Twenty Years of Harvard Base-Ball.

The object of these papers is to give a readable history of the part Harvard base ball nines have played in the athletic life of the college since 1866, and to show the development of the game to a science. Let us begin with May, 1866.

The games were played on the Delta, where Memorial Hall now stands. We find in the Advocate of May 11, an account of a game between the "Trimountains" and Harvard's, which the latter won, 55 to 33. Harvard's fielding was loose, however, says the Advocate. In this game, Abercrombie of Harvard made "a magnificent throw from Quincy street to third base." The make up of the Yale nine for 1866 is given, together with a "crawl" of their junior class for a combat with Harvard.

Again we find the nine proposing a New York trip during the "May recess," which is to include matches with the Bedford "Atlantics," the Brooklyn "Excelsiors," the New York "Mutuals." and the Hartford "Charter Oaks." Where are these nines to-day? And where are the "Elysian Fields they once played on?"

"The object of the nine," says the Advocate, "in making the proposed trip is not to win balls and a great reputation; but simply to get practice and to let it be known that there is such a club as the Harvard in existence."

Before going on their trip the nine defeated the "Orients" of East Boston 97 to 11; "a fine exhibition in the eyes of the ladies, but which did not at all satisfy the expectations of the amateurs." Again, in the same paper we find a complaint that the second nine has in "three well-contested matches" defeated the Harvard nine. "We offer no comment," says the Advocate, "none is needed."

The New York trip was not very successful, the Harvard team being beaten by "Atlantics," "Eurekas," "Excelsiors" and "Actives," 37-15, 42-39, 46-28 54 15. In these games the Harvard catcher, Flagg, catches pluckily although his hands are badly bunged up. The Eureka game was interrupted by a "fat 'Jersey' pig, making full trot for the pitcher's stand." Wild pitching and weariness of the nine is Harvard's explanation of the defeats. After returning home, without going to Hartford, the nine slaughtered the Beacon's in a finely played game, 77 to 11. Hunnewell, Harvard's third base, made the pleasing score of 12 runs.

On the Fourth of July the Charter Oaks, Hartford, which three times defeated the Yale University nine, were taken into camp 16 to 14. A few days later, the Beacons were again beaten, 56 to 20.

Owing to the "crawling" of the Yale 'varsity nine our nine was compelled to play Williams for the championship; Williams was unhappily victorious to the tune of 39 to 37, and the Yale freshmen beat the Harvard freshmen 36 to 33. The Williams audience "had a way of crowing over any bad luck on our side with a Yi! Yi! Yi! and a howl," an unpleasant habit, gained, thinks the Advocate from New York "professionals, firemen and roughs." The grand match for the championship of New England with the Lowell club was also lost 37 to 27, and the season ended with great disappointment among Harvard backers, This match, which took place on Boston Common for a silver ball, and which was the great event of the year, was lost by "over confidence on the part of the Harvard nine," who "relied on their previous records too much."

During the year "great efforts were made," says the Advocate, "to arrange a base-ball tournament between all the eastern colleges; such a tournament to be held every year at Worcester, and to have a silver ball as the prize for that college which should beat the most games." "The colleges which have proved true to their agreements" (in this matter,) said the Hamilton Campus, "are Harvard, Dartmouth and Hamilton. The prospect of an exciting and satisfactory contest being thus defeated by the withdrawal of Yale, Princeton and Williams, it has been thought best to indefinitely postpone the tournament." In fact, it did not succeed until some years later.