Sporting Intelligence.-Yesterday afternoon contest at game of Bace took place on the Gymnasium, Tylers' between gentlemen of two different clubs for supper and trimmings. One of these clubs has taken very classical appellation of Gymnastics, and other no less classical one of The of Diagoras, (not confined however to number there [sic: properly three] but with great submission to taste of gentlemen we think plain English name would have sounded quite as well as either. Great skill and activity it is said was displayed on both sides, but after severe and well maintained contest, Victory which had at times fluttered little from one to other, settled down on heads of Gymnastics, who beat The of 41 to 34.1Afew years ago, while reading an early-19th century New York newspaper, I came upon this report. One of two clubs involved had published call to meeting day before:NOTICE. The of are requested to meet on ground, on Friday 23d [sic] instant, precisely at 3 o'clock P.M. By order of President.2This notice was repeated following day, with date corrected.3 I have not found call to meeting from Gymnastics for this event. That club was well established one, though, having existed at least since year before:by order. The Members of Association are requested to meet at Mr. Tyler's, on Saturday next, at 3 o'clock P.M.4The Sons of Diagoras had taken name of their club from an Olympic boxing champion, subject of seventh Olympian Ode by Pindar, written in mid-5th century BC. His three sons (and sons of his two daughters) were also Olympic champions.As for Gymnastics, book by Johann Christoph Friedrich Guts Muths (also rendered as Gutsmuths), whom we have met earlier (see David Block's Item 1796.1), called Gymnastics for Youth, or, A Practical Guide to Healthful and Amusing Exercises: For Use of Schools, had been published in Philadelphia by William Duane in 1802 and had become bestseller.Nothing is known specifically about Gymnasium or Gymnastic ground. It was described as near Tylers,' where Association was accustomed to meet, and for that place we can do better.Joseph Tyler was an actor who decided to capitalize on his popularity by opening Mead Garden; it was remembered 25 years later as a long afternoon's walk out of town toward Greenwich, at what had come to be southwest corner of Spring and Hudson streets.5 This sort of resort was popular with New Yorkers of day: Imagine present-day park at Washington Square, or even one of community gardens created in vacant lots around Greenwich Village, being run as business, offering New Yorkers place to sit during summer months in fresh air among flowers, while buying light beverages and snacks.A few years after this game of bace was played, Tyler's garden was offered for lease, in an advertisement giving useful description: There was house, with13 rooms and 2 kitchens, smoak jack, copper c likewise, new stable, which can be converted into store house for goods; also, spacious green and hot house full of exotic plants, grapes, c house and garden commands view of north river, small distance from New-Market.6But what was game of bace?Bace was possibly an early version of baseball, but another possibility is that it was an adult form of prisoner's base, known primarily as chasing and tagging game played by children. It has been carefully examined by Thomas Altherr.7Joseph Strutt, writing in England in 1801, described game as follows:The performance of this pastime requires two parties of equal number, each of them having base or home, as it is usually called, to themselves, at distance of about twenty or thirty yards. …