Page:History of Oregon Newspapers.pdf/503

494 "The "Dysodia Baseball Club" is the name of our society for the development of muscles. If our citizens have been slow in organizing a club, we cannot be accused of not going into the game heartily when it is started. Last Thursday was the first day of practice that the Club had, and for beginners, their scoring was indeed creditable. Nothing can be more invigorating than for our shopkeepers and mechanics to take hold and play heartily for a few moments. A meeting will be held at the Court House this (Saturday) evening at 7 o'clock for the purpose of perfecting the organization. All those desiring to take part in this interesting amusement are requested to be present at the appointed hour."

The next week the paper, still keeping secret the origin of the right snappy old name Dysodia, continued its brief chronicling the progress of baseball in Eugene, with the following:

"Baseball.—We have been credibly informed that a baseball club has been formed in town. That a meeting was held, signatures received, money paid, and officers elected: E. L. Applegate, president; P. W. Johnson, clerk and treasurer; George B. Davis, umpire; and R. B. Foley and A. A. Smith, captains. Success to the manly sport."

Three weeks after this bit of baseball reporting, the State Journal was able to record some actual games. Teams of married and single men apparently had been organized as a beginning, and here is the way the paper described their doings on the diamond in what may have been the first baseball game ever regularly played in the town:

Baseball Match.—Married vs. Single Men.—An exciting match game of Base Ball between the married and single men of this city occurred last Wednesday afternoon. Our sympathies were strongly in favor of the single men, and we desired "muchly" to see them victorious in the contest; but for some unaccountable reason they played badly, and the double men won the game, by more than two to one. The first even innings was creditable to both sides. After that the "marrieders" had everything their own way. Quite a number of young ladies witnessed the game from the Court House, and may have had some effect on the younger members of the crowd, but certainly did not affect the Benedicts, for they never played better. A number of bouquets were in readiness to be given the "boys" in case they came off victorious; owing to the termination of the game, however, the flowers were not presented. We shall expect to hear of the County Clerk being besieged shortly with applications for marriage licenses. Two more games are to be played before the championship is