[SPAM] It is also

 reigning out-door sport. With the outbreak of the Civil War came a very
general suspension of play in the different cities, though the records
of occasional games in camp show that "the boys" did not entirely forget
the old love. In 1865 the friendly contests were resumed, though the
call of the rolls showed many "absent" who had never been known to miss
a game. More than one of those who went out in '61 had proven his
courage on the crimson field. During the seasons of '65, '66, and '67
amateur base-ball, so-called, was in the height of its glory. At the
annual Convention of the National Association in '66 a total of two
hundred and two clubs from seventeen States and the District of Columbia
were represented; besides, there were present delegates from the
Northwestern and Pennsylvania Associations, representing in addition
over two hundred clubs. In 1867 the trip of the "Nationals" of
Washington was the first visit of an Eastern club to the West, and
helped greatly to spread the reputation of the game. For a number of
years, however, certain baneful influences had crept into the game and
now began to work out their legitimate effect. The greatest of these
evils was in the amount of gambling on the results of games. With so
much money at stake, the public knew that players would be tampered
with, and when finally its suspicions were confirmed, it refused further
to patronize the game. The construction of inclosed grounds and the
charge of admission proved another danger. No regular salaries were
paid, so that the players who were depending on a share of the "gate"
arranged to win and lose a game in order that the deciding contest might
draw well. Doubtless there were more of these things existing in the
public imagination than in actual fact, but distrust once aroused, there
was no faith left for anything or anybody. Very early in the history of
the Association the practice prevailed among certain clubs of offering
inducements to crack players in order to secure them as members. The
clubs which could afford this grew disproportionately strong, and in the
face of continual defeat the weaker clubs were losing interest. In 1859
a rule was made forbidding the p

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