The 1886 World Series: Down-Town Scenes

There was interest in the closing one of the Chicago-Browns games played at Chicago, but there was much greater interest in the opening one of the Browns-Chicago games played at Sportsmen's Park yesterday. The pool-rooms were all crowded, and around the Globe-Democrat office and on the Pine street side there was such a jam that the street was almost impassable. The base ball patrons were not all at the park, though there were 12,000 and more of them there. The first inning of the game had hardly begun when the ringing of the Bell Telephone and the rattle of the Pan Electric began in both the editorial rooms and the business department of the Globe-Democrat, where, as in all cases, the people turn for information. The entire time of two strong-lunged young men was occupied in answering these calls, and even then the answers were short and sharp. The St. Louis sports and patrons were thus thoroughly aroused, though Chicago had not warmed up to sending as much money to St. Louis as St. Louis had sent to Chicago. Everybody around the Merchants' Exchange who could get off went to the park, but there were enough left to pack the pool rooms to their capacity. Wiseman's also had much more than its usual crowd; and at both places the betting was very lively, though it was only for a few moments that all of the Browns' money could find takers. Before the opening of the game the Browns had the call at $10 to $8. The St. Louis crowd was paralyzed by the Chicagos making three runs in their first inning, and deserted their standards, the Chicagos then having the call at $10 to $5, but this was soon changed, and all of the Browns' courage returning the betting was soon changed to $10 to $5 in favor of the Browns, at which it continued.

On to-day's game there was considerable betting during the progress of yesterday's game at even money, and later at $10 to $8. At night the Browns had the call very strongly at Wiseman's, the betting being $20 to $15, and even on the series, $200 being posted on the latter without a taker. After the close of the game some of the on 'Change crowd made some good bets on the series at Donovan's, putting up $100 to $80 on the Browns.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 22, 1886