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Curve Balls
The Spit Ball Ihc Rise Ball
the Fade Awtvy Ball and Other
Marvels of the National Game
Why tv New Curve la a Bonanza
By FREDERICK R TOOMD5
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ASEBALL pitch
ers ilnd the
s t u 1 y of the
phenomena of curve
halls a most inter
esting as well us val
uable pursuit It was
the discovery of the
curve that gave base
hall much of its im
petus as a scientific
sport and men spend
years in seeking to
develop new varia
tions of it and new
possibilities Those
who successf 1 ly
demonstrate a new
species of curve find
no diflicully in earning 000 to 3000
or jUOWlO a year Considering that
almost any major league pitcher can
by careful living and judicious treat
nienl of his so called salary wing
succeed in staying in the game for ten
years it cn that it is almost as
profitable to study ball curves as it is
to elect yourself president of the Unit
ed States And so far as a corporation
presidency Is concerned theclcverpilch
er for a biir league team makes prac
tically as much money and runs far
less risk of golmr to jail
Among the row curves nre what
have bec inie known as the spit ball
the ripe 1jM and the fade away
ball The spit ball is probably more
disconcei ing to batsmen than any oth
er curve because it is said to break
or curve ii at least two different direc
tions and in such a manner that not
curately gauge just how it is going to
act The spit ball is grasped in the
middle of the pitchers palm witrli the
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HOW riTGHEKS HOLD THE BAI1I1 IN THROW
ING CURAES
At the top ready for an incurve or
shoot in the middle an out curve or
shoot at the bottom a drop
thumb and all the fingers extended as
far around it as they will go The
pitcher moistens with his tongue
hence the name of the curve one or
two of his fingers so that these fingers
exert practically no pressure on the
ball and then throws it with all the
force that he can muster and yet be
reasonably accurate The fingers that
were not moistened exert pressure on
the sides of the ball so peculiarly as
to make the revolutions of the ball
vary in direction during its flight and
so the two different curves during one
flight of the ball are produced The
initial cut in this column shows how
the ball is held by the pitcher who de
livers the spit ball This photograph
and the others used in illustrating this
article were specially posed for by
Joseph McGiunity of the New York
National league team
The rise ball is the result of ex
periments of men who have for years
been trying to perfect an up curve
or up shoot While pitchers could
produce without much difficulty in
curves outs drops and out
drops they could not for man years
make a ball rise as it went over the
home plate
The inshoot is delivered by sending
the ball away over the ends of the in
dex and middle fingers
It is the revolving of the ball on its
axis that makes it curve or to be
more accurate that leads to its curv
ing The ball that revolves swiftly
from left to right offers more resistance
to the air on its left side than it does
on Its right so the ball swerves to the
right or in toward the batsman
The outshoot is delivered by sending
the ball away over the side of the fore
finger and when the ball is released
the back of the hand is turried down
ward Now the ball revolves from
right to left and so it swerves to the
left or out from the batsman
The drop can be delivered In two or
three different ways and in most cases
the ball Is held just as for an out
enrve but It Is frequently let go with
more of a snap and always with the
back of the pitching hand turned to
the right or partly to the front so as
to moke the ball revolve away from the
Siolder and with its axis at right an
gles to the course It pursues to the plate
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A MODEW MEfMAlD
Annette Kellerman Champion Voman
Swimmer and Her Adventures
There are no mermaids now e cept
in variety shows and fairy stories but
Annette Kellerman the champion wo
man swimmer of the world comes pret
ty near to being one She Is almost as
much at home in the water as on dry
land Miss Kellerman recently came
to this count cy from England to meet
the expert swimmers of the United
States She Is of practically perfect
physique with tapering wrists and
ankles olive complexion and gray eyes
which light up a winsome face She
is of Australian birth but her mother
was born in America of French par
ents Miss K elkman is twenty one
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MISS KElYTiraJMAN Avl A SNAPSHOT AT
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and has been an expert swimmer from
childhood Last yea sle made a new
record on the Danube swimming twenty-three
miles in 3 hours 11 minutes
and 20 seconds She has had some i
even the man who delivers it can ac- amusing experiences in the water but
the most unique was when during her
attempt to swim the English channel
in 1J0 a man proposed to her In re
lating the story Miss Kellerman said
Itather a unique place for an offer
of marriage I call it my channel
proposal A Avell known swimmer
and a very fine one too paced me dur
ing my swim After a half hour or so
of silence to my great amusement he
turned suddenly and said
We go very well together in dou
ble harness dont you think and
forthwith made me a proposal of mar
riage Surprised Yes but more
amused I think I told him I pre
ferred waiting until I saw him out of
the water as I would never marry a
little man I met him after at the
supper given in my honor and found
he was of short stature so I declined
his flattering offer
A WELCOME BOY
Queen Victoria of Spain and Her Gift
to Alfonso of an Heir
Great preparations were made for
the heir to the Spanish throne who has
just arrived Queen Victoria made
King Alfonso a very proud papa when
she presented him with a bouncing
boy Although a girl would have been
welcomed a boy in this particular in
stance was much more desired If the
little prince lives to succeed his father
on the Spanish throne it will be the
fulfillment of the present young mon
archs most ardent wish In conse
quence of the importance of the birth
of an heir the king himself issued an
official proclamation shortly before the
event was expected giving explicit di
rections as to all ceremonies connected
therewith The decree began thus
In order that the ceremonies which must
take place in connection with the ap
proaching accouchement of my dear and
beloved spouse when the Almighty per-
QUEEN VICTORIA OP SPAIN
mits that so happy an event shall be real
ized may be carried out with all the cus
tomary solemnity I make this decree
Then followed directions as to the
dignitaries who should attend the pre
sentatlon of the heir Article 5 read
In order that the inhabitants of the
most heroic town of Madrid may know
without delay whether the newly born
child Is a prince or an lntanta there shall
be hoisted In the first caaettha Spanish
flaff over that part of the royal palace
known as the Punta del Diamante and
there shall be fired a salute of twenty one
tuns at the customary places tn the sec
ond ease the flag shall b white and the
salute shall be fifteen guns Should the
fclrth take place at night a Ucht of the
appropriate color shall be placed beneath
the flag
BAPTIZING SHIPS
The Modern Method a Survival of a
Barbaric Custom
If fair young women sponsors who
take a great deal of pride In breaking
a bottle of champagne over the prow
of a ship as she slides Into the water
for her first lloat knew something
about the origin and significance of
the launching custom the chances are
they would not be so eager to see the
bottle crash and the foaming liquid
wet the sides of the vessel
It is a survival of a barbaric custom
when sacrifices were made to the gods
and some living victim or offering was
held up and Its throat cut so that the
blood flowed over the prow of the ship
being launched The vessel was bap
tized in warm blood Now sparkling
wine or pure water is used and the
change has many advantages though
the symbolism remains
There is another curious custom
aboard ship that is interesting in the
way it has been handed down to us
When a dignitary visits a foreign coun
try the moment that his ship enters
port a formal salute is fited as a signal
of welcome This custom was observ
ed years ago when it was considered
the correct thing for a port to lire its
guns to show the visiting stranger that
the citizens and authorities placed such
confidence in his friendliness that it
was not considered necessary to keep
the guns loaded so all the shot was dis
charged New York Herald
it
THE AIR BRAKE
Was Ushered Into Actual Use
In
Most Dramatic Fashion
The air brake was ushered into actu
al use in most dramatic fashion The
trial trip occurred in April 1SUI The
train selected was the Steubenville ac
commodation running between Titts
burg and Steubenville O
When the train was going at full
speed suddenly as lie came around a
sharp curve the engineer saw a stalled
wagon in the middle of the trade dead
ahead With only hand brakes noth
ing could have prevented a terrible
smashup The formal time for the
trial of the air brake had not come
but the brake was there and in des
peration not believing for a moment
that the tiling could possibly avail the
engineer threw on the air But it did
avail
The observers in the rear were al
most catapulted out of their seats by
the shock of the sudden slop But
when they saw the engine fairly pok
ing its nose uto the wagon bed so nar
row had been the margin between
safety and disaster they forgot all
about their shock and stoid in awed
silence The air brake had come into
its own Everybodys Magazine
Keyhold Tenure In London
The curious custom of keyhold ten
ure still prevails at Crowland the fa
mous abbey town in the Lincolnshire
fens where there are a number of cot
tages which are neither copyhold free
hold nor leasehold They were origi
nally built on waste land and in each
case the possessor of the key holds an
indisputed tenancy Although some of
the occupiers have replaced the mud
and thatched dwellings of antiquity
with brick and slated buildings they
have no power to sell or will them
away for they have no deeds On a
tenant dying the first person to cross
the threshold takes his place if he so
desires Many devices have been re
sorted to to obtain the keys The prop
erties carry a county vote but the poor
law guardians always refuse to grant
relief to the tenants London Globe
A Vegetable Freak
California has one tree which is the
personification of mystery Found no
where else in the world It had a mys
terious origin and thrives in a region
of inystery The Mojava jucca is a
vegetable freak which has developed
into a species It has the characteris
tics of several plants to which no re
lationship can be traced It is an en
dogen yet its bark shows concentric
rings such as characterize the exogen
ous stems It lives and thrives in
great numbers in a region nearly de
void o vegetation P E Magazine
Elephants
People who really know nobbing
about it used to say that elephants
never lie down to sleep This is not
true at all says one writer They have
been known to stand for twelve
months without lying down to sleep
This is regarded as want of confidence
in their keepers and of longing to re
gain their liberty for when they are
perfectly at ease and reconciled to
their fate they will lie down on their
sides and sleep peacefully
A Flippant Jailbird
This confinement said the long
faced prison visitor must distress you
greatly
Yes replied the facetious convict
I find the prison bars grating
Ah life to you is a failure
Yes its nothing but a cell
Lazy
Some friends were discussing an art
ist whose laziness was proverbial
He is so lazy said one that he
paints nothing but winter scenes to
save himself the trouble of putting
leaves on the trees
The Seventh Time
She When I accepted Jack he said
he felt as if he was in the seventh
heaven He I can well believe it He
has been engaged six times before
Fliegende Blatter
Made Sure of It
Molly When you spotfe to father did
you tell him you had 500 In the bank
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THE JAPANESE
Me Is Child Fanatic and Emotional
Savage AH In One
He is a bundle of contradictions and
measured by American standards he is
a bedlamite straight from lopsy turvy
land lie may be a CheMerllehl and
a cheerful liar one minute and a red
Indian the next a sycophant and a
welsher today and a Napoleon tomor
row
We westerners have been taught to
regard the little Jap as an amusing
and precjcious child given to obstruct
ing sidewalk trallic with his polite con
tents in kowtowing to suspending from
the branches of the cherry tree his
dainty poems addressed to his friends
and to dawdling for hours over the cer
emonial tea and when we see him nn
der the tent flap bowing and laughing
and playing checkeis he seems a vel
vet pawed kitten in khaki And yet
you and I have seen him in battle a
ramping raging tiger greedy of Slav
bajonits ana afterward dragging him
self tj the field hospital shot to rags
uinvhimpering a mere bull hide wrap
ped around a will
We never know a character until we
have seen it put to the test under
stress least of all the combination of
sphinx and lanus known as the Jap
anese So studied the embattled brown
boy strikes me as a strange compound
of Little Lord Iauntleroy Peter the
Hermit anil StJng Hull child fanatic
ami emotionless savage all in one
Appletons Magazine
OLD VIOLINS
Reasons Why Ancient Ficdlcs Arc Bet
ter Than New
Fabulous prices are sometimes paid
for old violins and many an enthusi
astic musician would part with his
last dollar to possess one of the mas
terpieces of Stradivarius or CJuarneri
us or another of the famous makers of
a century or two ago
The questioned superiority of these
old and often battered instruments has
been variously ascribed to the peculiar
quality of the varnish ued in their
construction to the elasticity of the
wood employed and to the ripening and
improving effects of age and lomr use
Of late years however much cre
dence has been given the suggestion
of an eminent authority that the real
cause of the superiority of the old in
struments is due to a peculiar warp
ing of the wood to a higher arch a
buckling caused by the position of the
F holes and sound post
It might at first thought be suppos
ed that the same effect could be pro
duced by giving an equal arching to a
new instrument but the effect if at
tained is not permanent because with
age the arching increases until too
great a degree of rigidity is the re
sult Philadelphia Record
Plugging a Hotel Guest
The hotel detective stepped out of
the elevator and walked over to the
counter
Well I plugged him he said
Plugged him Who What for
Where did you hit him quickly asked
a friend who was standing by
Didnt hit him anywhere Just
plugged the keyhole of his door Nev
er hear of plugging before When we
have a guest whom we suspect Is get
ting read to leave without settling or
whose credit is exhausted and fails to
settle up we just wait till he leaves
his room and plug the keyhole in his
door Then he has to settle up or leave
his baggage The plug fits over the
end of a key It is placed in the lock
and turned The key is then with
drawn leaving the plug in the door
Kansas City Star
An Oversight
When Chappie got up the other morn
ing he wandered around his apart
ments in his pretty pink pajamas the
very picture of woe
Whats the matter sir Inquired
his valet
I dont know Alphonse he groan
ed I passed a most unhappy night
Alphonse looked him over carefully
Oh sir he exclaimed I know
what was the matter The trouserlnes
of your pajamas were not creased
You must be more careful sir Those
I had prepared for you were hanging
across the foot of the bed Bohemian
Magazine
Cannae
Cannae where Hannibal won his
greatest victory over the Romans Is
situated on the opposite side of the
peninsula from the city of Rome on
the river Aufidus and about six miles
from its mouth It was from this bat
tlefield that Ilannibal sent to Carthage
three bushels of gold rincrs from the
fingers of the Roman knishts slain in
the battle Cannae is about 200 miles
from Rome
The Worm Turned
Am I to understand then asked
a disappointed poet as the editor hand
ed back his latest productions that
you do not like my verges
Yes I dont think much
Ah you dont think I see that
explains it
World Regeneration
The world will only be regenerated
by degrees and by reform of human
character a task that will always and
of necessity remain the task of each
and every member of the human race
Saturday Review
Vanity
Little Fred Why is it that women
are always complaining about their
servants Little Elsie Oh thats just
to let people know they can afford to
have em Chicago News
George Yes Molly And -what did he Covetousness swells the principal to
say George He borrowed it Sketchy n0 purpose and lessens the use to all
Bitg jmrposesv Tykn
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5sX5X
The Thrifty Man
makes the best and most of what ho line is just as well
hospitable without being extravagant lives within his
makes provision against thu proverbial rainy day
ih gttmtrotiA
income and
In tins big prosperous country the avcrugo man is not m tlmftv us
he should he or his family want to make more of a show f
their income tlwn is n ally just to themselves they fail to th
necessity of profiling for the future
A check account at this bank will make it easier for you to gt
proper care to your uieoni will show you wlmrj you can cut oir un
neeesvwy expense and will help ou to accumulate son thing for tlw
rainv dns
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK McCook Nebr
SAFETY DEPOSIT HONKS 31 IER YEAR
fti
V FRANKLIN
8
uniifAiwttiaiiBK
ationerv
that cannot fail to please the most exact
ing It is correct as to texture and finish
in fact nothing is lacking that goes to
form the very latest in invitations and an
nouncements
The TRIBUNE Office
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sssis v ItT
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