pettitt's cut, is generally given with the face of the racket below the level of the wrist : there is considerable twist as well as cut. He adopts the side-wall sluice of Latham, and the drop-service of " Punch " Fairs. These two professionals explained their service to the Amateur, who then pro- ceeded to divide up the movements into parts, and to practise these parts one by one. His reason for not adopting the
overhead service (such as Stockton uses) is that it is unlike the ordinary stroke. He says that the side-wall service is in itself a sort of Tennis-stroke, and that therefore he who serves it starts each time in practice, as it were. He has hit the ball once in nearly the right way, before his opponent has hit it at all. He considers the overhead service, however, to be the most effective simply as a service.
The Englishman is very keen on Handicaps: he can play with a cricket- bat nearly within Thirty oi his ordinary game, and he frequently bars all the
Hon. Michael Herbert.
1 10 New York and Tuxedo Court - Tennis and Players
openings, or all the walls. But in matches he plays for the openings very freely, except for the Winning Gallery. He is very fond of the Grille, and it is re- ported that he cannot get any satisfaction from the netting over the Grille, because it makes no noise when it is struck. Anyhow the Tuxedo Grille is now made of wood. Miles seldom forces straight for the Dedans, but usually
prefers to force off" the side-wall : he learnt this "boasted" force from George Lambert, the ex-Champion of England. Miles thinks that very few, if any, Amateurs have had such opportunities for improvement as he has had. He has watched or played with players of every kind — Lambert, Saunders, Latham, Har- radine, " Punch " Fairs, Fennell, Gray, Johnson, and others in England; in Australia, Stone; in Hobart, Homes; in America, Tompkins and Pettitt; in Paris, Gott, to say nothing of many Amateurs in all these countries. And he asserts most emphatically that there are large numbers of Amateurs who would have beaten him long ago if they had prac- tised certain simple exercises outside the court, and had tried to give cramped odds to weaker players, and had had a more varied experience, and — had tried his diet! He has many ambitions. One of them is to point out that the three ball-games. Squash, Racquets, and Court- Tennis, should certainly be adopted in all great American cities and universities. Squash must come first everywhere, partly because it is the cheapest and simplest game, and partly because it is the best foundation for the two other games. Every school, whether for boys or for girls, every university, and every athletic club, should have its Squash-Courts. Then the two other games will follo.w inevitably. He himself is a living proof of the appropriateness of these games for the man who works hard with his brain. He has never been out of con- dition for a single day in the last four years, and yet he has worked almost incessantly. In his last year at Cambridge he taught about two hundred can- didates for Honors, contributed to several papers and reviews, and wrote numerous books.
Cecil Earing.
%yb*j^yu^>^ /auCiut
COURT-TENNIS IN BOS- TON AND ITS PLAYERS
FROM NOTES COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY GEORGE RICHMOND FEARING, JR., AND L. M, STOCKTON
HE game of Tennis was first played in Boston in 1876 in a court
Con Buckingham Street, built and owned by the late Hollis Hunne- well and Nathaniel Thayer. The architects were G. R. and R. G. Shaw, and the court was modelled on a combination of the
plans of the Paris courts and the court at Prince's Club, London.
It had top light only, was built of Portland cement, and rested directly on the ground. The court was opened in October, 1876, and "Teddy" Hunt, previously employed at the court at Oxford, England, was engaged as marker. Thomas Pettitt was employed as boy to learn to mark and look after the players' clothes and do other general work. Few of the original players had ever played the game before. Mr. Hunnewell had played it in Paris, and it was owing principally to him that the Boston Court was built. The first Tourna- ment held was in April, 1877.
In the first six months after the opening of the court, Pettitt made rapid progress in the game, and became so proficient that, in a match played during this April Tournament, he beat Hunt level. This was particularly remarkable, as in October, 1876, he weighed only ninety pounds, and the owners of the court felt some doubt as to whether he was strong enough to do the necessary work. Hunt was, at this time, among the first half dozen players in England, the two Tompkins and George Lambert alone being clearly his superiors. A month after this, Hunt returned to England, and Pettitt took charge of the court as head marker. At first he used to play the heavily cut game taught him by Hunt (the same general kind of game that Tompkins, the New York pro- fessional, plays to-day), and as all his opponents were very inferior to him, he played them for the most part at cramped odds (i.e., barring openings, half the court, etc.), and by constant practice in this way obtained remarkable control over the ball, and laid the foundation of his subsequent game. Pettitt has amply proven that a marker need never spoil his game if he plays with weaker players in the right way.
In 1880 the Newport Casino was built, and Mr. Hunnewell suggested the scheme, which was adopted, of erecting a Tennis Court in connection with it.
112
Court - Tennu in Boston and Its Players
Pettitt was engaged as marker during the summer, and since that time has had charge of the Casino Tennis and Lawn-Tennis Court, returning in the winter to resume his duties in Boston. In 1883 Pettitt went to England for the first time to play Tennis. No match of an international character had been played there for many years. Barre and Biboche had been in the habit of visiting England
to play, but had not been there since 1870, and there had been no interesting international match on even terms since Barre played Edmund Tompkins in 1862, which resulted in a draw after five days' play. On Tuesday, May 22, 1883, Pet- titt played his first match in England at Lord's against William Lambert, who conceded half 15. Pettitt won easily by a scorce of 3 — o, Lambert taking only two games in each set. This was a great surprise to English players, and the Eng- lish papers recognized the fact that he was capable of becoming a player of the first force, and compared his game to that of Biboche. On the following Tuesday he played Mr. Lyttelton even and was beaten 3 sets to I . He then played John Tomp- kins at Brighton, receiving half 15 and winning; }. Harradine at Cambridge even, and winning; then going to Paris he played Mr. Brinquant, the best French amateur, conceding a bisque, and win- ning; George Cott even, and winning; and the "Bisque" even, and winning.
He next returned to Lord's and played against George Lambert, the Cham- pion of England, Pettitt receiving i 5 for a bisque.
The match lasted two hours and nineteen minutes, and after five sets resulted in a victory for Pettitt. Lambert won the first two sets and Pettitt won the third, chiefly through superior stamina.
When Pettitt went back to the United States, the English papers, after prais- ing his courage and activity, criticised his excessive use of the boasted stroke and his lack of "cut" in his first stroke on the floor; and said that after careful practice in these respects he would be in a position to issue his challenge for the Championship of Tennis without fear of the charge of presumption.
In 1884 Pettitt again went to England and played his first match on April 19th at Brighton against George Lambert, receiving 15 for a bisque. After Pettitt had won two sets the match was abandoned on account of Lambert's ill-
W. E. Glyn.
Court- Tennis in Boston and Its Players
113
ness. In the course of the month of May he played Mr. Heathcote, Jim Har- radine, and the Hon. A. Lyttelton level, winning in every case, and in a later match gave Mr. Lyttelton half 15 and heat him 3 sets to 2. He also played C. Saunders at Lord's, giving him half 15 for a bisque and winning 3 sets to o. In June at Lord's he beat Mr. Heathcote and John Tompkins, by a score of 3 to o, and four days afterward beat C. Lambert at Hatfield by 3 sets to i, giving him 15 for a bisque. His first failure to win during this visit was on June loth against G. and W. Lambert, the score of the match being two sets all. His only de- feat was the last match he played before his return to America. He attempted to give C. Saunders half 1 5 at Prince's and was defeated 3 sets to o. The total result of this trip was that Pettitt played eleven matches, won nine, drew one, and lost one. He played 34 sets and won 27.
Before leaving England Pettitt pub- lished a challenge for the championship. This was not immediately accepted by Lambert, who had been ill for several months; but finally and after much cor- respondence a match was arranged to be
played at Hampton Court, which had the advantage of being near London, and of having galleries at the top of the end walls, so that with the dedans and side- galleries, about one hundred and fifty spectators could see the match.
It was played on May 11, 13, and 15, 1885^ and resulted in a victory for Pettitt by a score of 7 sets to 5, after a most severe struggle.
In the following December Saunders came to America, and played Pettitt three matches in the Buckingham Street Court in Boston, Pettitt giving him 1 5 for a bisque. The first day Pettitt was beaten 3 — 2 ; the second he won 3 — o; and the third he was again beaten 3 — 2.
In 1886 Pettitt did not go to England, and when he went over in 1887 Saunders had won the championship. During the short time (six weeks) that Pettitt was able to be there, Saunders was unfortunately ill, so that the two did not meet. Pettitt, however, played six matches, giving odds in all, and being beaten in only one — by Mr. Heathcote — Pettitt barring the dedans and his underhand railroad service.
The next two years in the history of Tennis, both in America and in Eng-
Alexander Morten.
//^ Court -Tennis in Boston and Its Players
land, were uneventful, and Pettitt's next championship match was not played till 1 890, when a match was arranged to take place between him and Saunders, who was still the champion of England. It was played at Sir Edward Guinness's Court at Dublin. One of the conditions was that neither player should strike a ball in the court before the match ; and, as the walls of the court were built
of black marble, and were entirely differ- ent from anything either player had ever seen before, the result was that both play- ers misjudged the ball continually during the first day of play. Saunders gained knowledge of the court more quickly than his opponent and won on the first day 3 sets to i. On the second day, however, Pettitt reversed the score, beat- ing Saunders 3 sets to i, and did the same on the third day, winning the match by 7 sets to 4.
The match at Brighton, in which Latham defeated Pettitt in every set, and so won the World's Championship, which he still holds, is comparatively recent his- tory. The result was, to many, most un- expected; but it was partly due to the fact that Pettitt had had very few oppo- nents in America or even in England, whereas Latham had the pick of all Eng- lish experts.
In describing Boston Tennis and ten- nis players the foregoing history of Pet- titt's career is essential, since not only the Boston players, but also the present champion, Latham, owe much of their game to Pettitt.
Up to 1889 the number of amateur players in Boston was very limited. R. D. Sears, who in 1892 won the amateur championship of America, began the game in the Buckingham Street Court, but did not really play regularly until 1889. O^ the opening of the Boston Athletic Association Court in that year he took up the game seriously, and was probably the first to serve in this country what is now called the over-hand railroad service, which he adapted from the same service used in lawn-tennis in England. Mr. Sears used to serve his over- hand service rather slowly, and it generally hit the floor first and broke sharply
C. Lawrence Perkins.
George Richmond Fearing, Jr. Winner of the National Championship for Court Tennis, iSgj.
Court - Tennis in Boston and Its Players
in
away from the striker-out. As it often made nicks and seemed to be successful, a number of other players began to use it, but at this time nobody served it for speed. His general play was very accurate, but not heavily cut, and not as fast as the modern game. It would be interesting to compare his game at its best with the games of the best modern amateurs, but unfortunately the question as to which would win must always remain a matter of opinion. Mr. B. S. de Garmendia, a New York player, another of the best amateurs of this time, and winner of the American Amateur Cham- pionship in 1894 and 1895, took up tennis shortly after Mr. Sears and pre- sented a great contrast. He served a very effective side-wall service, played a delib- erate game, and executed his strokes with accuracy and grace. His game was the ideal " jeu classique " for the decadence of which the French are accustomed to lament, and his withdrawing from Amer- ican play is to be regretted, especially as he was possessed of a quality that Boston players lack, namely, command of the ball. Mr. H. C. Leeds, another player of prominence at this period, had in a less degree the same qualities of de Garmen- dia, together with the best possible judg- ment. Another of the Boston players who was in the first rank at this time was Fiske Warren. He began playing at the Hunnewell Court in 1879, at the
age of seventeen, and continued until 1898. He was never a natural player, but acquired his game by constant practice. During his four-years' course at Har- vard he played every day except Sunday. Since his court was torn down in 1897 to make way for the new Back Bay Station, he has temporarily at least almost given up the game, as the Boston Athletic Association rules do not allow him the time which he finds necessary to keep up to his standard. In about the year 1883 he had acquired a game remarkable for its return, though deficient in speed and accuracy. Later he became much more accurate, but his game was never what would be termed to-day fast. He used considerable cut at times, though his stroke would not on the whole be called heavily cut. He often, especially against inferior players, lobbed so that the ball entered the dedans
M. S. Barger.
ii8
Court - Tennis in Boston and Its Players
straight [li la Latham), or from the floor. His play always seemed rather on the defensive, and he trusted largely to his great power of return, and let his opponent beat himself. He is one of the few Americans who have played in England against first-rate English players.
Among the other amateurs who played at this time and who were among the first few players were Arthur Hunnewell, Francis I. Amory, Robert G. Shaw,
R. B, Metcalf, and Nathaniel Thayer. Mr. Hunnewell gave up the game only a year or two ago, and Mr. Amory still plays it from time to time.
Since the opening of the B. A. A. Court in 1889, the game has steadily grown in popularity. Of the present Boston ama- teur players the best are perhaps G. R. Fearing, Jr., L. M. Stockton, P. S. Sears, Joshua Crane, Jr., and Austin Potter.
" Mr. Fearing used to be one of the best all-round athletes that Harvard — one might almost add that any place — has ever produced ; it was probably the effort of training and competing in so many inter- university competitions (such as rowing, foot-ball, and the high jump) that caused his serious illness, from which he has never properly recovered. He is one of the few American players who have played much in France and England. Fearing serves the underhand railroad service (which Pettitt once used) ; his game is strong because of his enormous reach, his litheness of limb, his quick eye, and his fairly heavy cut. His forcing is hard, accurate, and well concealed, and his volleying is safe." " Mr. Stockton has the advantage of good height, a powerful and flexible wrist, a terrible overhand service which will tire out almost any opponent, and last but not least, perfect equanimity and wonderful judgment ; by this quality I mean that he knows exactly what balls to take out and what balls to leave alone. During play he aims at getting the length of the court, and I think he finds the ' nick ' oftener than any other player I have ever seen. By using his wrist-flick and not troubling about the position of his body [i.e., about * facing the side-wall '), he succeeds in * masking ' his stroke, and often puts on a very
Fiske Warren.
Court- Tennif in Boston and Its Players
iig
considerable cut. By his service he generally manages to bring his oppo- nents up near the net, where they are at his mercy; he volleys well, and forces hard."
Mr. Sears has, at most times, a very excellent service, of the overhand rail- road type; he, like his brother, is a good volleyer, but he is somewhat weak on the back-hand side. His power of return is great, and he puts plenty of stuff onto the ball at times. He is also very active.
Mr. Austin Potter is the most English of all Boston players. His cut service (somewhat a la Latham), his rather slow stroke on the floor, in the severe cut, his graceful positions, and the general " correctness " of his game, should make him a great expert, if he could only ac- quire a more prompt activity and a more re- liable level of play. At times he makes very brilliant returns.
An absolute contrast to him is Mr. Crane, who volleys and halt-volleys with a slashing cut stroke, and runs about the court with untiring and almost incredible activity. He never gives up anything. If he would steady down, he has the makings of a very formidable player. His overhand service obtains a very large number of nicks, and seems quite as fast as anyone's. He trains carefully, and is a great Polo player.
Among the players who serve the overhand railroad service is George T. Rice. Mr. Rice's service is fairly effective, but he does not vary its speed sufficiently — he slashes around a good deal and often makes very pretty shots. His general play is too hard and lacks touch. He is very strong and active, but slow on his feet. He has been improving lately, however.
In 1890 the court of the New York Racket and Tennis Club, at 27 West Forty-third Street, New York, was opened, and shortly afterward the American Championship was instituted. The list of winners to date is as follows :
Joshua Crane.
Richard D. Sears 1892
Fiske Warren 1 893
B. S. de Garmendia 1894
B. S. de Garmendia 1895
L. M. Stockton 1896
G. R. Fearing, Jr 1897
L. M. Stockton 1898
L. M. Stockton 1 899
E. H. Miles 1900
J20
Court - Tennis in Boston and Its Players
The first tennis balls used in the Buckingham Street Court were brought from the Paris Court; later L. H. Mann, who had made the league base-ball, was hired to make tennis balls, and the ball made by him is substantially the
tennis ball used in Boston at the present time. As time went on, it became necessary to hire an extra man in the Buckingham Street Court, and one was hired who could take care of the court and at the same time make and cover the balls, and since that time the balls have been rewound and covered at the courts in Boston. A number of the sets used in the old court are now in use at the Boston Athletic Association Court. As to the best balls, there is some difference of opinion. It would be a great thing for the game if a uniform ball could be agreed upon by all the courts. It is necessary to get a ball which is fairly fast, but on the other hand the English ball, which is generally ad- mitted to be the fastest, loses its shape very quickly. The English ball is, of course, in much more general use than any other, and it will be hard to make any change in Eng- land, although it is rumored that Prosser is at present trying to construct a ball on the principle of a racket ball, made largely of string, which can be re- wound and re-covered ; but his balls so far have been too hard ; at present it seems probable that the kind used in Boston, which is made on the same prin- ciple as the proposed Prosser ball, is the best. It is fast enough, it never loses its shape, and it can be used without re-covering until it becomes too dirty to see.
The Brouaye racket has always been the favorite in Boston. Prosser began to make tennis rackets in 1885, and in 1890 they were first tried in Boston, but did not prove a success. Since then they seem to have been improving, and a number of players use them to-day. All the makers of lawn-tennis rackets have tried to make court-tennis rackets, but none of them have been successful. The ideal racket would be one made of the same seasoned wood of which the Brouaye is made, and possibly a little wider, and very much straighter. The Brouaye racket has changed very little in shape during the last thirty years. On the whole, however, in spite of its bend, it is probably still the most satisfactory.
Robert Bacon.
RACQUETS IN NEW YORK AND ITS PLAYERS
BY EDWARD LA MONTAGNE
HE first Racquet Court I found in New York was in 1848. It
Cwas located in Allen Street, off the Bowery, and I was told it was one of the English relics. The dimensions were 100 feet long by 36 wide ; there was no back wall, but simply lines on the
floor. The service was from a ring in the centre of the court ;
you had to serve over the line which crossed the ring 30 feet from the front wall, and then inside a back line about 80 feet from the front wall. Service was good only when within these lines. I played important matches in the Allen Street Court, and several with the then crack player, Robert Knox. The game in such a long, wide court was so different to what I had been used to in the English courts that it took me some time to catch on. However, after a while I won the majority of important matches.
About 1850 a splendidly appointed club-house, with Racquet Court, baths, bowling-alleys, billiard-room, etc., was built by Mr. Richard Carman on the east side of Broadway, between Prince and Houston. The court had been modelled as to dimensions, etc., after the Allen Street one. The club was known as the " Broadway Racquet Club," and numbered over two hundred members. Racquet playing became very popular, the majority of the best young men of the day being seen every day in the court. Beverley Robinson, Robert and Newbold Edgar, John A. Post, and William J. Emmet were among the most proficient players, but, the game being comparatively new, none of them, though showing great improvement, excelled. I played a match with Beverley Robinson, the then best player, and won easily. The galleries were filled with the fashionable people of the city, including many ladies, who seemed to take much interest in the game. Besides Racquets and other games, Whist was a great feature in the club, and was patronized daily by such men as Commodore Vanderbilt, Frank Work, the Whitneys, the Emmets, etc.
In 1854, at the solicitation of a number of gentlemen, I built a court as an investment, in Thirteenth Street near Sixth Avenue, being guaranteed seven per cent, on my outlay for four years. A regular club was formed under the name of "The Gymnasium Club," with the following officers:
122
I(ac(iuets in New York and Its Players
The above officers and William H. Leroy, W. Butler Duncan, Charles H. Castle, Newbold Edgar, P. V. Duflon, Alfred VV. Craven,
Officers of the Club. President, Thomas Addis Kmmet. Secretary, Auguste La Montagne. Treasurer, D. Lydig Suydam.
Governing Committee. Robert W. Edgar, VV. J. Emmet, VV. H. Church, Walden Pell, J. Watson Averell, Francis Fox, Robert Emmet,
J. T. Parish,
W. H. Major,
R. S. Hone,
R. Oliver Colt,
Louis Borg,
Murray Hoffman, Jr.,
Joseph Grafton.
The court was roofed and of the proper dimensions, 70 feet by 30, with back wall and two galleries for spectators. The front wall was of polished stone, the sides cemented, and the floor of Georgia pine. It was in this court that William Gray (then champion of England) played a match with our Rac- quet Master, Fred. Foulkes, the best of seven games of fifteen aces each, which Gray won after a close match.
After four years of a prosperous club I sold the building, and it became a public court. About 1870 a club was formed, and two courts with regular club- houses were built by Mr. A. S. Thorp, at the corner of Twenty-sixth Street and Sixth Avenue. A suitable rent was paid to the owner, and for many years the club was a great success. The following is a list of the names of the officers and Governing Committee of the New York Racquet Court Club, as it was then known:
President, William R. Travers. Vice-President, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant. Secretary, F. K. Sturgis. Treasurer, J. T. Soutter.
William R. Travers, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, Edward La Montagne, A. Wright Sanford, Charles G. Francklyn, Henry L. Burnett,
Governing Committee. John A. Lowery, William Watts Sherman, Matthew Morgan, George S. Bowdoin, Roland Redmond, Isaac Bell, Jr.,
Edward G. Field, Frederic Bronson, Henry C. Bahcock, James Gordon Bennett, Frederick R. Halsey, Frank K. Sturgis.
It was here that Joseph Gray played a match for j[S'^'^ ^ side with Henry Boakes, the marker of the Quebec Court, the stakes having been made up by subscriptions among the members. Boakes should have won the match, being 3 games out of 7 to o, but suddenly the thought of beating the English cham- pion caused him to become nervous. He lost the last four games and match, much to the surprise of his backers.
Edward La Montagne.
Racquets in New York and Its Players
125
The present club-house, to which the club moved in 1890, is too well known to need description. It has been the scene of some splendid matches, notably the two which Peter Latham won from George Standing, the present Racquet Master of the Racquet and Tennis Club.
I have not witnessed many of the amateur matches in the last three or four years, and the classification of the difl^erent players therefore is based on notes which I collected for the purpose. The principal fault of our young players is their over-eagerness and impetuosity. During the many years in which Spald- ing de Garmendia won the champion- ship he was certainly head and shoulders above everyone. His service was not fast, but it had the proper length, with a strong cut, and he played with a good deal of head. He was beaten, however, by Mr. Ashworth, the then champion amateur of England, who paid his first visit to America in 1892. Tooker, who was the closest to De Garmendia, played a brilliant and severe game. He was remarkably active, but he lacked cool- ness, so indispensable to a first-class Rac- quet player. Clarence H. Mackay is practically scratch man of the New York Club, and is handicapped under
the Bagnale-Wilde system, which is now universally used, at minus four. He is remarkably active and quick and accounted a good all-round player, with no weakness in backhand or volley, and his forehand stroke is particularly deadly and straight — good players know how essential this is. Next to Mackay would come VV. B. Dinsmore, Jr., who is handicapped at minus one. If he were a little quicker on his feet he would undoubtedly rank higher, as he is a graceful, stylish player with a splendid wrist flick, and to forehand and back- hand strokes, which are wellnigh perfect, he adds a very severe service and good judgment.
M. S. Barger is handicapped at scratch, and might be called a good all- round player, with an unusually effective forehand stroke and a good service, who is occasionally a little erratic in his play and is weakest on the backhand stroke.
Edward La Montagne, Jr., ranks well up among the good players. He
Clarence H. Mackay.
1 26 Racquets in New York and Its Players
has a splendid forehand stroke and is a brilliant finisher with a fast, stylish ser- vice, though he is liable to push the ball. His backhand stroke sometimes places him at a disadvantage.
After these would probably come Morton Paton, Maurice La Montagne, C. Lawrence Perkins, D. Crawford Clark, and G. C. Clark, Jr., who are prac- tically on a par as far as classification can be made. Morton Paton and Maurice La Montagne are good all-round players, with a good forehand stroke and a fair backhand stroke, who play for length in service and are considered the best of partners in a four-handed game. C. Lawrence Perkins is considered a beautiful drop player, with a splendid forehand stroke, and an active but cool player. The backhand is a little weak, and the service leaves something to be desired.
Another player who gives promise of more than ordinary attainment is Mr. Harold F. McCormack. His work is speedy and he certainly has a fine stroke, both on the forehand and backhand. His service is unusually strong.
D. Crawford Clark has a fine backhand and uses it very efl^ectively, and his service is also good. He is considered a good all-round player, and especially so at the four-handed game. G. C. Clark, Jr., is rather better known as a golfer, and is practically a beginner at Racquets, but he already shows a form that seems to destine him some day for championship honors. He has a splen- did backhand stroke and a good service, but his forehand stroke at present has a little too much swing. The New York Club has among its players a large per- centage of men in business, and does not draw on colleges to any appreciable extent, whereas in Boston the younger element predominates among the players.
Guy Phelps Dodge, Ford Huntington, and Erskine Hewitt might be classed together. The first is a speedy player with a fast service. His backhand stroke is somewhat weak and his forehand inclined to be "jerky." Mr. Hewitt's back- hand stroke is a little cramped, but he has a splendid service, a good wrist stroke, and the forehand stroke is very good. Mr. Huntington shows to good advan- tage in match play. He is equally good on the forehand or backhand stroke, but his service leaves something to be desired.
J. C. GifFord, like Mr. McCormack, comes from Chicago, and is a hus- tling, " get-there " kind of player, who uses good judgment. He is not so speedy, a player as Mr. McCormack, but he volleys well and uses the side-wall to advantage.
THE BOSTON RAC- QUET PLAYERS
BY H, H, HUNNEWELL, JR.
ACQUETS began at the B. A. A. in 1889 under Thomas Pettitt, who, although unfamiHar with the game at that time, soon picked it up. The players came naturally from those who played in the tennis-courts. The first championship game between New York and Boston was held in Boston in 1890, when De Garmendia defeated R. D. Sears. From then until after 1897 ^^ Garmen- dia was still the best racquet player in America, and won the championships in succession, with the exception of those in 1892 and 1895, when he did not enter, and the prize fell to Mr. Tooker, who was the next best player in the country. Tooker began playing in New York, but most of his playing was done in Boston while he was at Harvard.
In I 89 1 Mr. Hunnewell * began to take up racquets seriously, and in 1892 he defeated R. D. Sears for the club championship, but failed to win the national championship in that year, which, as previously stated, fell to Mr. Tooker. He also won the club championship in 1893, ^"^ ^" this,, as in the club championship of the previous year, he did not have Mr. Tooker as a com- petitor. In 1894, 1895, and 1896, Mr. Tooker again won the club champion- ship, with Mr. Hunnewell as runner-up in each year. In 1897 Mr. Hunnewell won the club championship, with Q. A. Shaw, Jr., as runner-up.
In 1898 Q. A. Shaw, Jr., began playing and won the club championship, but was defeated in the American championship of that year by F. F. Rolland, the Canadian champion. Mr. Shaw was a very young beginner to have played so splendid a game, and it is generally conceded that he is the most brilliant player in America. There is much in common between the game of Tooker and Shaw, both playing in very brilliant style, both having very severe services, and both, when on their games, killing the ball with great severity, speed, and accuracy. In 1899 both the club and American championships were won by Mr. Shaw, practically within a year after having begun to play the game. In 1900 Mr. George R. Fearing, Jr., won the club championship from Mr. Shaw, but it is perhaps only fair to say that Mr. Shaw had not been playing for two
* The criticisms of Mr. Hunnewell were furnished by Mr. Pettitt.
128 The Boston Racquet P/aj/ers
months. This is not to depreciate Mr. Fearing's game, for there are not many people who can give him points.
Mr. R. D. Sears was a very careful player though a slow one, using his head and agility to the hest advantage, but he lacked severity and the power of killing the ball.
Mr. Hunnewell and Mr. Fearing have probably more return than any two men playing racquets to-day — there is nothing can get by them. Mr. Hunne- well's forehand stroke is severe, but he is weak in volleying. Mr. Fearing plays a similar game to Mr. Hunnewell, but he is more sure of himself and is stronger on the forehand volley.
Payne Whitney has only been playing a year, but he is already very close to Mr. Shaw. He is a very sure player with excellent judgment, and depends considerably on his forehand stroke and volley. With more speed in his back- hand stroke, he bids fair to enter for championship honors in the near future.
Austin Potter is a brilliant player, very strong on volleys and half-volleys and a fast hitter. With a little more enthusiasm and care in his game there is no reason why he should not play well up among the good players. With Mr. Whitney and Mr. Stackpole, these three men constitute the future hope of the B. A. A. Like Mr. Whitney, Mr. Stackpole has only played this year, but he has shown rapid improvement and is fairly in the same class with Mr. Potter. His strong points are his service and his forehand volley.
. v^V, JVT-W-t^^-^wC^ /
H. H. Hunnewell, Jr. Winner of the Club Championship for Racquets, B. A. A., iSgj.
Alfred Tompkins.
The Marker's Court.
RACQUETS AND RACQUET PLAYERS AT PHILADELPHIA
- FROM NOTES FURNISHED BY WALTER ROGERS FURNESS
ILL 1889 Philadelphia had no Racquet Court, but only a small
C court, on Carpenter Street, where Hand-Fives and Squash or
Bat-Fives were played. In this year a club was formed, having as its chief officers Messrs. Richard W. Clay, William Welsh, Jr., Edward E. Denniston, and A. J. D. Dixon. The club, at a cost of over $27,000, turned an old colonial house into two full-sized Racquet Courts. One of these is now the fastest and perhaps the best-lighted in America. Mr. Clay was succeeded as President by Mr. Welsh, and he by Mr. J. M. Fox, and he in turn by Mr. James Potter, whom the club is fortunate in still having as its President to-day. Among the other offi- cers are Messrs. W. L. Elkins, T. J. Dolan, and J. R. Evans Roberts; the Gov- ernors are Messrs. M. L. Parrish, F. Bain, J. C. M. Shirk, H. Morris, F. E. Brewster, G. F. Jordan, E. I. Smith, B. H. Warburton, and W. R. Furness. The Racquet Committee consists of Messrs. Furness, Parrish, and S. W. Ffoulkes. The club is now in a very flourishing condition, thanks to the able manage- ment of Mr. James Potter and others ; it includes one hundred and twenty-nine resident members, and has paid off all its debts. Besides Racquets — which forms the main feature of the club — Bridge-Whist is very popular, and some of the most expert players in America are among the members. It has recently been decided to add a Squash Court, and the funds for the purpose have been subscribed.
It was Philadelphia that started the Inter-Club Doubles Championship at Racquets, the prize being a challenge trophy — a perfectly modelled racket in silver, of full size and exact weight and proportions. It was first won by Messrs. Q. A. Shaw, Jr., and H. H. Hunnewell, Jr., of the Boston Athletic Association.
In January, 1900, Philadelphia witnessed one of the best and most exciting doubles ever played in this country or anywhere. In this the English cham- pions, Peter Latham and Eustace H. Miles, defeated the two best American players, George Standing and Tom Pettitt, by four games to three. Just before this game a New York pair, Messrs. Morton Paton and M. La Montagne, beat a Philadelphia pair, Messrs. Edgar and Hugh Scott, by four games to two.
IJ2 ^accfuets and I^acc^uei Players at I^jiladelphia
The club keeps up a growing interest in the game by its monthly handi- cap prizes, as well as by these numerous matches. The result is that there are many members who show not only great keenness but also great promise.
Mr. Hugh D. Scott is considered by many competent judges to be the best Racquet player in Philadelphia, and to this distinction he certainly has some very just claims, as regards both his service and his court playing.
His service is swift, well into the corner, and under control ; his stroke sel- dom hits the wall high. The stroke in which he excels other Racquet players in Philadelphia is the half-volley ; this he makes equally certain either fore- hand or backhand. He possesses one of the almost essential requisites for a rirst-class player — viz., stamina ; for he can play five fast games of singles and strike as hard and as surely at the end as he did at the beginning of the match.
In doubles his team play is good ; he seems to know intuitively when the ball leaves his adversary's bat, whether it should be played by his partner or by himself.
His weak point is his backhand stroke, which lacks the snap and vigor of his forehand stroke ; but, as Mr. Scott is, comparatively speaking, a young player, this defect will no doubt be corrected.
Mr. Edgar Scott, having played Racquets and Tennis from his boyhood up and in many courts, has developed a game which will defeat a stronger and harder player than himself. He has learned the rare and difficult art of hitting softly ; when taking a ball on the volley he can drop it gently, or nick it skil- fully into a corner, entirely out of the reach of even an active adversary. Never- theless, when the occasion arises, Mr. Scott can hit with astonishing force and swiftness, employing many Court-Tennis strokes which could not be used by a player of Racquets alone. His great reach, both of leg and arm, allows him to cover the court well ; this, combined with an accurate eye, makes him a dangerous adversary. His service is underhand, with a peculiar and (to most people) a very annoying twist.
In doubles his play is cool and accurate when he is playing in practice games, though in large matches he is apt to become over-eager and therefore hardly does himself justice; but this is a fault that can be readily remedied by a little more match play.
Mr. Newbold Etting's natural aptitude for all athletic sports, his great physical strength, his knowledge of the angles of the court, and his backhand service into the right court, with its excellent length and hard cut, put him in the front rank of Philadelphian Racquet players. His weakness consists partly in the extent to which his game is apt to vary, and partly in the fact that he is apt to trust too much to his opponent doing just the right thing in a double — a mistake often made by whist players whose partners are not quite so good as
Racquets and Racquet Players at Philadelphia ijj
they themselves are. For Mr. Etting has studied the theory of Racquets, and has practised the game, more assiduously than anyone else in Philadelphia.
The play of Mr. James Potter is noteworthy, not so much for its brill- iancy as for its extreme steadiness ; whether contending with an inferior player or in an important match, his game is uniformly smooth and careful.
Having played even before the organization of the Racquet Club, he has perhaps a better practical knowledge of the game than has any player in Phila- delphia. Though he is a large and rather heavy man, his ability to cover the court when playing in singles is a constant cause of astonishment to his adver- sary. His service is too swift to show much " cut," but to make up for this it has an almost perfect length. One very noticeable feature of Mr. Potter's play is his manner of turning suddenly when receiving a heavily cut service, and then playing the ball with absolute precision and great strength. Mr. Potter does not greatly rely on the volley, but prefers, when possible, to take the ball from the floor, playing it very hard and but a few inches above the " tell-tale."
\^ ^i^Siij:^ '^^^^^'^^^^
X
RECORDS OF WINNERS
NEW YORK Racquet Qub Championships
1876 Edw. La iVlontagne
1877 Geo. C. Allen
1878 J. T. Soutter
1879 Edw. L. Montague
1880 Geo. C. Allen
1881 Uavid Lvdig
1882 L. M. Rutherfurd, Jr.
1883 L. M. Rutherfurd, Jr.
1884 William Shippen
1885 L. M. Rutherfurd, Jr.
1886 Philip Allen
1887 C. Lawrence Perkins
1888 B. S. de Garmendia
1889 B. S. de Garmendia
1890 B. S. de Garmendia
1 89 1 J. S. Tooker
1892 Edw. La Montagne, Jr.
1893 B. S. de Garmendia
1894 B. S. de Garmendia
1895 C. Lawrence Perkins
1896 Valentine G. Hall
1897 ^' ''• ^^ Garmendia
1898 J. S. Hoyt
1899 W. B. Dinsmore
1900 C. W. Mackay
Court Tennis Club Champion- ships
1892 B. S. de Garmendia
1893 B. S. de Garmendia
1894 B. S. de Garmendia
1895 B. S. de Garmendia
1896 E. A. Thomson
1897 E. A. Thomson
1898 E. A. Thomson
1899 E. A. Thomson
1900 O. S. Campbell
BOSTON
Racquet Club Championships
1890 R. D. Sears
1 89 1 J. S. Tooker
1892 H. H. Hunnewell, Jr.
1893 H. H. Hunnewell, Jr.
1894 J. S. Tooker
1895 J. S. Tooker
1896 J. S. Tooker
1897 H. H. Hunnewell, Jr.
1898 Q. A. Shaw, Jr.
1899 Q. A. Shaw, Jr.
1900 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
Court Tennis Club Champion- ships
1889 H. Emmons
1890 R. D. Sears
189 1 R. D. Sears
1892 H. C. Leeds
1893 Fiske Warren
1894 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
1895 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
1896 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
1897 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
1898 L. M. Stockton
1899 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
1900 G. R. Fearing, Jr.
PHILADELPHIA Racquets — Handicap Sing;Ies
First Class
1 89 1 Chas. Bohlen
1892 F. H. Bohlen
1893 W. W. Noble
1894 Paul Thompson
1895 Wm. E. Bates
1896 Wm. E. Bates
1897 Edgar Scott
1898 G. S. Patterson
1900 Jno. B. Thayer, Jr.
1 90 1 Edgar Scott
|
Second Class |
||
|
1891 |
W. W. Noble |
|
|
1892 |
Wm. |
E. Bates |
|
1893 |
F. W |
. Morris, Jr. |
|
1894 |
T. L, |
. Harrison |
|
1895 Edgar |
■ Scott |
|
|
1896 |
Geo. |
T. Newhall |
|
1897 |
R. Furness |
|
|
1898 |
Geo. |
H. Brooke |
|
1900 |
T. F. |
Furness |
|
1901 |
S. K. |
Reeves |
Racquet Doubles
1899 Newbold Etting and Hugh
D. Scott
1900 Hugh D. Scott and Lyn-
ford Biddle
POLO IN AMERICA
POLO IN ENGLAND
POLO PONIES
JOHN E. COWDIN
FOXHALL KEENE
K L HERBERT
International Polo Challenge Cup.
Won by the Hurlingham Tenm at Newport.
POLO IN AMERICA
BY JOHN E. CO WD IN
AM an enthusiast on the subject of polo, but it is my sober judg- ment that there is no game like it in the world. I know of no game so exhilarating, or one that combines so many sterling qualities. In the first place it requires good horsemanship — you have got to ride in polo whether you will or no : the game obliges it — a cool head, lots of dash, a faculty of thinking and acting very quickly, a good eye, and a good physique to stand the strain of a severe match.
Polo is a game of great antiquity. We know that it was played in Persia a thousand years ago. Golf, hockey, football, and croquet are variations of the same game. It is quite generally believed that the Indian home of polo is in the country of the Munnipoories, up in the northeast corner of India, on the border of Burmah. Their children commence practising the game on foot and on horseback at a very early age, and the name they give to it is Kan-jai-bazee. Their ponies are only about twelve to thirteen and a half hands high, and the usual number of players is seven, though there are sometimes as many as fifteen on a side. They have a "back," a "half-back," a "No. i," and the others constitute themselves "forward" players. The game is played very much in pairs, and there is no such thing as "off-side." In practice games they prefer to ride bare-back, and the game with them is fast and furious. Major-Gen- eral Sherer, the veteran Indian player, took his team up into their country in 1865, after a series of victories in Calcutta, and according to his own account his men were simply "nowhere" — his team never won a single game. Their strong point was in striking the ball and using the stick, for they were not supe- rior to the English in riding. They have three strokes on the right side, three strokes on the left side, and they frequently hit the ball in air by taking both hands and allowing the reins to fall on the horse's neck — besides which they have a lot of fancy strokes, all of which imply a great deal of practice. If anyone, the Munnipoories are certainly lords of the game; it is the uppermost thought in the minds of the men, and some have been known to pawn their wives in order to purchase a particular pony. I have introduced mention of the Munni- poories because it seems to me that they may in a way be considered authorities on the game, and in the matter of hooking mallets and off-side, wherein our game differs from the English game, we have the Munnipoories with us.
The game was introduced into America in the early part of 1876. Mr.
/j<y
Polo in America
James Gordon Bennett at this time was doing more for the advancement of legit- imate sport than anyone. He brought over some mallets and balls from Eng- land, and with a few friends began some practice games in the old Dickel Riding Academy. Shortly after that a game was played on the turf inside the race-track
at Jerome Park. From these small be- ginnings the interest grew rapidly. The Westchester Polo Club was organized on March 6, 1876, and a good club-house and stables were built on a tract of land adjoining Jerome Park on the north. At this time the game differed in many important respects from the way in which it is played to-day, and the ground prepared was not of regulation size, still it answered quite well for the small ponies and slower game then played. The game presented so many features of novelty that it became in- tensely popular, and there were soon more players interested than could be accommodated. Not the least interest- ing feature of the time was the ten-mile drive on Mr. Bennett's coach out to the grounds, and if one could but get at them there must be a host of pleasant memories and experiences connected with those days which would make in- teresting reading. Some of the gentle- men who were enthusiastically following the sport at this time were Colonel William Jay, W. P. Douglas, Fairman Rogers, Hollis Hunnewell, Frederic Bronson, F. Gray Griswold, Lord Man- deville, Winthrop Thorne, C. G. Francklyn, S. S. Howland, George R. Fear- ing, Henry Ridgway, John Mott, and Sir Bache Cunard, to name a few. The game at this time was conducted privately, that is, admission to the club- house could only be had by invitation from a member. In 1877, when the game was started at Newport by the Westchester Polo Club, an admission fee was charged, and the public was admitted. The same year the game was started at Long Branch, under the name of the Brighton Polo Club, by H. L. Herbert,
Harry Payne Whitney.
Polo in America
139
George W. Elder, W. W. Robbins, C. A. Robbins, Howard Stokes, and Harry Montague, the then popular actor. Play was only kept up for two or three seasons.
The ponies used at this time averaged thirteen hands, and fourteen hands was the limit. No restriction was put on the number of players, and there sometimes were as many as six or eight on a side. As might be expected, this was too many for comfort, and the players often got in each other's way, but what led to the most confusion was the prevalent custom of hooking mal- lets. A player might come thundering down the field with all the dash and momentum accumulated in a hundred- yards run, his mallet raised high to knock the ball with one fierce blow through the goal, when someone on a swifter pony would run in close and intercept his mallet on the downward stroke. Fortunately we do not have this to contend with to-day. There was no handicap at this time, and the play was entirely for goals.
About 1879, as the necessity for using larger ponies became apparent, the standard height of ponies was raised to fourteen hands one inch, and the smaller ponies were for the most part discarded. There were some wonder- ful little beggars in the smaller class, and some of the older players doubtless remember Mr. Griswold's chestnut
Tommy, Mr. August Belmont, Jr.'s, bay roan Brick, and Mr. Herman Oel- richs's dapple gray Picayune. With this change in the size of ponies came a lengthening of mallets from forty-five inches to, in some instances, fifty-seven inches, though the average length to-day is fifty-one inches. Both of these changes necessarily altered the manner of playing. Instead of leaning forward over the pony's neck, the position became upright, thus giving a longer sweep with the mallet and a better chance to carry the stroke through. The polo
Albert Edward Kennedy.
140
I\>lo in America
stroke is not essentially different from the stroke used in tennis, racquets, or the other games played with the bat and ball. The most effective stroke is
a long sweeping one carried well through. I shall not attempt to chronicle here the dates when playing was begun in dif- ferent parts of the country. Mr. Herbert has kindly prepared for me a table show- ing when the different teams joined the Polo Association, and a second table show- ing the dates of the principal cup compe- titions, with the names of the members on the winning team. Both of these tables will be found at the end of the chapter.
At the time the standard height of ponies was raised, the standard of the players was also raised by a natural pro- cess of selection. Many of the original players had dropped out and a harder- riding lot of enthusiastic men had taken their places. The field of the Westches- ter team at Jerome Park was too small to be entirely satisfactory, and there was a great deal of time consumed in getting to it. With the idea of helping popularize the sport the Park Commissioners gave the polo people permission to use a part of the large parade ground in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, for the games. The ground was in good condition and well suited to play on, but, as showing how much slower the game was then than now, the field was marked out with chalk, and measured 900 feet by 600 teet. Sta- bling for fifty ponies was erected on the Boulevard, and rooms for the use of the players were fitted up in the Park Hotel. The first important polo match played in America took place on these grounds June 11, 1879. The competing teams were the Westchester, com- posed of A. Belmont, Jr., Captain, and Harry Oelrichs, Carroll Bryce, William Sandford, and H. L. Herbert, with A. Landenburg and W. Oothout as substi-
Samuel D. IVarren.
John E. Cowdin.
Mr. Cowdins "Jay Gould."
Mr. Cowdins ''Ellis."
/b/o in America
143
R. La Montagne, Jr. D. F. Savage.
A. Butler Duncan.
" Well backed., Savage ! "
tutes; and the Queens County Hunt team, comprised of F. Gray Griswold, Captain, and Herman Oelrichs, Pierre Lorillard, Jr., F. J. Iselin, and Elliot Zborowski, with H. VV. Hallock and Center Hitchcock as substitutes. The members of this team all belonged to the Westchester Club, but for purposes of competition they called themselves the Queens County Hunt team — nowadays it would have been Westchester No. i and Westchester No. 2. The game was stubbornly contested, and the newspaper accounts are quite enthusiastic, but Westchester finally won three straight goals. One feature about the Prospect Park grounds which has always made them popular with the players is the large and enthusiastic audience that comes to see the games. It is certainly inspiring to play before ten thousand spectators, and there were frequently that many to watch the games. The Westchester team transferred its ponies from Brooklyn to Newport in July; for the Newport games were then, and for several years afterward, considered the important games of the year. The Buffalo Club was one of the strongest competitors the Westchesters had at this time, for, though
144
Polo in America
the latter beat the former dn two occasions at Newport, the Buffalo team won two matches from the VVestchesters at Buffalo.
Between the years 1880 and 1885, as may be seen by referring to the table.
polo clubs were brook, Rockaway, Club, Pelham. In vard students was A team from there, mond Belmont, Eger- Bird, and Amos T. the Country Club of Meadowbrook team A n interesting in 1880, when Mr. in his enterprise by nett and August Bel- tract of land at i loth nue and spent $20,- proving it. A club- erected, and the This was the Man- tion, and these the Grounds" which oc- and interesting a page in New York for the The opening day, of the annual parade
F. S. Conover, Jr.
formed at Meadow- and at the Country 1885 a club of Har- formed at Cambridge, consisting of Ray- ton Winthrop, Oliver French, defeated both Pelham team and the at Newport, experiment was made Herbert, backed up James Gordon Ben- mont, Jr., leased the Street and Sixth Ave- 000 levelling and im- house and stable were grounds prepared, hattan Polo Associa- f a m o u s "Polo cupy so prominent in the history of sport last twenty years. May 2 2d, was the day of the Coaching Club,
and the game was not called until late to allow the coaches time in which to arrive. The difficulty of growing turf on the new grounds while they were in constant use made it a difficult field to play on, owing to the clouds of dust, and after the second year polo was abandoned there and the lease was trans- ferred to another company. For many years afterward it continued to be the historic baseball and football ground, and, as such, a decided feature in the city life. It is much to be regretted that the field could not have been kept up, as it would have done a great deal for the popularity of the game to have it played on a ground within the city limits, and it would have added a picturesque note to city life.
In many respects the most important game in the history of polo in this country took place in 1886. Ranelagh and Hurlingham have long been the home of the best polo in England, and in that year a team from Hurlingham
Polo in America
145
came over to Newport and played against grounds at Morton Park. The first game the competing teams were made up in the
English Team. — Captain ; Captain the Captain T. Howe, and
American Team. cock, Jr., Mr. W. K. mond Belmont, and
The conditions the best two in three, in intervals of twenty two minutes rest after minutes rest at the terval. Mr. S. How- high platform, was the L. Winthrop, Jr., um- cans, and the Hon. for the English team, was time-keeper, yellow, and their op-
a mixed American team on the was played on August 25th, and following manner;
Mr. John Watson, Honorable R. Lawley, Mr. Malcolm Little. — Mr.Thomas Hitch- Thorn, Jr., Mr. Ray- Mr. Foxhall Keene. of the match were The play was to be minutes each, with each goal, and ten expiration of each in- land Robbins, on a referee; Mr. Egerton pired for the Ameri- Mr.Lambton umpired I Mr. S. S. Sands, Jr.,
I The Americans wore
ponents light blue.
C. C. Baldwin.
match was opened by a and Little, the former, reaching the ball first, in fine style, none of able to touch it. Time,
First Game. — The charge by Messrs. Keene on a very fleet ponv, and he rattled it home the other players being twenty-four seconds.
Second Game. — The charge in this, as well as in all the succeeding games, was omitted, and the players assembled in the centre. Mr. Lawley opened the game well for the English team with two powerful blows. Mr. Thorn was at his heels, and a knockout was the result. Mr. Thorn, in sending the ball in from the whitewash line, knocked it in front of his goal, where it was met by Mr. Little, who dashed to the goal and took the ball with him. Time, forty-five seconds.
Third Game. — The captain of the English game stationed himself in the rear before the bell rang, as usual. Lawley opened the game well and took the ball to goal, where a yellow man sent it out of bounds for safety. It was in this game that the Englishmen showed their style of play to advantage. A clever backhanded blow by Lawley brought out con- siderable applause. The Americans were soon placed on the defensive, and they were obliged to resort to knockouts. The ball was kept on the move, and was rushed up and down past the clubhouse. Mr. Thorn here showed to advantage. He took the ball down the hill with three rattling blows and was loudly applauded. Captain Watson went on the defensive and sent the ball out of bounds for safety, and when it was knocked at again the
14^
Polo in America
Knglishmen rushed to the opposite end. Mr. Keene was on hand and returned it, but a backhander by Mr. Howe threw the Americans off their guard. Mr. Thorn then sent the ball skyward, and at this point Captain Watson broke his mallet, but kept on using the bit of stock left in his hand. This mishap was fortunate for the Americans, who lost no time
and soon turned the ball down the hill, after it was thought that Lawley had scored. A pretty contest took place over the boundary boards on the west side, after which Hitchcock took the ball in charge and with three blows sent it home, and scored a notable victory. Many thought the home team would be the win- ners. Time, six minutes.
Fourth Game. — Three men in rapid succession missed the ball when the bell rang. The Americans played well and backed each other in a very expert man- ner. Hitchcock was at his best and dashed up the hill with the ball in charge. When he had finished, Keene, who was at his heels, sent the ball between the red flags. Time, one minute.
Fifth Game. — Lawley got the first crack at the ball, and then Captain Wat- son, with powerful blows, sent it almost between the flags. The goal was saved, however, by Mr. Thorn. Then Mr. Hitchcock rushed down the hill and dealt the ball three consecutive blows, only to be returned by Little in an equally ener- getic manner. It was now out of bounds, and, when tossed in, Mr. Keene took it to the boards, on which the Americans seemed to be at home. Lawley finally picked it out and rattled it to goal, with Thorn at his heels. Belmont sent it to the boards. The Knglishmen outrode the home team almost invariably, and they rarely missed the ball. Another save was scored by Thorn after Lawley had come within an ace of winning. The clever backhanded blows of the Englishmen stood them well in hand, and they never resorted to that kind of play until they saw where their men were located. Little was always on hand. The English team found it hard work to take the ball uphill. Keene was compelled to change his pony, but he did it quickly. The Englishmen knew that the time of the first series was nearly up, and that the score was in favor of their opponents. Every man of the American team made a good record, and they imitated many of the moves of their antagonists. Thorn changed his pony after
George J. Gould.
Polo in America
H7
sending the ball skyward. Little's play was the feature of the latter part of the game. The ball was kept in motion and was as often at one end of the lot as the other. The game was finally won for the English team by Little. Time, ten minutes.
Sixth Game. — Only two minutes of the first twenty minute series was now left. The game was opened in an aggressive manner by Messrs. Lawley and Hone, and the latter broke his mallet with the first blow. The bell finally rang, the signal that the time allotted for the first series of play had expired. After ten minutes' rest the game was resumed. Following a pretty struggle in close quarter Little " stole " the ball and rushed down the hill with his pony and the ball under per- fect control, but he failed to score, the ball going out on the wrong side of goal. The Englishmen played remarkably well toward the finish, their team work being all the lovers of polo could wish. Wat- son made a most brilliant finish for his team, when he scored with three powerful and telling blows. Time, including time occupied in first intervals, four minutes.
Seventh Game. — Little opened this game to advantage, taking the ball along the boards as neatly as the Americans. The ball was kept near the club-house for some time. Just as Little was taking the ball to goal with his telling strokes, Hitch- cock was dismounted. Many believed that he was seriously injured. When he again appeared in the saddle the spectators applauded. Play was thoughtfully sus- pended, the Englishmen being perfectly willing to hold up. When play was re- sumed, Hitchcock rushed down the field
and struck the ball three telling blows. He was followed by Keene, who took the ball up and across, and made a splendid record, and one that was duly recognized by the spectators. Thorn made a splendid " save " and the Americans now took to centre. The excitement was intense, and both teams played for all the men were worth. While all the players were crowding about the goal looking for the ball. Captain Watson, who was well in the rear, took it home by one of his tremendous strokes, amid great applause. The Americans were demoralized by this brilliant coup. Time, nine minutes and fifteen seconds.
Eighth Game. — Both sides seemed to be puzzled as to the way they should send the bail, and one of the Americans was obliged to shout to the referee for instructions. The
H. H. Holmes.
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Polo in America
Knglishmen outplayed and outrode the Americans at almost every point, but Messrs. Kecne and Thorn made a brilliant but forlorn struggle. The two latter often took the ball to goal, but an opponent was always on hand to take it back. The Americans kept the ball at their end of the lot for some time, but when the bell rang and the referee
shouted " Time " the ing the best work, play was resumed with applause for his many one time he took com- ball, and took it al- consecutive blows, the visitors had every- Lawley, backed by record. The ball was flags by Hone for the including that occu- terval, fourteen minutes
Ninth Game. — this game well for the rushed toward goal pressed and failed to ment. The English blows sent the ball to time, and they rarely crowded by the op- rattled the ball well to on the opposite side, the whitewashed line handed blow, sending who drove it home Time, two min-
Tenth Game. — but a feeble effort in
George P. Eustis.
visiting team were do- After ten minutes rest a will, Keene winning good moves, and at plete control of the most home with three Then, until the finish, thing their own way. Little, made a brilliant worked between the Knglish team. Time, pied in the second in- and thirty seconds. H itchcock opened Americans, but as he he was too closely score at a critical mo- players' backhanded the right person every missed except when posing team. Hone goal, which it passed but before it touched he gave it a back- it to Captain Watson, with a terrific smash, utes.
The home team made this game, which was
easily scored against them by Lawley, whose backhanders were very destructive to any hope held out that the Americans stood any show the first day. Time, thirty seconds.
Eleventh Game. — Messrs. Lawley and Hone took the ball to goal with their superior ponies before either of the Americans touched it. A very exciting struggle took place and Lawley with a backhander sent the ball almost through a goal. Thorn was on hand to "save," but he had no sooner taken the ball to centre than Hone returned it. A back- hander from Thorn and a down hill blow from Hitchcock were the signal for applause. The Americans, however, were unable to keep the ball at their end but a few seconds, the visiting team doing almost as they liked with it. Messrs. Little, Hone, and Lawley, in the order named, got a crack at the ball in centre, and scored again, the ball being sent between flags by the last-mentioned. Time, five minutes and thirty seconds.
"Twelfth Game. — The game was opened for the home team by Keene, who gave Cap-
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Sidney Dillon Ripley.
Polo in America
^Sr
tain Watson considerable trouble, and he was obliged to pay strict attention to him. There
was an exciting struggle between Little and Keene, who endeavored to stem the current, but the game was won by Lawley. Time, two minutes.
Thirteenth Game. — The team play of the Englishmen was the feature of the game. A
visit was made to the clubhouse, after which
the ball was rushed ^^^^^^^^^^Hi^^^HilHi home by Lawley, who
another ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H to the contest already
there ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| ten to the
side. The home team ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H never
getting the ball away ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i^^l from Time,
one minute and fifteen ^^^^^H _ki^^| seconds.
Fourteenth Game. ^^^^^^^_ ^^^^^1 — This was an un- usually fast game, and ^^^^^^V^ llMPSlfl^^^l '*' "^"^^ ^^ admitted that the Americans ^^^^m ^ ^VJ^^^^^I made a good fight against fearful odds. ^^^HURSt %~^tK^^^^^k The home team out- played their oppo- ^^^^|^^ ^^^^H 1l\v& ball was rattled across and ^^^^^L^^fe-- ^^^^1 down the lot rapidly, the players riding su- ^^^^^M^^Hp^. ^^^^^^^H perbly. The game
was finally scored for ^^^^^^^Hr ^^^^^^^^^^^1 ^^ home team by
Thorn. Time, three ^^^^^^^^MJ^^^^^^^^^^^^H
When the ^^^^^^^f^^^^^^^^^^^^^^f game was
utes was after ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H No fur- ther play was called. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H The score was lo to 4.
As will be seen account of the first knowledge of the team work of the day. They won ease. The individ- our men was quite
William A. Hazard.
by the foregoing game, the superior game and the better English carried the both games with ual play of some of as good as that of
the English players, notably in the case of Foxhall Keene, who made the first goal for our side in two strokes as soon as the ball was thrown in. But the play of John Watson, the back of the English team, was a revelation to our men. He would direct his men and back the ball to them in such a way that the ball always came to the man to whom he shouted, and he would then carry the ball down the field and make the goal. These matches taught us more about polo than we could have learned by ourselves in a great many years. From that time our game has greatly improved. Every man studies the position he is to play, and, whether he plays No. i or back, knows the duties he has to perform. Most men stick to one position, and are known as a back, or a No. i, No. 2, or No. 3, but it is always well for a man to play
152
Polo in America
(ftszircs^
more than one position. It familiarizes him with the requirements of the game and enables him to play more understandingly in team work.
For the benefit of those who are not familiar with the game, it may be well to explain the names and duties of the different players. In the line-up for play, No. I rides off" the opposing back, and No. 2 takes the ball — that is the
duty of No. I at all times. No. 2 plays the opposing No. 3, which leaves No. 3 to play the opposing No. 2. The backs keep the position, and try, as far as possible, to "back" the ball to a particular player, whichever one is more convenient. If it should be to No. 3, No. 2 goes down the field ahead of line and closes the way. While there are, properly speaking, but four strokes used in polo, one forward and one back on each side of the pony, the angle at which the ball is struck can be varied consider- ably, and this adds very much to the interest of the game. For this reason a back must be able to back on both sides, or else he will be ridden off" all the time. The opposing No. 1, finding that he can only back on the onej side, will ride off^ continually on that side, whereas, if he can hit the ball on either side, he would naturally always back the ball on the side on which he is not being ridden off".
We have developed some excellent men for the diff"erent positions. Among the No. I's we have men like W. C. Eustis, who has been for several years one of the best No. i 's in the country, and Mr. Allan Forbes, of the Dedham team, which won the championship match for 1900, at Prospect Park.
Among the No. 2's we have J. M. Waterbury, Jr. ; Mr. E. M. Weld, the very eff"ective Dedham player from this year's championship team ; Mr. Robert G. Shaw, 2d, of Myopia, and Mr. George P. Eustis. In years past Mr. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., was a most formidable No. 2, and the records of early Newport games suggest that he kept things pretty well stirred up and took his share ot accidents. The strong point of his play is that he never rests back — there is always something doing, and to his aggressive play he adds the merit of being a very accurate goal hitter.
Among No. 3's Foxhall Keene stands at the head of the list, followed by Mr. Harry Payne Whitney, who is one of the most efi^ective players we have. Mr. W. H. Goodwin, of the Dedham team, and Mr. F. S. Conover, of the Rocka-
7. M. Waterbury^ Jr.
Polo in America
153
way team, should also be included among the strong No. 3's. Keene plays with his head all the time, and makes a splendid captain, as he can take in the situation at a glance and direct his men ; being such a good player and such a sure hitter, the men in front of him can always depend on the ball coming up to them. His direction in hitting goals is the best of any player in the country, and he can make a goal at any angle.
The strongest back in the country at the present time is Lawrence Waterbury, of the Westchester team, while, after him, would come Mr. R. L. Agassiz, the well-known back of the Myopia team ; Mr. Benjamin NicoU, of the Meadowbrook team, and Mr. Joshua Crane, of the Dedham team. Both Nicoll and Agassiz are very sure on their back-hand stroke. Nicoll is a very hard man to ride off, owing to his physique, but is not quite so quick as Agassiz. The two Waterburys are the quickest players we have, and they will often take a ball right out from under an opponent's mallet. What makes Lawrence Waterbury's play so strong is that he can back the ball equally well on both sides, and his backhand stroke on the left side of the pony is wonderful.
The game lost one of its very best men last year in the death of C. C. Baldwin. If he had lived, he certainly would have been handicapped at ten goals this year. He could play any position on a team equally well, although his favorite position was No. 2 or 3. He played with a dash rarely seen on the polo field, and he was never beaten until the final bell rang. A very strong point in his play was the fact that he could hit the ball equally well on both sides of his pony, and I have frequently seen him carry the ball the whole length of the field on the near side of his pony, and make a goal while one of the opposing players was trying to ride him off on the off side.
It is manifestly impossible to go into an analysis of the game played by all the different "cracks," the only point I want to make being that individual study of the game is a characteristic of every strong player.
With such players to draw on, it is a source of regret that four first-class men have never been able to get together and go abroad to try and win back the International Polo Trophy, which the English team took home with them to Hurlingham. It would be a considerable undertaking. To make a thor-
Robert G. Shaw, 2d.
154
Po/o in America
ough try for the cup, it would be necessary to have the ponies sent to England and become acclimated, and our men would have to play a number of practice matches under the English rules. From rtrst to last it would mean an absence of four months. The English rules and ours differ only in two important re- spects. They allow the hooking of mallets, and play the off-side game.
The difference between the two games is quite clearly set forth by Mr. Keene, but an explanation as to just what constitutes "off-side" play may be neces- sary for the uninitiated. The English rule reads as follows:
" A player is off-side when at the time of the ball being hit he has no one of the opposite side between him and the adversaries' goal-line, or behind that goal- line, and he is neither in possession of the ball nor behind one of his own side who is in possession of the ball. The position of the players is to be considered at the time the ball was last hit — i.e., a player, if on one side when the ball was last hit, remains on side until it is hit again."
There has been a great deal of dis- cussion regarding the merits of English and American ponies, and at the time the English team was over here Mr. Watson, the captain, attributed much of their success to the better staying qualities of the English ponies. I firmly believe that the American ponies are better. The English ponies are, as a rule, perhaps, better bred than ours, and in a half- mile race might outstay ours, but for handiness and speed in short dashes we need ask no favors. There is no better horse in the world than our Western cow pony. In the first place he is up to carrying great weight, some of them being able to carry a man weighing over two hundred pounds for thirty or forty miles, day after day. Besides this, he will thrive on food that ordinary horses could not live on. He gets very little care and knows how to look out for himself. They have all been taught to round up cattle, so that it is an easy matter to teach them to play polo. Some of the English ponies are trained for two years before they can be used for polo at all. Most of the Western ponies are sup- posed to be bred from quarter horses — or race ponies — and some of them come close to thoroughbred stock. Mr. Savage and Mr. Conover have been breeding
Stanley Mortimer.
Foxhall Keene.
E. C. Poller.
Polo in America
157
from thoroughbred stock in Texas, and Mr. Hersig took The Turk and Quito, both thoroughbreds, to Colorado for the purpose of breeding polo ponies there. It requires at least four ponies if one is playing matches, and there is no excitement in playing practice matches. Three ponies will answer for the game, but a fourth should be kept in case of accidents. Nearly all polo ponies drive well, and a great many men drive their ponies in the winter. Several of the Meadowbrook ponies are used for hunting, and this practice is quite common in England. In picking out a pony look for conformation, handiness, a light mouth, and speed. American ponies are generally well trained, because they have had so many hard knocks. The secret of keeping a pony is not to stay on him too long. It is preferable to have the ponies as near the same size as possible, so that the player can use one length of stick, and experience has shown that a light stick with a heavy head is the best for driving. In the last cham- pionship match the Dedhams, who made a very careful study of all the conditions and trained for the game in a systematic, thorough way, used sixteen-ounce sticks, claiming that they found it easier to get around with them. There is, of course,
something to be said on that side, and it is quite in the spirit of American players to experiment in all directions seeking improvement. The net result can only be gain to the game. My own preferences are, however, for some- thing heavier than that, and I consider the superior driving ability of a heavier head more than counter-balances its criticized unwieldiness. We use a different stick from those I saw in England. They prefer a long, pliable, "whippy" stick, with a heavy square-sided head. The heads on our sticks are more cigar- shaped, and our sticks are much stifFer, by which I mean less limber. The light thong or tape on our sticks is also an advantage, because if a stick is dropped the rider is obliged to dismount to pick it up. I do not remember to have noticed this feature on English sticks.
The American game of four periods, each fifteen minutes long, is not so favorable for the ponies, nor does it make the game so fast. The English game, consisting of six periods, each ten minutes long, is much easier, as a pony
P. F. Collier.
/5<y
Polo in America
can readily play the ten minutes without showing fatigue, and this obviates any change of ponies during the game. I wish such division of time could be adopted on this side, and I think likely it will be, as the tendency is in every department to make the game as fast as possible. The beauty of the game is to
have it fast. The real difference between a first-class and a second-class player is merely a question of speed. Any beginner can hit the ball by going slowly, but the test comes when the pony is charging down the field at full speed. Players who have been considered very good when playing in their own class, have proved quite inferior when pitted against first-class men. Men who have been readily conceded four or five goals are sometimes not worth two when really put to the test of speed.
Spurs are optional with the player, but my own opinion is that a good pony does not require rowels — if he does not start quickly, it is because the rider has been on his back too long. Blinkers were in use up to six or eight years ago, and although still occasionally seen, they have practically gone out of use owing to the many acci- dents which their use entailed. Whips are quite often used here, though not as much as in England, but this is partially ex- plained by the fact that it is considered bad form for a player to strike his pony with a stick. It was explained to me that some such regulation became neces- sary, owing to the severe drubbing which ponies got from excited players. The papier-mache posts used for goal-posts were first used about five years ago, and came from England. There were so many bad accidents from collision with the goal-posts that something of the kind became absolutely necessary. For the same reason fences are no longer allowed around polo fields. Many of the players will remember the fence around the Newport field, with the big black ball painted on it between the goal-posts. Basswood or whitewood balls have been in use since 1876. The dimensions of a polo field are 900 x 500 feet, though the figures sometimes vary a little, but these are the dimensions of the field in Prospect Park, at Meadowbrook, and of Mr. Gould's field at Lakewood. Our summers are drier than the summers in England, and the turf here is not so good as on the other side ; in fact, on Long Island, where the ground is sandy, the field
R. L. Agassiz.
Polo in America
159
sometimes gets quite hard. Generally speaking, though, we have no cause for complaint on this score. Nearly all of the important grounds have a system of pipes around the field which connects with big sprinklers, and after a heavy match the laborers go over the ground and "tamp" it down into shape. I do not think our system is quite as perfect as at Hurlingham, for example, where they have an arrangement by which the grounds can be flooded. The pipes run under the field, and there are stations on the field for taking off the water. These stations are just below the surface, and there is a contrivance like a flower-pot that coveis the pipe — over this the turf is packed, so that the surface of the field is not disturbed. One disadvantage that we suffer from here is the lack of suffi- cient practice. In England there are men who will spend a whole week practising a single stroke, and even longer, and the best players give up their whole time to it. For boys who want to play polo there is no better practice than bicycle polo. It gives them direction, balance, accuracy of eye, and speed in hitting. It has all the features that polo possesses. The youngsters get falls, and they break their machines occasionally,
but the more expert they become the fewer are the accidents. I cannot do better than give a few quotations from an article on Bicycle Polo written by Mr. A. H. Godfrey.
The players who first took up the sport are representative of the younger contingent at the Rockaway and other country clubs — in fact, are the sons or brothers of adult mem- bers, whose tactics, on ponies, the youngsters follow in every detail on bicycles, their play being almost an exact reproduction of the dashes, charges, and scrimmages which their elders indulge in, and partaking of all the features of polo proper, bar the ponies.
In bicycle polo the youthful players make their wheels perform almost identically as do living ponies under the direction of the adult riders in the regular game. Just as a pony, when suddenly pulled up by a bit and bridle, will rear on its haunches, so the bicycle is raised until it balances on the rear wheel. While in that position the plucky rider will strike at the ball with his mallet, then spin his wheel around as on a pivot, and point it in a new direction, so that the moment the front tire touches the ground he can propel the machine after the ball.
Frequently, when moving at high speed, a player will be seen to stind on his pedals,
Benjamin Nicoll.
i6o
Polo in America
pull up on his handle-bars, stop his machine, and then strike the ball either forward or to the rear by a well-directed blow delivered with arm and mallet swinging from the shoulder. At other times he will hit the ball so as to force it between the wheels of his own machine, leaning well over to give it the proper direction, and then, quickly recovering, will start
going again without touching foot to the ground. In the scrimmages which take place near the goal-posts it is really wonderful how the players retain their equilibrium, for, bunched together as they become, it seems almost im- possible for any one player to extricate himself and machine from the ruck without damage. But the boys separate somehow, and, smiling, they ride across the fields ready and willing for another tussle. The same occurs after a crash to earth at the boundary-lines, where their proverbial good luck attends them, and the plucky players are up and on their wheels again almost before the spectators realize that a collision has actually happened.
With the exception of shorter sticks, the implements are the same as used in regular polo, and the rules for that game govern play. The bicycles used are generally those with short head-tubes, low frames, and fitted with medium rather than exceedingly high gears, the necessities of the game requiring the players to bend over their handle-bars, have their feet close to the ground, and get quickly into a sprint from a standstill. Strong and well- tested machines are of course necessary to withstand the heavy and sudden strains put upon them in reckless play. Kxcept in the case of unusually tall riders, the saddles used are set as close to the bicycle frame as possible, so as to render a machine more compact, keep the weight low down, and obviate wobbling. This also reduces the resistance which wheel and rider present to the wind.
In heavy play there are, of course, numerous instances of broken spokes, bent frames, twisted handle-bars, and wheels knocked out of true, but the enthusiasts who continue in the game soon gain such a knowledge of their mounts as to be able to put in new spokes, true up their wheels, straighten cranks, handle-bars, and braces, and make all light repairs, including the mending of punctured tires. It is seldom that any bad smashes occur. In order to keep the expenses incident to practice down to the minimum, several of the players prefer to use old wheels of the heavier variety rather than their newest up-to-date machines. The old machines are, however, clumsy and slow, and are not favored in match games. This suggests the advisability of beginners, who may practise the game on any level field or piece of waste ground larger or smaller than the dimensions of a polo field, taking their first lessons on old or cheap machines, more expensive bicycles being adopted as the players become proficient. Games can be played between pairs of players, teams of three, and teams of four on each side, allowing fifteen minutes to each period of play, and ten minutes* rest between periods.
George IV. Kendrick jd.
Polo in America
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A few years ago some of the gentlemen at Tuxedo started to build a polo ground there. Among the prime movers were Amos T. French, Richard Morti- mer, and Pierre Lorillard, Jr. Mr. W. W. Astor gave the Tuxedo Club a cup to be competed for. Their efforts, however, were not crowned with success. The ground settled so each year that it was of no use, and after repeated efforts to make it solid, in which something like thirty thousand dollars was spent, the ground had to be finally abandoned with- out a game ever having been played on it. In 1895 ^^ '^^P was, with the con- sent of Mr. Astor, given to the Polo As- sociation to be used as a Championship trophy ; and the winners of it for the several years will be found in the table.
Some of the Western clubs have good strong men on their teams, and the St. Louis team is especially strong. They have played at Buffalo and Chicago, and it was hoped that the Lakewood team would go West in 1 900 to play them. It is the misfortune of the Eastern men that they have not had more opportunity of foregathering with both the St. Louis
and Chicago teams, and it would be interesting to see how their teams compare with ours. In the handicap list, Mr. Charles W. Scudder of St. Louis is rated at six goals, and Messrs. Samuel C. Davis and G. Herbert Walker are rated at five goals each. These handicaps are the result of the best information the committee can get, but, until there has been a chance for the Eastern and West- ern teams to meet, the figures can hardly be considered final. The same might be said of the Onwentsia team, on which Mr. W. W. Keith is rated at three goals and Mr. F. J. Macky at four goals. The St. Louis Club has a magnifi- cent new club-house — the old one was destroyed by fire — and up to recently the club received very active support from the late Charles Hodgman, its delegate. He came on every year to the annual meeting, and was the life of the meeting.
An interesting feature of the Polo outlook is supplied by a new factor. At the instance of Mr. Henry M. Earl, who was formerly Master of the Chevy Chase hounds at Washington, the Squadron A Polo Club was formed this year. As may be seen from the handicap list, this is the largest club in the country, and consists of fifty-eight members — Meadowbrook has thirty-seven.
Allan Forbes.
jf)2 Polo in America
The men have been practising three days a week for some time on the grounds of the Westchester Club, and they will have a team in the field next year that will be able to hold its own. There is a movement on foot to develop Polo among the cavalry organizations by offering special prizes for them, and, with such splendid bodies of horsemen as Troop A of New York, the City Troop of Philadelphia, which is the oldest and most aristocratic body of horse in the country, the Essex Troop of Newark, and possibly Troop C of Brooklyn, it should be possible to develop a lot of good players. The City Troop contains a good many of the Devon and Philadelphia Country Club players, so they could make a strong showing — in fact, I believe they have already played Polo as a City Troop team.
The Polo Association originated at a dinner held at my house in 1890. The first handicapping had been done by Mr. Herbert two or three years before this, for the Turnure cups and the Herbert trophies.
When the Association was formed the handicapping was given over into the hands of a committee. Since then, all matches, unless otherwise specified, are played under a handicap. The highest handicap a player can carry is ten goals, and he is held, according to his playing ability, from ten goals down to zero. No new player is allowed to play in a match with a lower handicap than two. This clause was intended to prevent a good but unknown player entering a match at much less than his real value. The handicaps are revised every month, or practically so, by a committee, and the interesting thing about the deliberations is the unanimity with which the members of the committee agree; it shows that the system can be depended upon to give good results. At a meeting of the committee last summer eight or ten outsiders were called in for their opinions as to certain handicaps, and in nearly every instance they agreed exactly with the judgment of the committee. The scores at matches are often a pretty good indication of how carefully the committee does its work. Frequently the score comes out even, or is won or lost by a quarter of a goal. It must be obvious that the lower the handicap under which a team plays the more chance it has of winning, and yet there are players who object to having their handicaps reduced. They seem to think that a reduced handicap is a slur on their ability. Apparently they do not recognize that where a man is playing for his team he may try to get his handicap reduced to give his team that much more advantage. As in football, it is the best team work that counts.
I make no pretence that this is an adequate or complete account of Polo in America. I can only hope that some of the principal points of interest have been jotted down here for the benefit of the future historian.
^^r^L^ <^-^^Sr-v^^<l^
POLO IN ENGLAND
BY FOXHALL KEENE
N the necessarily brief account which I am to give of the game of Polo as it exists in England at the present day, I do not pro- pose to go fully into its history. It was first played about the year 1872, in a very mild sort of way, the game gradually im- proving from year to year. About 1880 the Peat brothers began their wonderful career as Polo players, which continued year after year. As far as I can remember, they were defeated on two occasions only. At that time they played what is known as the "rounding" game; and it was only when John Watson returned from India to England that they adopted the straight "up and down the field" game as it was played in India. I think, however, that the Peats defeated a team of which Watson was captain, they play- ing the rounding game against the " back-handers" of the Watson team. At the present time this seems a most wonderful performance on the part of the Peats; but of course everything was in their favor. The competition was much less than it now is; their ponies were infinitely better than the ponies of the Watson team, which gave them a , great advantage; whereas now, everyone has excel- lent ponies and it would be quite impossible for any single team to monopolize the best. Nevertheless, the reign of the Peats will always be regarded in Eng- land and elsewhere as most phenomenal. To John Watson, however, must be given the tribute, justly due, of having introduced into England from India the style of game that is now played all over the world: that of backing instead of rounding the ball, or the straight up and down the field game. Watson showed this to be the correct style of play; and it was the Hurlingham team, of which he was captain in 1886, that established this style in America upon a sound and permanent basis, we having been entirely mistaken, up to that time, as to the style of game played in England. There has been, from year to year, great improvement since 1886.
There are many regimental Polo teams playing each year, these includ- ing some of the best players. Their match-games are most interesting and are extremely well attended. Their team play and combination are usually very good; but it has been found that the best civilian teams, as a rule, can beat them. Many of the regimental players learn the game in India, where it is very scien- tifically played, the grounds being so good that greater accuracy is possible with fewer misplays than elsewhere.
There has been so much discussion in regard to the relative merits of Eng-
164 Po^o in England
lish and American ponies, that it may be interesting to some for me to give my views on this question. While I do not claim that American ponies are better, I am confident that they are quite as good, take them day in and day out, as the English. They certainly have as much speed, stay quite as long, and, if any- thing, are a little less difiicult to play. It must be understood that I am speak- ing of the very best, full-sized ponies ; for small ponies are at a great disadvan- tage when played against those of larger size. I find that American ponies are as good at "riding off," turn more readily, and hit all in a bunch when they do hit. The English pony is superior in quality, as far as looks go, being rather higher on the leg and having more length. The length makes them go fast, but does not help them in turning. It must be remembered, however, that for every first-class American pony, the English have a dozen; and any American team on a Polo tour through England requires a stud of the very best to compete with first-class English teams — all must be good, with none moderately good.
It is often asked if we should have a fair chance of beating the best teams in England; and I must say that this is a very difficult question to answer satis- factorily. At our own game, with no "off-side" play and no hooking of sticks, I think we should win, as we play a more " nippy " game than the English, and I believe we take more advantage of our opportunities for hitting goals, our game giving us more chances of striking for goal ; but what our chances would be at the English style of game is quite another question. The English certainly understand the science of Polo well, play in their places to perfection, and hit strongly back and forward; but with all that there is little individuality in their play ; it is orthodox throughout ; and our individuality might, perhaps, help us out to some extent.
The duties of number one, as the game is played in England, are hard in- deed. He must keep himself on side all the time and be quick enough to get to his " back " when a stroke comes through. This, as can readily be seen, gives the back the chance of riding the one instead of the reverse. Our ones may roam about the field and dart in upon the back at the most unexpected angles. I think, therefore, it is more difficult to play back well in America. The backs in England, as a rule, play very much closer to the game than we do in America, as they are not punished so readily from a scratch hit; though they always have the advantage that the off-side play gives at the start to the back, which is at least a length, and probably much more. In the play of numbers two and three there is little difference in the styles of the two countries.
American players have always wondered that so few goals are made in matches in England; and it gives rise to no comment indeed, when a score is 2 — i in an important game — in fact, one feels fairly safe with an ad- vantage of one goal and twenty minutes more to play. Why is this ? It is
Polo in England i6^
because, in England, every player is better in his respective place; there is less chance of a "flukey" run, and there are fewer chances for a clean hit for goal, there being always someone riding you off or endeavoring to hook your stick, and this often when the ball is so close to goal that in America a goal would be nearly a certainty. In England, the goal is saved, as one cannot get a chance to strike owing to the hooking of his stick. The back, having such a great advantage, returns ball after ball that he would be lucky to get to at all in American Polo.
In England the rules are extremely well observed, and the game is much safer thari^ in America, even though the penalties are not so severe as they might be. Crossing is strictly punished, but I think there is some unnecessary calling of fouls. A player will often call out at a distance of many yards before any cross could possibly occur.
It is easier to play through a match in England than in America chiefly by reason of the climate; but playing on end six, tens, is easier, as one does not have to sustain his effort for so long a time as in matches in America. There is time between goals only to walk back to the centre and at the end of each ten, only sufficient time to change ponies quietly.
The grounds in England are excellent, Hurlingham, Ranelagh, and Rugby being quite perfect. The turf is sound and firm, and the surface is level and admirably well cared for. There are many other grounds throughout England that are good, and where Polo is played a great deal during the year, but the very best Polo is seen on the grounds about London.
Polo is played in England in the most sportsmanlike manner possible and in a very friendly way ; and any player with the welfare of the game at heart may, I think, feel sure of a cordial reception.
yi^jj^^/^^W"
POLO PONIES
BY H. L, HERBERT
O every phase of the game of Polo there are two players — one is the man who hits the hall, the other the pony under him. The plaudits of the many are for the man ; they do not appreciate the skill and pluck and quickness of thought and action which the four-footed player brings into the game. But the experts on the side lines know. They do not miss, in the rush of the play, the sudden checks and recoveries, cat-like in quickness, made by the gallant little ponies ; their speed in following the flying ball as it shoots across or down the field, and the masterly swerve that puts the rider in the right spot for a hard stroke at just the right moment, or their persistence in bumping or crowding sideways at full speed when called upon to ride out an opponent. And after the contest, when heated riders are coming in to receive the congrat- ulations or condolences, the knowing ones are quietly appraising the worth of some little nag that has perhaps doubled in value by that day's play. Almost any man ot good physique, stout heart, and quickness of eye and muscle, with a fondness for equestrianism, can train himself into a fairly good Polo player. And almost any sound, well-bred pony can be made into a fairly good polo pony, with time and patient handling, and the chances are as about one to ten that he may turn out to be a star if he falls into proper hands when his educa- tion is begun. Fortunately the Polo players of the United States are not obliged to devote much time to the schooling of ponies, except the few who take it up as a pastime, for the ponies come to us from the Far West, practically ready- made. The horses used by the ranchmen to rope and round up their herds of cattle on the plains, and known as cow ponies, acquire the education in that way which fits them for the Polo field. To be sure, some show greater adaptability than others. We all know that members of the equine race vary in intelligence and temperament quite as much as members of the human race, and are often- times made vicious or tractable by the treatment they receive. The ranchman usually treats them with the greatest harshness and uses the severest of all bits. They get little care and less food, and when they arrive East they are either meek and submissive or are on the alert to resent with heels or teeth the rough handling their life on the ranch led them to expect. If they happen to fall into the hands of an experienced horseman they quickly improve in strength, speed, condition, and disposition, without losing the habit of obedience. If, however, he goes into the ownership of a player who is not particularly skilful, he is
H. L. Herbert.
Chairman of the Polo Association.
^V. W. Keith.
Charles Wheeler.
Polo Ponies
i6g
lave.
wniie IS a rank puller, The natural tendency of a
pretty sure to acquire tricks and grow foxy in the game. In other words, through being grain-fed and well-groomed and ridden with comfortable bits' they get above themselves and will sometimes take advantage of the new and inexperienced owner. If the rider happens to be heavy-handed the pony will soon begin to take hold of the bit, and in a little while is a rank one of the worst faults a polo pony can green player is to take a pull at the pony's mouth when approaching the ball at full speed in order to steady himself and the pony for the stroke he is about to make ; he is likely once or twice during the day's practice to miss the ball and let the mallet swing up into the pony's face. A very few mistakes of that sort leads the little fellow to anticipate the unpleasantness, and he soon becomes both ball and mallet shy. The education of years can thus be spoiled in a few days. In the hands of a good horseman they may have the same care and grooming, the same comfortable sad- dles and bits, they are treated with equal kindness, but with it all a degree of firm- ness which goes with skill. In such hands the pony is always obedient, he grows to like the game, and goes into the contest with all the dash and determination of his rider. The English home-bred pony escapes the early hardships which the American prairie-bred pony is obliged to endure; he is, so to speak, born in the purple; he is
comfortably cared for and housed from the day he is foaled. He is regis- tered with his ancestry in the Polo Pony Stud Book, and at a proper age he is taken up to be carefully and systematically educated for his vocation in life, he is taught the rudiments of the game through the kindest treatment, and the education is seldom completed in less than two years. He must not be frightened during all of this time by any sort of rough play, and only when he has acquired absolute confidence in his rider and himself is he permitted to play in a match game. He then goes into the game prepared to enjoy the heat and fatigue of the contest with the same spirit in which the highly bred race-horse enjoys the wild rush for victory on the home-stretch.
William C. Eusiis.
I JO
Polo Ponies
The English thoroughbred pony, as compared with the American cow- nony, with a few exceptions, is unquestionably of a higher type, both as to speed and endurance; it is not so universally handy, and for the average player I am led to believe that the greater handiness of the American pony more than
counterbalances the greater speed and endur- ance of the English pony. The progress and popularity of the sport in the United States are acknowledged to be largely due to the excellence and cheapness of our native ponies (which are being improved every year by the infusion of more thoroughbred blood), and to the system of handicapping, by which be- ginners and players less expert can make up teams and enter the tournament events with a fair prospect of winning prizes from the crack teams of the Association, who have to allow the beginners a certain number of goals according to the estimated merits of each team, within a time limit. This handicap is fixed by a committee of five, selected from the officers and delegates of the Polo Associa- tion. Again, the pony or stable of ponies plays its part in this feature of the sport, for the committee must consider the merits of a player's mounts in order to estimate his value to his team. To be sure, crack ponies are loaned for special events, but a player with a superior stable will and should rate higher in the handicap list than one of equal individual merit hav- ing a stable of inferior ponies. In other words, the crack player is sadly crip- pled who has to play inferior ponies, and the less expert man can often do effect- ual work with well-trained, speedy ponies.
Standard prices for Polo ponies have gone steadily up in recent years, as the game has grown in popularity and in the number of those playing it. In i890r when the Polo Association was organized, there were less than a hundred players enrolled. Now there are nearly five times that number, and the game is spread- ing rapidly. Under these circumstances it is inevitable that the price of the animal should go up with the increase of the demand. Most of the ponies are brought here from the West. The first supply brought on in the early days of Polo were shipped by a man named Warner, who gave the players the pick of the consignments for a set price oi $90 a head. In a year he had raised his price to $100. Another year and it had gone up to $1 15. From that time on
R. L. Beeckman.
Polo Ponies
171
there was a steady climb until it was finally arranged with him that he was to bring on only superior animals, which had already shown aptitude for the game, and for which he was to get $250 each. Now there are a number of American ponies on the field that are valued at 1 1,000, or thereabouts, and some that could not be bought, probably, for considerably more than that. For imported ponies as high as $2,000 has been paid. The three ponies which I consider to have been the best in the country for all-around play are Thomas Hitchcock's Maltese Cat, F. Blackwood Fay's Buckwheat, and George J. Gould's Henry May, all native bred.
American prices for American ponies are small when compared with the prices paid in England for the pick of the stables over there. This is not due entirely to the superior quality of the English animals, how- ever, though they are certainly unrivalled for high-class breeding, but partly to the greater demand there, owing to the vogue of the game. At the great sale of the Miller Polo ponies at Rugby two years ago, perhaps the greatest sale of the kind that has ever taken place. Weasel brought $1,600, Leap Year
$1,850, Sermon $2,100, Lady Gray $2,400, Elastic $2,750, Charmen $3,050, and Sailor $3,750. Here in America the chances of getting a splendid pony at a small price are much better than in England, and it must not be assumed from the fact that standard prices for good animals here range from $250 to $1,000 that many first-class ponies are not obtained for far less. Every year a number of ranchmen from the Western prairie country come East, bringing several car-loads of ponies, all of which have been tried with mallet and ball and have shown some evidence of having an aptitude for the game. Upon each animal the owner sets a price, based upon its performances when on trial. But occasionally the experts are badly deceived, for the just value of a pony cannot be ascertained until he has been grain-fed for several months and played hard in actual competition. Thus it often turns out that the high-priced pony, who has given every evidence or value, proves to be unfitted for hard play in one or another particular, to the vast disgust of his purchaser, while some despised, ill-looking beast blossoms out into a first-class performer, " plays ball " from the throw-in.
Such a pony came East in 1897 in the bunch of a ranchman who sold his
Jay B. Lippincott.
172
Polo Ponies
stock at East Williston. Nobody wanted this particular beast, a plain, unat- tractive-looking black, light in flesh, with apparently none of the adequate points, a disposition that was none too happy, and, besides, a bad mouth. The dealer ofl^ered the pony to a member of the Meadowbrook Club for $35.
The offer was accepted, and a few weeks later the despised pony, with a little skilful grooming and bitting came to present such a good appearance that his purchaser was able to sell him to another player for the pleasant price of $175. Still a few weeks later that pony went into the match games of the season and made his reputation as a thoroughly reliable player, so that, a month or so after the Meadowbrook man had sold him, he was reckoned to be worth $500, and has since been sold for that price. Another participator in Championship Games is the property of a Rockaway player, who bought him from a ranchman at a small price to use in harness. The animal was a dun, and did not seem to have any particular spirit about him. One day, however, his new owner rode him over to Polo practice, and the dun evinced so much interest in the whereabouts of the ball that the clubman decided to give him a chance on the field. The pony " caught on " at once, and by the end of the season was reckoned good enough for the Championship Games Another case in point is Lawrence Waterbury's "Stumpy." He is a bay pony, white on his face, with three white feet, and stands 13 hands 3 inches high. In 1889 he came from the West with three other ponies and was sold to Mr. Waterbury by John Colford for $J^. He was then aged, and was supposed to be eight or nine years old. From the outset he became a brilliant player. His understanding of the game, his quick- ness in turning and starting, his adaptability to all exigencies of the play, and his ability to '* ride off" an opposing pony were remarkable. Mr. Waterbury says that the pony might have stood as the model for Kipling's wonderful " Maltese Cat." That pony has been played for eleven years and is still sound, and, with the exception of being less fast than he was formerly, is as good a pony to-day as he ever was. There are other examples in plenty of high-class horses being bought at Small prices. But it is not necessary to own a high-class
Charles Cary.
Polo Ponies
i73
pony in order to play the game. Good, handy ponies are plentiful and cheap in this country. You can get about the same amount of exercise and sport on a pony that cost $50 or $75 as on one that brought $500 or $1,000, even if the lower-priced pony has not quite so much speed. Nor is a Polo pony a Polo pony and nothing else. The average animal who plays the game proves a most useful addition to a stable when broken to harness, and can be used both in and out of the Polo season. I have frequently driven two ponies five or six miles to the ground, carrying saddles in the trap, then had them dressed and saddled, played for an hour, har- nessed them up again and driven back home. One can get just as good general service out of a pony as out of a horse for saddle or in harness. This means that any man who can afford to keep a couple of horses can afford to play Polo, and by sharing expenses with a few friends or neighbors a ground can be kept rolled and clipped for a few dollars each the season.
The growing interest in Polo among the army officers at the cavalry posts should result in many accessions to the ranks of good Polo ponies as well as good players. Of course, the typical cavalry charger is very different
from the Polo pony. Nevertheless, when a thousand Government horses which had been used by Roosevelt's Rough Riders were sold at auction in New York after the Spanish-American War, a considerable percentage were found to be within the Polo Association's limit of 14 hands 2 inches, and quite a number of them are now playing the game. Governor Roosevelt, by the way, is an enthusiastic Polo player, or was when he had more time at his disposal, and he has expressed the interesting opinion that a highly effective body of cavalry for certain kinds of work would be a regiment made up of horsemen mounted on sturdy ponies ot about that size. Anyone who has seen the drill of some of the crack regular cavalry troops can perceive the value of Polo training to a cavalry animal. In this connection it is well to note that the British army authorities are seriously consid- ering either giving as far as possible some Polo training to the cavalry horses, or of mounting some part of the cavalry on stout ponies that have had the training of the game. This subject was brought forward, I believe, by the wonderful
Lawrence Waterbury.
174
Mo I^nies
riding of Lieutenant de Montmorency, in the charge on the Dervishes, at Onidurman. His charger having been incapacitated, he went into the melee mounted on his favorite Polo pony, and with three hundred men of his regi- ment charged several thousand Dervishes. Not only did he come through unscathed, but succeeded in coming off with the body of Lieutenant Grenfell, who had fallen. He said afterward that it was only the wonderful quickness and trained intelligence of his pony that had saved him a number of times. The most efficient cavalry in the Russian, German, and French armies, the Cossacks, the Uhlans, and the Chasseurs d'Afrique, are all mounted on what would be termed ponies rather than horses. I should like to see Polo taken up at all army posts, and I believe that it would pay the army to foster it, for it would result in better service from both man and beast.
There is every reason why Polo should become a popular sport in every part of the country. As a spectacle it is unrivalled ; as an exercise it strengthens every muscle of the body, and gives health, nerve, and readiness of resource. The danger is inconsiderable when one comes to reckon up the lists of acci- dents. Finally, good ponies can be had so cheap that a man of very moderate means can afford to take part in the pastime. And the ponies themselves love the play. They show the same spirit of emulation as a human player ; straining to the utmost limits of endeavor when the contest is high and fierce, crowding and pushing and riding off with bulldog grit and determination, and finally appreciating the glory of victory to the utmost when time is called. Some- times they will hang back at the outset, and even refuse to go upon the field ; but once the click of ball against mallet is heard, their ears go up, the lithe muscles quiver under the smooth skin, and the gallant little steed is one with his rider, forgetting everything else except the chances of success in the exulta- tion of the most inspiring of all sports.
For, our number one's a dandy,
Number two is fast and handy,
Number three's the hardest hitter of them all;
But nothing can be grander
Than that solid old back-hander
When our back is being hustled, on the ball.
\tLHtUvoJ^
POLO ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP, 1890-1900
1890
Countnr Qofa of Westchester, Westchester, N. Y. — Marion Story, R. L. Beeckmaii, T. A. Havemeyer, Jr., E. C. Potter, etc.
Essex County Country Qub, Orange, N. J. —
John Dallett, Jr., P. F. Collier, T. H. Powers
Farr, Douglas Robinson, Jr. Meadowbrook Qub, Westbury, L. I., N. Y. —
August Belmont, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., O. W.
Bird, R. D. Winthrop, Charles Carroll, S. D.
Ripley, H. V. R? Kennedy, E. W. Roby, etc.
Morris County Country Qub, Morristown, N. . J. — G. L. Day, N. Henderson, Benjamin Nicoll, W. B. Lord, etc.
Philadelphia Polo Qub, Philadelphia, Pa. — John
C. Groome, P. S. P. Randolph, Charles E. Mather, H. C. Groome, Edw. Morrell, H. P. McKean, etc.
Rockaway Qub, Cedarhurst, L. I., N. Y. — J.
D. Cheever, F"oxhall P. Keene, J. E. Cowdin, Winthrop Rutherford, R. La Montagne, E. La Montagne, etc.
"Westchester Polo Qub, Newport, R. L— F. O. Beach, J. L. Kernochan, W. H. Vanderbilt, Moses Taylor, etc.
Oyster Bay Polo Qub, Oyster Bay, L. L, N. Y. — Theodore Roosevelt, Francis T. Underbill, Walter C. Tuckerman, R. H. W. Ferguson, etc.
1891
Additional Clubs
Myopia Polo Qub, Ipswich, Mass. — R. G. Shaw, 2d, G. L. Peabody, A. P. Gardner, R. M. Appleton, etc.
Harvard Polo Qub, Cambridge, Mass. — J. A. Burden, Jr., C. C. Baldwin, R. Ives Crocker, R. L. Agassiz, etc.
Hingfham Polo Qub, Hingham, Mass. — F. B. Fay, A. H. Alden, G. D. Braman, R. L. Coe, P. B. Bradley, etc.
Tuxedo Polo Qub, Tuxedo Park, N. Y. — Amos T. French, Pierre Lorillard, Jr., De Lancy Nicoll, Winthrop Chanler, etc.
1892
Additional Clubs
Country Qub of Brookline, Brookline, Mass. — W. F. Weld, S. D. Warren, Robert G. Shaw, 2d, G. A. Nickerson, etc.
1893 Additional Clubs
Country Qub of St. Louis, St. Louis, Mo. — Charles Hodgman, Charles W. Scudder, J. F. Shepley, J. W. Scudder, O. L. Mersman, etc.
1894
Additional Clubs
Monmouth County Polo Qub, Hollywood, N. J.— R. J. Collier, Dr. Edw. Field, George M. Pullman, Jr., W. S. Throckmorton, etc.
Dedham Polo Qub, Dedham, Mass.— S. D. War- ren, Percival Lowell, A. R. Weld, E. M. Weld, C. H. W. Foster, Herbert Maynard, F. J. Stim- son, etc.
1895
Additional Clubs
Chicago Polo Qub, Chicago, 111. — F. J. Macky, W. F. Farwell, James Carev Evans, W. W. Keith, W. V. Booth, etc.
Buffalo Polo Club, Buffalo, N. Y.— R. K. Root, Seward Cary, Charles Cary, George Cary, H. Townsend Davis, Thomas Cary, J. N. Scatch- erd, etc.
Lowell Country Qub, Lowell, Mass. — Thomas Talbot, Colonel Charles H. Allen, Edw. L. White, Dr. R. E. Bell, etc.
Devon Polo Club, Devon, Pa. — Charles Snow- den, Jr., George Kendrick, 3d, L. C. Altemus, C. B. Zeilin, etc.
1896 Additional Clubs
Genesee Valley Polo Qub, Geneseo, N. Y. — J. S. Wadsworth, H. Smith, Richard Conover, J. R. Townsend, etc.
Point Judith Country Club, Narragansett Pier, R. I. — W. A. Hazard, Edw. Connor, Walter Keith, D. T. L. Robinson, etc.
Washingfton Polo Club, Washington, D. C. — Captain Michler, Clarence Moore, Henry M. Earle, David Porter, etc.
Riding: and Driving: Qub, Brooklyn, N. Y. — G. Herbert Potter, Robbins Woodward, W. C. Candee, Howard Boocock, etc.
Evanston Country Qub, Evanston, 111. — "William Bruce Kirkman, M. M. Kirkman, C. A. Mc- Donald, George F. Slaughter, etc. Lowell Country Club resigned in 1896.
iy6
Polo Association Membership
1897
Additional Clubs
Statcn Island Polo Qub, West Brighton, S. I., ^f. ^-.—Morton VV. Smith, J. C. VVilmerding, Jr., VV. S. Blitz, George M. Sidcnbcrg, eitc. Chicago Polo Club changed its name to On-
wentsia Club, Lake Forest, 111., in 1897.
The following Clubs resigned in 1897: Hing-
ham Polo Club, Harvard Polo Club, and Genesee
Valley Polo Club.
1898
Additional Clubs
Southampton Polo Club, Southampton, L. I., N. Y.— R. J. Collier, Gordon Paddock, P. F. Collier, Philip J. Sands, Jr., etc. Monmouth County Polo Club resigned in 1898.
1899 Additional Clubs
Jacksonville Polo Club, Jacksonville, Fla. — D. F. Mitchell, Montgomery Corse, W. H. Baker, Lieutenant William Mitchell, etc.
Lakewood Polo Qub, Lakewood, N. J. — George J. Gould, P. F. Collier, James Converse, R. J. Collier, Frank J. Gould, etc.
Somerset County Polo Qub, Bernardsville, N. J.
— Charles Pfizer, Jr., Charles Squibb, R. L.
Stevens, E. A. Stevens, etc.
The following Clubs resigned in 1899: Riding and Driving Club, Evanston Country Club, and Essex County Country Club,
1900 Additional Clubs
Aiken Polo Qub, Aiken, S. C. — Thomas Hitch- cock, Jr., E. L. Smith, George Smith, etc.
Camden Country Club, Camden, S. C. — R. L.
Barstow, Jr., K. G. Whistler, C. C. Brown, L.
C. Clyburn, etc. Saratosfa Polo Qub, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. —
John Manning, John Sandford, E. L. Smith, R.
W. Smith, etc. Squadron A Polo Qub, New York City. — Henry
M. Earle, Charles F. Roe, Everett Colby, etc.
Jacksonville Polo Club resigned in 1900.
''^Stumpy."
POLO ASSOCIATION CUPS
Individual Prizes for Teams of Four
J890 won by Meadowbrook at Newport. — August Belmont, Jr., T. Hitchcock, Jr., O. W. Bird, and R. D. Winthrop.
I89I won by Rockaway at Cedarhurst. — J. D. Cheever, J. E. Cowdin, Foxhall P. Keene, and W. Rutherford.
J892 won by Harvard at Myopia. — C. C. Baldwin, R. G. Shaw, 2d, J. B. Eustis, Jr., and R. L. Agassiz.
t893 won by Morris County Country Club (Independence team) at Meadowbrook. — G. L. Day, T. Hitchcock, Jr., G. P. Eustis, and Benjamin Nicoll.
J894 won by Meadowbrook at Westchester. — G. L. Day, T. Hitchcock, Jr., H. P. Whitney, and Benjamin Nicoll.
J895 won by Country Club of Brookline at Brookline.— W. S. Hobart, R. W.Williams, W. H. Good- win, and F. B. Fay.
J896 wr n by Meadowbrook ad at Buffalo. — W. C. Eustis, H. K. Vingut, C. R. Duval, and M. Duval.
J897 won by Philadelphia Country Club at Bala. — ^J. B. Lippincott, Jr., M. G. Rosengarten, Jr., A. E. Kennedy, and J. F. McFadden.
J898 won by Dedham 2d at Dedham. — A. R. Weld, Elton Clark, W. H. Goodwin, and J. Crane, Jr.
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP AND ADDED CUPS
J895 won by Myopia at Prospect Park, Brooklyn. — A. P. Gardner, R. G. Shaw, 2d, R. L. Agassiz,
and F. B. Fay. J896 won by Rockaway at Prospect Park, Brooklyn. — J. S. Stevens, J. E. Cowdin, Foxhall P. Keene,
and G. P. Eustis.
1897 won by Meadowbrook at Prospect Park, Brooklyn. — W. C. Eustis, T. Hitchcock, Jr., H. P.
Whitney, and Benjamin Nicoll.
1898 won by Meadowbrook at Prospect Park, Brooklyn. — W. C. Eustis, T. Hitchcock, Jr., C. C.
Baldwin, and H. P. Whitney. i899 won by Westchester Polo Club by default. — J. M. Waterbury, Jr., J. E. Cowdin, Foxhall P.
Keene, and L. Waterbury. J900 won bv Dedham at Prospect Park, Brooklyn. — Allan Forbes, E. M. Weld, W. H. Goodwin, and
Joshua Crane, Jr.
FOX HUNTING AND DRAG HUNTING
»
RALPH N. ELLIS
M, F, H. Meadowbrook
The Girls Who Ride
OA^ mettled hunter seated firm. In form and grace complete. The dullest heart will light and burn As we the fair Dianas greet. No picture is their peer. For Art must stand aside ; For them I shout my cheer, — Hurrah for the girls who ride !
In salon they may smile
Or look demure and sweet.
And glances cannot so beguile
As those that grace the '■'■ meet'' ;
Fresh air and riding are blended wine
On hunters of easy stride ;
Drink, drink, the vintage rich, divine!
Hurrah for the girls who ride !
With cheeks aglow and fashing eye. Their faces with radiance lit, — Brave knights for them would die. Of danger s eye would sip ; For the world loves pluck. And courage in peril tried ; We love them and wish them luck ; — God bless the girls who ride !
Riding is a symphony
Most soothing to the mind.
Brings body and soul in harmony, —
No discord can you find ;
So then in manly chorus
Let it swell like the ocean tide.
With voices strong, sonorous, —
Hosannas for the girls who ride.
— From the Songs of Myopia,
FOX-HUNTING & DRAG-HUNTING
BY RALPH N. ELLIS
OX-HUNTING was founded in England, whence it comes to ^ us. Adaptability is an American characteristic, and the history
'Ir of hunting in America is an illustration of this national trait.
^^ The original aim of fox-hunting here was not different from that
in the old country, but the necessities of the country have led to developments that differ from the sport there. The constant and never abandoned ideal of hunting in this country, as it must be throughout the world, is that of the best hunting-countries of England and Ireland. X^ere the hounds hunt the fox, and you ride to the hounds, and you have the grandest and most serious motive for action — that is, to go — that can be supplied in the world of pleasure.
In this country we, too, have the red fox, and he is a far wilder and more difficult animal to hunt and catch than the fox of England. He is an absolute outlaw from his birth. Every man's hand is against him, and, sad to say, he cannot show himself anywhere in this land without being shot, excepting in certain parts of Pennsylvania only, where the farmers and the country at large are his friends and protectors. He is an indefatigable ranger and hunter; once he survives the inevitable dangers of his early youth and learns the conditions necessary to his existence, he has probably familiarized himself with a range of country that may extend for forty miles.
The opinion is held in some quarters that the red fox is not indigenous to America, but is descended from specimens that were undoubtedly turned out on the eastern shore of Maryland and on Long Island. The better scientific opinion seems to be that our red fox is not derived from the common fox of Europe, but is indigenous to this country. The red fox of America will average from forty to fifty per cent, larger than the common or red fox of England, this superiority in weight giving a corresponding increase in strength, that has necessitated for his pursuit the development of a hound different from the English animal.
While we have this splendid game to hunt, we have also the finest of enclosed grass countries, to ride over which on a good hunter is the finest kind of sport. Our difficulty in this country, however, is that while we have these good foxes — in fact, too good — and good galloping countries, we cannot combine the two things in the English fashion. The fox, when he can, will lurk in the large woodlands, and when pressed to breaking cover will not take you over a ridable
1 82
Fox- Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
country, or over the best parts of it, which is the thing that makes riding to hounds a great object of horsemanship. We have thus been driven to a sepa- ration of the two elements of the sport. The fox-hunter in this country has frequently no idea of riding a yard, he may even go in a buggy ; and one of his favorite methods is to sit on a fence in the moonlight and listen to his
hounds, and not without reason, for his knowledge of
ffox and hound is the acquirement of a lifetime. Drag- hunting, therefore, has much more raison d'etre in this country than in England. — - " Brooksby," writing in the Field, after a day with
the Meadowbrook hounds, observed : " 'Tis the game (drag-hunting) that men have been forced to accept in lieu of fox-hunting," and he adds by way of commenda- tion, "and certainly it cannot be laid to their charge that they have been content with any child's play as a substitute."
While drag-hunting has become a hack subject of ridicule with the newspapers, as a matter of fact I know that in the Meadowbrook country of late years there is nothing more democratic in its effect and influence, it being a leaven in the community, bringing together the men, on the one hand, who, coming from the towns, have brought wealth and resources into the country and have many times increased the value of the lands, and, on the other hand, the men who own and till the lands. With us the only approach to riding to hounds, or hunt- ing in its full significance, is seen in the Genesee V^alley and in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania (the country of the Rosetree, Radnor, and Lima hunts), and perhaps in the Green Spring Valley. There are doubtless other fields that could be developed, as Piedmont County in Virginia and possibly parts of Ken- tucky ; but they are not known to hunting-men. In the Meadowbrook country fox-hunting is being developed and will in time become successful. The Genesee Valley is undoubtedly the best hunting-country in America — possibly the whole of the Mohawk Valley is good. In Geneseo, however, they have but two good hunting-months in the entire year. The greatest discouragement that we have to face in this country is that the two months in the year, when the male foxes will run bold and straight, in England as elsewhere, are January and February. With us these are the months of snow and ice, and it is impossible then to properly ride to hounds. In the Southern States the frost does not stop hunt-
Redmond C. Stewart.
Fox-Hunting tS Drag-Hunting
J^J
ing, but there you get no riding, nearly all the fences being wire, and, further, the sandy nature of the soil makes it difficult for hounds to hunt there at all during the daytime.
Hunting has had a long and honorable history in the United States; it has been steadily followed here for upward of 150 years. Certain annals and records show that about 1740, or when hunting became first established in England, riding to hounds was not unknown in Virginia. The sport was then but a desul- tory amusement. The sportsmen of that time seem to have been equally keen, no matter what was up and run- ning— whether deer, fox, coon, or rabbit. Washington was known to be an ardent follower of the chase. At that time game was abundant, and, as other amusements were few and restricted, men with leisure naturally de- voted a large part of their time to the field. Thus all the large landholders and other people with country homes maintained packs of more or less usefulness. In 1766 was established the first organized hunt in America. Thirty-four years before this date the Schuylkill Fishing Company was formed. It started with a fixed limit of twenty-five members, its title conveying its original in- tent. It afterward became the Gloucester Fox-Hunting Club. The organizers of this club were residents of Philadelphia and of the County of Gloucester across the river in New Jersey. Its hunts were somewhat irregu- lar, yet were organized on a definite line. It later hunted regularly on Thursdays and Fridays, and on holi- days there were general hunts that brought out large fields. The scant records left of its existence indicate
that it found plenty of sport, for the company often sat down to the hunting- dinner with two or even three brushes to their credit. That being the case, ancient sportsmen, I take off my hat and hasten on, so that I may not be forced into comparisons with the accomplishments in this direction of later genera- tions; the incontestable superiority, however, of the older race at the table may perhaps account for the appearance of so many trophies being seen at the hunting-dinners.
On the eve of the Revolution the Gloucester Hunt attained its best pros- perity. It had sixteen couple of hounds and a regulated hunting-uniform of " dark brown cloth coatee, with lapelled dragoon pockets, white buttons and frock sleeves, buff waistcoat and breeches, and a black velvet cap." But the
Edward L. Smith.
i84
Fox-Hunting tS Drag- Hunting
war brought all this to a sudden end, for no less than twenty-two members of the club joined the cause and rode off into disputed territory as the " First Troop of Philadelphia City Cavalry."
At the conclusion of hostilities the club resumed, with Samuel Morris, Jr., as its first president. He occupied this office until his death, in i 8 1 2, and
during that time the hunt furnished con- tinued sport. It had established cordial relations with the farmer, and was free to hunt from October loth until April loth, when the spring tillage began. But age at this period began to tell upon its mem- bers. They had lost the dash of their youth ; one by one they were claimed by death, and in i 8 1 8 its existence came to an inevitable end with the demise of its Master, Captain Charles Ross. This mis- fortune, however, did not end fox-hunting in Pennsylvania. Its organization had died, but its spirit was still there. In the country where once the huntsman's horn had awakened the sportsman's heart to new life, the love of horse and hound was never lost. Eager sportsmen, unwilling to forego their pleasure, continued to keep a few hounds, and at every farm-house and country-seat hounds were bred. On occasion they were turned out for the sport of friends, and these neighborhood hunts continued a feature of the country for many years. Holidays often saw two or more packs joined, and a not inconsiderable field following on their home- bred horses. In Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, and especially in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, these private packs flourished without in- termission, and, by breeding and selection, the pure-blooded American hound was finally developed, and is now found in every State in the Union, in more or less purity.
As time progressed and as the hunting-seasons approached, the various owners of a couple or two of hounds began to associate them together for their common enjoyment.
These " trencher hounds " were numerous, and while they had ancestry
Miss Florence Dobson.
f
Fox- Hunting and Drag-Hunting
l8s
and were kept free from contamination in breeding, it was evident that the lack of intelligent care and training produced many inequalities detrimental to the unity of the packs. This system, or lack of it, of individual ownership, gradu- ally gave way again to the pack or club formation, so that with the exception of individual packs, which stand on the same basis as the club packs, the "trencher hounds " have with but few ex- ceptions been absorbed in the club pack, cared for and maintained by the organ- ization with a view to the performance of the pack as the unit, and not the ex- ploitation of the individual hound. This process of absorption congregated the scattered couples into certain centres suf- ficiently removed from similar organiza- tions, and in time this location and activ- ity by the unwritten laws of " venerie " were recognized as conferring rights of a semi-proprietary nature in the hunting of the adjacent territory. It was only natu- ral that the owners and followers of these hounds should eventually incline to bet- ter organized sport, and the result was that in 1859 the Rosetree Fox-Hunting Club came into existence, through the efforts of George W. Hill and J. Howard Lewis. Mr. Hill, it may be said, was bred to the sport ; for more than sixty years he had been in the saddle, when at last old age called him, and few indeed are the men that can boast this record in any
vocation or amusement. With the origin of the Rosetree, hunting once more became a settled feature. It drew in as a nucleus all the sportsmen in the surrounding country ; it hunted consistently, and to this day enjoys a large fol- lowing of keen riders. It began with American hounds and still uses them, always believing in their excellence. It is hunting pure and simple, and a drag has never been laid across its country. This is a thing I hesitate to predicate of any hunting-country — for the temptations to do so surreptitiously are some- times irresistible. Few are the hunting-countries that are absolute strangers to such deception, but I credit the Rosetree with being the shining exception.
It was the desire for a pack of hounds nearer home that led to the forma-
Miss Bessie Dobson {Mrs.L. C. /^I/emus).
Mrs, J. L. Kernochan on "Rebel."
tion of the Radnor. The country about Philadelphia had been rapidly devel- oping, and so, although the Rosetree was then at the height of success, it became inevitable that another hunt should spring from it. In the Radnor's original efforts it is doubtful whether it in any way equalled the Rosetree, its predecessor and rival. Organized in 1884, it progressed slowly until 1887, when Charles E. Mather was elected to the Mastership.
Mr. Mather was to the manner born. At Coatsville, Pa., seventy-five years before, his grandfather had maintained a pack of hounds. In his experience with hunting, hunting-men, and hounds he had made a careful study of the conditions and necessities for consistent sport, and, therefore, when he came into the position of Master, he had exceptional capabilities.
Mr. Mather set about the organization of the hunt in the most thorough manner, and spared no effort to make the Radnor equal, as far as possible, to the best organized hunts of England. He imported the best of the English blood for his kennels and bred to it. In this way Mr. Mather for many years showed sport of the highest class, and brought to himself and to his country a great reputation. In the last few years, however, he has returned to the use of the native-bred Pennsylvania hounds, and, by all accounts, has shown unequalled sport. Mr. Mather still hunts his English pack at Westchester, Pa., with the utmost satisfaction at the results that he has been able to accomplish with them, having persisted in breeding the English hounds after his own notions, and in
Mrs. A. Laden berg on " Goodboyy
the end obtaining a strain that he thinks thoroughly suitable for use in the Rad- nor country. Further importations of hounds not entered to fox on the other side proved them good, he says, after a year's experience in the Radnor coun- try. Mr. Mather himself believes comparisons difficult, but the English pack is his favorite and the better suited to his desires.
To discuss the relative merits of English and American hounds for use in killing the red fox in America, at once introduces us to matters of controversy, into the details of which I will not enter. I am personally of the opinion that the pure-bred English hound is useless for that purpose, to go no farther, by reason of one deficiency alone — lack of tongue. This is a fatal defect in a country where there are large areas of woodland and unridable country; it is a loss of half the stimulus in any country.
The great difference between English and American hunting is this, that nearly the whole English hunting-country is ridable, while in America it is just the reverse. The American hound must range wide and hunt on his own initiative, and the pack must be so trained and worked together that one mem- ber of it scores to the other without aid from the huntsman. A good pack of American hounds, when spread out over one or two miles of territory, will pack and get together by every sort of short cut, once a fox is running. In England covers are small, and the huntsman draws the cover and the pack works at short range under his eye, and generally the breakaway must be on a
iSS
Fox-Hunting iS Drag- Hunting
hot scent straight away for the nearest likely earth. On account of this sort of work the English hound is well adapted for the purpose of the drag in this country, which form of the sport, as has been stated, we have been largely obliged to adopt, for this very unridableness of most of our country. The Eng- lish hound seems to have equal speed with the American for about six miles,
but not the latter's endurance nor nose, nor ranging and trailing qualities — the imported hound is unaccountably awk- ward in making his way through post and rail fences. He is, however, so amen- able to the whip, and can be so easily handled, that he will long be a favorite for use on the drag. The American hound is nervous and excitable and is a frequent babbler, and, consequently, is apt to mislead all those who are not his constant followers. Perhaps, by proper crossing, a hound can be bred that will combine the excellencies of both. Some native packs have received infusions of foreign blood, I believe with benefit. Mr. Wadsworth uses English hounds with a slight infusion of native blood. I have found the half-bred hound excellent, both on fox and drag, but without doubt the pure fox-hunting men of this country reject any admixture of English blood. Among the men most enthusiastic followers of the Radnor are Mr. Har- rison K. Caner, Edward F. Beale, Robert E. Strawbridge, J. Frank McFadden, Lemuel C. Altemus, B. Frank Clyde, P. S. P. Randolph, Albert E. Kennedy, George L. Harrison, J. Rulon-Miller, F. Hutchinson-Galloney, Maskell Euw- ing, and W. Struthers Ellis. Of the ladies that ride with the Radnor are Mrs. x\lbert E. Kennedy, Mrs. Strawbridge, Miss Bessie Dobson, Miss Florence Dob- son, Miss Cassatt, Miss Gertrude Wheeler, Mrs. Charles R. Snowden, Mrs. John R. Valentine, and Miss Katherine Cassatt.
In 1885, at Lima, Delaware County, Pa., the farmers and land-owners in what is now the Lima country made an association of their hounds, but it was not until several years later, in 1894, that the pack as such was regularly hunted and cared for in the manner that has brought it to its present well-known posi- tion. Dr. Charles A. Dohan is the master. Messrs. L. VV. and S. Riddle, A.
Ross W. Whistler.
Mrs. Robert E. Strawbridge.
Type of English Hound Used at Meadowbrook.
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
igi
G. Okie, William Kerr, Vincent Litzenburg, Charles Yarnell, and others are among its most active members.
The Lima and the Rosetree have probably the best hounds for running and catching red foxes that exist in the Northern States. How they would
compare with Southern hounds has never been put to the test probably each is
better in its own country. The Southern hound has great speed, but probably less endurance and gameness. But in all sports, theories, opinions, and convictions even are worthless ; there can be no proof of such things on paper, and the only demonstration possible is that of experi- ence and by competitive trial.
Farther westward, in New York, hunting had already become established. In the last ten years of the eighteenth century General James S. Wadsworth came from Connecticut to the Genesee Valley. About the same time the Fitz- hughs moved from the South, bringing with them all the Southerners' fondness for the sport. The Wadsworths have ever since steadily increased their prop- erty holdings, and each generation has done its utmost to preserve and beautify them. In the neighborhood there was much encouragement to sport ; the farm- ers in the valley had owned and hunted fox-hounds, and Mr. Wadsworth can give sport without ever quitting his own land.
In 1876 the Genesee Hunt was formed. In 1877 a huntsman was em- ployed, and the organization slowly improved. In i 879 Mr. Austin Wadsworth organized a private pack, and thereafter the Genesee Valley Hunt existed not as a club in the true sense of the term, but in an " Association of gentlemen who hunt with Mr. Wadsworth's hounds." The kennels, hounds, and horses belong to him and he pays all the expenses of the hunting, the " club " limiting its sphere to an occasional horse-show or ball.
Mr. Wadsworth is an enthusiastic apostle of the sport, believing that, with the growing scarcity of game, it is by far the best and most democratic country amusement. He has been much more anxious to interest his neighbors than to call in outsiders, and, to use his own words, " would far rather see a farmer's
E. A. Jackson.
ig2
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
boy on a mule at a meet than the most elaborate creation of a London tailor." The country is an ideal one to ride over and is full of foxes, and appeals to all ; many world-renowned horsemen have raced over its cattle-pastures, gal- loped through its woodlands, and crashed and scrambled (and sometimes sworn)
through its gullies. The hunt has never adopted " pink " coats, and although of late years it is supposed to have a " blue-and-bufF " uniform, and the older members wear tall hats at the " Bleak House " meet, which opens the season, pea-jackets, flannel shirts, and caps are much more common.
The Master has also tried to stimulate an interest in good riding by giving prizes for vari- ous games requiring a knowledge of horseman- ship, and the annual sports of the Genesee Valley Hunt, where the members compete not for clown- ish " gymkana," but for tent-pegging, lemon- slicing, and such things, are great local events, to which the common people flock in crowds. I take the liberty to quote from a letter of Mr. VVadsworth's, which tells us better than any- thing else the character of his sport :
"I began hunting in 1876. I first issued postal cards announcing public hunts in 1880. I began by having drag hunts, but soon tired of their monotony and took to foxes. There are any number here, and they are bold and run well. It is only when hard pressed that they take to ground. The game is to follow them till they do. As we do not ' stop ' we naturally do not kill many, but we have many a glorious run and many an interesting guzzling course to follow.
" I have had a very large pack [js)* ^^^ think that about 25 good ones are a better number for our country, which is an open rolling one, the hillsides in- tersected by deep-wooded ravines, where we usually * find.' The fences are mostly rail or board, but on the north side there are many walls and on the lowlands deep ditches. Wire fencing is increasing, however, and their general adoption means the end of the sport. My country is bounded in a general way by Honeoye Creek on the North, Hemlock Lake on the East, Dansville on the South, and the 'Wyoming Valley' (Pavilion) on the West.
" I use crossed hounds — i.e., from the best English kennels, with a single
Leander JV. Riddle.
Ralph N. Ellis, M. F. H., Meadowbrook.
Mr. Ellis's Hunter "Baritone."
Fox- Hunting tS Drag- Hunting
195
infusion of American blood — finding them the best, for reasons too technical to go into.
" The grand beauty of fox hunting, the beautiful morning rides through the hills and woods, the queer lonely places in the midst of civilization where one would hardly go on any other errand, the anxious peering search for the quarry, and the mad struggle to * get on terms with the hounds ' when the game has broken away, are lost to the drag hunter, who knows that he will only be out a certain time, go a certain distance, and be carefully led clear of any natural or artificial ob- stacle requiring more than a very limited intel- ligence or education in horse or rider."
At a meet of the Genesee Valley hounds you will generally see Mr. James S. Wadsworth, Craig Wadsworth, Captain Martin, Julian Ge- rard Buckley, Seward Cary, Dr. Charles Cary, Trumbull Cary, Thomas Cary, William Littauer, Mr. Craven, David Gray, Cary Rumsey, Robert Root, and Townsend Davis. Of the ladies are Miss Ewing, Miss Whiting, and the Misses Julia, Margaret, and Sallie Cary.
Mr. Wadsworth's " Bible " I here insert, with reverence and faith in its inspiration ; I commend all hunting-men and women to daily commit a verse of it to memory :
"Of the Farmer. — You have no business on a man's land, but are there by his sufferance, and he is entitled to every consideration. It is
no excuse that you are in a hurry. It is much better for the Hunt that you should be left behind than that a farmer should be injured. If you take down a rail, you should put it back. If you open a gate, you should shut it. If you break a fence or do any damage that you cannot repair, you should report it at once to the responsible officers of the Hunt, that it may be made good. Although you may feel convinced that it improves wheat to ride over it, the opinion is not diffused or popular, and the fact that some fool has gone ahead is no excuse whatsoever, but makes the matter worse. The spectacle of a lot of men following another's track across a wheat-field and killing hopelessly the young plants which the first had probably injured but slightly, is too con- ducive to profanity to be edifying in any community.
Robert E. Strawbridge.
" You may think that the honest farmer deems it a privilege to leave his life of luxurious idleness and travel around half the night in the mud for horses which have got out, or spend days sorting sheep which have got mixed by your leaving his gates open or fences down. You are mistaken. He don't.
" Of the Master. — The M. F. H. is a great and mystic personage, to be lowly, meekly, and reverently looked up to, helped, considered, and given the right of way at all times. His ways are not as other men's ways, and his lan- guage and actions are not to be judged by their standard. All that can be asked of him is that he furnish good sport as a rule, and so long as he does that he is amenable to no criticism, subject to no law, and fettered by no conven- tionality while in the field. He is supposed by courtesy to know more about his own hounds than outsiders, and all hallooing, calling, and attempts at hunt- ing them by others are not only very bad manners, but are apt to spoil sport.
" As a general rule he can enjoy your conversation and society more when not in the field with the hounds, riders, foxes, and damages on his mind.
" N. B. — The proffer of a flask is not conversation within the meaning of the above.
" Of the Fox. — Don't tag after the first whip and make one of a line of sentries around a covert. How can a fox break if you do ?
" Keep your mouth shut when you see a fox until he is well away and you are between him and the pack. Then if you are sure it is the hunted fox,
Mrs. Bryce Allan on "Starlight,"
stand still as nearly on his line as possible and yell for all you are worth. Don't cap on the first hounds, but let the huntsman bring up the pack. Don't gallop after the fox by yourself. If you caught him alone he might bite you.
" Don't ' give tongue ' on a woodchuck. It will cause you humiliation. There is a difference in the tails.
" Of the Hounds. — Keep away from them at all times and every time. Nobody but the huntsman and whips have ever any business near the hounds at any time, and particularly near them in front or behind. Moving in front of them leads them on. Moving behind them frightens them and drives them.
" Give them space to work without being in terror of their lives, and don't keep crowding up on them when they are casting.
" Don't get between the huntsman and whips on the road. Keep ahead of him or behind them. The space between belongs to the pack.
"Of the Rider. — Don't say 'Ware horse!' to the hound. Say 'Ware hound ! ' to the horse.
" It is never any excuse that you cannot hold your horse. You have no business to bring out a horse you cannot hold any more than a biter or kicker. If you cannot hold him, go home.
" Never follow a man closely, particularly over a jump. If he should fall when landing, you might kill him while helpless. Take your own line and
igS
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
keep it. Everybody is supposed to be entitled to the panel in front of him. If you don't like yours, you must not take another man's till your turn."
During this period of development in Pennsylvania, Northern New York, and elsewhere, riding to hounds had begun a solid and permanent development
on Long Island. " Riding to hounds " was the object of the keen horsemen who created the Long Island sport, and the drag-hunt alone could give it in perfection, and it was then, and has remained ever since, the best riding country this side of the water — at least, that is known to any hunt club — and for the reason that the going under foot is the lightest and best that can be imagined. There is no hold- ing clay in the soil, which, conse- quently, never bakes hard ; the drain- age is such that the heaviest going known to it is lighter than anything found in England. Much of the coun- try is like a bed of moss and otherwise largely laid down in grass. The tim- ber is strong but reasonable on a prop- erly schooled horse, notwithstanding the usual newspaper exaggerations ; but you must be well mounted, and he who makes a serious effort to do so will receive his reward. As a matter of fact, the first beginning of this Long Island sport was due to the enthusiasm of two New Jersey fox-hunters, who, through their efforts, had established a pack of hounds at Hackensack. They were Colonel Frederick S. Skinner and Mr. Joseph Donohue, who, in i 874, maintained a pack of hounds on the edge of the Jersey meadows. There had been fox-hunting in this vicinity a century before, when, about 1770, one John Evers maintained and hunted a pack at Hempstead. Horses, hounds, and huntsmen were im- ported from England ; and Washington, it appears, was a subscriber to the pack. From a notice posted November 19, 1781, by the Brooklyn Hunt, that the hounds would throw off at Denyse's Ferry, on the estate of Denyse Denyse, Esq., at the Narrows (now Fort Hamilton), at nine o'clock on Thursday morn- ing, and that a guinea would be given for a good strong bag fox, and signed Charles Loosely, it appears that there was hunting in that vicinity, and that
Charles E. Mather, M. F. H., Radnor.
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Fox-Hunting (S Drag- Hunting
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such an organization as the Brooklyn Hunt existed. Denyse Denyse, Esq., was the great-grandfather of H. L. Herbert, Esq.
The Revolution brought an end to these pioneer efforts, and until the Hackensack hounds first created music across the salt meadows, there was no hunting about New York City. It was the plan of Messrs. Skinner and Donohue to draw the covert on foot and then retreat to their buggy. When hounds killed, however, they were gen- erally there or thereabout ; although their methods were not endorsed by any previous customs of the hunting field, you could not beat them at their game. It is not to be imagined that all these possibilities of sport should go unnoticed. Eventually the Hack- ensack hunt came to the ears of A. Belmont Purdy, F. Gray Griswold, Elliott Zborowski, William E. Peet, Robert Center, and Thomas Hitch- cock, Jr. All were young, one or two had hunted on the other side, and all were prepared to take what came and to offer thanksgiving for the meas- ure of amusement obtained. One by one they stole across to Hackensack, and the Donohue-Skinner pack began
to have a following of straight riders. The gentlemen who had established the hunt still kept to the buggy, but welcomed the riders who flew over timber and stone and went out of their way to get it. But the jumps were simple, I am told, the country was small, and the going slow.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1876, a large field came from New York to take part in the proceedings. As a result, the hunt began to rise into favor, many be- ing drawn to it in the desire for sport. With this development and experience, it was found that both the hounds and the country were unsuitable, so it was decided to move elsewhere. A meeting was called in the rooms of Robert Center, where he, F. Gray Griswold, William E. Peet, and A. Belmont Purdy were present. Each subscribed $250, and, as Mr. Griswold was going abroad, he was commissioned to select and to ship a pack of hounds to this country, which he did upon arrival in Ireland, where he obtained, through Mr. Thomas
Edward F. Beak.
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Fox-Hunting tS Drag-Hunting
Turbitt, of Scribblestown, a pack of harriers. During Mr. Griswold's absence his associates looked about for a suitable country, and eventually selected the Hempstead country. They obtained the lease of a farm-house on the same property now occupied by the Meadowbrook Club. There, in 1877, was estab- lished the Queens County Drag Hounds, with Mr. Griswold as Master.
F. A. B. Portman, M. F. //., tVarrenton Hunt Club.
Captain Samuel D. Parker, M. F. //., Norfolk Hunt Club.
A circular setting forth the aims and objects of the hunt had been pub- lished in the country-side, and the response was flattering. Subscriptions came in readily, and the first meet, on October 4, 1877, brought out a great crowd. It was an interesting occasion. City people, horsemen, farmers, and all the country-side were there. It was a big field — between forty and fifty riders — and every mount in the neighborhood was pressed into service. Everything was in- earnest, and to-day the names of that band of riders have a familiar ring in the ears of the hunting-man. There were William Jay, Elliott Zborowski, Her- man Oelrichs, Elliott Roosevelt, William E. Peet, John Sanford, Gussie Clason, Charles G. Franklyn, William C. Sanford, Frank Payson, Lloyd Brice, Dr. James Green, H. L. Herbert, Charles G. Peters, Alfred Gardner, and of the ladies. Miss Hildegarde Oelrichs (later Mrs. Henderson), Mrs. Forbes-Morgan, Miss Lucy Oelrichs (later Mrs. William Jay), Miss Lucy Work (now Mrs. Cooper-Hewitt), and Mrs. Frank Payson.
Fox- Hunting if Drag-Hunting
203
In the whole field there were perhaps half a dozen qualified hunters, but no falls are recorded, and most of the field appear to have finished. The farm- ers looked upon what seemed to them an entire novelty with good nature, and even cheerfully replaced the broken rails. But still the hunt did not escape all opposition, for the Quakers of the neighborhood denounced it as a godless em-
Major W. A. Wadsworth, M. F. H., Genesee Valley Hunt.
Dr. C. A. Dohan, M. F. H., Lima Hunt Club.
ployment, and Mr. Henry Bergh, of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, added his protest in declaring it to be an evil sport and unnaturally cruel. To answer these critics, committees of one each were appointed in the persons of Mr. Gardener and Mr. Purdy. Nearly the life of a generation has passed since that October 4, i 877 ; many prejudices have died during that period in this once puritanical land. The criticisms which Mr. Purdy and Mr. Gard- ner and the other riding-men had then to meet were merely expressions of prejudices, honestly formed, but showing an ignorance, which now, I think, has wholly ceased to exist. Mr. Benjamin D. Hicks, a Quaker, a large land-owner, in the heart of the Meadowbrook Country, a man of strong convictions but with consideration to others, the Vice-President of Mr. Bergh's Society, was the last farmer to oppose hunting on principle.
But hunting is democratic in its teachings, as Mr. Wadsworth says, and it has been educational, for whereas in the beginning there was of necessity mutual
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Fox- Hunting iS Drag- Hunting
ignorance between the man of the town and the farmer, they now understand each other's aims and wishes and necessities, and recognize in each other the possession of intelligence. The fields for the first year were large ; they fre-
F. Gray Griswold.
H. W. Smith.
quently numbered from forty to fifty riders. Houses and stables long idle were rented by hunting-men ; prosperity smiled upon the farmer, and his hay and straw found a home-market and a ready sale. At the end of the season the hunt gave a ball to the farmers and their families, the neighborhood lent en- couraging aid, and hunting seemed permanently established on Long Island.
The second season, however, showed a reaction from the energy and en- thusiasm of the preceding year. For some reason the fields fell off, the amity of the farmers was not so pronounced ; and, but for the persistency of the originators of the hunt, it perhaps would have died then. But they continued- their sport, and after a while hunting again began to look up. The hounds were then transferred to Central Morrisania, in Westchester, where Mr. Griswold agreed to hunt them for a period not exceeding two years. The change resulted only in failure. The going was bad, most of the fences stone walls, and the ground too soft in the spring to be hunted with any satisfaction. It was in no sense country suitable to drag-hounds, or, in fact, for any other form of hunt- ing ; and, although the pack was moved to New Rochelle, there was no addi- tional benefit.
Fox-Hunting (S Drag- Hunting
205
On Long Island, as soon as the Queens County hounds had been with- drawn, the loss was appreciated. The hunting spirit was still vigorous, though in a measure dormant ; but, at the end of two years, the demand for another
In the Meadowbrook Country.
hunt club was too strong to remain unfruitful. In the spring of 1880 Mr. Purdy resolved to support a pack of his own. He commissioned Mr. J. Burke- Roche to send him hounds from Ireland, and he established what is to-day the Meadowbrook Hunt. In this he was assisted by Mr. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., who had just returned from Oxford ; and the two gentlemen, acting together, secured the support of the hunting-men of Long Island.
The pack was hunted the first season at Mr. Purdy's own expense. With Charley Cullinan, huntsman, and Jim Bergen, whip, he gave satisfactory sport, and Long Island hunting was established on its permanent base. The following year the club was incorporated. Its chief supporters were William Jay, August Belmont, Jr., Winthrop Rutherfurd, and the late William R. Travers. Mr. Travers became president ; Francis Appleton, F. O. Beach, Stanley and Richard Mortimer lent their aid to the endeavor ; and Elliott Roosevelt, William and
Mrs, C. G. Rice on "Ladylike."
John Sanford, H. L. Herbert, and H. B. Richardson were of the number. About this time Mr. Griswold had become the sole owner of the Queens County hounds. He had finished with the Westchester country, satisfied that it lacked nearly every requirement ; so that year he returned to Long Island. An ar- rangement was made between him and the Meadowbrook Hunt Club to a friendly partition of territory.
In a neighboring section of the country there had been started a hunt club, at Rockaway, by Mr. John Cheever. It became a regular organization, and numbered among its Masters R. L. La Montagne, Farley Clark, J. G. Austin, F. P. Keene, J. E. Cowdin, and Eben Stevens, and was hunted for a time by Mr. Griswold in connection with his territory. The Rockaway Hunt enjoyed many years of prosperity, but was eventually driven out by lack of sufficient hunting territory. -:
The uninterrupted success of Meadowbrook soon put it in the lead. Mr. Purdy retired from the mastership after an honorable incumbency, and was suc- ceeded by Mr. F. R. Appleton. After Mr. Appleton came Mr. E. D. Morgan, and then R. W. Stuart and Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., became its Masters. There was hardly enough patronage in those days to maintain in the same country two established hunt clubs, and Mr. Griswold was virtually supporting the Queens County Drag hounds for the amusement of himself and a few friends. In 1893 Mr. Griswold was elected Master of the Meadowbrook hounds, when he
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C. G. Rice on "Dr. Felix." |
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turned over to the club the territory of the Queens County Hunt. Mr. Gris- wold hunted the hounds two seasons. The Rockaway having since ceased to exist, the Meadowbrook is now the virtual possessor of all of Nassau County.
Mr. Griswold was Master and hunted drag-hounds over a stiff country con- secutively for nineteen years. True sportsmen are rare in this country. We must with reluctance admit whether in yacht-racing, hunting, or in any other difficult sport, the men are soon counted who, from love of the sport, pursue it for years in steady effort at greater efficiency.
In tribute to Mr. Griswold's record and in illustration of it, let me again quote from that same letter of Brooksby from Meadowbrook :
"With the mastership, be it added, comes the privilege at all times and under all circumstances of leading the field in pursuit of hounds ; methinks were this rule enforced in Old England, many a change in mastership would speedily be announced. Looked at from one point of view alone, imagine the feelings of an M. F. H. called upon to live ever in front of the galloping hundreds of the Quorn or Pytchley !
" If you want another point of view you will find it in a glimpse of the Long Island timber ; fancy yourself booked for the post in question for a period of years three times a week, whatever the weather and whatever your mode of life or its temptations."
At Meadowbrook the aim is to approximate, as nearly as possible, to a
208
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
steeple-chase ; and while this is usually made a reason of reproach, it merely means that speed is the chief thing sought, and is surely a higher development, as witness the quality of the horse required to properly negotiate a well-enclosed country at the pace. It is not until the drag becomes really a fast gallop that the quality of decision in the rider is called for ; for in the absence of the live quarry, knowledge of any sort, except of the horse, as of the intricacies of the
Henry W. Bull.
George von L. Meyer.
country, the habits of the fox, the working of the hounds, is not required. These elements being eliminated from drag-hunting, the line of hounds being a selected "course" (to use a word that is a favorite with the average reporter), it would seem unnecessary to defend a style of drag-hunting that cuts out the highest possible kind of work for horse and riders.
The Meadowbrook hunts at present generally bring out Mrs. Kernochan, Mrs. Ladenburg, Messrs. Cottenet, C. A. and R. L. Stevens, H. S. Page, H. W. Bull, W. A. Hazard, Maxwell Stevenson, W. S. Cameron, J. Clinch Smith, F. Gray Griswold, S. Willets, W. C. and E. Hayes, H. K. Vingut, and others.
The sport at Meadowbrook has been seriously injured, owing to the impres- sion of the sport given to the parents and families of all would-be hunting-men by the character of the reports of the runs appearing in the daily papers. Not one fall in ten that is reported occurs. No actual fall occurs, however trivial, that
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
20g
is not reported in glaring headlines in all the papers with every circumstance of exaggeration. The reporters, with one or two exceptions, are totally igno- rant, and have never even heard the simplest hunting terms. Their one and only resource is to seek for sensations, as they are incapable of writing anything else that is readable. Sometimes when the weather has been such as to prevent hunting, and no hunt actually took place, columns of dreadful hunting tales
Samuel W. Hopkins.
John Rulon Miller.
have nevertheless appeared in the next morning's issues. No intelligent man is willing to report hunting, because the papers really want the sensations and not expert reports. No accident of any seriousness whatever occurs without its being cabled all over the world as fatal. Such news, for instance, coming to a man's family, who may be abroad, is absolutely shocking. Meadowbrook is the target for all this and has suffered much from it.
In 1879 a group of gentlemen went down from Boston to Winchester, where the Myopia Club was organized and incorporated. Its original object was the playing of baseball, and to further this aim a club-house was erected. Eye-glasses were its badges of distinction, myopes were its members, and from this organization of defective vision the club drew its name. Myopia. After two years of tennis and baseball the Myopias began to look farther on. Among its members was Mr. F. H. Prince, who had followed the Queens County pack
210
Fox-Hunting tS Drag-Hunting
during the summer season of 1881, when it was hunted at Newport. Mr. I^rince suggested the formation of the hunt. The first efforts to realize it were made by Mr. Hugh A. Allan, William D. Sanborn, and Frank Seabury. Through Mr. Allan's cousin, who was then in England, the hunt obtained its first draft of hounds from the North Warwickshire. Before their arrival, in 1882, the club turned out after a scrub pack, which came, I believe, from Canada, and on
the December snow had its first kill. The meet was instructive ; it showed the club to have the true sporting spirit ; and in the fall, when the imported hounds arrived, hunting began in earnest. The fields were fairly large, hounds killed occasionally, but, as the almost inevitable result of experience, the hunt moved from Winchester into a more suitable country at Hamilton. This change of base was at the suggestion of Mr. Charles H. Dalton, one of the moving spirits of the new organization. He had explored the Hamilton ground, and his belief that it was a good hunting-country is verified by the fact that the club rides there to-day.
In 1885 George H. Warren, of Liver- pool, England, then living at Boston, im- ported a pack of beagles, which he presented to the club for running a drag. At this time and until 1888 the other hounds were used to fox ; then, after several years of hunting, when the demand for longer and faster runs became too great to be ignored, fox-hunting was discarded and the hounds trained to the drag.
Hugh A. Allan was the first Master of Myopia. He resigned after a year in office, and John E. Peabody filled the vacancy for a few months. In the fall of 1883 he was succeeded by Mr. Frank Seabury, who hunted the hounds until 1893, when R. M. Appleton, the present Master, was appointed. Among the foremost men in the history of Myopia are Hon. George von L. Meyer, Francis Peabody, Jr., S. D. Bush, A. P. Gardner, S. A. Hopkins, James Parker, the late Lucius M. Sargent, and the late Marshall K. Abbott, for many years its keenest sportsmen, straight-riding, hospitable hunting-men. Mrs. Rice, Mrs. Allan, Mrs. Edward Gray, Miss Edith Dalton, Mrs. Peabody, and other ladies regularly follow the Myopia hounds.
The Myopia Club has been the stimulus to all the outdoor sports that have
Maxwell Stevenson.
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
211
developed in the neighborhood of Boston. It has there developed hunting, polo, and racing of the highest class. Altogether Myopia has had an interesting life, and the memory of the first hunt from the Gibney Farm, its first polo on a half- rolled pasture-land, and all the other preliminary attempts, remain to show how rapidly, from small beginnings, high-class sport can be developed in this country.
With head-quarters at Dedham, Mass., the Norfolk Hunt was organized in 1896. The first Master was Mr. Joseph Balch, who has been succeeded by Captain Samuel Parker. The runs are held in the early morning, as nearly all of its followers are business men. Though young, this is one of the most successful organizations in America. It is probably the largest field anywhere seen with the drag. The Master is the captain of Light Battery A, and has largely recruited from this crack organiza- tion his field of horsemen. He has steadily improved his pack, and his enterprise in find- ing new country, steadily pushing onward and outward, has rapidly developed his sport, cemented the enthusiasm and augmented the numbers of the Norfolk following. The head-quarters of the hunt has lately been re- moved to Medfield, and its most regular riders are Nason Hamlin, William Amory, 2d, E. W. Grew, F. Peabody, Jr., George
Lewis, Dr. J. W. Elliot, R. B. Baker, Dr. H. L. Morse, C. W. Dabney, Henry Vaughan, Dr. Morton Prince, Lindsley Loring, Horatio Hathaway, Jr., George G. Amory, C. E. Sweet, C. R. Sturgis, and H. W. Smith.
In the Southern States, as has been said, fox-hunting has long been estab- lished. For generations it has flourished as a private sport, for the Elk Ridge Club, a representative organization, was not founded until 1878. Long before it became a club, however, its founders had hunted both fox and deer, and when the deer at length were driven out of Maryland, it devoted its talents and intel- ligence to the fox. The nucleus of the Elk Ridge pack was three couple of Irish fox-hounds, imported and presented to the club by C. H. Moore, of Vir- ginia. Mr. Murray Hanson was Master when the hunt first met at Furnace Creek in October, 1878. It has moved in nearer to Baltimore, and hunts both wild fox and drag, and shows good sport with both.
The Green Spring Valley Hunt Club was formally organized in 1892.
L. C. Altemus.
'^^i;--
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Fox-Hunting iS Drag-Hunting
Before this, for a period of six years, a small pack had been hunted by R. C. Stewart and W. P. Stewart, and this formed the nucleus of the present pack.
Since 1892 the pack has hunted, at least twice a week in the season, the wild fox. It is a subscription pack, having one hundred and eighty mem- bers, ot which number about seventy are hunting-men who take the keenest interest in the hunting. The fields vary from twenty to seventy, with an average size of about thirty -five. Though the country is blind in Oc- tober, the season always commences on the first Saturday, and continues, with interruptions caused by snow and frost, until the middle of April. It is not a particularly stiff country, the most formidable fence being the post and rail. At times you get good grass galloping, and again encounter wood- lands so thick as to be unridable. On an estimated percentage of ninety per cent, of hunting-days, one or more foxes are found, and, being especially large and strong, they run on a bad scenting day often two hours before going to ground. On good scenting days an hour or one hour and ten minutes is as long as a fox can live in front of the pack, though forty minutes is considered a good run. Owing to the fact that the earths, of which there are a great num- ber, cannot be stopped, a kill in the open occurs only about three times in a season. The pack is composed of well-bred native fox-hounds with now and then a cross of imported blood, and gives splendid music. The pack is fast, though the qualities which the hunt are particularly proud of are their endur- ance, nose, and tongue.
The Warrenton Hunt Club in Virginia has been organized about ten years. Its pack consists of about twelve couples of chiefly American hounds. It begins hunting about November ist, and when hard weather ends the fixed hunting the pack is taken out whenever the opportunity offers. The Warrenton coun- try is fairly cultivated and has a preponderance of snake fences and posts and rails. It is a rough country, and of late a great deal of wire has been strung over the best riding parts of it. For this reason it is really nowadays difficult to lay a good drag anywhere in the Warrenton country, yet its followers are as
Frank Seabury.
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
213
keen as ever and not in the least discouraged. The Master is Mr. F. A. B. Portman, and the following gentlemen are the keenest supporters of the hunt : John D. Hooe, J. K. Maddux, George B. Stone, John S. Gaines, C. W. Smith, E. Astley Cooper, and E. R. W. Bar- ker. There are few fields turned out that do not include Mrs. F. L. W. Barker, the Misses Barry, Mrs. F. A. B. Portman, Mrs. Blair Johnson, and Miss Mary Hicks. There are numer- ous other successful hunt clubs in this country which show excellent sport, as the Westchester, of which Mr. Reynal is the Master. Mr. Collier's Mon- mouth County hounds hunt what is undoubtedly a fine country and show excellent sport.
The Essex County (N. J.) hounds have been hunted from the early days of drag-hunting in this country, con- tinually, until the present time, and have had a strong following of keen
hunting-men. The pack is now hunted by Mr. Charles Pfizer, Jr., the last Master of the former organization, as his private pack. The following are the " Recognized Hunts " and their Masters or Acting Masters :
Mrs. R. G. Shaw, 2d.
Name. Aiken Hunt. Ballston Hunt. Chevy Chase Hunt. Deep Run Hunt. Elk Ridge Hunt. Genesee Valley Hunt. Green Spring Valley Hunt. Keswick Hunt. Lima Hunt. Meadowbrook Hunt. Myopia Hunt. Norfolk Hunt. Overland Hunt. Patapsco Hunt. Piedmont Hunt. Pine Hill Valley Hunt. Rose Tree Hunt. Radnor Hunt. Waiontha Hunt. Warrenton Hunt. Woodbine Hunt.
Address. Masters or Acting Masters.
Aiken, S. C. Thomas Hitchcock, Jr.
Ballston, N. Y. E. L. Smith.
Washington, D. C, and Chevy Chase, Md. Clarence Moore.
Richmond, Va.
Baltimore, Md.
Geneseo, N. Y.
Baltimore, Md.
Keswick, Va.
Lima, Pa.
Westbury, Long Island, N. Y.
Hamilton, Mass.
Dedham, Mass.
Towsan, Md.
Patapsco, Howard County, Md.
Piedmont, Va.
Linden, Va.
Media, Pa.
Radnor, Pa.
Richfield Springs, N. Y.
Warrenton, Va.
National Stock- Yards, Illinois.
H. C. Beattie.
E. A. Jackson.
W. A. Wadsworth. R. C. Stewart. C. R. Randolph. C. A. Dohan. R. N. Ellis. R. M. Appleton. S. D. Parker.
C. C. West.
D. M. Williams. R. H. Dulaney. J. D. Hall, Jr. W. H. Corlies. C. E. Mather.
J. Lee Taylor.
F. A. B. Portman. John S. Bratton.
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Hunting is more popular to-day and has more followers in this country than ever before. There was the other day, for instance, a field of ninety out with Mr. Wadsworth's hounds. A good hunter has now a definite and market- able value, as he has never had before in this country. The only real enemy
to hunting is wire, which, I fear, is steadily spreading over most of the best hunting dis- tricts, but this is as true of England as of America. Fortunately the Meadowbrook Coun- try is an exception to this practice. About ten years ago the farmers there began to use wire strung over the tops of their old fences, with, however, only an occasional all - wire fence. Now the new fences are all posts and rails, in- tended to confine horses boarded from the city, and the patchwork wire is disappearing as the new fences are built.
When it is remembered that at Geneseo there are only about six weeks of good hunting, that Myopia, Norfolk, Geneseo, and all other hunts north of Philadelphia have no winter or spring hunting, that at Meadowbrook we have three months of frost, when riding to hounds is impossible — in view of this, the enthusiasm of Americans for hunting must not be underesti- mated. At Meadowbrook we have six weeks of spring hunting (March loth to about April 2oth) that is as good as any in the year, but with all of us there are those winter months when we wish to hunt and cannot. Many Americans therefore hunt in England. In ad- dition to this reason — the limitation of our sea- son by hopeless frosts — the hunting of our Eng- lish cousins, the originators and progenitors of the great sport, has an immense charm in the beauty of their old-time country-side. There is nothing in the world to equal rural England — its well-worn places, its comfort and beauty. An English meet of fox-hounds must, therefore, appeal to every Anglo-Saxon ; but though we have not the same setting to the scene, our country has a wilder beauty, and I am confident that, could we combine fox-hunting and riding to hounds, and find a country where the sport c-ould be continued through the winter months.
Mrs. E. A. Jackson.
Fox-Hunting (S Drag-Hunting
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it would attract as many hunting-men as now go to Melton or any other place in England.
Mr. Harry W. Smith, of Worcester, has proposed the formation of a Na- tional Hunt to cover this need, with its location at Upperville, Va., as Piedmont County, in his opinion, fulfils all the requirements. Every hunting-man in New York, Boston, and Geneseo, I am sure, will join in support of such an organization, if only the country and the climate are what is required. I sin- cerely hope that this National Hunt will be organized and meet with success, and that everyone who reads this, and all hunting-men, will meet thus together every year to follow the Sport of Kings.
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Mrs. Ladenberg.
COACHING
OLIVER H. P. BELMONT
"THE ROAD,"
Coupled with the Name of Mr. William Whiffle-tree.
/ thank you kindly, gentlemen, — not for your ruby ivine. But for the toast I love the tnost you couple thus -with mine ; For I am IVilliam IVhiffle-tree "who tooled the 'tally-Ho, M^hile Mrs. Coachman kept " '^he Siuan," so many years ago. 'the start -ivas out of Langton, sirs, and Barton was the road. No king was prouder of his crown than M 'illiam of his load — Nor ever danced a maiden to the altar in a dream. As gay as he to take the lines and chirrup to the team. M^ith his
Chorus —
Off-side 1 Near-side! Tally, Tally-Ho! See the zcindows open zchen the horn begins to blow! Bed them with the babes and feed them with the dawn. And the Shooter's but a lobster if he cannot blow the horn.
When we passed through the village, why the matrons they would smile;
And the maidens they would linger in the road a little while ;
And the parson set the clock and the bar-maid sought the till
When they saw the T'ally-Ho a-come a-thundering down the hill.
When we passed by the church, why the people daivn below,
I really think they listened for to hear the Tally-Ho, —
With a " B2/y a, buy a Broom ! " — " Ah, bless you, there she goes ! "
And they turned their heads away again to take another doze.
Old men upon the porch rose to hail us with a cheer ;
And the farmer stopped his furrow when he saw us drawitJg near;
And the children at the school sprang to reach the willing door
And tumbled out with ringing shout to greet the Coach and Four.
And when the day had left us, underneath the early stars
0, joyous was the horn and the music of the bars
As we rattled in at night through the streets of Barton town
To the " Lion and the Garter " wfiere the Tally-Ho set down !
And then to hand the mail: that was Tom's, by Shooter's right — ■ And for me to tend the team and see them bedded for the night; Then for all to drain the bumper by the fire's ruddy blaze. And tell the tales of Coaching in the "■Light of Other Days."
•: {From " The Light of Other Days," by S. Nicholson Kane.)
COACHING
BY OLIVER H. P, BELMONT
O sport which requires the perfection of skill and dash and the ex- ^i^^ ercise of nerve will ever be abandoned by Americans. Coaching
jj ] may languish here for a period as it did in England. It may be-
^ come almost a memory, but ultimately it will emerge from the ob-
scurity into which it may seem to have fallen. Your true sports- man will again be found on the box, the spirit of emulation will be awakened, and the sport that " compels a knowledge of the very highest branches of the art of horsemanship and equipage " will be revived in all its old-time glory. It was so in England when for forty years after the appearance of the locomotive it was practically dead. The driving of a four-in-hand after that event became almost a lost art. Indeed for two years, in the early fifties. Great Britain could boast of only a single coachman. Sir Henry Peyton, whose grays and yellow coach were one of the sights of London.
For half a century before rails were laid for the locomotive, coaching was a business that had been highly developed by the Government for the transmission of the mails. The break-neck speed of the Royal Mail suggested all the ele- ments of danger and the greatest possible skill on the box. Accidents were not so uncommon as not to call forth the indignant protests of the publications of that day, much the same as we read to-day of too frequent railroad accidents. The country gentleman and the nobility were attracted to it. As amateurs, we read, they courted the professionals on the box and acquired a " practical appre- ciation of the niceties of the art of driving." Through their inspiration coach- ing became one of the conspicuous recreative sports of that day, and many skilful amateurs are remembered for their participation in it. The blending of the characteristics of the skilled coachman and the polite gentleman was complete. The polished Athenians considered it an honor to be the most skil- ful charioteers of the world. The English gentleman deemed the skilful driving of a four-in-hand an accomplishment that might well be envied by a prince.
As with every undertaking requiring a high degree of excellence, the pres- ence or absence of enthusiasm determines its success or failure. Its presence is a powerful stimulant to the perfection of success. One cannot read the inspir- iting description of a "start," by Captain Malet, without realizing and appre- ciating the zest of which the true sportsman of those early days was possessed : " A bright morning towards the end of May, a coach, primrose color ; a
220
Coaching
team of two powerful bay wheelers and blood grays at lead, all with plenty in front of the collar, and bone to support them ; the whole turn-out having a lot of sort about it ; thoroughly bang-up in fact. Throw your fastidious eye over
the horses, leathers, and coach, and all you can say is capital! With truth you can also say :
" Here's to the shape that is shown on the near side, Here's to the blood on the off, sir; Limbs with no check to the freedom of stride, Wind without whistle or cough, sir.
"A 'full way bill,' 'time up' from the guard, ' all right ' from coachee to the horse-keepers, the horse-cloths being rolled off at the signal, the traces tight- ened, as with one move, bringing the swingle-bars up with a jerk, pole chains rattle to each step, and then, * with elbows squared and with wrists turned down, he sends his tits along.' The ' three feet of tin ' sounds its seven notes musically, and with ' all quality, pride, pomp, and cir- cumstance of glorious roads,' away we go rumbling over the London stones for our first stage out."
The driving of four horses has well been styled an art in which to be wholly successful one must have taken his degree. Circuiting the Olympic Hippodrome by the charioteers, feather-edging pillars, and picking a course amid the thunder and rumble and rattle of horses and chariots and wheels, has always been rec- ognized as an exhibition of the best disciplined nerve possible for the human frame to possess :
" To drive the chariot, and with steady skill To turn, and yet not break the bending wheel, Amphitrion kindly did instruct his son. Great in the art; — for he himself had won Vast precious prizes on the Argive plains, And still the chariot which he drove remains Ne'er hurt in the course, tho' time has broke the falling reins."
Edward Morrell.
Coaching
221
Those who have digged industriously and deeply into the subject are satis- fied that the genesis of the modern coach is found in the early chariot, in use in Britain in the days of Cssar, one of which Cicero asked a friend to bring him for " a pattern." The " whirlocote " was the name given to the wheeled car- riages that first came into use in England in 1388, during the reign of Richard II. They were nothing more than four rough boards clumsily fastened upon wheels. Queen Elizabeth set the fashion that at once became popular of riding in her own coach. But so many persons took to wheels that in January, 1636, Charles I. issued a proclamation " for restraint of the multitude and promiscuous use of coaches about London and Westminster." The streets appear to have been literally jammed with this class of vehicles. In 1662 a John Crossel wrote a pamphlet demanding the suppression of this form of conveyance on the ground that it would inflict an injury upon society. The coach- es, he insisted, " make gentlemen come to London upon very small occasion, which otherwise they would not do but upon very urgent necessity ; nay, the conveni- ency of the passage makes their wives of- ten come up, who rather than come such long journeys on horseback would stay at
home. Here, when they come to town, they must go in the mode, get fine clothes, go to plays and treats, and by these means get such a habit of idleness and love of pleasure that they are uneasy ever after."
Between 1662 and 1703 stage-coaching became general in England. It did not come in without ridicule and condemnation from those who had always travelled on horseback. It was contended that the patrons of the coach con- tracted " an idle habit of body, became weary and listless when they have rode a few miles, and are then unable to travel on horseback, to endure frost, snow, or rain, or to lodge in the fields." The roads of those early times are described as "infernal" and "infamously bad." One of the primitive English coaches was presented to the Emperor of China, who, after some study, decided that the
George P. Wetmore.
222
Coaching
place for him was on the box, because it was nearest to the moon. So the driver was tucked away on the inside of the coach and the reins were given him through the window.
The post-boy who carried the early English mails was not always reliable or honest, and five miles an hour, on the back of a hack, was considered by him
F. K. Sturgis.
F. T. Underhill
a full equivalent of speed. The mail-coach superseded him, with its armed guards, but this evidence of progress was not wholly appreciated even by govern- mental officers, for it encountered much opposition before it became firmly established. Contemporaneously with the development of the mail-coach was the improved methods of road-making introduced by Macadam.
The responsibilities of the early guards, we are told, were many and heavy. They were armed with blunderbusses and braces of pistols. They were obliged to serve some time in the mail-coach factory and learn to make repairs quickly. The coachman took his orders from the guard, and the latter carried the royal time-piece furnished by the Government and wore the royal livery. Guards were expected to report faulty roads, and they were privileged to hale before the magistrates such road commissioners as they decided to be neglectful. The horns of the post-boys were adopted by the guards and were made of tin three feet long.
The mail-coach was doomed when Stevenson's invention demonstrated its
Oliver H. P. Belmont.
Coaching
225
value as a means of travel and transportation. In the year 1836 there were 50 four-horse mails on the roads in England, 30 in Ireland, and 10 in Scotland, and in the last year of mail-coaches 27 in number left London every night at eight o'clock, travelling about 5,500 miles all told in reaching their destinations. The great coaching-parade day was the king's birthday, when all the mail-coaches
Reginald JV. Rives.
Colonel William Jay.
paraded past him, the men in the newest of livery, the coaches in their most gorgeous colors, guard and coachman standing up and removing their hats as the proper salutation to their king. One of the famous coaches of that day was the " Shrewsbury Wonder," whose performances were sources of pride and delight. It left at 4.45 in the morning and reached London at 9.45 at night, stopping twice for refreshments and covering a distance of i 54 miles in one day ! The characteristics of the early professionals who set the pace so eagerly followed by observing amateurs were considered sufficiently impressive to receive recognition in type. Such a professional was Cartwright, who drove the York Express from Buckden to Welwyn and back every day, about seventy miles, for many years : " Under fifty years of age, bony, without fat, healthy looking, evi- dently the effect of abstemiousness ; not too tall, but just the size to sit gracefully and powerfully, as well as to render his getting up and down easy. The moment he has got his seat and made his start you are struck at once with the perfect
226
Coaching
mastership of his art ; the hand just over his left thigh, the arm without constraint, steady, and with a holding command that keeps his horses like clock- work, yet to a superficial observer quite with loose reins. So firm and compact is he that you seldom observe any shifting, only, I may say, to take a shorter
purchase for a run down hill, which he accomplishes with greater confidence and skill than any man I ever saw, un- tinctured with imprudence.
" His right hand and whip are beautifully in unison ; the cross, if not in direct line with the box, over the near wheel, raised gracefully up, ready, as it were, to reward the near -side horse ; the thong, after three twists (just enough suspended for the neces- sary purpose), which appear in his hand to have been placed by the maker, never to be altered or improved ; and if the ofl^-side horse becomes slack, to see the turn of his arm to reduce a twist, or to reverse it, if necessary, is exquisite, and after being placed under the rib, or upon the shoulder-point, up comes the arm, and with it the thong returns to the elegant position upon the cross. I say elegant — the stick highly polished yew, rather light, not too taper, yet elastic, a thong in clean order, pliable — with this man it is elegance, the direction of the thong over the cross without effort, simply a turn of the wrist. (Mem. — The length of whip should be 5 feet i >^ inches from the butt to the holder, and i 2 feet 5 inches or 6 inches from the holder to the end of your point.) " This improvement in the management of the whip is not of many years' birth. I remember when it was not known as a luxury in driving ; even now it belongs to a rare few to execute the accomplishment effectively and with grace. Some men, aware of the facility it gives to punishment, will hold the cross over the off-wheel perpendicularly and twist away till the desideratum is obtained, and then the ears and haunches well scored are the result. Cart- wright's manner of treating the leaders is equally fine. His team are too good ever to require severity, therefore you cannot get to see a specimen of the differ- ent strokes right and left. However, to see my friend use a backhanded draw over the leaders' heads is worth riding many hours in a wet day, which I did.
"James V. Parker.
Coaching
22/
Even this esprit de Phomme is rare, for his system is stillness and to drive without using the whip. The tits are fair, not first-rate ; but the steadiness and light- ness of his hand, cool temper, perfect acquaintance with pace, and knowledge where the best play is to be made, render his task more than easy, quite a pleas- ure, and he performs his distance always to a minute, load or no load. He is no dandy, but is equipped most respectfully and modestly, with good taste." Such is the language of an enthusiastic coach- man of the old school, no mean coach- man himself, it will readily be granted. One dislikes to dismiss this mighty personage of the olden time without recalling the amused attention bestowed upon him by Washington Irving in his " Sketch Book." Geoffrey Crayon was his name, and he had " a dress, a man- ner, a language, an air peculiar to him- self. Wherever an English stage-coach- man may be seen he cannot be mistaken for one of any other craft or mystery. He has commonly a broad, full face, cu- riously mottled with red, as if the blood had been forced by hard feeding into ev- ery vessel of the skin ; he is swelled into
jolly dimensions by frequent potations of malt liquor, and his bulk is still fur- ther increased by a multiplicity of coats in which he is buried like a cauliflower, the upper one reaching to his heels. He wears a broad-brimmed, low-crowned hat, a huge roll of colored handkerchief about his neck, knowingly knotted and tucked in at the bosom, and has in summer-time a large bouquet of flowers in his button-hole, the present probably of some enamored country lass. His waistcoat is commonly of some bright color striped, and his small-clothes extend far below the knees to meet a pair of jockey boots, which reach about half way up his legs. , . . He enjoys great consequence and consideration along the road, has frequent conferences with the village housewives, who look upon him as a man of great trust and dependence, and he seems to have a good under- standing with every bright-eyed country lass. The moment he arrives where the horses are to be changed he throws down the reins with something of an air, and abandons the cattle to the care of the hostler, his duty being merely to drive from one stage to another. When ofl^ the box his hands are thrust in the
Theodore A. Havemeyer, Sr.
228
Coaching
pockets of his greatcoat, and he rolls about the inn-yard with an air of the most absolute lordliness. Here he is generally surrounded with an admiring throng of hostlers, stable-boys, shoeblacks, and those nameless loungers-on that infest inns and taverns. . . . These all look up to him as an oracle, treasure up his cant phrases, echo his opinions about horses and other topics of jockey lore, and, above all, endeavor to imitate his air and carriage. Every ragamuffin that has a coat to his back thrusts his hands in the pockets, rolls in his gait, talks
slang, and is an The picture is not serving sportsman of of the prototype are
The gentleman own amusing expe- days. The story is calling one of them nocent of the fact estate and rent-rolls, half- crown, said : give you this at the but it must be upon not see you enter house, for I think been into enough refreshment you
The Brighton
Barclay H. Warburton.
embryo coachey." lost upon the ob- to-day. The marks not wholly obsolete, coachman had his riences in those told of an old lady to the window, in- that he had his own and, holding up a " Now, I intend to end of the journey, condition that I do another public- you have already of them f o r any ought to require." Road was ever the
most perfect and the most fashionable of all coaching roads in England. In 1828, when the enjoyment of coaching was at its height, two dozen coaches, including the mail, travelled daily between Brighton and the metropolis. The English public watched as impatiently for the appearance of the Magnet, the Dart, the Comet, the Sovereign as we have ever waited for the arrival of the trans-Atlantic liner. After Mr. Clarke took the Age off the road in 1862 coaching practically became extinct in England. For three full seasons coach- - ing scenes on that famous highway were altogether unknown. Its friends, how- ever, undertook to revive the sport in 1866, but the attempt was a pecuniary failure. Three years later a party of enterprising gentlemen forced so much ener- gy into the pastime that it again became the thing to ride the Brighton Road, and passengers had to be turned away. The sport languished for a few years until, in 1874, the Duke of Beaufort took the road at the head of the Road Club, and fashionable life was again attracted to its charms and pleasures, and distinguished members of the nobility worked their coaches regularly during the season.
Coaching
22()
The transition from the business of coaching to coaching as a recreation was easy and natural. The driving of a four-in-hand was " a science not easily obtained by amateurs, the science consisting in apportioning the labor and shifting the load, so as to keep the stock above their work, and not, as many amateurs suppose, in neatly taking a fly off the leader's ear." Perfection of
The Club-house at Jerome Park.
execution in details stamps the coachman as an expert. Imagine your coach at the door and everything ready for the start. Before mounting the box make your own personal inspection of coach, horses, and harness. Run your eye critically over the coach, beginning on the off side and so on around behind it and past the near wheeler and leader, pausing an instant at the front for a glance through the line, and coming to a halt abreast the oflT wheeler. Bits, buckles, coupling-reins, draught-reins will all naturally catch your eye. The reins have been looped above the big buckle of the pad of the off wheeler. In removing them draw taut, with the left hand, the near lead-rein, and dropping that hand straight down to the side repeat with the right hand the same process with the
2 JO
Coaching
off lead-rein. These two tightened lead-reins are brought together in the left hand, each with an equal amount of slack, thus providing for the same length of both reins when you get on the box. Both reins are then passed to the right hand, and exactly the same operation is undergone with the wheel-reins. All
W. Seward Webb.
W. Watts Sherman.
four reins now being collected in the right hand — i.e., the near lead-rein sup- ported by the forefinger, the off lead-rein and the near wheel-rein between the forefinger and the second finger (the wheel-rein beneath the lead-rein), and the off wheel-rein between the second and third fingers — you are ready to mount, being careful, if there is any unusual length to the reins, to throw their ends over your right arm, to avoid catching as you mount. Meanwhile you have grasped in your right the whip which has been lying across the wheelers' backs. Placing the left foot on the hub of the off front wheel, your left hand, which is perfectly free, will assist you as you raise the right foot to the roller-bolt ; then the left foot rises to the step, the right naturally comes to the foot-board, and you are on the box. Seat yourself immediately and, having passed the reins to the left hand, adjust them to the same position which they occupied in the right. There they are held, never being touched by the right hand except a sudden change of position becomes necessary. The left hand does the driving. The horses meanwiiile have been positioned by the groom at their heads so
bo
PF. L. Elkins, Jr.
C. Davis English.
Edward Browning..
E. B. Smith.
Coaching
233
that the traces are tightened, thus serving to assist in adjusting the reins to their proper length. Pass the whip from the right hand to the left and throw off the brake. The groom at the heads of the leaders is facing you, and the head- man at the off wheeler's head is attention, waiting your nod. Groom and head-
James J. Van Alen.
W. K. Vanderbilt.
man step aside the instant the signal is given and are in readiness to mount to their places at the back of the coach as it passes them. A short, sharp " Right ! " or whatever ejaculation to which you may be accustomed for a signal, and if your horses have learned to work together, you have made a fine start and are off. Many other necessary details are admirably set out by Mr. Fairman Rogers in his " Manual of Coaching." The true coachman instinctively grasps them and unconsciously exhibits his mastery of the art by his observance of them. For many useful hints, quite as valuable as when they were written, 104 years ago, reference may be had by the coachman of to-day to Felton on " Car- riages," it having been well maintained that " nothing is more essential for gentlemen who keep a carriage to know than the various principles on which they may be built to suit their convenience."
The slightly undulating road is considered the best for coaching, because the alternate up and down gives the horses opportunity to rest their lungs from the strain of the uphill work. A piece of road between Reigate and Crawley
234
Coaching
was long considered a model for coaching purposes. It was of granite mac- adam, slightly undulating and with medium crown. Over this Mr. VV. G. Tif- fany easily made the distance (nine and one-half miles) at the rate of a mile in three minutes when he horsed and owned the Brighton coach in 1873.
Your skilful driver utilizes every point on a roadway that can be construed as favorable. He will not run his horses up long hills, nor lash them over
sandy stretches, for these last, possessing no spring whatever, are distressing stretches for horses too rapidly driven. Wherever the road falls away, advantage can be taken of it at a gallop, and there need be no hesitation in get- ting all the movement possible on the down drive on the ordinary hill. Then the coach can practically be left to itself, one's chief effort being to keep his horses well enough ahead so they will neither be run over nor tug at their pole-chains. Up a hill, on the other hand, too tight a rein ought not to be held.
To rival and wherever possible to eclipse the records of the Royal Mail, under circum- stances as similar as can be conceived, with their relays and delays, has always been the ambition of the genuine coachman. Such an attempt was made in July, 1892, by a party of Americans, an account of whose experiences has been preserved by Mr. T. Suffern Tailer. The run was from Paris to Trouville. The party was composed of Mr. James Gordon Bennett, of the New York Herald, a famous patron of genuine sports in whatever form, Mr. T. Suffern Tailer, Mr. Eugene Higgins, and Mr. W. G. Tiffany. These were the " passengers." For companions " inside the mail " there were Mr. Guiet, the builder of the mail, Mr. Luque, of the Figaro Illustre, and Mr. Hiekel, an amateur photog- rapher. Morris Howlett, then a mere youth, was a most efficient guard. The driver for the first half of the journey was Mr. Higgins. He gave way during the second half to Mr. Tailer.
The purpose of the trip was to repeat as nearly as possible the conditions of the old mail trips, as well as their time. The distance was 140 miles over a road part of which was level and very good, while the rest was extremely hilly. There were thirteen changes. Of these, three had never before been in four- harness, and the wheelers were rein-shy. The horse-keepers were far from being
George R. Read.
Coaching
235
efficient, and the party was obliged to harness many of the horses themselves. Some of the teams had been picked up in Paris and were accustomed to any- thing but speedy work. It was considered wisdom to keep them up to no more than seven miles an hour on leaving Paris. Some of the conclusions reached on this interesting trip proved valuable. For instance, it was learned to be a mistake to have too many relays — the time lost in changing could not be made
A. J. Cassatt.
Neilson Brown.
up on the short stages. Time was lost, too, in utilizing the cock-horses for the hill. The value of the whip was also demonstrated.
The drive was made in 10 hours and 50 minutes, an average of a mile in 4 '/„ minutes, or a trifle over 1 2 miles the hour. The official time-table was regarded as instructive as well as interesting, and is here appended :
July 12, 1892. Down.
Departure. Arrival. Departure.
6.00 A.M. La Riviere Thibouville T.24 p.m. 1.26 p.m.
Arrival. Paris Herald Office.
St. Germain 7.08 a.m
Vaux 7.55
Mantes 8.57
Bonnicres 9-39
Pacy-sur-Eure . . . 10.30
Evreux 1 1.29
La Commanderie. 12.28 p.m
7.12 Le Marche Neuf 2.06 2.12
7.58 Lieurey 2.50 2.56
9.00 Bonneville 3-4° 3-46
9.45 Pont I'Evcque 4-i8i^ 4.21
10.33 Trouville Town 4-40
1 1.33 Hotel Bellevue 4.50
12.31!/^ P.M. 140 miles in 10 hours and 50 minutes.
236
Coaching
Twelve changes were made, for which 48 minutes must be allowed, thus making the 140 miles in 10 hours 2 minutes, or an average of one mile in 4 3' ^ minutes. That record was considered a remarkably good one. Compare it with those of the crack coaches of England in 1836, when London and Brighton, 51}^ miles, was made in 5^4 hours; London and Shrewsbury, 154
miles, in 1 5 hours ; London and Exeter, 1 7 1 miles, in 1 7 hours ; London and Manchester, 187 miles, in 19 hours; London and Holyhead, 261 miles, in 26 hours 55 minutes; London and Liver- pool, 203 miles, in 20 hours 50 minutes. Some remarkable records must have been made in the early coaching days. The Quicksilver (the Devonport mail), carrying colonial and foreign mail, made the trip of 216 miles, including stop- pages, in 21 hours 14 minutes. The Independent Tally-ho, running between London and Birmingham, travelled 109 miles in 7 hours 39 minutes. That oc- curred on the May-day celebration (May 8, 1830), the annual day for racing against time. As preserved by Captain Malet, this record, giving the time re- quired to cover the distance horsed by the various proprietors, runs thus : Mr. Home, from London to Colvey, 17^4 rniles, in i hour 6 minutes. Mr. Bowman, from Colvey to Redburn, ijyi, miles, in i hour 26 minutes (6 minutes for breakfast).
Mr. Morrell, Redburn to Hockcliffe, 12^4^ miles, in i hour 4 minutes. Mr. Warden, Hockcliffe to Shenley, 1 1 miles, in 47 minutes. Mr. May, Shenley to Daventry, 24 miles, in i hour 49 minutes. Mr. Garner, Daventry to Coventry, igY^ miles, in i hour 12 minutes; Coventry to Birmingham, 17^ miles, in i hour 15 minutes.
This was " the " record which stands for the best time ever made, I believe, when coaching was at its zenith in England.
A curious error into which people generally have fallen is that of calling the four-in-hand coach a Tally-ho. Even the lexicographers have perpetuated it, and so I suppose it will stand, although it may be interesting to point it out. De Lancey Kane named the four-in-hand road coach which he drove between
George R. Fearing.
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Bryce Allan.
Harrison K. Caner.
Coaching
239
New York and Pelham, a quarter of a century ago, the Tally-ho. It was merely the name of the vehicle, given according to English usage to the coaches which rumbled over their highways, for convenience in advertising and in con- versation, the same as the name of a sea-going vessel. The word tally-ho originally related, we are told, to fox-hunting, being the early term for the cry of the hunter employed in stimulating his hounds. "Tantivy," another name of a coach, as pointed out by Mr. Fair- man Rogers, is also allied to hunting, having been associated distinctively with stag-hunting as expressive of the swift, sharp note of the hunting-horn. But the term now recognized as properly descriptive of a coach for private driv- ing is " drag."
The introduction of coaching into this country was practically contempo- raneous with its revival in England. The earliest American coaching club was the Four-in-hand Club, which in the latter part of the sixties drove annu- ally to Jerome Park to witness the races. A picture of this club hung for many years on the walls of the Jerome Park club-house. It had its own house, a pretty cottage (only recently demolished)
on Washington Heights, near Fort Washington depot, which was large enough for dinners and a dance. The late August Belmont was its president. Among his associates were Griswold G. Gray, George G. Haven, Leonard Jerome, James V. Parker, and William Cutting. The club had its own crest — a left hand with the reins of a four-in-hand adjusted for driving. Its members were genuinely interested in the improvement of the breed of coaching horses, and to their efforts may be traced the development of the animal hereabouts. The club is still alive, having been reorganized by Prescott Lawrence, Reginald W. Rives, and the writer. Its president is Colonel William Jay.
Following the Four-in-hand Club came the Coaching Club, which was organized in New York in 1875, largely through the efforts of Colonel William Jay and Mr. De Lancey A. Kane. Mr. Kane had already spent some time in working the road in England. The club was organized in 1875. The original members were James Gordon Bennett, Frederic Bronson, William P. Douglas,
F airman Rogers.
240
Coaching
^
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Leonard Jerome, William Jay, De Lancey Kane, Nicholson Kane, Thomas Newbold, and A. Thorndike Rice. Membership in the club was limited to twenty-five. The first officers were, President, William Jay ; Vice - President, De Lancey Kane ; Secretary and Treasurer, Frederic Bronson.
The first drive of the Coaching Club was from New York to Philadelphia and return in May, 1878. Eleven changes of horses were pro- vided and twelve hours were allowed for covering the distance of ninety-eight miles between New York and Philadelphia. Subsequent drives of the club have been to Babylon, Lenox, Mahwah, Newport, Oakdale, Hyde Park, N. Y., Green- field, Conn., Groton, Mass., Tuxedo, Hempstead, Shelbourne Falls, Vt., New Hamburgh, N. Y., Babylon, and Staatsburg. Some of these places have been visited
Robert L. Gerry.
more than once on the annual drives. From the organization of this club may be dated the beginning of coaching as a recognized sport in this country. This club has sixty members and forty-six drags. It main- tains the Pioneer coach, which makes the run of fifty-four miles daily between the Holland House, New York City, and Ardsley, and which has been kept on the road for three successive seasons. The committee having it in charge are Messrs. F. K. Sturgis and R. W. Rives.
Philadelphia followed New York with the Four -in -Hand Club, organized February 28, 1890, and still maintaining a healthy interest in the sport. Some of the members of the Coach- ing Club of New York introduced the sport in France, among them Messrs. James Gordon Ben- nett, Prescott Lawrence, Eugene Higgins, Regi- nald W. Rives, William Jay, De Lancey A. Kane,
Alfred G. Vanderbilt.
Coaching
241
William G. Tiffany, and Fairman Rogers. They organized the Reunion Road Club of Paris. The sport finds enthusiastic support in England on the Ranelagh
W. C. Gulliver.
De Lancey A. Kane.
and Hurlingham courses, the former an excellent course, so regarded by skilled coachmen. Only recently this season a dozen coaches were mustered at Rane- lagh, and the keenest rivalry was exhibited for the challenge cup. Hurlingham had its driving competition this season, in which none but ladies took part.
No sketch of the history of coaching in America would be complete without giving ample credit to the work done in behalf of this noble sport by Colonel William Jay. His associates were fully impressed with this fact when they united in giving expression to their appreciation, on the twentieth anni- versary of the Coaching Club, by presenting him with a handsome silver cup.
Oliver H. P. Belmont.
THE COACHING CLUB
President. — William Jay.
yUe- President. — Reginald VV. Rives.
Secretary and Treasurer. — William C. Gulliver.
Executive Committee. — Prescott Lawrence, .\lfred G. Vanderbilt, Robert L. Gerry.
Members. — Charles A. Baldwin, J. D. Roman Baldwin, August Belmont, Oliver H. P. Belmont, Perry Belmont, James Gordon Bennett, A. S. Bigelow, Neilson Brown, Alexander J. Cassatt, William P. Douglas, Tracy Dows, George P. Eustis, Frederick Gebhard, Robert Livingston Gerry, William C. Gulliver, Theodore A. Havemeyer, George Griswold Haven, George G. Haven, Jr., Eugene Higgins, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., C. Oliver Iselin, William Jav, DeLancey A. Kane, S. Nicholson Kane, Gus- tav E. Kissel, Prescott Lawrence, Richard McCreery, George von L. Meyer, Ogden Mills, Edwm D. Morgan, William Forbes Morgan, Edward Morrell, Richard Mortimer, Stanley Mortimer, George R. Read, Reginald W. Rives, J. Roosevelt Roosevelt, F. Augustus Schermerhorn, W. Watts Sherman, F. K. Sturgis, E. V. R. Thayer, Nathaniel Thayer, James J. Van Alen, Alfred G. Vanderbilt, William K. Vanderbilt, W. Seward Webb, George Peabody Wetmore, Harry Payne Whitney, William C. Whit- nev, VVilliam Woodward.
Honorary Member. — The Duke of Beaufort.
Deceased. — George A. Beck, August Belmont, Isaac Bell, Jr., H. R. A. Carey, Hugo O. Fritsch, Charles F. Havemeyer, Theodore A. Havemeyer, Leonard W. Jerome, C. H. Joy, N. Griswold Loril- lard, Isaac H. Reed, Francis R. Rives, Fairman Rogers.
Resigned. — F. O. Beach, Charles Carroll, George R. Fearing, Pierre Lorillard, Frederick Neilson,* Thomas Newbold, Harry Oelrichs, E. M. Padelford, James V. Parker, Perry Tiffany, A. Thorndike Rice,* Christopher R. Robert,* William R. Travers, Francis T. Underbill, Augustus Whiting.
FOUR-IN-HAND CLUB OF PHILADELPHIA
President. — Edward Morrell.
Vice-President. — Edward Browning.
Secretary. — Edward B. Smith.
Treasurer. — William L. Elkins, Jr.
Members. — J. C. Mercer Biddle, Edward Brooke, Neilson Brown, Edward Browning, Harrison K. Caner, A. J. Cassatt, B. Dawson Coleman, William E. Carter, A. J. Drexel, C. Davis English, William L. Elkins, Jr., Henry Fairfax, Samuel F. Houston, H. P. McKean, Jr., E. Rittenhouse Miller, Edward Morrell, J. Willis Martin, P. S. P. Randolph, Reginald Rives, Edward B. Smith, WiHiam Struthers, Barclay H. Warburton, I. G. Waterman, J. E. Widener, Samuel Megargee Wright.
Deceased. — John R. Fell.
Resigned.— G. W. C. Drexel.
* Deceased.
THE AUTOMOBILE AND AUTOMOBILING
ALBERT a BOSTWICK
THE AUTOMOBILE AND ITS RELATION TO GOOD ROADS
COL JOHN JACOB ASTOR
AUTOMOBILES & AUTOMOBILING
BY ALBERT C, BOSTWICK
O other form of mechanism has attracted the general attention and interest in this last five years like the self-propelling vehicle. In peace and in v^^ar it has been the subject of varied experimenta- tion. The highways of civilization buzz with the sound of its mechanism. Across the troubled veldts of South Africa it bears the supplies of war to the British soldiery, and in the recent French field manoeuvres it carried the staff officers of mimic warfare. Not only has every European nation its automobile clubs, but the movement has taken hold on the far corners of the earth. The Malay Transport Syndicate under- takes to carry the dark-skinned habitants of the Malay Peninsula in motor car- riages from village to village at a moderate charge, while the striped tiger slinks farther into his forest, terrified at the rush of a new invading force of civilization. Public opinion would probably hold that the automobile is the product of recent years. This is a mistake. It is a resurrection of recent years. Be- fore the nineteenth century was born the auto-carriage traversed American roads, and it had been preceded by the invention of Cugnot, a Frenchman, who in 1769 built and operated a self-propelling road vehicle. To Oliver Evans, of Pennsylvania, belongs the credit ot the first American automobile. In 1786 he petitioned the Legislature of that State for the exclusive right to use a steam-engine of his own invention for power in a flour-mill and a steam-carriage. That august body was graciously pleased to grant the flour-mill specification, but did not regard the steam-carriage as worth attention. Nevertheless Evans, a few years later, contrived for the Board of Health of Philadelphia a steam- dredge that was a sort of amphibious automobile contrivance, inasmuch as it travelled by its own power, on wheels, a considerable distance from the factory to the river, and there, being set in the water, paddled successfully away.
It was not until 1801 that the English went into the automobile business with any success. One Trevethick made several successful road trips in a steam- carriage of his own invention, in that year. From that time on to the middle of the century various ventures were made by Hancock, Gurney, Griffiths, Maceroni, and others, but without permanent success. Powerful opposition to the steam-motor developed among the country gentry ; and between high tolls.
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poor roads, and legislative obstacles the business of automobiling languished. Sometimes opposition took a very decided and practical form, as in the case of the automobile coach built by Scott Russell, designer and constructor of the Great Eastern, to run between Glasgow and Paisley. Several successful trips were made and the coach was in a fair way to a good patronage when some of
the country people evinced their disap- proval of this form of locomotion by placing a barrier of broken stone eigh- teen inches high in the roadway. Com- ing down a hill at high speed the coach struck this obstruction and was over- turned. The boiler burst, killing a dozen of the passengers, and automo- biling had received a blow from which it did not recover for long. There are old people in that part of the country who to-day call to mind as an argument against automobiles the fate of Scott Russell's steam-coach. From the mid- dle of the century on to the present re- naissance there was little done in Eng- land in the way of automobiling.
Returning to America, we find J. K. Fisher building at least one, and perhaps more that one, road locomotive in 1850. It does not appear that his contrivance was remarkably successful, though it made some trips at a fair rate of speed. About 1855 Robert Dud- geon built a steam auto-carriage which made trips on the level Long Island roads. Its wheels were of solid wood and it had an inclined cylinder. It is said that it was viewed with marked dislike by Dudgeon's horse-owning neighbors.
In the fall of 1900 the Dudgeon vehicle was found by a member of the Dudgeon family in a barn at Locust Valley, Long Island, where it had been harbored for nearly half a century. It was in fairly good condition and after a little furbishing was taken out on the road and ran successfully, to the unlimited amazement of the community, who hailed it as a "locomotive broke loose." At the present writing the intention is to run the old auto-car to this city for the Automobile Exhibition.
From 1855 to 1890 the automobile industry languished in this country, though there were some sporadic and ineffectual attempts to revive it. In 1890 a man named Roper built himself a steam-bicycle, for which he claimed that it
A. R. Shut tuck.
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would develop a high speed. On one of his early attempts it developed a speed so startlingly high that the unfortunate inventor died of heart disease within a few minutes after dismounting. Not long after this the modern automobile began to make its way into public favor in France, and several years later one of the French manufacturing firms, the Gardner-Serpollet Company, tried to introduce their product here, but without success. No other French company has up to the present time succeeded in getting a firm foothold here, though it seems likely that the De Dion & Bouton make may some day reach a high point of popu- larity. Some years ago the Daimler motor, which has been made the basis of the best French and German automo- biles, was introduced here, Daimler hav- ing sold the American rights of his patent to the Steinway Syndicate. It was intended for use in launches here. Barring unforeseen contingencies it might very likely have been established as an automobile motor in this country, but the Steinway Syndicate, shortly after the purchase, became involved in finan- cial difficulties, and before the automo- bile of the modern type was thought of here the syndicate ceased to push the new motor. I cannot find that it was ever applied to automobiling on this side of the ocean. Since then the Daimler pat- ents have been bought and applied to automobiles in almost every nation which has adopted this line of sport.
Of all the self-propelling carriages which have since filled the American mar- ket, the first to recommend itself prominently and practically to the public was the electric carriage made by the Pope Manufacturing Company. This machine was exhibited at a general electric exhibition held at Madison Square Garden in 1897 ^"'l attracted a great deal of attention. Its free and noiseless action and the ease with which it was controlled, as exhibited there, constituted strong bids for popularity, and for a time there was a lively sale of these automobiles, but the high price of $2,500 kept them from becoming popularized in a general way. At that time this country had not become familiar with the automobile style of locomotion, and $2,500 was a large sum to put into what was then re- garded as an experimental vehicle. Then, too, there are certain disadvantages
R. R. Conk/in.
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offsetting the noiseless movement and ease of control of the electric machine. The weight of the battery is far out of proportion to the power generated. A carriage which will go thirty miles at the rate often miles an hour on a single charge of electricity weighs one ton, whereas a gasoline automobile of the same
weight will travel twenty-five miles an hour indefinitely, allowing, of course, for the fill- ing of the tank, each replenishment meaning fuel for seventy-five to one hundred miles. Again, the electric battery is very expensive, besides being short lived and of so delicate a constitution that it is likely to become in- capacitated from slight causes, and requires the most delicate handling and care-nursing, one might almost say. Last year an electric automobile won a fifty-mile road race on Long Island, averaging twenty-five miles an hour ; time which, in view of the speed at- tained by the foreign machines in more re- cent races, must be regarded as slow. In doing this the machine used up its special racing batteries, known as pasted cells. They could never be charged again. This alone meant a cost of $400 to win that race. Later on the same machine started in the road race from New York to Philadelphia, having five sets of batteries stationed at equidistant points along the road; but there was trouble with the original set and the vehicle never got to the second battery. Had the machine finished this race it would have been at an outlay of §2,000 for batteries, as these special batteries are always used up in racing at high speed.
My own experience with the electric automobile began at the electrical exhibition mentioned above. I was so taken with the phaeton exhibited there that I got the expert in charge to take me out in it. It was a new and delight- ful experience for me ; the motion was unlike anything I had ever before ex- perienced. When the lever was pushed forward and the car started off, it was like floating away in a dream. In two weeks I had an electric automobile ot my own, and I could hardly wait for it to arrive. The experience of learning to operate it was more pleasant for me than for my instructor, I fancy. Before it was over and I had become able to paddle my own car, so to speak, he had
Alexander Winton.
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wrinkles in his forehead and a drawn expression about the eyes, which I attrib- ute to the fact that he never knew what kind of a vehicle we were going to collide with next under my dashing management. One of my little habits was to forget which way I should push the lever when we came up behind another wagon, and shove it forward, thereby turn- ing on more speed, instead of drawing it back. However, I got through without any serious accidents, not a little pleased with myself and my machine. After two months' use, my batteries, though under the care of an expert from the factory, gave out, to my great surprise and disgust. I discharged the expert and put in a new set of batteries, which, I am glad to say, are still in use.
As to the distance which can be covered on one charge, I found that fifteen miles at the rate of ten miles an hour was about all that could be expected of the machine. Once when the battery was new I did about twenty miles, but the last four miles was at a creeping pace. If the battery is pushed to anything like its limit it soon wears out and the distance that can be covered decreases every day. It is just like the human body. A man in fairly good condition can go out and walk ten miles a day indefinitely. That same man could walk forty miles in a day if he had to, but if he tried to do it many days
in succession he would soon break down and become unable to do any walk- ing at all. He would be drawing on his limited supply of vital energy. If the owner of an electric automobile will consider it from that point of view he will get more out of it than he will by running it recklessly. Fifteen miles a day is a good average for an electric machine.
Steam. — A year after my experiences with the electric vehicle I heard enthusiastic reports of a small steam-carriage made at Newton, Mass., by the Stan- ley Brothers, and, going there, was taken out in one of their runabouts. Here, again, I was delighted. The machine seemed to run as smoothly as theelectric machine, with practically the same ease of control, and to have an unlimited number of rates of speed within the maximum. Moreover, the car took the stiffest hills without apparent effort. I promptly set about learning how to run
A. L. Riker.
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this engaging form of auto-car, but to get one wasn't a matter of such promp- titude. To my disgust I found it would be several months before my order could be filled. With what patience I might I waited through those months only to be regretfully informed that two months more would be required to furnish me with a machine. Then I paid a premium and got one of the run- abouts without further delay. Mean- time I had had time to forget much of what I had learned about the conduct of the machine. The most important thing I had forgotten was the necessity of heating the torch in getting up steam. Any owner of one of these now well- known steam-carriages can surmise what happened. Opening the naphtha valve, I let the naphtha run into the fire-box and lighted it. Immediately it spit fire like a dragon, scorching all the paint off the back of my carriage and most of the skin off my fingers. After satis- fying myself that neither the carriage nor I had been put out of commission by the accident, I determined to run that car out of my stable under its own power before I took any other kind of an automobile ride ; so I telephoned to one of the firm of makers and got in- structions. It was late that night when I had found out what I wanted to know, but the next morning I was up at five o'clock and ready to start for my country place at Mamaroneck, a distance of twenty-five miles. I thought I would give myself plenty of time in case of mishaps. It was just as well that I did.
For fourteen miles the machine behaved perfectly. Then the steam began to go down, and presently I was at a stop in a spot that had no particular attractions for me. The reason wasn't far to seek ; we were out of naphtha. Several courses were now open to me. I could get out and push, a somewhat inglorious method of locomotion ; or I could search for someone whom I could hire to push, a highly uncertain procedure ; or I could industriously walk to some place where naphtha could be had, and bring back with me a supply of that needed motive power. This last I decided to do. There have been times when I enjoyed a mile walk more than I did the ramble to the nearest town ;
J. Dunbar Wright.
Albert C. Bostwick. Vice-President of the Automobile Club.
Eugene H. Lnv'ts.
milard P. Reid.
IVm. H. Hall.
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there are towns for which I have a higher regard than I have for that particular one. There didn't seem to be a person in the place who knew what naphtha was. The hrst individual to whom I applied for information as to where I could get some, reckoned that they kept " thet line o' goods " at the local dry- goods store, but presently came hastening after me to confess that what he was thinking of wasn't " napthy " after all, but linoleum ! Then I took a train for New Rochelle. There I got my sup- ply of naphtha, returned, fired up again, and was off. But my troubles were not yet over ; there seemed to be something wrong with the New Rochelle brand of naphtha; I might almost as well have got the linoleum. In a few minutes the machine began to exhibit the same pain- ful symptoms and presently subsided into a condition of coma. The naphtha had gone out. I lighted it, but it promptly went out again. Again I lighted it and repeated the performance for an hour or so. By this time it was dark and I had acquired a certain mental attitude toward the whole tribe of automobiles which I have since readjusted. Finally I gave up the trial, and, consigning the machine to a friendly barn — not to men- tion certain other places — I went home
in a train. To this day I don't know what was the matter unless it was the poor quality of the naphtha. In subsequent trips I encountered all the rest of the drawbacks to this kind of automobiling ; lost nuts and bolts and other es- sentials, burned out the boiler, set the car afire, scorched successive layers of cuticle from my hands and arms, and, in general, waged a losing fight against the perversity of inanimate nature as exemplified in that machine. Then fate delivered into my hands a man who could run any kind of a steam-machine that ever was invented — or thought he could — and to him I sold the vehicle. I believe he survived, though he never came back to tell me whether he had changed his ideas.
This may seem to make out a bad case for the steam-automobile, but each kind of machine has its drawbacks. I can frankly say that in my estimation there is no better power than steam for self-propelling carriages — in fact it is
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the ideal power for this kind of locomotion, for many reasons. Moreover, the present locomobile is a vast improvement upon the original machine in which I took my adventurous trip. Steam is sure ; it responds quickly. The grada- tions of speed of a steam machine are limited only by the delicacy of the touch on the throttle, whereas all the other forms of motive power have fixed rates
of speed which cannot be easily varied. It is not, however, successful in long runs. The necessity of priming the boiler and of keep- ing the gasoline for fuel under pressure are nuisances. Then the tank is likely to leak and the pump is prone to get out of order. There is too much to look after. One must keep an eye on the water-gauge, the steam- gauge, the air-pressure gauge, and the reg- ulating of the pump — four eyes in all, a larger complement than the average man possesses. My experience in operating a steam - carriage is that it demands more of the operator and is more wearing on his fac- ulties than any other form of automobile. For night work it is impracticable ; there is too much to be looked after. If any one of a number of small matters is left undone or goes awry of its own accord there is a variety of trouble. I have started out having forgotten to turn a water-cock and come to a stop five miles out in the country with all the water in the boiler gone to steam. Hobson's choice, get out and walk, was the order of the day. My boiler was ruined and I had to get a new one. More than once I have had the pressure that keeps the gas up fail me, and have gone along a road streaming fire rearward like a comet until some wondering small boy, amazed at the spectacle of a modern Elijah in his chariot of flame, warned me with a shout of, " Hey, Mister, you're all on fire ! " That is the result of the gasoline flowing into the fire-box upon loss of the pressure. If the flames aren't promptly quenched they reach the naphtha tank, and then you will need another automobile ; or perhaps there will be an explosion, with dire results. In trying to put out the flames you usually get burned more or less severely, but that is one of the incidental delights of the sport.
It does not seem to me that the steam-automobile can successfully compete with the gasoline machine until it discards the present means of firing, reduces
Dr. Truman J. Martin.
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the amount of water and gasoline it is now compelled to carry, and discards the shell boiler, which is a constant danger. Nevertheless steam promises to be, in its eventual development, the most practical and effective power for the automobile.
Gasoline. — At the present stage of development the gasoline automotor is the most practical, considered all in all. In lasting quality and cheapness of operation it surpasses all its rivals. On a sin- gle charge it can cover from seventy-five to one hundred miles, as against twenty - five miles for the steam or electric vehicle. It requires less care than any other vehicle and can stand more wear and tear. Its chief de- fects are the noise of the engine, the neces- sity of changing the gearing to attain differ- ent degrees of speed, and the motion, which is not as easy as that of an electric or steam automotor, particularly when at a low rate of speed. Some people have a prejudice against the gasoline automobile because of the odor, but this is a matter of getting a good mixt- ure and perfect combustion.
The best American machine up to the present time is, according to my views, the output of the Winton Motor Carriage Com- pany, a single-cylinder engine in an ordinary carriage developing about six to seven horse- power. My first carriage of this make was a one-cylinder engine rated as a six horse-power,
although I believe that, if I had tested it, it would not have shown a development of more than five horse-power. For general use I found it more practical than any other automobile I had owned, used, or seen. The inventor of this automo- bile and the head of the company that makes it is an example of the success that can be made in this line of manufacture. He is a Scotchman, and was an engineer up to the time when he came to this country and embarked in the bicycle business, in which he made quite a little fortune. Becoming imbued with the idea that a self-propelling vehicle built on the strong, light, and easy running order of the bicycle would catch the public, he made a study of the subject, and presently launched himself in the business of automobile manufact- ure. He was one of the first to foresee the popularity of this branch of sport.
Although this proceeding savored somewhat of speculation, considering the untried nature of the enterprise, as soon as he got fairly going Winton
Colonel Albert A. Pope.
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exhibited the conservatism and caution so characteristic of his canny race. He got out several patents and built up this business little by little until it reached its present state. One effect of his conservatism was to preserve him against adopting recklessly new designs or alleged improvements which had no basis in real worth. When the international automobile race for the Bennett Challenge
Cup was arranged in France the Winton machine was the first American repre- sentative chosen for the competition. Winton himself took one of his auto- mobiles over, and himself ran it in the race, but unfortunately came to disaster. I was on the road in one of my cars a short distance behind him during the race, and it seemed to me that he rather lost his head at seeing the French car- riages draw up and pass him. Up to that time he had been doing well, but he then lost control of his machine and dove into the bank at one side of the road. He immediately got back to the roadway, but his axle was sprung, turn- ing one of his wheels part way over. Notwithstanding this handicap he pluck- ily kept on until, ten miles farther on, the tire of the affected wheel came off" and he was forced to drop out. As to the gasoline automotor in general, I have discarded all other forms in favor of it. The cost of the American machines is high — from Si,ooo to $1,500 — and this may keep them from coming into as general use as some of the smaller and less expensive vehicles. It is my opinion that the small voiturette, which is a light and comparatively inexpensive gasoline machine of French make, will become the most popular form of any. It has the cardinal virtue of being very easy to control. Many of these machines have been imported here, and are already striding into popularity. All around Paris and the vicinity these little vehicles hum like swarms of bees.
Construction. — In considering the important question of construction and the various parts of the automobile, I wish to say a word as to the basis for my estimates; to qualify, as it were, as an expert witness. Most of the American makes of automobile I have owned and run, and many of them I have studied in process of construction. Of the foreign machines I have owned a number. Moreover, I have studied two months in the garage of the famous
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Charron in Paris, doing a mechanic's work in his factories for the opportunity it gave me to familiarize myself thoroughly with the automobile as made there. I am bound to say that the foreign makers of automobiles are years in advance of us in most important particulars. In fact, it would be difficult to name a single detail in which the American makes excel. Generally speaking, the gas- oline machines are regarded abroad as the best type. One of the most impor- tant questions that the builders have to consider is that of the tire. In this coun- try the single-tube tire has been univer- sally adopted ; whereas the foreign cus- tom holds to the double tube. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. As to which is the more liable to puncture, opinions are divided without much hope of agreement. The single-tube tire is thicker and, one would suppose, has therefore greater power of resistance; but, once punctured, it is not readily re- paired, as the great pressure upon it is likely to split wide open the hole that has been plugged. The other style of tire has a heavy outer tube and a thin inner tube. In case of puncture the in- ner tube is taken out and a new one
inserted. The lightness of the inner tube renders it possible to take along a number of extras, an advantage not possible with the single-tube tire on ac- count of its weight and cumbrousness. Again, the single tube is so bolted to the rim of the wheel as to be very difficult to remove. Overheating of the tire is a mishap to the prevention of which much ingenuity has been expended without any satisfactory result. When going at high speed the tire often be- comes so heated as to expand the air to a point where it bursts the tire. This is not only decidedly disheartening and discomforting to the rider, but is danger- ous, as the sudden let-down is likely to result in an overturn. After going over cobble-stones I have found my tire so hot that I burned my hand in touching it. Experiments have been made with solid tires, but in travel over ordinary roads the jolting knocks the machine all to pieces, not to mention the effect upon the nerves and the bony structure of the rider. Many iron-clad and metal- rimmed tires have been tried, and some have been widely exploited. They have proved to be freaks and are impracticable.
Edwin W. Adams.
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Steering. — In France all the auto-carriages at first were steered by the lever, a method known popularly as stick-steering. When high speeds were developed, however, a serious defect in this style of directing became apparent. The lever was altogether too sensitive to shock. A sudden jolt from stone or
rut was likely to jerk it from the hand. In several cases this mishap was attended with the direst results. To travel at any considerable speed with reasonable safety meant hanging to the lever with an unflagging grip every moment. This was a source of great discomfort and took half the pleasure out of the sport. After several fatal accidents resulting from loss of control of the lever, this method of steering became very un- popular. Several other methods were tried, but the one which commended itself most favorably to the automobil- ing public was the wheel with worm steering-gear which is now practically universal in France. No matter how severe the shock received from rock, rut, or other obstruction, it is not com- municated to the hand in the slightest degree in this method of control. Moreover, the danger from swerving, which is very great when a high degree of speed is attained, is done away with by the use of the worm steering-gear, and it does not demand from the operator the constant strain which is necessary when the stick steering-gear is used. In this country automobilists still cling to the antiquated method of lever -steering. Many accidents, only a small part of which get into the newspapers, have been the result. That there have not been as many as there were in France before the adoption of the new method is due to the fact that there is no fast running in this country, practically speaking, as compared to that done in France.
Placing of the Motor. — One of the most important considerations, in the matter of convenience, running ability, and safety, is the situation of the motor. Here, again, the French method is greatly superior to ours. The French makers place the motor over the front axle, having found by experimentation that this position gives the best results. Thus free access is allowed to the engine and less room is occupied than when the motor is placed under the seat. The gearing for the different speeds is then disposed under the
Charles R. Flint.
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floor behind the engine, leaving the whole back of the machine free, so that any style, whether spider phaeton, brougham, or other form of body, may be put on. The engine's weight is a very considerable part of the total weight of the vehicle. Placed over the front axle, it is in the best position to secure steadi- ness and to act in a way as ballast. In this country we place the motor in the back of the vehicle — why, I don't know, nor do I believe that anybody else knows. It is another of the mysteries of American automobile -building. In one of our machines a swift and sharp turn whips the main weight, which is over the rear axle, around in the most dangerous way, so that the wheels are likely to slip and the whole vehicle go over.
The Chain. — Here we connect the driving-chain with the middle of the hind axle, a method which necessi- tates a split axle. In France they use a countershaft with a sprocket on each end, these sprockets being connected by chains with sprockets on each hind wheel, thereby permitting the use of a
solid axle as in an ordinary carriage and adding to the strength of construction. The French method of hanging the body of the vehicle on the springs is superior to ours as giving more points of contact and thereby distributing the weight.
Lubrication. — Lubrication by the French method is mostly automatic. There is one central point feeding to all the different points of the engine. Grease-cups are used in many places in preference to oil. When a part becomes overheated the grease melts, flows in, lubricates, and thereby puts an end to the friction which caused the heat. That is, wherever lubrication is most needed it is supplied by a process which is practically automatic. In the French machines when the automobile stops, the oil-feeding stops, and there is no waste during halts. In an American machine oil-cups are used generally. Hence if you stop for any purpose, your cups keep right on unremittingly supplying oil where it is not needed, and your good lubricating material besprinkles the wayside grass. Incidentally this doesn't do the grass a bit of good.
The Automobile as a Racing Machine. — Racing automobiles are all specially made. They are of very high power, extreme lightness, and constructed
Charles R. Otis.
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of the finest materials. Of course they are correspondingly expensive, but they are essential if one is going to do any kind of racing. To race in an ordinary road machine is simply to tempt fate and the undertaker. An auto-car in which one trusts himself at continued high speeds should be able to withstand terrific
strain and the severest and suddenest of shocks. Even then automobile - racing is by no means a safe sport ; there is a decided element of risk in it always, largely due to the inevitable uncertainties of roadway travel. Over here various kinds of power are used in racing, but in France all the racing machines are of the gasoline type, and the records made there are better than our American rec- ords. Among the best - known makers of large cars in France are Panhard & Levasseur, Mars, and Peugeot. Of the smaller cars the best-known makes are those of De Dion & Bouton, Clement, Renault, and Peugeot. The French rac- ing machines make forty or forty-five miles an hour and keep it up for some time. That is not on a carefully pre- pared track either, but on a regular turn- pike with its ups and downs. This means, of course, that at times the speed of the car may go as high as sixty miles an hour or thereabouts. For long dis- tances naturally the rate is not nearly so high. The best record thus far is eight hundred and ninety-six in 26^ hours, made in a French machine driven by gasoline. In this country such a record would be impossible in road travel, as we have no such stretches of road as they have in France.
Almost any sort of apparel will do for ordinary travel in an automobile, but for racing one must be specially arrayed. The dress is not ornamental but it is effective. A long leather coat with very steadfast buttons and tight leather trousers make up the major portion of it. Boots into which the trousers can be tucked are usually worn. A leather cap with a visor protects the head, and over the face is worn a mask with glass eye-holes. Thus arrayed the automo- bilist looks like a diver or a demon or a goblin, or whatever you please; at any rate he is not an object to inspire confidence at first sight, and the country chil- dren in France used to fiee with howls of terror or cower by the roadside in the depths of dismay upon the appearance of one of these apparitions. Even
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the older peasants at first exhibited signs of panic, but now everyone for leagues around Paris has become used to the cars and their strangely clad drivers.
Primarily this dress serves to keep out the dust, which, when one is travel- ling at forty miles an hour, goes through the ordinary clothing of civilization as if it were of mosquito-netting, and embeds itself in the skin to such an ex- tent that one can hardly get clean again without almost skinning himself. Then, too, insects are to be considered. To meet a beetle when you are proceeding at the rate of nearly a mile a minute is doubtless bad for the beetle, but you don't consider that fact as mitigating your own feelings when you regard the bump or raw spot which you discover upon removing the remains from your unprotected features. Worse still if it chances to be a bee that you encounter. I know a man who " met up " with what could just be identified as a hornet af- ter the accident while indulging in a brush on the road with a fellow-chauf- feur, and that man didn't have any left eye to speak of for two weeks after the chance meeting. With a leather outfit one is well protected against such mis- haps as this. But if collisions with insects are inevitable, it might at least be expected of dogs that they would keep out of the way of the speeding automo- biles. They don't in France. French dogs are the most peculiar acting animals I have ever encountered anywhere. They are blase beyond description, too blase to move when they see anything coming. Moreover, they own the roads, or at least so they conceive. If they don't happen to be asleep in the middle of the way, as they usually are, they rush madly out open-mouthed to challenge the jncoming vehicle. Invariably they get directly in the path of destruction. When they realize their peril, if they realize it at all (which I doubt, as they seem to go on the principle that everything must turn out for them), it is too late. No French chauffeur in the least minds running over a dog. When I first went to France and took up speeding on their splendid roads I had humanita- rian principles in regard to live-stock ; after a time I learned not to turn out for anything less than a cow, and then only from motives of self-preservation. I used to dodge dogs and even chickens. It is a highly dangerous practice. Sud-
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den turns are very likely to throw the vehicle off its balance and overturn it, and nothing short of the suddenest kind of a sudden turn will save a French dog once he has resolved to stop an automobile. My mechanic who always went along with me in races cured me of the dodging habit. One day in trying to avoid a dog whom I encountered in a road race I swerved so sharply that we
slid along on a wheel and a half for a ~ longer time than I care to remember,
while I held my breath industriously and the faithful mechanic stiffened out like a rod in an effort to make himself heavy on the upper side of the careening ma- / I^UBS ^^ L chine. When we came to the finish of
the race he emerged from his mask very white and hollow-eyed.
" Pardon, Monsieur," he began, and paused in some embarrassment.
" Well, go on. What is it ? " I said, encouragingly. ," " If Monsieur would kindly kill the
next dog."
" Kill the next dog ? " I repeated, somewhat at a loss.
" Yes, Monsieur. To dodge it is to do once, twice, perhaps a third time.
But the next time " He made an
eloquent gesture, shrugged his shoulders, and concluded, " I have a wife and three children."
It was enough. In the next race I ran over three dogs and uncounted poultry. It is better, as my mechanic implied in his little plea, to destroy many animals than to figure in the mortuary records of automobiling. The destruc- tion of animals, by the way, furnishes another reason for the wearing of a leathern uniform when travelling at high speed. When struck, the animal is apt to scatter very unpleasantly. Not to go into too detailed description, I have seen a racing car come in from a long contest fairly plastered with feathers.
There is a special insurance company in Paris for the automobiling public. It insures the chauffeur not only against accident to his own life and limb, but to the lives and limbs of such persons as may be so ill-advised as to get in the way of his machine. If you break an arm or leg while riding in your automo- bile you get so much from the company ; if a neck, your heirs are the benefi- ciaries. Should the arm, leg, or neck pertain to some unfortunate wayfarer, you
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don't reap any of the benefits, except in a negative sense. That works in this way: If the injured person sues, or if the family of the deceased demand dam- ages, the insurance company assumes all responsibility in respect to a civil action, and settles up the case. Criminal action, of course, cannot be insured against, but criminal action in France brought against a man in a vehicle for damage to a man on foot is not likely to amount to much, whether the vehicle be an auto- mobile or a garbage cart. This insurance company charges rates that would make our American companies turn green with envy. Automobile accidents are very common in and around Paris, and a great many of them result fatally. This is because the average speed is high. Of course, there are regulations restricting speeding, and in the case of the formal races these regulations are formally sus- pended and the roads patrolled. But it is my observation that the rules are not much regarded, anyway. The little voi- turettes and tricycles, which constitute sixty-five per cent, of all the automobiles in France, dart around the French capital at a perilous rate of speed, and the pedes- trian keeps his head only by lightness of
foot when he crosses a popular roadway. First in note of the recent foreign automobile road races is the so-called "International Cup Race," instituted by James Gordon Bennett and run from Ville d'Avray to Lyons last summer. In- ternational the race was not, except in a very limited sense, as only the United States, Belgium, and France were represented. Great Britain, Austria, and Italy, which were expected to send representatives, did not make any entries, and the German representative, after protesting in vain that time was not given him to get his tires ready, withdrew. His protest against the scant time allowed was supported by the Belgian contestant, who, however, ran in the race, though he could not get in readiness the machine which he had especially constructed for the event. The entries were M. Rene de KnyfF, France; M. Jenatzy, Belgium; Mr. Alexander Winton, United States; M. Ferdinand Charron, France, and M. Girardot, France. The distance was five hundred and sixty-six kilometres, or about three hundred and fifty-one miles.
All the contestants started in good order, but shortly after the start the
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aftair began to assume the aspect of a chapter of accidents. Mr. Winton was the first victim. As stated before, he ran into a roadside baiik and bent his axle. This was near Chateaudun, when about seventy miles of the race had been run. At about the same time M. de KnyfF was seen to be out of the run- ning, he having stripped the teeth on his fourth speed, though he did not formally withdraw until atter reaching Gien, nearly seventy miles farther. Three minutes after his arrival at Orleans, the principal station next before Gien, M. fenatzy had limped in with his tires punctured in several places. These mis- haps were such as are to be expected in any race, but the accident that put M. Girardot practically out of the running for first place was more in the nature of bad luck, just as he was leaving Or- leans, seven minutes in advance of his nearest competitor, M. Charron, a horse took offence at his mode of locomotion, and, getting beyond the driver's control, stood upon his hind feet directly in the middle of the roadway. Turning sharply to avoid disaster, M. Girardot ran into the curb, breaking a wheel. The next hour he spent in a wayside smithy undergoing repairs, after which he pluckily took up the race, though his speed was sensibly diminished. M. Jenatzy, who had attempted to keep up the fight notwithstanding his wrecked condition, burst both front tires a short way out from Orleans and was definitely out of it. Only two of the contestants succeeded in making half the required distance of three hun- dred and eighteen miles ; and they were the two that finished. M. Charron won in nine hours nine and a half minutes, with M. Girardot second in ten hours thirty and a half minutes. Not even the winner escaped scatheless, his axle having been somewhat bent in taking a gutter just before reaching Orleans, and his pump having been broken by running over the ever-present dog seven miles from the goal. The average speed of the winner was 38.4 miles an hour. From the large number of accidents in this race it is evident that much greater care in construction is needed. The margin of stability must be in- creased and parts should be made stronger, even though lightness be sacri- ficed. Duplicate parts, too, should be carried so far as it is possible. This
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race demonstrated that automobile travel at express speed cannot be expected to rival railroad travel under present conditions. To be sure the express-train rate of speed between Paris and Lyons was exceeded in this race, but no pas- senger wants to travel by a method which involves accident in one hundred per cent, of the cases, and failure to finish in sixty per cent. That was the result in the International Cup Race. The superiority of the French machine in speed and strength was plainly evidenced in this contest.
Road racing has not yet become by any means so common in this country as abroad, but enough has been done here to bring out many points of interest and value. One is that the character of our roads must be improved or our machines more stoutly built before racing can be carried on with a prospect of a good number of vehicles reaching the finish, if the contest is for a considerable length. This was shown in the New York-Phila- delphia Road Race, where the break- downs were many. A gasoline machine won this race. The strong head-wind spoiled the steam machine's chances by
blowing out the fires, and the supposedly fastest electric automobile broke down in the first stage, as noted elsewhere. However, the race showed, what many people had doubted, that auto-cars could successfully make long runs. At the recent races at Aquidneck Park, Newport, the conditions were unfortunate, not- withstanding which Mr. W. K. Vanderbilt, Jr., established a new five-mile record for America, running on a half-mile track. His car was the German Daimler. A little later the Guttenberg races were run on the one-mile trotting track. The track was in fine condition, but the turns were sharp and dangerous. I won the five-mile race in my twenty-four horse-power Panhard, beating my only com- petitor, David Wolfe Bishop, who ran a twelve horse-power Panhard, by about half a mile. This race established a new five-mile American record, Mr. Vanderbilt's record of eight minutes and fifty-three seconds being lowered to seven minutes and forty-two seconds. His race, however, was on a half-mile track, which is something of a disadvantage. In the open championship ten- mile race at Guttenberg there were four entries. The steam machine got off
George F. Chamberlin.
266 Automobiles (S Automobiling
first, but after a couple of revolutions broke its chain. Next came the electric car, which broke down after going a mile. Mr. Bishop's car and mine were the only ones to finish, my car coming in about seven-eighths of a mile in front, establishing a new American ten-mile record of fifteen minutes and ten seconds. The best mile was done in one minute twenty-seven and three-fifth seconds, or at the rate of forty-one miles an hour. Full speed at any time was imprac- ticable because of the sharpness of the turns.
At the Trenton races in the following week I did not use my French ma- chine, but raced in a VVinton. The track, which was a half-mile course, was in even better condition than the Guttenberg track ; the turns were not so sharp and a three-foot banking at the curves obviated much of the danger. In the five-mile race a steam-carriage of very complicated design and run at a very high pressure won by a few seconds, my car being second. In the ten-mile race the result was about the same.
Road Racing vs. Small Tracks. — Road racing is without doubt the strongest influence for the practical development of the automobile. Our roads here, as I have said, are not so well suited to racing as are the French roads. They are more uneven and are not as well kept. Nevertheless American cars have got to travel on American roads, and the only way to develop a machine that is fit to cope with conditions here is to find out the weaknesses of our pres- ent machines by actual trial. The best form of trial is by competition over representative roads. Long Island furnishes perhaps the easiest roading for autos for any long stretch, but for the very reason of its flatness it is not fairly representative of American turnpikes. The road race on the Merrick Road was successful in so far as it went, but it brought out a limited class of machines and did not constitute a trial under a sufficient variety of conditions.
Road racing should be divided into classes, for horse-power and type. Thus far road racing has done more good for automobiling than any other agency. It has shown the facts that would never appear in theoretical treatises, and it has brought out the weak points that only a hard race can bring out. There has been a great deal of opposition in this country to road racing because of the high speeds developed, and some adverse legislation has developed from this opposition. In my opinion this feeling will persist for a number of years and still further restrictions may be thrown around the sport. But I trust that in the end, when the matter is more thoroughly and generally understood, these vexatious ordinances will be revoked and the automobile will have at least as many rights as the horse, who still regards it with unfeigned alarm and ineradi- cable enmity.
At the present time a number of State fairs are making automobile races one of their features. The races will be run mostly on half-mile tracks. This,
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I believe, will eventually do the automobile more harm than good in the public estimation. It gives the public a false idea as to the properties and potentialities of the automobile, and to befool the public in respect to an object of public use never pays in the long run. Track racing can never show up the weak points of the machines. They race un- der ideal conditions and for short dis- tances. The roadway is specially and carefully prepared ; there are no devious turns or unsuspected irregularities to try the nerve of the driver and the stability of his machine, and the way is kept free of the ill-fated dog and the panic-stricken and panic-inspiring horse. The applaud- ing populace sees the machine sweeping gracefully and evenly onward, and con- cludes that all automobiling is like this ; as easy as riding a bicycle and without the necessary exertion of that universal sport. But it is the changing of speed, the varying conditions of the open road, and the machine's endurance on long trial that are the true tests, and of these the admiring populace from its grand- stand sees nothing in a track race. The manufacturer who turns out a light racing-machine that is successful in track work, and advertises what it has accom- plished, and sells his output on that basis, will have many disappointed customers who will want to know things that it will embarrass him to tell them, princi- pally why their cars cannot do in everyday use what the show machine has done so beautifully on the smooth track.
Automobile organizations existed in half a dozen countries of Europe when, in May, 1899, a number of devotees of the sport set about bringing to pass an American automobile association which should include all persons of suitable character who were personally interested in the advancement of automobiling. To this end a circular was published abroad through the medium of the news- papers, signed by George F. Chamberlin and Whitney Lyon. It set forth the advantages of a permanent organization and " the need of a common centre where owners of self-propelling vehicles may meet, exchange views, relate expe- riences, and advance the automobile sport in the United States." Responses
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were many and prompt, and less than a fortnight later a meeting was held in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City, at which the Automobile Club of America was formally organized. On August i6th of that year the club was incorporated with one hundred charter members, including many of the most prominent men of New York. Two months later the first election was held and the following officers chosen : President, General Avery D.Andrews; Vice-Pres- ident, George F. Chamberlin ; Secretary, Captain Homer W. Hedge ; Treasurer, Walter E. Frew; Directors, V. Everitt Macy, Dr. F. C. Hollister, Winslow E. Buzby, Whitney Lyon, William H. Hall, and General George Moore Smith. Pleasant quarters were secured at the Waldorf-Astoria, where the club has since had its rooms. The objects of the organization, besides that of bringing together followers of the sport, are to secure proper regulations for the use of automobiles in city and country, obtain, if possible, favorable national legislation on the sub- ject, arrange contests and races, promote the good-roads movement, entertain automobiling visitors from European organizations, act as the American repre- sentative of the sport, and in general promote and advance in every possible way the proper use of automobiles in this country.
The club's library includes practically every treatise and article on the subject of automobiling that has been published in the English language, as well as many in other languages, and is the most complete library on the subject in the country.
A month before the incorporation of the new club the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland formally recognized the American organization, exchanged courtesies, and immediately upon the incorporation entered into re- ciprocal relations with it. Shortly afterward the Automobile-Club de France, which is the original organization devoted to the sport, and is the most promi- nent and conservative automobile organization in existence, similarly recognized the American association. Thus the American club is constituted the repre- sentative in this country of the two leading foreign clubs. Every proposition made by any individual in this country to these foreign clubs must be made through the Automobile Club of America; otherwise it will not be recognized. All foreign challenges to automobilists in this country come through the medium of the foreign clubs to the American organization.
Locally the club has been highly successful from the start. Its first parade, on November 4, 1899, brought out about forty vehicles, and was witnessed by large crowds all along the route. Thereafter auto-carriages were much more frequently seen upon the streets than before. Certain officials, however, looked upon them askance, and the Park Commissioners of the Borough of Manhattan put them under the ban. Two of the club members who undertook to ride in Central Park were promptly arrested at the instance of a Commissioner and
Automobiles iS Automobiling
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taken to the magistrate's court, where the complainant was invited to specify what law they had violated. As he could not do so they were immediately dis- charged. Then the Park Commission passed regulations prohibiting automo- biles from entering Central Park except by virtue of a special permit. In the other boroughs of New York there was no such difficulty. Lectures and discus- sions are held in the club-rooms at in- tervals. At the present writing the club is arranging for an automobile exhibition at Madison Square Garden, which, it is confidently predicted, will surpass any- thing of the kind in the history of the sport. From time to time club tours are mapped out and taken by numbers of the members, some of the enthusiasts venturing undismayed in the teeth of winter gales.
The French Club. — As there are more people in France interested in the subject of automobiles than in any other country, it is but natural that France should have the largest and most impor- tant automobile club. From its incep- tion the Automobile-Club de France has been an institution of the greatest promi- nence in Paris. Its rooms in the Place de la Concorde are very handsome, and its
membership of three thousand includes most of the men of social status in the French capital. In fact, the critics of the organization attack it on the ground that it makes social position its chief consideration, instead of the welfare of the sport, and that it is trying to rival the ultra-swagger Jockey Club in exclusiveness and tone. Among many of the members there grew up a feeling that more atten- tion should be paid to racing and other forms of developing the mechanical and practical side of the sport. When, at one of the meetings it was announced that only about one-seventieth of the yearly budget would be devoted to racing matters, there was a revolt. This quickly crystallized into a secession, many of the mem- bers resigning to form the Moto-Club, which is already a powerful organization. This is professedly democratic in character and constitutes as its chief require- ment for membership that the candidate shall be actually interested in automo- biling. It is conducted unpretentiously, and among the members of the older
Dave H. Morris.
2 JO Automobiles (S Automobiling
organization is jokingly known as " 1' Automobile-Club des Pauvres." Many members of the original club, however, have joined the new without resigning from the old, and it is likely that, whereas it at first appeared that the two or- ganizations would be on a footing of bitter rivalry, they will eventually come to work side by side for the advancement of the cause which is the raison d'etre of both. The Moto-Club devotes a great part of its attention to racing matters and exhibits, offering handsome prizes for contests. It also looks out for the interests of its members, particularly in a legal sense, providing counsel for their defence when arrested for violation of road regulations or for accidents to pedes- trians or to other vehicles. As at present constituted, one of these clubs is the complement of the other. There is room for both to exist and do good work in Paris.
Social Aspects. — Socially the automobile has been made much of in this country. Besides the runs of the Automobile Club, which partook of the nature of social events, there have been a number of fetes with the auto-car as the cen- tral figure. Of these, the most notable is the great automobile fete at Newport in September, 1899. Many ot the leading families in the famous summer-resort were represented and the affair was one of the great events of the season. Never before or since, probably, has the automobile been so bespangled and decorated. Field and garden were ransacked for floral decorations to make of the vehicles moving bowers of fragrance and color. One machine was preceded by a huge butterfly, which, with outstretched wings, seemed to be drawing the carriage be- hind it in its airy flight. Over others hovered gulls and other birds. More than a score of entries competed for the prize ofl^ered for the most artistic and beautiful turn-out. This went to Mrs. Herman Oelrichs, who drove a car dec- orated with white and pink hydrangeas beneath crossed arches of field daisies, and, above, twelve white doves on yellow ribbons, with streamers of pink and white satin. Other competitors whose exhibits attracted much notice were Mr. and Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont, W. K. Vanderbilt, Jr., Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish, Miss Daisy Post, and Miss Greta Pomeroy. Of course the fete brought out no new points in automobiling ; that was not its object. It was of value to the sport, however, in arousing interest among the class whose interest, backed by their wealth, may do much for the development of the automobile movement.
Prejudices against Autos. — That prejudices do exist among a very large proportion of the public in respect to the automobile, is undeniable. Nor can I see that the feeling is diminishing. The noise and odor are against the ma- chine. Owners of horses fear and dislike it. In this connection I want to say that many of the accidents arising from horses being frightened are directly traceable to poor judgment on the part of the driver. I have seen drivers staring open-mouthed at an approaching automobile and leaving the reins slack while
Automobile i (S Automobiling
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the horse was becoming nervous. Then, when the animal started to bolt, they had, of coarse, no control over him. Nevertheless, after the smash-up they would invariably emit a shriek of protest against the whole tribe of self-propell- ing vehicles. Farmers, as a rule, are not inimical to the horseless vehicle ; they do not care one way or the other. If any- thing, they rather like to see the car go whizzing by. It is in the vicinity of the cities and large towns that most of the prejudice is encountered. In time, as the use of the automobile becomes more com- mon and wide-spread, I believe this antip- athy will pass gradually away. The same antipathy, it must be remembered, was felt against the locomotive and the steamboat.
In conclusion, it has been suggested that I mention some points gathered in my experience as a worker on and an owner and operator of automobiles, for the guid- ance of the inexperienced automobilist and of him who contemplates becoming an automobilist. My first word is to the lat- ter. It is Punch's advice again — within limitations. Don't, unless you feel that you can spend time and trouble, as well as money on the sport. Don't buy an auto- mobile with the idea that it will take care of itself. It won't. Constant care is nec- essary if you are to get any satisfactory results, erate means, deceive yourself into believing that an automobile is as easy and cheap to keep as a horse, and that you will get as much service out of it. The man who has just about enough income to permit ot his keeping a horse without straining his resources, and who gives up the animal in order to get an automobile, is making a mistake. Until he has thoroughly mastered his ma- chine he will have bills for repairs that will rack him with dismay, and even after he has pretty well learned his new pet, the bill at the month's end will every now and then fall on him with a dismal thud. Then, to operate a car with any degree of comfort one should have a mechanic. Now this may strike some people like saying that a man can't live without a valet. That is because they do not know anything about automobiles. In the first place, the machine ought to be thoroughly cleaned every time it comes in from a run;
7. M. Ceballos. Don't, if you are a man of mod-
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How is a business or professional man going to find time to do that ? When you first get your machine it is great fun to tinker with it and correct its little eccentricities. But after a time this gets decidedly tiresome, and the chances are that the man who has not a mechanic will soon sell his machine because he
will find he has not time to keep it in con- dition. At present the American automo- bile is suited only to the man who can afford to spend time and money on it. As a source of pleasure it is not likely to take the place of the horse with the general public of the fairly prosperous classes.
Now, to pass on to the man who has just bought his automobile and is contem- plating it with a mixture of pride, delight, and uncertainty as to the exact nature of the beast. Probably some time will have elapsed before he will have found out this last. As with most practical matters that one has to learn, actual personal experience is the only efficient teacher. In some re- spects, however, a vicarious experience may stand the beginner in good stead. The fol- lowing simple bits of advice will, I believe, be approved by every experienced automo- bilist. In learning, sit in the driver's place and have your instructor beside you to tell you all about the running of the machine. Learn it all, down to the smallest detail. After you think you have learned it all make up your mind that you have not. Get a master of the particular kind of machine you have, to put you through a rigid examination, and you will find out how much there is that you do not know and that you ought to know. Study the engine thoroughly. That is the important thing. Find out not only what effect every manipulation of the levers or gauges or cocks has, but why it has that effect. That will take time unless you chance to be a practical machinist, but it will pay.
When you come to practise, do not begin in the city. There are too many objects, animate and inanimate, to run into. Start in in the seclusion of some country road, the more remote from the centres of traffic the better. After you have come to do pretty well in that environment, tackle a village. This is not as tame as it sounds. The agile and eccentric village nag will give you plenty of
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experience in coping with the unexpected. When you have familiarized your- self with the gutters of the countryside and have been chased by obstreperous steeds up on village sidewalks, yourself pursuing terror-stricken residents into the refuge of the nearest stores, and have reached the point where you can endure all these exigencies with an unruffled mind, you may venture upon the city thor- oughfare (having previously, in case you are operating a steam machine, passed the re- quired examination and secured a license wherewith to satisfy inquiring policemen), where the ponderous truck will conspire with others of its kind to pocket and crush you, and the predatory butcher-cart will swoop down upon you from unexpected quarters, and every time you turn a corner the ubiquitous bicycle will swerve from out beneath your very wheels with the blood- curdling shriek of the rider running the gamut of your nerves. When you can suc- cessfully thread Fifth Avenue at three o'clock in the afternoon you have passed your apprenticeship and can take care of yourself in ordinary circumstances. One of the features of automobiling is, how- ever, the astonishing prevalence of extra- ordinary circumstances. These are chiefly related to breakage or other wear and tear.
More things happen to an auto-car than to a cat, and it has not the feline nine lives. In fact it is one of the most delicate creatures in the world, and needs constant coddling. This brings me to my next point — always take along extra parts. Go on the principle that something is going to happen to your machine before you get back. This saves long homeward walks from out-of- the-way localities. Never start on a trip of any length without carefully over- hauling your machine and seeing that it is in perfect condition throughout. Above all, never get rattled ; that is the fatal error. Do not be too eager to get out of the way. I have known an automobilist try to hurdle a fence in order to avoid running down a hen. This sort of thing does not pay. Con- sider your machine as an individual. Automobiles have their own peculiar individual characteristics, just as locomotives have. They have their off-days, too. Do not think because your machine does not run well on some particular
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occasion, or seems to move without any spring or life, that it is played out. Strive to learn its peculiarities ; that is the only way to get the best work out of it. The other thousand and one things that one comes to know can be acquired only by experience, often costly experience.
Many persons have asked me my views on the future of the automobile ; whether I think it is coming to be the universal vehicle in this country. I should like to say yes; I do not say no. But at the present outlook I cannot see any immediate probability. Far-reaching improvements must be made be- fore the automobile shall have become a practical vehicle for the general riding public. To-day its cost is too great; not only the cost of the machine itself, but the cost of its maintenance and operation. No motive power has been found that is not without important, if not vital, disadvantages. Stability and speed have not been successfully combined. There is no automobile on the American market that is even reasonably reliable for general roading. What I mean by this statement is that one cannot find a machine in which he can set out for a twenty-five- or fifty-mile ride over ordinary roads with a fair certainty that he will reach his destination on time and in good condition. Danger is always present in a greater or less degree ; not the danger of railroading, for instance, which has been reduced to a minimum by every possible safeguard, but an ap- preciable percentage of danger. Leaving out of consideration the chances of something going wrong with the motor, there is always the greater peril conse- quent upon some possible unsuspected weakness of construction, or the unavoid- able bursting or puncture of tires. The breaking of an axle at high speed, or the bursting of a tire, which may then wrap up into the wheel, overthrowing the entire vehicle, is likely to mean at the best broken limbs, and at the worst loss of life. Weather must be considered, too. When there is snow on the ground the automobile is practically out of commission. This means, in north- ern cities, uselessness for a quarter of the year. These are some of the factors operating against the general public use of the automobile. Others, such as poor roads, and the obstructive attitude of a part of the public, will correct them- selves when the right kind of automobile is put on the market.
And the germ of the matter we have already. If American mechanical- ingenuity cannot evolve from the present imperfect machine, sooner or later, an automobile which shall combine speed and safety with the ability to travel any road upon which the ordinary light horse vehicle can make its way, and put that automobile on the market at a reasonable price, it will have fallen short of its past records. Until that is achieved, however, I shall expect to see the horse still the motive power of our roadway traffic and master of the highways and byways.
THE AUTOMOBILE AND ITS RELATION TO GOOD ROADS
BY COLONEL JOHN JACOB AS TOR
HE automobile is so natural an evolution, and fills such a long- felt want, that there can be no question as to its career. Every improvement in transportation is a distinct gain, and ever since the aborigine found that the earth would bear part of his burden, if he dragged, instead of carrying it, improvement has been going on. The possibilities of automobiling are, moreover, so great, and the benefits so far-reaching, that it has become a fascinating study for anyone interested in the welfare of mankind, to say nothing of the welfare of our equine friends.
My first experience with automobiles was in 1899. I hired an electric one at Newport, and liked it so much that now I have quite a collection. While abroad last spring I made a trip from Paris to Marseilles, using a Pan- hard & Levasseur oil machine. An electric machine was, of course, out of the question for such a distance, and steam machines were not to be had. The best roads in France for long-distance running are those to Marseilles and Bor- deaux. Both pass through valleys, and are comparatively free from hills. My chauffeur was an excellent mechanic, but unfortunately did not know the road, so that several times we got off the route, and it took five days to make Mar- seilles. It should have been done in much less time. The French seldom interfere with speedy travellers, and in fact rather enjoy the spectacle of an automobile flying along at a sixty-kilometre gait, which, on their roads, is not especially difficult.
The automobile will, undoubtedly, do more for good roads than all other factors combined, because, while bringing health and pleasure to those using it for enjoyment, it will be a great convenience to the business man, and will increase the profit of the farmer, so that all these will have a common interest in extending its sphere, and in providing what it must have to give good results, viz. : good roads.
To produce a practical country road the location, if it is a new road, is the first consideration. Avoid steep hills for two reasons — a steep hill reduces the possible load, and makes the maintenance expensive on account of washing during every heavy rain. Six to eight feet of elevation to every hundred feet
2j6 The Automobile and Its lie/ation to Good J^oadi
of length is about as steep as a hill should be, and a uniform standard of only four or rive per cent, is much better.
Next in importance to easy grades is straightness. A straight line being the shortest distance between two points, the road engineer should see to its application. When the alignment is decided, rill all low and soft places with such surface stones as country traversed possesses. After this spread about six
inches of broken stone — if you have a stone crusher — nearly flat over the width of road, sprinkle it thor- oughly with a watering cart, mounted on tires eight inches wide, and roll thor- oughly with a steam roller; after this spread an equal thickness of fine stone, sprinkle and roll as before, and the road is done.
The larger size of crush stone should not ex- ceed one inch in diameter, and the smaller pieces should be no larger than almonds, the more irreg- ular, of course, the better, since irregularity helps them to knit. In bringing an old country road up to the standard, it is best to attack the hills — cut through their tops, and put the material thus obtained in the dips between. This kills two birds with one stone and is easy work, since material is always being moved to a lower level. The road should be widened toward the fences and the excessive "crown " re- moved, and provision must always be made for carrying water under the road by a sufficiently large pipe when the line crosses a gulley, or any place that may ever contain a stream.
The road's maintenance and betterment also call for an ordinance requiring the use of rubber or very wide tires by all vehicles, the width increasing with the weight carried.
The more a road is used by vehicles so equipped the better it will become, especially if the surface is not roughened by the feet of horses struggling to drag their loads up steep hills.
It has been demonstrated in Massachusetts and New Jersey that the farmer
Miss Madeleine I. Goddard.
^
Colonel John Jacob Astor.
C. Gray D.
ay JJtnsmore.
John H. Flagler.
The Automobile and Its Relation to Good I^oads 2yg
is the friend of good roads, if someone will show him how to build them and help to pay for them. There should be national and state aid ; for the country and the state as well as the local commu- nity have use for the roads, and should pay their share in creating and maintaining them. The first move should be in the direction of co - operation. The second should be the formulation ot a practical sys- tem capable of expanding and taking in the entire country. In this way we might create a system ot National Highways such as we find in several European countries. To secure co-ordination and a harmonious system when completed, the work must, of course, be guided by Federal officers.
As General Stone, the great authority on roads, pointed out, no investment could be safer for the United States Government than aiding the improvement of public roads which add so materially to the wealth of the country, and this may lead up to the construction of a great National Highway across the continent. Such a road would be an object-lesson, and have a beneficial influence by encouraging intercourse be- tween different sections of the country.
Convict labor might be used to advan- tage in enlarging and improving our road system, since this would give the convicts useful occupation, in which they would not compete with honest labor.
On rough and sandy roads steam and oil machines give the best results, but on well-made and smooth roads the electromobile has several decided advan- tages. It is clean, almost noiseless, and so simple that a child can operate it. While any electricity remains in the batteries, it is ready for instant use, and on leaving it, one has but to remove the small aluminum key to feel perfectly sure that no one will carry it off. I think the new, long-bodied electromobile capable of running over a hundred miles without having its batteries recharged, and that, with its accelerator working, makes twenty-five miles an hour, is a long step toward the ideal type of automobile.
Mrs. George B. de Forest.
28 o The Automobile and Its Relation to Good ^oads
It has another great advantage that only an electromobile can possess. When the carriage runs the motor, as it does in going down hill, the motor by a movement ot the operator's hand becomes a dynamo, and the power that is ordinarily lost on applying the brake returns to the batteries in the shape of electricity, so that in going down hill it recharges itself. The power recovered on one hill may thus easily run the carriage a mile or more on level ground.
The locomobile, mobiles, and machines dependent on combustion, will undoubtedly improve in construction and maintenance of speed, and may require less attention to keep in good order, but as electricity has advanced more rapidly than steam in the last ten years, I see no reason why it should not continue to do so in the next.
However, in connection with automobiling, we always come back to the question of good roads, on which automobiles depend. Any of the existing types could give much better results, if worked under more favorable conditions, so that in the development of automobiling in the country at large, the road builder is as important a factor as the electrician or engineer.
Mrs. J. Lawrence Van A Jen.
%
LAWN TENNIS
MALCOLM D. WHITMAN
Champion (Singles) 1898, 1899, 1900
HOLCOMBE WARD
Champion (T>oables) 1899, 1900
J. PARML Y PARET
Winner of All Comer's, 1899
The Davis International Challenge Trophy,
THE THEORY OF PLAY IN MODERN LAWN-TENNIS
BY MALCOLM D. WHITMAN
HE present article concerns itself with the development of the
Cgame of Lawn-Tennis in America. It has to do with American tactics and American conditions. Its conclusions are based on personal observation, and its inferences in regard to the older players are drawn from careful discussions with men who have made a life study of the game. It is an attempt to formulate an ideal, and its object is to illustrate, by the prominent players of the past twenty years, what the writer believes to be the true methods of successful play.
The origin of Lawn-Tennis as established by historical fact is very vague and obscure. We learn that it had prototypes in comparatively distant ages, though, in its present form, it has existed but about twenty-five years. In France, hundreds of years ago, there was a game strikingly similar to Tennis called la longue paiime. It was played over a bank of earth two feet high, with a cork ball struck by the hand. " Subsequently," one writer tells us, " some ingenious per- son devised an instrument of wood and gut, which received the name of a racket, and, in this form, the game penetrated to England." However this may be, we find Lawn-Tennis an established pastime in England about the year 1875.
The origin of the science of Lawn-Tennis, as a matter of deduction and not of history, is simple. As in all games, the fundamental elements of Tennis re- solve themselves into the first instincts of play. Among all primitive peoples we find pastimes consisting, for the most part, of knocking to and fro some ob- ject in the nature of a ball. Originally, people found delight in simply striking this object back and forth over some obstacle, such as a mound or net. This was the earliest conception, and it is interesting to note that it is almost always the primary conception, of those who v/atch Tennis for the first time; they wonder why the players cannot keep the ball in motion longer. However, one soon tires of simple bandying. Though it is good exercise and requires speed and activity, there is one element of human nature left unsatisfied — the love of fight and competition. We lose interest in our opponent when we find that he is not so sure to return the ball as a mere wall, and we lose interest in the wall when we realize the impossibility of ever beating it. The result is we are led to discover the idea of limiting the space on either side of the net, and lo ! our Tennis Court is established.
284 The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn - Tennis
^
The object now becomes, within certain hmits, to prevent our opponent from making a return. How shall this be done? Where in the court shall the player stand, and what methods shall be used ? These problems are, of course, but the basis of the modern science, the court having remained practically the same. Throughout the history of Lawn-Tennis there has been one lasting con- troversy in regard to style, involving the fundamental problem of position. Two
distinct schools, teaching different methods, have ^^"x opposed each other, one advocating a style of base-
fline play, the other believing in the volley. In England, Mr. Lawford and Mr. Renshaw, the originators and types of the opposing schools, have fought over the problem of correct position in the court both theoretically and in execution. The essential difference between the two styles has been summed up in the following manner: "There is always a spot in the court where the player is mo.st at ease, a point from which he thinks he can best attack and defend ; a sort of stronghold to which he returns as soon as possible after having, for a moment, been compelled to leave it. The spot selected by Mr. Renshaw was about a foot behind — f" the service-line ; that chosen by Mr. Lawford, about
«^ '■ ^^ the base-line." (Wilberforce.)
^B Mr. Renshaw, in 1881, went so far as to make
^1 the following prediction : " Before many years, tak-
^^ ing the ball off the ground will be quite the excep-
'^-^BB4> '^'""» ^"'^ '" ^^'^ place there will be far finer and
more exciting rallies in the volley than have ever been up to the present."
On the other hand, Mr. Lawford wrote that "Perfect back play will beat perfect volleying; it is always possible to pass a volleyer, with the court as it is at present; and I know that when I lose a stroke by being volleyed, it is my own fault."
The outcome of this controversy is of the utmost importance to the student of Tennis theory. It shows us the English solution of the problem of position, a solution generally believed to be correct by Englishmen of the present day. This is well stated in the Badminton series — " a practical equilibrium between the two methods was obtained. Mr. Lawford, while advocating in print and enforcing in practice the paramount necessity of strong and accurate back-play, had, by this time, convinced himself that a combination of both styles would
R. D. Sears.
The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn -Tennis 285
^•siisr
always be necessary. Since then the volleying has been as brilliant and unex- pected as ever; but it has not been the basis, but the result, of strategy."
It must be remembered that, in the early beginnings. Tennis was a pure pastime. The element of tournament competition had not entered into the game. In England, where the conditions were particularly well adapted to Lawn-Tennis, it was the accepted pastime of the English garden-party. Every country place had its Tennis Court ; and the English people loved the game as they love all games, purely for recreation. Consequently the early style of play was leisurely, the players finding pleasure in long rallies from the base-line. Mr. Renshaw's style was in the nature of an innovation, and for a time a reaction against the volleyer set in. As we find in the Badminton series, " the offender was to be abol- ished altogether by the assistance of legislation, or, at least, to be ostracized from the vicinity of the net." Players and public alike were opposed to the introduction of a game which should difl^er from battledore and shuttlecock principally in the short- ness of the struggle.
The practical result of Mr. Renshaw's innova- tion was the concession by the followers of the Lawford school, which we have seen. However, Mr. Renshaw's theory of volleying from the service- line was not absolutely accepted. In a criticism of his play it is stated " that he had omitted or under- rated the limitations imposed by nature on human strength. Volleying from the service-line is more exhausting than back-play, and the champion him- self has been alike in practice and theory compelled
to submit to the laws of nature." Thus we find a blending of base-line and service-line play the ideal style. The problem of position in England may be said to have been solved in the following manner : The player should take every opportunity to secure his stronghold near the service-line, volleying low all shots possible, and retreating only when forced. This is the English style of to-day, a style of which, to the writer's mind. Dr. Pim was both the type and master.
When Tennis was introduced into this country, about i 876, it was with the importation of English conditions. It will not be necessary to discuss here the chronology and historical growth of the game ; that has been done in another
H. W. Slocum, Jr.
286 The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn - Tennis
chapter. It will be interesting, however, to try to discover when the first ele- ments of American character entered into this hitherto essentially English game.
Mr. Sears, in commenting on his own style, tells us that unconsciously he found himself stepping forward toward the net and striking the ball on the volley. The following lines are interesting : " Every man in the single, except Mr. Sears, played the base-line game, and Mr. Sears's game was the most curious style of volleying imaginable. The base-line player would almost invariably drive the ball hard over the centre of the net, that being the lowest point, and Mr. Sears, armed with a racket weighing at least sixteen ounces, and holding it very short in the handle, would simply stop the ball. Lobbing had not been thought of then, as Mr. Sears's style of game was so wholly unexpected, and the harder his opponents' balls were struck the harder they went back. He stood up a little nearer the net than the service-line and placed the ball first in one corner and then in the other, and his adversary went see-sawing across the court." Thus we see that our first champion picked out the volley as a feature of the most vital importance. He moulded his game according to the English style of play, with perhaps a slight tendency in position toward the net.
Mr. Sears had assimilated the results of the Lawford-Renshaw controversy. His game was rounded and symmetrical. There was no stroke at which he was particularly weak. The fundamental theory of his play was rather to annul his defects than to accentuate his brilliancy — that is, throughout his training he employed more of his time in practising the strokes on which he was weak than in revelling in strokes at which he was peculiarly skilful. His style was balanced ; he could play as well with his backhand as with his forehand. He was as versatile if caught near the net as in the back of the court. He under- stood the instinctive knack of volleying and the skill of accurate base-line play. Owing to this symmetry of style Mr. Sears is one of the best examples that can be found of what the writer believes to be perfect form in Tennis. He was the complete master of the game of his day. Whether that game has advanced or deteriorated the writer hopes to show. At least some of the changes will be pointed out.
It has often been asked if our first champion played a net game. It must be remembered in answering this question that the term " net game " in America does not mean what it did twenty years ago. To-day the net player proper is one who runs in on his service, forces the net at every opportunity, and stands far nearer the net in his volleying than any of the older players. His volleying stroke itself is of a different nature. It is a sharp cut made from the shoulder, far more rapid and effective than the older stroke. Consequently, according to modern ideas, Mr. Sears was not a net player proper. His position in the court was but little in advance of that of the English.
The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn - Tennis 28^
In noting the process of our development in Tennis, the one characteristic that stands out sharply defined is the tendency toward the net. The radical departures in method which have been introduced since Mr. Sears's time have been due to the desire to play more aggressively. There has been a mad rush
forward and a flourish of arms, so to
speak. This tendency to volley every- thing and to " kill " seems to have ap- pealed to the American temperament. The rapidity and surprising agility re- quired by this style of play gave the American an outlet to his nervous ac- tivity. As a result, the love of rapid volleying caused the American to go too far in this direction, and he failed to perfect his ground strokes. He was too eager to indulge in his strength and too loath to correct his defects. Mr. Wrenn comments on this characteristic among the leading American players, saying that " if beginners would bear in mind that a net game is perfected only when it is backed up by accurate back- court work, and vice versa, a much more rapid improvement could be counted on."
This exaggerated tendency toward the net game is well illustrated by Mr.
O. S. Campbell, one of the greatest geniuses in the history of Lawn-Tennis. Campbell was slight, nervously active, and remarkably quick at the volley. He had the instinctive knack of anticipating the intended direction of his oppo- nent's play. He cultivated the art of cutting the ball off at angles at the net, and perfected it to perhaps a greater degree than any other player. He was the originator and the first exponent of the modern American volley. As was quite natural, finding that this would win, he made no attempt to round his game, but simply put all his power into his net play, and it is perhaps for this reason that he suffered in his trip to England.
It is a fact that no player in his first attack against a net man can do him- self justice. His opponent's rapid rush forward tends to make him hurried and to make him take his eye from the ball. In America, where the back-court game of our players was not as steady as that of England, and where the players were of a more nervous disposition, Campbell's tactics proved insurmountable.
Dr. W. V. Eaves.
288 The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn - Tennis
His chop stroke had a peculiar shoot on the bound, and the nicety of his net cuts was most effective. Oftentimes, however, he won from the bewildered plays of his opponents and the demoralizing influence so noticeable in the artistic volley. In England the conditions were different. The calm Englishman, master of the long, deep back-court strokes, showed less tendency to hurry. He waited,
taking the ball low, and placing his shots precisely as against an old-fashioned player. Consequently Mr. Campbell earned far less on hurried or bewildered strokes. He was often forced from the net, and, as his game was not rounded, as he had cultivated no efficiency in the back of the court, he be- came a victim.
If it were possible to develop a net player of such agility and skill that no one could pass him, the true advice would be to culti- vate volleying at the expense of everything else. It seems to the writer, however, that the uniform defeat of our ideal net player in England tends to prove that such skill and agility are beyond the realm of possibility. The young player must learn not to sacrifice his ground strokes for his net play. He must learn to develop a symmetrical style and to be able to play in all positions on the court. Owing to this new and peculiarly American style of play, this bewildering rushing to the net and cutting aside shots that ordinarily would have been safe, a new art sprang up, an art that is not yet very much understood by Tennis players in general, the art of manoeuvring a man away from the net. This was perhaps best under- stood by Campbell's successor to the championship, Mr. R. D. Wrenn. Evi- dently he had been deeply impressed by the success of his forerunner's net tactics. He believed in their power and saw that by such purely American methods we might later learn to defeat our English rivals. He realized, how- ever, that something else was needed, namely, skill in back-court play. That, at least, would be essential to his success ; and he set to work to study not only the trick of the American volley, but the methods of dealing with it.
The result of Mr. Wrenn's study was a remarkable success against the cleverest volleyers this or any other country had ever seen. Messrs. Neel, Hovey,
Clarence Hobart.
Malcolm D. IVhitman. Champio)! in Si/ig/a, iH(^8, i8gg, i^oo.
The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn - Tennis 2gi
and Larned all fell before him, and it may be well said to-day that Wrenn was our greatest master of manoeuvre. He won all his matches by the exhibition of the coolest judgment at critical times. If his opponent ran too close to the net, Wrenn lobbed a long, low ball just over his head; if he did not run close enough, Wrenn put a slow, easy ball at his feet ; if he was at all out of position, Wrenn passed him with a graceful drop stroke. The three strokes to be used against the American volleyer, the pass, the lob, and the low, easy shot falling short of the service-line, Wrenn varied with the utmost skill, and de- monstrated the fact (at one time a question of serious doubt) that by means of the varia- tion of these strokes the net player could be often forced back.
Another stroke of the utmost value to the back-court player when hard pressed we learn from Mr. Wrenn. Though he may have overdone it, perhaps, on many occasions, he has proved its efficacy. This is the high lob. It consists merely of tossing the ball some fifty or sixty feet in the air, so that it will fall perpendicularly within a short dis- tance of the base-line. This can be done when one is badly out of court and when no other shot would be of much aid. For a time it was a matter of discussion as to whether a master should ever resort to the high lob. The low, rounded lob, just over the head of the opponent, is an established
scientific stroke both in England and America. The high lob, however, is purely American, and not adopted either in theory or practice by any of the Eng- lish players. They call it a sign of weakness and an acknowledgment that one is at a disadvantage. However, Mr. Wrenn has proved the value of the high lob beyond a doubt and against the Englishmen themselves. As a purely defensive shot, the writer sees no objection to such a stroke. Surely it has been a strong winning element in our universal success in doubles against the English ; and, as a last resort from an awkward position, when one's opponent is well placed at the net, it is absolutely indispensable.
Thus we see some of the methods of dealing with the typical American game, a game that, in Mr. Wrenn's time, may be said to have been represented
M. F. Goodbody.
202 The Theorj/ of Play in Modern Lawn -Tennis
by himself, Messrs. Neel, Hovey, and Larned. All these men believed in ob- taining one certain position. In other words, they had solved the problem of position, just as the English players had years before. Their stronghold was about half way from the service-line to the net, fully eight feet in advance of that of the English. Their controversies with one another were not controver- sies in regard to the proper position in the court, but in regard to the manner of obtaining and holding that position. In other words, for several years Ameri- can play was merely a fight for the net. Back-court style per se was not even considered.
As has been remarked in the com- ments on Mr. Campbell's play, many of the points earned were due to the nervous flurry of his opponents. This nervousness, or nervous activity, is an absolute element in the American make- up. It is a fact with which we have to deal.
There is a theory of Emerson's that " Nature, in order to hit the mark, aims over it ; that every act has some false- hood of exaggeration in it." To the writer this truth is clearly illustrated in the modern development of Tennis. The American's nervous temperament in the old style of game tended to make him too hurried. He was too eager to win the point quickly and to end the long old-style rallies by a brilliant stroke. As a result, in comparison with the English players, he was unsteady. His temperament proved to be detrimental ; it was not suited to the plodding methods of play required.
The most modern style of play, however, requires the greatest speed, ac- tivity, and agility. It would seem, therefore, that it is peculiarly suited to the American temperament. This seems to be the case. The nervous energy that caused the American to be too hasty, that made his rapidity o'erleap itselt in the old-fashioned style of play, now enables him to accomplish the lightning volleys of the modern game and to keep up his incessant rushing to the net. The energy which was formerly diffused into worry and nervous haste now expends itself in rapidity of motion and violent physical exertion. The very element of temperament that was detrimental in the old style of play now
G. M. Brinley.
\<,lUn|kr
One of Lamed' s Easy Back-hand Passing Strokes.
The Theory/ of Play in Modern Lawn -Tennis 2g§
proves to be beneficial. This fact is clearly laid stress upon by one of our most representative athletes, for Mr. Wrenn, in what he terms words of " patriotic vanity," has said : " It is proverbial that the American has more energy and zest (than the Englishman), two important factors in the necessary make-up ; and when by large experience he has acquired a steadiness and coolness at crit- ical times, and lost a little his desire to win points too rapidly, he should make the better player." Arguing on this basis, it would seem as though the most exaggerated form of net play were the ideal. However, it is still necessary for the American to be able to play in the back of the court, in order to secure his net position. There are many times when a man running in would do so to his disadvantage. If he can play at the net alone he must take that disadvantage. The result is that he must either learn the method of getting there correctly every time without the need of ground strokes, or he must cultivate a ground stroke. The first alternative, as has been demonstrated, is practically impossible. A man is bound to be some of the time in the back of the court, and bound to learn to play there accordingly.
The newest element in modern play is the curious cut service of Messrs. Davis, Ward, and Whitman. It is a new step in the evolution of that stroke. It bears the same relation to the overhand serve of the past few years as that bore to the underhand method employed in England in the early days. The great usefulness of the cut service lies primarily in the fact that it forces the receiver back from the net. It aids the server in the struggle for the stronghold net position. This once obtained, the American player has a distinct advantage. The tremendous twist imparted to the ball makes it break curiously from the ground and likewise causes it to ricochet from the receiver's racket, characteristics that make an accurate return almost im- possible.
The International Tournament this summer demonstrated the value of this service. The Englishmen were completely baffled by the new stroke, which the writer believes has supplemented a defect in the American running-in style.
F. H. Hovey.
2g6 The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn -Tennis
Where before it was often hazardous to follow up one's serve, it is now a sure winning manci-uvre and a scientiric one.
The principal changes in the development of Lawn-Tennis have been indicated, and we now turn to the philosophy of modern style. What are the
fundamental principles to be borne in mind by the ambitious match-player ? Once assuming his ability to play from all positions on the court, how shall he proceed to make use of that ability ?
To the writer's mind, even in the brilliant and rapid game of to-day, the player must incline to caution. He must never try to outdo himself. General experience and statistics show that the steady, persistent player wins in the long run. Mr. Davis is the one man whose brilliancy and daring have in the least tended to shake the writer's theory. Happily that theory has not been shaken, and it agrees with the underlying prin- ciples of success that run through the history of Lawn-Tennis. Most of the great match-players have been examples of caution rather than daring, of con- sistency rather than brilliancy, and of judgment rather than genius. The vic- tory of steadiness over brilliancy in match play is a philosophical result. The steady player has in reality a mental influence over his adversary. The Wrenn-Larned matches illustrate this fact. Mr. Larned, like Mr. Davis, a most accomplished exponent of brilliant Tennis, and a man of great pluck and natural courage, could not extricate himself frorh this influence. The very nature of close competition instinctively accentuates the element of strength in the steady player — for caution, of which steadiness is the offspring, is the natural instinct of man when hard pressed. On the other hand, brilliancy under pressure invariably deteriorates. The physical and men- tal strain of a severe contest either cause the brilliant player to lose his spon- taneity, or drive him to despairing strokes that tend out of court.
The theory of caution may well be remembered in solving our most diffi- cult problem — that of passing the server from the modern twist service. The
W. A. Larned.
The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn - Tennis 2gy
secret lies in not attempting " to pass the server clean." The stroke requisite for so doing is too brilliant to be made consistently. It is far more expedient to play a sure shot, moderately close to the net, with the endeavor to secure a good position for the return. It tires the server to be forced to win every point, he is kept darting from side to side, and an opportunity is often presented to play a shot with nicety from one of his re- turns. The writer's own peculiar method in passing the server is to watch both the ball and the player. By study ot the bodily motions of various opponents, he has learned to appreciate the shot expected of him and to govern himself accordingly — a bend to the left, tor in- stance, indicating a play to the right, and vice versa. For a time, however, he was very much perplexed as to how to make his return ground stroke. Mr. Hovey, champion of 1895, whose game he had often studied, had a trick of playing the ball from the top of the bound, which was most effective against a net man. Mr. Hovey's argument was that such a stroke saved time, and did not give the server a chance to get into position. This was true, but the writer found that what one gained in time one more than lost in steadiness, even in returning a mod- erate service. Mr. Hovey himself and
all his imitators were most erratic. Consequently the writer has adopted a stroke on which he can depend — a long, swinging stroke with no cut, striking the ball just before it touches the ground. Aside from lobbing to prevent too close an approach, he invariably uses this stroke against the volleyer, playing it as near the top of the net as is consistently safe.
The stroke just described may be said to be the typical ground stroke, and it is interesting to note that it has changed but little during the growth of Ten- nis. The English ground stroke of fifteen years ago represents moderately well the ideal of to-day both in America and in England. The changes that have taken place have been, for the most part, only in the volley and the service ; but they have been sufficient to alter essentially the nature of the game.
G. L. JVrenn, Jr.
2g8 The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn -Tennis
The change of service, as we have seen, establishes " running-in " as a scientific mananivre, and the change in the volley demands that the server " run in " far nearer the net than hitherto. These facts show that there is much more action in modern style than under the old regime, and the truth is that Lawn- Tennis in America has grown to be a supreme test of one's physical capabili- ties. Though the writer in adopting the new style does not believe that " he has underestimated the limits imposed by nature on human strength," as was said in regard to Mr. Renshaw, he does think that there is no other game that re- quires such perfect harmony of condition. Body and mind have to be attuned. The player has to be able to key himself up to the highest pitch of nervous tension, and yet have the steadiness of a surgeon's hand at the critical moment.
To-day the study of condition is most essential, and the American player must train. It is only the most highly organized, well-nurtured body that will react properly at the biddings of the mind. Thought and action are so nearly simultaneous in many of our modern plays that the " personal equation " should be reduced as much as possible. This can only be done by careful training. There are no general rules ; each player must make a conscientious study of his individual make-up, and strenuously apply the results of that study to the culti- vation of his maximum efficiency.
The requirement of careful physical culture in the American game has somewhat changed the general spirit of play. The Englishmen who came here during the past summer often commented on this spirit. They thought the American player took the game too seriously, that he made labor of a recrea- tion. They scorned the idea of Tennis losing its nature of a pastime, and per- haps it may be justly asked, Have our players the proper idea of Tennis as a sport ? Are our tournaments too business-like ? Have they lost the element of an afternoon's exercise in the sun ?
There is a grain of truth in the Englishmen's criticism, but there is much that is untrue. Though the writer has the deepest respect for English ideas, though he believes that to-day the Englishman is the truest symbol of out-door activity and love of sport, he thinks that his criticism of our modern tourna- ments is most unfair. -;
Lawn-Tennis in tournament play is not a pastime. No sport, properly speaking, where the players are doing their utmost to win, can so be considered ; the player has Tennis as an object, an ambition, and not pour passer le temps. It would be a sad philosophy, however, to criticise him for doing his utmost. It would merely tend to make the game fall in excellence. If we are to allow any scope for the attainment of our ideal, we have to say that all fair methods that tend to a higher standard are to be encouraged and devoutly named — sports- manlike. The Americans do take the game with a grave earnestness, but it is
The Theory of Play in Modern Lawn -Tennis 2gg
a commendable, sportsmanlike earnestness, which the writer believes has raised the standard of play.
As is natural, it is often asked whether the American game of to-day is ahead of that of the English, whether the solution of the problem of position in America has advanced the standard ? Of course, the only concrete answer to such a question is a historical one, a com- parison of the relative accomplishments of our players during the past few years. From data each individual may draw his own conclusion.
However, leaving historical fact out of consideration, and judging from a purely theoretical point of view, the writer believes that the method of play to-day in this country is more scientific than that in England, whatever the rela- tive individual capabilities of the players may be. In other words, in a competi- tion of ideals the American should win ; from his stronghold position near the net he should outplay his English rival, his temperament supplying the extra nerve- energy required to maintain that position.
It may be argued that the Ameri- can ideal is so much more beyond the realm of physical possibility that, as a practical style, it is less expedient to teach. The writer acknowledges that the American style requires a far more
highly organized athlete than the English, but, judging from personal experi- ence, he in no way thinks its ideal requires a superhuman physical make-up. It is well adapted to the American temperament, and he thoroughly believes that if the younger players will but seek with their utmost power to develop that make-up, the American methods of to-day will soon be universally adopted.
R. D. Wrenn.
The Everlasting Attack of Wrenn.
THE THEORY OF THE MOD- ERN GAME OF DOUBLES
BY HOLCOMBE WARD
SK a novice the difference between the Single and the Double
a game of Lawn-Tennis and he will doubtless tell you that in the
former the rallies are long and varied, in the latter short and sharp ; ask an expert the same question and he will probably say that the difference is one of strokes, or rather a difference in the value of strokes. Both answers would be right ; but the second goes deeper than the first ; it is the cause of which the first is the effect. In Singles a good ground stroke is quite necessary ; in Doubles the volley is all- important. For if there is any doubt (as the present champion in Singles seems to think) as to the advisability of the net game in Singles, there is none at all in Doubles; the one point which is undeniable is that in the latter the net is the objective point ; and if two teams are equally matched, the team which gets to the net the oftener and stays there the longer should win. From this as a starting-point, we may consider the different ways of getting to the net ; and first of all, how to take the net from one's opponents.
In the return of the service, then, there are two methods of attack by which the net may be gained — the lob or the drive. I shall speak of the lob farther on ; here it is enough to say that the lob, to be successful, must be high, for the strikers-out must get firmly established at the net before their opponents can return the ball ; and it must be deep, or else the servers will have an easy smash. On the first return the ball should generally be lobbed at the server's partner, because, as he is nearer the net, it is easier to lob over his head ; but even if the ball is not lobbed so deep that it bounces — in other words, even if the servers can smash the return — it is still a most disconcerting form of attack to follow the lob to the net.
In driving the return of the service, there are two places open to the receiver — directly between his opponents or toward the server ; in the latter case the ball should be kept well out of reach of the server's partner, for, stand- ing so close to the net as he does, he is able to make an almost sure " kill " if he can reach the ball. It is for this reason that the drive straight down the alley has been practically discarded in Doubles ; for such a stroke has to be very accurate or the point is almost surely lost, and, moreover, as the net is almost six inches higher in the alley, the stroke is made still more difficult.
J02 The Theory of the Modern Game of Doublet
The drive down the centre is almost the only passing stroke in Doubles, for the side pass, as I have said, is rather too risky, and the cross-court pass is seldom seen. But the centre is the vulnerable point at which to try a pass. On the one hand, no stroke in Lawn-Tennis has to be played with more care than
this one ; it is harder to make than the pass in Singles, for there are two opponents in- stead of one to deceive, and, moreover, the passing space is smaller ; the ball must be played very accurately, so that each of the opposing side may think that his partner will return it. On the other hand, nothing is more apt to demoralize a team than for their opponents to find this hole often ; they will become less confident and will draw in closer to the centre, thus making the alley pass easy. Of course this should not be played all the time ; it should be used judiciously, when one's opponents least expect it.
But the real object is to get to the net, and the best stroke for this purpose is some sort of a " drop " stroke directed at the serv- er. It is not absolutely necessary that the return of the service be a swift drive, for an easy, slow cut-stroke is often far more de- ceptive and far more difficult to handle than the swiftest drive ; what is essential, how- ever, is that the ball be so played as to strike the ground as near as possible to the server's feet, thus preventing him from volleying the return and causing him to make a halt-volley. This is the whole theory in the return of the service; re- turn the ball at the server's feet, follow it to the net, and kill the server's nec- essarily weak return. Theoretically, then, if the strikers-out play their oppo- nents' service in this way, they should win the point on their second stroke.
We are now ready to consider a more important, and, I think, a more interesting point in the game. Ever since the net game came into existence the servers have had an advantage over the strikers-out, winning a surprisingly large majority of the games. But although there has been improvement in the other strokes — in the lob, the drive, the smash, and the volley — there has been practically no development in the service, at least until very lately. To most players the service means merely putting the ball in play, as it did ten years ago.
Carr B. Neel.
The Theory of the Modern Game of Doubles joj
Apparently not realizing the possibilities of the service and satisfied with their advantage over the strikers-out, players have turned their attention toward perfecting their other strokes. Now all-round development is certainly worth striving for, and it will often bring success ; but it is surely better policy first to strengthen an already strong defence until it is in- vincible and then to build up an offence than to be fairly good at every point of the game; for (to adapt a familiar football maxim) a team with an invincible service may not win, but it cannot lose. Can the advantage, therefore, which the servers now have over the strikers-out be so increased as to make the service practically invincible ? And in the first place, what are the necessary qualities of a good service ? First of all, the service must be well placed ; and, secondly, it must be so played as to give the server time enough in which to join his partner at the net, for if the server has time only to reach the service- line before the ball is returned, his opponent will play the ball directly at his feet — a most difficult return to make. An easy serve, fol- lowed to the net, which has long been the custom in this country, gives the server enough time to get well up, but it often fails, because the striker-out can run around a slow serve if he has a weaker backhand, and make a swift forehand stroke ; or, on the other hand, he can cause the server,
who is running forward swiftly, considerable trouble by lobbing over his head. A step in advance, however, was taken a few years ago, when it was found that using a long swing in serving (the racket describing almost a circle) would cause the ball to take a long high bound, thus forcing the receiver to stand several feet behind the base-line and to delay his stroke until the server was well up at the net. Moreover, from his position it was dangerous for the receiver to attempt to drive the ball, for, if his opponent volleyed the ball short, he could hardly hope to reach it. Discovering before long, however, the uselessness of attempting to drive the return of such a service, players began to fall back on the lob more. Now, as a matter of fact, the ordinary team fears steady, deep lobbing more than the swiftest of drives ; and, as lobbing became more frequent and consequently more accurate, the question arose as to whether a ball could
Samuel R. Neel.
^04 1^^^^ Theory of the Modern Game of Doubles
Davis's New Twist Service, igoo.
not be so served as to make even lobbing difficult. Finally, after indifferent success, a serve was tried which seemed to meet nearly all the requirements. By using the long, slow swing, described above, and by adding a cut, it was found that the ball would curve slightly in the air, describing an arc from right
to left ; on striking the ground it would " hang " almost impercepti- bly for a fraction of a second, and then, as it were, gaining new life, " shoot " out abruptly to the re- ceiver's backhand. Moreover, the peculiar twist imparted to the ball made it surprisingly (and some- what amusingly) difficult for one unacquainted with such a service to drive, and especially so to lob ; for, after touching the receiver's racket, the ball seemed to be pos- sessed with an uncontrollable desire to fly off to the left, far out of court. Incidentally, at first meeting, the player would generally attribute the erratic bounce to the poor turf, and his inability to return the ball within the limits of the court to his inaccuracy, which would quickly discourage him. And in addition to this, it was possible when serving in the left-hand court, to place the ball in the farther corner ; so that the ball, bouncing sharply several feet out of court, forced the striker-out to abandon his position in court and follow it. Having thus drawn him away from his partner, the servers had an easy ace to make by playing their opponent's return directly between their adversaries; or if the receiver's partner, showing some knowledge of team play, followed his partner across the court, it was easy to play a neat cross-court volley.
There is, moreover, a newer and stronger defensive position (first tried, I believe, by Messrs. Wrenn and Chace) which the servers may assume. The present method, of course, is for the server first to run up in the right-hand court, then in the left-hand, and so on alternately, his partner moving from left to right and right to left. Instead of this, by the newer method, the server's partner takes up his position almost directly on the centre line, a few feet from the net and on the same half of the court from which the service is to be delivered ; while the server himself runs up diagonally from right to left, or from left to right, as the case may be. The result is that the receiver, forced to abandon his usual cross-court drive (which would go directly into the hands of the server's partner for an easy ace), must change his stroke to a drive straight down the alley, to which he is unaccustomed.
Dwight F. Davis.
Champion {with Ward) in Doubles, l8gg, igoo.
The Theory of the Modern Came of Doubles joy
Consider, then, for a moment, what possibilities of the service are thus opened up. Theoretically, the servers should expect to win their service as a matter of course ; the service should mean merely a few minutes of defensive play — a breathing-space in which to collect their strength, so that they can play a hard offensive game when their opponents' turn to serve comes. With the danger of losing their service removed, moreover, it be- comes merely a question of time before they will win, for to win one game in each set on their op- ponents' service is all they need to take the match ; and with this added confidence the problem be- comes a much simpler one.
With regard to defensive and "^^^ New Defensive Position of the Servers.
offensive play in general, the theory
is to win points when you are at the net and not to lose them when you are in the back court. It is usually easy enough to win when at the net ; the hardest part is not to throw away points when in the back court. It is impossible, ot course, to lay down any hard and fast rules as to the kind of strokes to play at different times ; but a good rule to follow is to lob the deep balls and drive the short ones. Continual driving from the base-line is rather a waste of time, for it matters little how hard you drive ; it is almost impossible to make a clean pass from far back, and usually good volleyers prefer swift drives to slow ones. Lob- bing, on the other hand, has the twofold advantage of resting your own side and of tiring your opponents, and I know of no more dangerous attack than well- directed lobbing. Too much of either driving or lobbing is doubtless a mis- take ; and a variety of strokes is highly desirable with a generous amount (to my mind at least) of lobbing.
With regard to team play, without which a team can never excel at Doubles, probably less can be written than on other points of the game. It can be secured by hard practice and experience alone. Two partners should under- stand each other's style of game thoroughly, and should have perfect confidence in each other. It is almost impossible to discriminate between partners ; they should be considered as a team ; and whether they win or lose, it is almost always as much the fault of one as of the other.
The Double game has developed slowly ; each pair of champions has added something to the game, and to-day a successful team must combine all the les- sons which Campbell and Huntington, Hobart and Hovey, Wrenn and Chace,
jo8 The Theory of the Modern Game of Doubles
the Neel Brothers, and Ware and Sheldon have taught. The development in the future is not difficult to see, I think. We should have a great advance in the service in the next few years. And to meet this I look for the development of the lob rather than of the drive ; and to meet the perfected lob we must have an age of players who can smash well. When this day comes the Double game will be at its height.
^4)-il<Hu>-^^-'^^Wt^__
THE CHRONOLOGY OF LAWN-TENNIS
BY J. PARMLY PA RET
AWN-TENNIS is essentially a modern game, having been played
I less than thirty years. It includes, however, many familiar
features borrowed from other older games in which a ball was used ; and from its similarity to Tennis proper (i.e., Court-Ten- nis) it has often been erroneously supposed to have been played for many centuries. As far back as the Middle Ages the Italian and French feudal kings and nobles played a game which afterward developed into Court-Tennis, and this later became popular with the common people of both Italy and France, in various corrupted forms, as giuoco della palla and jeu de paiwie. Originally played in the open air, the game was later transferred to covered courts built for the purpose, a crude out-door variety being preserved under the name of longue paume in France, and a still ruder variation as pallone in Italy. The French out-door game is believed to have been the most direct ancestor and immediate prototype of our modern Lawn-Tennis.
Longue paume was played with a cork ball, which was originally struck with the hand, much as in our present game of Hand-Ball, a bank of earth or mud about two feet high serving the same purpose as our modern net. As the game grew in severity a glove was used to cover the hand, as is often done to- day in Hand-Ball ; then some clever pioneer introduced strings stretched across the palm of the hand from thumb to fingers, and with these the ball was given greater impetus with less impact. It was a short jump from that to a frame- work for the strings, which was first held in the hand, and a handle for the frame soon followed, forming the crude model from which our familiar rackets used in so many ball games were all evolved.
The word tenez (meaning literally "ready" or "prepare "), as a cry of warning to announce the beginning of play, was used in the French game, just as the present-day server cries " play " before the ball is started. It is from this, the phonetic sound of the French word being preserved in the translation, that the modern English name of " Tennis " is supposed to have been derived.
It is popularly believed that Lawn-Tennis was invented by Major Walter C. Wingfield, of the British army, but the authenticity of this theory has been seriously doubted. Three-quarters of a century before Major Wingfield made
3^o
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
known his invention, reference is found in an old English publication to " Field- Tennis " — probably the French longiie paume transported — as a dangerous rival to Cricket, then the reigning sport in England. A somewhat similar game called " Long-Tennis" — probably another or possibly the same variation of the French game — is described in an old English book on sports published in 1837.
Major Wingfield's pastime was not seen until 1873, and still another doubt is cast on the originality of his invention by the members of a certain club in Leamington, England, who claim that they had played a similar game fifteen years before.
Whether original then or not, it is certain that Major Wingfield patented in England in 1874 a game which he called Sphairistike (meaning hall play when literally translated from the Greek), and the new pastime, immediately find- ing favor with the sport-loving Britons, sprang into popularity within a marvel- lously short time. Sphairistike, which was the historical if not the actual be- ginning of Lawn-Tennis, was played on a level stretch of grass, the court being shaped like an hour-glass, sixty feet in length and thirty feet in width at the base-lines. In the centre was stretched a net twenty-one feet wide, the side-lines of the court converging from the ends of the base-lines to its supports. This net was seven feet in height at the sides and sagged to four feet eight inches in the middle. The server was required to stand in a " box " marked out in the centre of the court, and only he could count, the score being kept on the old Racquet system, fifteen aces to the game. The play was much like our modern Badminton, the shortness of the court and the height of the net preventing speed in the strokes. During its first year Major Wingfield made several alterations in the rules, as the develop- ment ot the embryonic skill of the players required them. The court was length- ened to eighty-four feet and widened to thirty-six feet, the net being lowered to four feet in the centre, and the server being pushed back to the base-line. This permitted more speed in the play and greater skill, which were still further increased the following spring when the court was widened to thirty-nine feet.
7. A. Allen.
The Chronology of Lawn- Tennis
311
In the spring of 1875 the first organized attempt was made to govern the game, which had already begun to run wild for lack of concerted legislation. The Marylebone Cricket Club, of Lords, afterward so famous in Cricket, adopted a code of playing rules in which the length of the court was established at seventy-eight feet, where it has remained ever since. The hour-glass form was still preserved, however, the breadth at the base-lines being thirty feet and at the net twentv-four feet. The net was set at four feet high in the centre and five feet at the posts ; a service-line was intro- duced at twenty-six feet from the net, but the Racquet system of scoring was pre- served, with one or two minor alterations. It was then that the name of Lawn- Tennis was first attached to the new game, and Sphairistike soon disappeared.
At the urgent suggestion of Henry Jones, one of the early devotees of Lawn- Tennis, who afterward became famous as the " Cavendish " of Whist, the new sport was admitted in 1875 to the lawns of the All - England Croquet Club at Wimbledon (a suburb of London). The first championship tournament was held there two years later, and with it came a new set of rules, in which were laid down the first principles of the modern
game. Since then Wimbledon has been the Mecca of the best Lawn-Tennis players throughout the world. The success of that first tournament in 1877 es- tablished the prestige of the All-England Club, and fort en years its rules and decisions were universally accepted throughout Great Britain. Under its auspices an annual meeting of the secretaries of the various Lawn-Tennis clubs was held and all changes considered, until 1888, when the English Lawn-Tennis Asso- ciation, which now governs the sport throughout Europe, was formed.
In America, Lawn-Tennis first made its appearance under the original name of Sphairistike in 1874. Several Americans travelling abroad brought home sets of Major Wingfield's apparatus, and they were put up at four or five widely sep- arated points, but the distances between them and the constantly changing rules abroad caused much confusion among the early American devotees. Nets were placed at different heights, balls varied as to size and weight, and courts difi^ered
E. P. Fischer.
Jf^
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
materially in dimensions for the first two or three years. In 1881, however, the United States National Lawn-Tennis Association was organized in New York, and for the first time unifiL^rm rules were adopted fi^r use in America. The English code was accepted in its entirety, and English-made balls were
agreed upon for tournament use. Since then the Association has held undisputed jurisdiction, and the playing rules have been amended from time to time, al- though most of the changes have been similar to those made abroad.
The original championship rules of the All-England Club, as adopted in 1877 for the first tournament, trans- formed the court from the original hour- glass to the present rectangular form, and substituted the Tennis system of scoring, which still remains in vogue, for the old Racquet system. The size of the court was set at seventy-eight by twenty-seven feet, and these dimensions have since remained unchanged, though the service-line, the service-rule, and the height of the net have all been subject to frequent legislation. Originally the service-line was placed at twenty-six feet from the net, but the first revision of the All-England rules a year later reduced this to twenty-two feet, and in 1880 the distance was still further reduced an- other foot, to its present position at twenty-one feet from the net. The net itself was placed at first by the All-England Club at three feet three inches in the centre and five feet at the supports. The second year saw a three-inch re- duction at each point, and the centre has remained since at the same height. The ends were gradually lowered as the supports became stronger and the need for faster side-line placing to stop the volleyers became apparent, until 1883, when the present height of three feet six inches was reached.
The rule governing the service has undergone many important changes, however, and still remains open to question. The intention from the start has been to require the server to deliver the ball while standing at the base-line, and no strict rule was necessary until the advantage of net play was developed. The server then began to hurry away from the base-line so soon after serving that it became necessary to curb his haste. In his hurry to get to a position where he
Richard Stevens.
Holcombe Ward.
Champion (with Davii) in Doubles, l8gg, igoo.
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
3^5
F. B. Alexander and R. D. Little.
could volley the first return of his opponent, the server frequently overstepped the base-line, and ever since net play came into vogue the service-rule has been constantly threatened, if not violated, by the net players. One definition after another has been substituted and amended, but the friction still continues, the recurrence of the " foot-fault " difficul- ties following each of the various defi- nitions of the server's position. Even to-day the laws governing this point in England and America do not agree. Abroad, the server is required to put his forward foot on the base-line in serving, while under American rules both feet must be behind the line.
The evolution of the play from Major Wingfield's primitive pastime to the skill of the present day has been gradual and consistent. Of the first few years of the crude Sphairistike little need be said, for the development of the play really began with the adoption of the rectangular court and the use of the
service-line in i 877. The high, sagging net, so much lower in the centre than at the sides, made it nearly impossible to pass a volleyer along the side-lines, and one of the earliest of the English experts, Spencer W. Gore, won the first Eng- lish championship by volleying his opponents' returns. The next year, before other players could profit by this kind of play, however, P. F. Hadow intro- duced the lob, and what seemed then to be the death-knell of volleying was sounded.
An English historian has aptly described the next three years as the " era of pat-ball." Many players learned to return the ball with great certainty though little speed, and the defence was developed so far beyond the attack that the " rests " became long and monotonous, some of the matches depending almost as much on endurance as skill. H. F. Lawford was one of these unerring players, and he was the first to combine enough speed with accuracy of return to give his strokes a dangerous attacking power. He developed a very fast forehand drive off the ground, which became famous in Lawn-Tennis history as the " Lawford stroke," but, contrary to popular impression, no other player ever learned to use it, either in his day or since. Just when Lawford's style threatened to annihi- late all his adversaries came the advent of the famous Renshaw brothers, who made use of the discarded volley once more, and with better results. How-
3i6
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
ever, the Renshaws did not come so close to the net as had Gore before them, volleying from about the service-line, but they introduced smashing as a protec- tion against the lob. This new stroke for many years was known only as the " Renshaw smash," and at the time it seemed to end the usefulness of lobbing,
which had always stopped former vol- leyers. W. Renshaw's success was at first overwhelming, but a further re- duction in the height of the net made the volleying position less secure, and the increase of Lawford's terrific speed in ground strokes nearly evened matters up, so that every meeting between these two famous old rivals furnished another battle of styles, with the result trem- bling in the balance. For nearly ten years this duel continued, Lawford and one or two other fast ground - stroke players constantly struggling to stop the onslaught of the Renshaws and a few imitators. Each side maintained that, properly played, its own style must nec- essarily win in the end. Lawford de- clared that when he was beaten by a volleyer it was due to his own errors, and that a volleyer could always be passed by a good stroke. Renshaw claimed that if he was passed at the net, it was because he had come up on too weak a return, and that if his attack were preceded by an aggressive ground stroke, he was always safe in a position to volley. To this day the same controversy exists on both sides of the Atlantic, although the advocates of vol- leying would seem to have had the better of the argument from the much greater frequency that their names, from Renshaw to Doherty, and from Camp- bell to Wrenn, appear on the lists of championship holders.
In America the development of the play has gone through a much similar experience. Two or three of the earliest American pioneers in the field of skill, notably Sears and Dwight, spent their winters abroad and learned from the early English masters the style that was most successful there. Renshaw's tactics were as closely imitated over here by R. D. Sears, the first American champion, as his lesser skill permitted, and they were even more successful against the less formidable rivalry that the American had to meet at home.
L. E. Ware.
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
317
During the first seven years of American Lawn-Tennis he was invincible. In the first three (1881-83) he played through each tournament at Newport, and each season won the championship without the loss of a set. In 1884 the present system of barring the champion out of the all-comers' tournament was adopted, and Sears successfully defended his title against H. A. Taylor, who was the first challenger for the American championship. Sears beat Taylor rather easily by three sets to one, and the fol- lowing year he repeated his success over G. M. Brinley, who was the second challenger. In 1886 R. L. Beeckman won the Newport tournament and chal- lenged in turn for the championship title. Again was Sears invincible, Beeck- man meeting the same fate as both of his predecessors, although he forced the champion to the first close match he had to play at Newport. A year later H. W. Slocum, Jr., challenged for the title, and he was badly beaten by Sears in straight sets, although he had beaten all of the other leading players of the country in the all-comers' tournament.
Sears's reign ended in 1888, when he voluntarily relinquished his claim to the American championship. He had injured his shoulder and neck somewhat and was forced to give up tournament play. Slocum won at Newport again and took the championship by default in Sears's absence. Thus began the second era in American Lawn-Tennis. Slocum's " tenure of office " lasted only two years. In 1889 Q. A. Shaw, Jr., won the all-comers' and was beaten three sets to one by Slocum in the challenge round, but a year later O. S. Campbell, who had been runner-up to Shaw the year before, earned the right to challenge 51ocum, and managed to wrest the championship title from him by three sets to one.
Campbell's innovation of extreme net play inaugurated the first of several experimental stages American players had to go through. As Mr. Whitman has pointed out, he cultivated volleying far beyond ground strokes, and even went so far in his haste to reach the net as to return the service as the ball was still rising. His methods were startlingly successful at home, and they proved invin- cible during the three years while he was on top. In i 891 Clarence Hobart chal-
George P. Sheldon.
3'S
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
*^\.
lenged Campbell for the championship, and was beaten in a five-set match, and the following year F. H. Hovey, of Boston, met a similar fate, although only four sets were required this time to settle the question of supremacy.
Campbell played abroad in 1892, but his distorted style of volleying with- out the backing of good ground strokes made little headway against the English- men, and, although he succeeded in retaining his championship title on his re- turn home, other American players were convinced that he could be beaten by better passing strokes. With the steady improvement in ground strokes that was being made, this extreme net play could not long have remained successful, but other volleyers followed soon after with better backing. The following sum- mer R. D. Wrenn won the all-comers' tournament, beating Hovey very unex- pectedly in the finals, but, before the challenge match could be played, Camp- bell announced his retirement, so the championship passed into Wrenn's hands by default. Wrenn was another volleyer, but with a good command also of ground strokes, and he steadily improved his methods as well as his strokes. He was a strategist of the rarest kind, and it was he who first worked out the prin- ciple of forcing the centre of the court in order to improve the safety of his position at the net; before that, it had been the custom to run in on drives to the extreme corners. Wrenn may reasonably be said to have been the pioneer of the modern net play of the American type, just as W. Renshaw was the pro- totype of the present English style.
The modern era in Ajnerica began with Wrenn's advent in 1893, ^"' ^^ power of his style was not fully appreciated until the following season, when M. F. Goodbody, an Irish expert of considerable skill, played triumphantly through the Newport all-comers' tournament, beating one after another of the crack American players. Hovey, Hobart, and W. A. Earned — then considered the pick of thecountry's experts, outside of the champion — were all beaten in turn by Goodbody, and each after five sets that showed the winning value of steadiness and the dangers of intermittent brilliancy of the type which so many clever
Beals C. Wright.
The Chronology of Lawn- Tennis
319
Americans have shown. When Goodbody challenged Wrenn, however, it was a different story, and the persistent resourceful methods of the American cham- pion showed his style of net play to be a distinct advance over the former American school. Wrenn saved the championship for his country by beating Goodbody three sets to one. Hovey had learned the lesson which Goodbody's success taught better than his rivals by the time the next championship tournament came around, and his already brilliant ability, both in volleying and playing off the ground, had been supplemented by an unexpected steadiness. Winning the tournament with the careless loss of only one set to an inferior player, Hovey challenged Wrenn and beat him in straight sets. While there is little doubt that the former champion's lack of prac- tice handicapped him a good deal in that championship match of 1895, I still be- lieve that Hovey showed then the high- est cultivation of brilliant yet consistent play that has ever been seen in this country. He cannot be considered the greatest of American players, however, for he never again showed the same skill, either before or after. The following summer Wrenn challenged him again for the championship, and recovered it after a five-set match in which steadiness again triumphed over brilliancy. Wrenn's career through the all-comers' tournament that season was even more sensational than that of Goodbody's, two years before, for no less than four times he seemed hopelessly beaten, only to pull out of each difficult situation a victor, and to finally capture the highest honors by virtue of the most persistent steadiness. In 1897 the American season was made memorable by the visit to Ameri- can courts of a team of British players composed of Dr. W. V. Eaves, H. S. Mahony, and H. A. Nisbet. They were beaten in two international tourna- ments held at Hoboken and Chicago, and also in an open event at Longwood, before the championship meeting at Newport. Here Eaves beat Nisbet in the finals, and Mahony was retired in an earlier round by M. D. Whitman, who then showed his first glimpse of championship form. Again was Wrenn, the champion, called on to defend the national honors against a challenging Eng-
R. P. Huntington.
,.i^>^
3^0
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
lishman, and again he succeeded in defeating the foreigner. The same aggres- sive net play, which had improved since he first won the title, helped the Ameri- can to victory, and when the fifth set of that memorable struggle was reached,
VVrenn was much the stronger and surer, and won with a margin to spare, his per- sistent net play being irresistible at the end of the hard struggle.
When the war with Spain broke out a year later, both Wrenn and Larned were among the volunteers who went to the front in Cuba. In their absence the younger generation of American ex- perts had matters very much their own way, and Whitman loomed up out of the group as the steadiest and in many respects the cleverest. He won the New- port tournament after one or two close matches, and so fell heir to the cham- pionship title in the absence of Wrenn. Although he improved steadily. Whit- man was a master of defence from the first, and his defensive tactics, never of the safety, lobbing kind shown by M. G. Chace and A. E. Foote before him, became gradually more aggressive. His is surely the most brilliant defensive game ever seen in America, although his attack cannot be considered as strong as that shown by Wrenn, Larned, Davis, and possibly one or two others. His game is best described as aggressively defensive, and the advantage of such a defence over any but the most perfect attack has been amply demonstrated by the remarkable record of the present champion for the last three years since he first won the title.
Whitman made a wonderful record during 1898, 1899, and 1900, playing steadily through all of the most important American and Canadian tournaments during the three seasons, and losing only three matches the first year, none the second, and one the third. When one considers the heavier opposition he had to encounter, this is certainly a greater achievement than anything accomplished by Sears in the early days of the game, and nearly if not quite equal to the record of R. F. Doherty, the contemporary phenomenon of the English courts. Whitman's ability was not fully appreciated the first year, for the absence of Wrenn and Larned, the previous stars, was taken as a sign of deterioration in the standards of play, but when they re-entered the lists afterward, and could
"J. C. Davidson.
The Chronology of Lawn - Tenni'f
321
not win back their laurels from the new-comer, it was apparent that progress and not retrogression had been made. The season of 1899 ^^^ Whitman's most re- markable one, for he not only did not lose a single match, but was not once forced close in tournament play. With unbroken success he defended all of the many challenge cups he had won the previous year, and when he prepared to defend his championship title he was considered invincible. The all-comers' tournament had a rather sensational end- ing that year, since first honors were won by one of the players from whom such skill was least expected. J. P. Paret was the unexpected winner, after playing a number of sensational matches, in which the old lesson of steadiness was repeated once more, his persistent steadiness pull- ing him out of many deep holes. Paret's style was the reverse of Whitman's, for his play is best defined as defensively ag- gressive, since he used the advanced net methods of volleying attack, but with so much caution and safety as to often take
the edge off his attack. After beating D. F. Davis in the finals, he challenged the champion, and was beaten three sets to one, succeeding little better than any of Whitman's previous antagonists of that year.
The season of 1 900 was made doubly memorable by the first officially rec- ognized international matches in the sport. Through the generosity of D. F. Davis an international challenge cup was offered and an English team was sent to America to challenge for the new trophy. This was composed of A. W. Gore, E. D. Black, and H. R. Barrett, Black being a Scotchman and the other two English players of high rank at home. The international matches took place at Longwood during the first week in August, and the poor showing of the challengers was a surprise to all, even to the defenders themselves. Gore, the captain of the team, was beaten 6 — 2, 6 — 3, 6 — i, by Whitman, and Black three sets to one by Davis. Davis and Ward, the American champions in Doub- les, won in straight sets over Black and Barrett, the challengers, and when a thunder-shower interrupted the third day's play, the last matches were abandoned, since the majority of the five originally scheduled had already been won by the American defenders of the trophy.
J. Parmly Paret.
3^2
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
Two of the foreigners, Gore and Black, were also entered for the cham- pionship event at Newport, but made a poor showing there. Black was forced to the full five sets by both Sumner Hardy and C. R. Budlong, and then suc-
Krieg Collins.
George F. Whitney.
cumbed easily to his fellow-visitor, Gore. The latter required the full five sets to beat Holcombe Ward, and then went down before G. L. Wrenn, Jr., who in turn was unable to get a set in the finals from Larned. All four of these Amer- ican players, whose form seemed about even with the skill shown at Newport by the Britishers, were rated as second-class in America, and the British players did not meet any of the first-class American experts in the championships. Three of the four first-class players were drawn on the same side, and after B. C. Wright had beaten Davis in a sensational five-set match, he lost to Larned in four sets of brilliant play, and then Larned won the all-comers' easily and challenged Whitman. Again the champion proved invincible, and, although Larned's brilliancy carried off the second set in fine style, his spasmodic attack finally broke down before Whitman's wonderful defence, and the champion re- tained his honors without great difficulty. This was his third successive vic- tory for the title, and it gave him possession of the fourth American cham- pionship challenge cup, its predecessors having been captured by Sears, Campbell, and Wrenn.
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5- f
^
^
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Miss Myrtle McAteer.
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
3^5
In the meantime the progress in Doubles has been even greater than in Singles. During the first seven years of American Lawn-Tennis, Sears and Dwight were practically invincible, and, except for the first year, when a Phila-
Samuel Hardy.
C. Sumner Hardy.
delphia team carried off the honors, and one intermediate season when J. S. Clark was substituted as Sears's partner in Dwight's absence, the famous pair won the championship in consecutive years. When Sears retired, the title fell to Campbell and V. G. Hall, who were succeeded the following year by Slocum and H. A. Taylor, after which Hall and Hobart won the title.
The modern fast net game in Doubles, however, was first introduced by Campbell and R. P. Huntington, Jr., when they won the championship in 1891 and 1892. Hobart and Hovey developed faster ground strokes the next year and held the position of honor for two seasons, but were forced to relinquish their hold on the title in 1895 to Wrenn and Chace, who introduced high and constant lobbing into the game. The Neel brothers used the same methods but volleyed faster at the net and wrested the title from their predecessors, and L. E. Ware and G. P. Sheldon, Jr., who followed them, played the same game, only faster.
326
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
The advent of Davis and Ward, the present champion pair, came in 1898, and with them came the new twist service and still higher lobbing for de- fence. They were the challengers for the championship that year, and in the fifth set of the championship match were several times within a single stroke
of winning the title from Ware and Sheldon, only to finally lose. In i 899, however, their skill had improved materially, while Sheldon had " gone back " badly, and Ware's play also suffered from lack of practice. Davis and Ward then had an easy victory, and in 1 900 they were again successful in their defence, winning the championship title for the sec- ond year in straight sets from R. D. Little and F. B. Alexander, their challengers, al- though all three sets were close.
The principal features of the Doubles game, as shown by the champions, are the fast twist service, the fast smashing attack at the net, the short cross-court stop-volleys, and the extreme lobbing defence when driven away from their favorite net position. Another play which Davis and Ward have introduced to turn the defence into an attack is running in under very high, deep lobs and volleying the opponents' returns. Their constant suc- cess during the last two or three years over all other American teams, and their decisive vic- tory last season over the English challengers, has proven the efiiciency of these methods.
Among women in America, Lawn- Tennis has not been as prosperous as abroad. American women have always played the game for recreation and pastime, but a much smaller proportion of them have excelled at it than abroad. The women's championship tournaments have al- ways been held in Philadelphia, where the greatest interest seems to lie. For the first three years (1887-89) the title was won each season by Philadelphians ; then the New Yorkers took a turn, and for many years their names were the most prominent on the championship tables. During the last two years, how- ever, the title has been won by women from other sections of the country, the Westerners becoming raore prominent each season.
Miss Juliette P. Atkinson.
The Chronology of Lawn - Tennis
327
The former challenge trophy known as the " Wissahickon Cup," which in reality was a silver cake-basket, had a checkered career. It was won twice each by Miss Bertha Townsend and Miss Mabel Cahill, and one year each by five others, before it was finally captured for the third time by Miss Juliette Atkin- son, of Brooklyn. In many respects, Miss At- kinson was the greatest of American woman Lawn-Tennis players. She was very short and slight, yet her strokes showed much power and her strategy and " head-work " were of the best. For two seasons, 1897 and 1898, she won practically all of the championship titles throughout the country and most of the minor tournaments as well. Miss Marion Jones, of California, made her first Eastern appearance in 1898, and at Philadelphia was then four times within a single stroke of beat- ing Miss Atkinson for the championship. In 1899 she won the title by default from the former holder, but the following year, being abroad, she defaulted to the challenger, Miss Myrtle McAteer, of Pittsburg, the present holder of the championship.
Miss Jones's return to America has been the signal for a general revival of tournament play among women. She came back full of enthusiasm, and with some new ideas gath- ered from her English experiences, and im- mediately her enthusiasm began to spread. She interested many of those who had been
prominent in previous American tournaments, and there promised to be more competition and increased interest among women players in consequence.
The lack of tournament play has always been due to the absence of com- petitors, for women's events have repeatedly been announced for American tour- naments, and then abandoned for lack of entries. The dearth of tournament players made it impossible to fill the lists. In Philadelphia, in Brooklyn, in Chicago, at Staten Island, in Boston, and in other places, there are many skilful women players, but there seems to have been a general reluctance to play in tournaments at other places than near their own homes.
Miss Marion Jones.
-^
THE CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD
MEN'S SINGLES.
Chjmpton.
Winner of All-comers'.
Runner-up.
|
1881 .. |
..R. D. |
|
1882,. |
. . R. D. |
|
1883.. |
..R. D. |
|
1884.. |
..R. D. |
|
1885.. |
..R. D. |
|
1886. . |
. . R. D. |
|
1887.. |
. . R. D. |
|
1888.. |
, . H. W |
|
1889 . |
. . H. W |
|
1890. . |
..0. S. |
|
1891 . . |
. . 0. S. |
|
1892. . |
. . 0. S. |
|
1893.. |
..R. D. |
|
1894.. |
. . R. D. |
|
1895 . |
. . V. H. |
|
1896.. |
..R. D. |
|
189-.. |
..R. D. |
|
1898.. |
. . M. D. |
|
1899.. |
..M. D |
|
1900. . |
. . M. D |
Sears R. D. Sears W. E.
Sears R. D. Sears CM,
Sears R. D. Sears James
Sears H. A. Taylor W. V
Sears G. M. Brinlcy W. P.
Sears R. L. Becckman H. A.
Sears H. W. Slocum, Jr H. A.
. Slocum, Jr H. W. Slocum, Jr H. A.
. Slocum, Jr Q. A. Shaw, Jr O. S.
Campbell O. S. Campbell W. P.
Campbell Clarence Hobart F. H.
Campbell F. H. Hovey W. A.
Wrenn R. D. Wrenn F. H.
Wrenn M. F. Goodbody W. A
Hovey F. H. Hovey W. A
Wrenn R. D. Wrenn W. A
Wrenn Dr. W. V. Eaves H. A.
. Whitman M. D. Whitman D. F.
. Whitman J. P. Paret D. F.
. Whitman W. A. Lamed G. L.
, Glyn. . Clark. Dwight. . S. Thome.
Knapp.
Taylor.
Taylor.
Taylor. Campbell.
Knapp.
Hovey. , Lamed.
Hovey. . Earned. . Lamed. . Lamed.
Nisbet.
Davis.
Davis.
Wrenn, Jr.
MEN'S DOUBLES.
1881 1882
■683 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890
.C. M. Clark and F. W. Taylor. 1891
. R. D. Sears and James Dwight. 1892
. R. D. Sears and James Dwight. '893
. R. D. Sears and James Dwight. 1^94
. R. D. Sears and J. S. Clark. 189;
. R. D. Sears and James Dwight. I 896
. R. D. Sears and James Dwight. 1 897
.0. S. Campbell and V. G. Hall. 1898
. H. W. Slonim, Jr., and H. A. Taylor. 1899
. V. G. Hall and Clarence Hobart. 1900
. . O. S. Campbell and R. P. Huntington. . . O. S. Campbell and R. P. Huntington. . . Clarence Hobart and F. H. Hovey. . . Clarence Hobart and F. H. Hovey. . . M. G. Chace and R. D. Wrenn. . .C. B. Neel and S. R. Neel. . . L. E. Ware and G. P. Sheldon, Jr. . . L. E. Ware and G. P. Sheldon, Jr. . . D. F. Davis and Holcombe Ward. . . D. F. Davis and Holcombe Ward.
WOMEN'S SINGLES.
|
1887. |
. . . Miss Alice Hansell. |
|
1888. |
. . . Miss Bertha Townsend. |
|
1889. |
. . . Miss Bertha Townsend. |
|
1890. |
. . . Miss Ellen C. Roosevelt. |
|
1891. |
. . . Miss Mabel E. Cahill. |
|
1892. |
. . . Miss Mabel E. Cahill. |
|
1893- |
. . . Miss Aline M. Terry. |
1894 1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
. Miss Helena R. Hellwig. . Miss Juliette P. Atkinson. . Miss Elizabeth H. Moore. . Miss Juliette P. Atkinson. . Miss Juliette P. Atkinson. . . Miss Marion Jones. . Miss Myrtle McAteer.
1751
A
r
JAN 291993 ^