Preparations for the Men's International Bonspiel

Not this year, but in 1897…the First International Bonspiel at The Club.  From the Jan 3, 1897 Detroit Free Press:

“THE ICE IS PROMISED.  Curlers prepared for the Bonspiel this week.  Twenty clubs have entered the contests.  Splendid Trophies for the Winners.

 

“Just now there is great activity among the members of the Detroit Curling Club, and especially those who are on the ice committee.  The International Bonspiel is to begin here on Wednesday and it is the duty of the committee to provide ice.  Committeemen were racing up to the weather office yesterday and members of the club were burning up the phone wires in quest of anything but rain.  When word came that there is a wave pointed at us and which will avenge the premature advent of spring there was happiness.  Everything else has been provided and if the cold snap strikes here and throws out the anchor there will be plenty of fun for the curlers this week.  

“The prizes are the finest ever given at a club Bonspiel.”

“The invitations have been responded to from all quarters, and, although entries will be accepted up to noon tomorrow, there are twenty in now.  Each club will send an eight men and this will make 160 in play.  The first round will start at 10 o’clock on Wednesday morning and play will continue until midnight each day until the games are played off.  The entries up to date are as follows:  

“Chatham, Embro, Forest, London, London-Forest City, Petorlia, Ridgetown, Sarnia, Stratford, Thamesville, Glencoe, Woodstock, Wallaceburg, Toledo, St. Thomas, Berlin (Ed note:  This was the name of Kitchener before 1912),   Simcoe, Grand Rapids, Windsor and Detroit."

Good ‘Spiel’n, Angus