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Round Ball, Played Near Boston, As Recalled in 1870s Celebrations

Salience	Prominent
Tags	Ball in the Culture, Newspaper Coverage, Pre-modern RulesBall in the Culture, Newspaper Coverage, Pre-modern Rules
Location
City/State/Country:	Milford, Mendon, Medway, Holliston, Upton and Douglas, MA, United States
Modern Address
Game	Round BallRound Ball
Immediacy of Report	Retrospective
Age of Players	AdultAdult
Holiday
Notables
Text	[A] "I was very much pleased to witness that old-fashioned game of ball played on the Fair grounds at Milford last week Tuesday afternoon. . . . It was certainly a lively game, interspersed with wit, humor, and a general good feeling." Full text, including a 36-line poem, is in Supplementary Text, below.  [B] 1878 – "Round Ball Game.  This game came off as advertised on the Town Park last Thursday afternoon. Below is the score for the respective sides:"  [Box score shows Milford 25, Independents 12.]
Sources	[A] J. H. Cunnabel, Milford (MA) Journal, September 22, 1875. [B] Milford Journal ,August 14, 1878
Warning	We have dated this entry as reflecting 1850s play of round ball.  This dating is highly uncertain.  One of the named participants (John Puffer), is identified by Joanne Hulbert as a participant in Holliston MA ballplaying in the 1850s.
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External Number
Submitted by	Joanne Hulbert
Submission Note	Email of April 3, 2020
Has Supplemental Text	Yes

1850s.55 Round Ball, Played Near Boston, As Recalled in 1870s Celebrations"

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Supplemental Text

September 22, 1875 – (Mendon) – I was very much pleased to witness that old-fashioned game of ball played on the Fair grounds at Milford last week Tuesday afternoon – the Madison House versus the Milford Hotel. Two Williams were in the field, both conspicuous for good looks, genial qualities and remarkable skill in the maneuvering tactics of that funny game. There was a large number of spectators and friends present, who seemed to take great interesting the exciting contest. It was certainly a lively game, interspersed with wit, humor, and a general good feeling.

 

            I had heard of that call

            For the game of round-ball,

So I went to the grounds after dinner;

            But the play had begun,

            And I knew there’d be fun,

But I could not imagine the winner.

 

            For the ball and the bat

            Were both tit for tat,

While good playing enlivened the game;

            There were Otis and Drake,

            Never made a mistake,

And Doctor C. always the same.

 

            Then the laughter grew loud

            As it spread through the crowd

Just like an acute epidemic;

            Then we heard the boys shout

            “We have just put ‘em out,”

And “Bully for you, Mister Remick.”

 

            We then heard it said

            That our jolly friend Fred,

His heart all alive with expansion,

            In a true modern style

            He had bet quite a pile

On the boys that belong to the Mansion.

 

            But the Milford Hotel,

            Like a beautiful belle,

With all the good luck we could wish her –

            Now salutes her compeer

            With a hearty good cheer,

And a health to both Scammell and Fisher.

 

            She remembers the hits

            Which gave the ball fits,

And sent it where they hadn’t oughter,

            And such glorious fun,

            Just to see the boys run,

Really tickl’d your humble reporter.

                                   

J.H.C. (J. H. Cunnabel). Milford Journal, 9/22/1875