e stands out as typical of Hyde
Hall in its glory: a brilliant autumn afternoon in 1907, the wedding day
of the daughter of the house; a picturesque concourse of wedding guests
upon the lawn before the doorway; a sudden lifting of all eyes to the
balcony above the portico, where the bride appears, clad in her wedding
gown, stands radiant, with her bridal bouquet poised aloft, and flings
it to the bridesmaids grouped below.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 94: _History of Otsego County_, 1877, p. 285.]

[Footnote 95: _Reminiscences_, from which the description of Clarke is
taken.]

CHAPTER XIII

THE BIRTHPLACE OF BASE BALL

The game of Base Ball was invented and first played in Cooperstown in
1839. Few statements of historical fact can be supported by the decision
of a commission of experts especially appointed to examine the evidence
and render a verdict, but in fixing the origin of Base Ball it is
exactly this solemn form of procedure that has placed the matter beyond
doubt.

In 1905 a friendly controversy arose, as to the origin of Base Ball,
between A. G. Spalding, for many years famous as a patron of the sport,
and Henry Chadwick, fondly known as the "Father of Base Ball." Chadwick
had long contended that the game of Base Ball derived its origin from
the old English pastime called "Rounders." Spalding took issue with him,
asserting that Base Ball is distinctively American, not only in
development, but in origin, and has no connection with "Rounders," nor
any other imported game. Each view enlisted its champions, and, when no
agreement could be reached, the contending forces decided to refer the
whole matter to a special Base Ball commission for full consideration
and final judgment.

The members of the commission were well known in the Base Ball world,
and some of them were men of national reputation in more serious fields
of achievement. They were A. G. Mills of New York, an enthusiastic ball
player before and during the Civil War; the Hon. Arthur P. Gorman,
former United States Senator from Maryland; the Hon. Morgan G. Bulkeley,
United States Senator from Connecticut, and formerly Governor of that
State; N. E. Young of Washington, D. C., a veteran ball player, and the
first secretary of the National Base Ball League; Alfred J. Reach of
Philadelphia, and George Wright of Boston, both well known business men,
and, in their day, famous ball players; James E. Sullivan of New York,
president of the Amateur A