IS WONDERFUL PLAYER
President Tom Lynch Lauds
Ability of Fred Merkle.
Says Giants' First Baseman Is Man In
Every Sense of Word for Standing
Abuse Heaped Upon Him for
Error of 1903.
A strange world, indeed, this little
sphere of ours, and stranger still that
portion-of its inhabitants which ramps
and raves s'ix months of the year over
our national pastime. Say one cold,
cruel word against “Rube” Marquard
to any citizen of Manhattan or en
virons and then get ready for a punch
In the eye. Whisper a scandal against
the fair name of Fred Merkle if you
are contemplating suicide. Yet a brief
spell back the enthusiasts who now
worship at the shrine of this grand
pair were denying them with oaths
and curses.
We will deal just now with Merkle’s
case. Here is a tribute paid him re
cently by Tom Lynch, president of
the National league:
“Merkle,” said Lynch, “I consider
one of the most wonderful men that
ever broke into baseball. He is a man
in every sense of the word. His heart
is as big as that of an ox. Otherwise
he wouldn't be in major league com
pany today. How many professional
baseball players, do you think, could
have stood the penning and the roast
ing and the abuse heaped upon the
head of this young gentleman after he
failed to touch second base in that
memorable game in 1908? I’ll tell you.
Not one in ten; no. not one in fifty.
“You cannot find many better first
basemen today than Merkle. Why?
Simply because he realized his mis
Fred Merkle.
take and decided to live it down by
deeds of worth. He didn't sulk. He
didn’t slouch. He held a high head
and kept a stiff upper lip. And instead
of worrying over that one mistake,
as most fellows would have done, he
profited by his experience and let it
stand as a warning. His game im
proved. He was a far better first base
man in 1909 than in 1908; far better
still in 1910. I take off my hat to
Merkle. He’s the proper stuff. He’ll
be better still in 1913.”
Tom Lynch comes pretty near to
knowing what he is talking about be
fore he ever expresses himself. It is
very doubtful if there is a first base
man in the game more valuable than
Fred Merkle. Thefe are flashier play
ers, Hal Chase and Jack Daubert pos
sessing more natural advantages in
that they throw left-handed, appear a
bit more graceful, perhaps.
Yet it is doubtful if either has any
thing on the Giant as a fielder. Merkle
is not showy. But he is wonderfully
sure and as expert in making pick
ups off mean bounders as even the
great Chase. He covers as much
ground as Hal, is as skilful a base
runner and a more dangerous hitter.
He is a trifle less agile and cannot go
eo high for strong-arm pegs, nor is
he so dexterous with the mitt hand.
Yet Merkle is the only right-handed
first baseman who can break up a sac
rifice hit play almost as cunningly as
either Chase or Daubert.
No one versed in baseball will deny
.‘hat Merkle ranks among the first
three of baseball’s first base guard
ians. That is an honor, indeed, for a
youngster that the fans were trying
to hound back to the brush four short
summers ago. But then he was un
fortunate; simply the victim of cir
cumstances. Had Mike Donlin, Arthur
Devlin or the great Matty beeu on
first when A1 Bridwell knocked out
the clean single that should have won
the game little would have been
thought of the veteran's oversight.
The fact that it was a recruit gave
the knockers a chance. Or if New
York had won the playoff with the
Cubs, as they should, Merkle’s lot
would not have been so hard in 1909.
Navy Baseball Schedule.
The Navy baseball schedule was re
cently announced, as follows: March
23, University of Pennsylvania; 26,
Holy Cross; 29. University of Ver
mont; April 2, Colgate; 5, Amherst;
9. Cornell; 12, Lehigh; 16, Harvard;
19, St. John’s college (Annapolis); 26,
Agricultural and Mechanical College
of North Carolina; 30, University of
Virginia; May 3, Catholic University;
7, Georgetown; 10, Johns Hopkins;
14, Mount St. Mary’s college; 21,
Notre Dame; 28, St. John’s college
(Annapolis); 31, Army.
Detroit’s Revised Infield.
Hughie Jennings has selected his
1913 infield. He will play Sam Craw
ford at first, Louden at second, Bush
at short and Mcrlarity at third.
FARMER BURNS WORKING STRANGLE HOLD
This Hold Is Barred Nowadays.
THE strangle hold is a discarded
relic of the early ages of
wrestling. It is rightfully barred
from championship matches, but
still may be an effective means of de
fense in handling a bully or saving
one's life in a personal encounter with
a robber or murderer.
"I won my first professional match
at catch-as-catch-can wrestling with
the strangle hold because 1 didn't
know any better,” relates Gotch.
“That was before I had met either
McLeod or Farmer Burns. It was in
the match with Marshall Green, the
chicken picker, when we wrestled in
overalls in the old opera house in
Humboldt in 1S99. It was a rough and
ready battle and both tried for the
strangle hold. I was quicker than
Green and won three straight falls in
about an hour of hard work, taking all
three with strangle holds.
“The strangle hold was a common
grip in those days. One professional.
Evan Lewis, probably developed the
hold to its highest efficiency. He made
a world-wide reputation for winning
matches with it and was known far
and wide as 'Strangler' Lewis.
- .“It is the most dangerous grip in
wrestling, and yet the old timers used
to employ it quite often. In my match
with Tom Jenkins at Bellingham,
Wash , when I won the American
championship, he put a strangle hold
on me after I had won the first fall.
His powerful arms and great strength
made it difficult for me to extricate
myself.
“Maddened over the loss of the first
fall and the peril of losing the cham
pionship, which he had held for six
years, Jenkins charged at me furious
ly in the second bout and in a mix-up
worked himself behind me. He slip
ped his left forearm under my chin
and bore the weight of his right arm
against the top of my head, tightening
his grip and completing a strangle
hold, from which it would have been
impossible for a weak man to escape.
"There is only one way in which
to break this hold, and one cannot
linger, as delay may prove fatal.
That is to employ both hands in
grasping the aggressor’s left member
and below the elbow, and thus lessen
ing the heavy pressure on the Adam's
apple. If one possesses great strength
it is possible to break the hold. I em
ployed this method in escaping from
Jenkins. He was too weak to hold
me. It was his last hope of retaining
the championship, and he tried it too
late to succeed.
"Although the strangle hold is
barred nowadays, it i3 used more or
less in many matches. Wrestlers get
it when attempting to obtain other
holds, sometimes by mistake. It
weakens an opponent, and if continued
might prove fatal. Jenkins was warn
ed against the hold in nearly every
match with me. Sometimes he secur
ed the grip unintentionally.
“Farmer Burns is one wrestler who
was practically immune from the stran
gle hold. This was due to the wonder
ful development of the muscles of his
neck. The ’Farmer’ defeated Stran
gler Lewis for the American champion
ship in 1895. Lewis bumped into trou
ble when he tried to choke that old
chap into submission.
(Copyright, 1913. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
WOOD AFTER ANOTHER FLAG
“Smoky Joe,” Pitching Hero of 1912
Season, Will Try to Beat Last
Year’s Record.
y Joe Wood, the pitching star of the
Boston Red Sox last year, will have a
great deal to say as to whether or not.
the Red Sox will be able to capture
another pennant. Connie Mack, of
the Athletics, is determined that his ;
team will be in the fight from the
start this year and will not allow the
Sox to slip anything over on him like ,
they did last season.
Joe Wood was the hero par excel
lence of the Boston tribe in 1912.
Before the season started he was
known as a fairly good performer
with the gloves. When the season
ended he was the most-talked-of ball
player in the country. Joe hung up
a record in the box that made the
“Smoky Joe” Wood.
other box arti3ts in the American
league look sick. He won 35 games
during the season and lost but 5.
Eddie Plank, of the Athletics, was the
only twirler who- came anywhere near
the mark set by Smoky Joe, the left
hander, winning 26 and losing 6. Wal
ter Johnson, the great pitcher of the
Washingtons, had 32 victories to his
credit and 12 defeats.
Wood will have no easy job on his
hands to beat his record of last year,
but he has every confidence that he
will be able to do it. He has been
spending the winter on his farm near
Parker’s Glen, Pa., and is anxiously
waiting the call for the Red Sox to
assemble for the spring training.
Penn Names Relay Dates.
The annual intercollegiate and ln
terscholastic relay races of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania will be held
on Franklin field in Philadelphia,
April 26, and will be open to all the
colleges and universities of the Uni
ted States and Canada.
There will be three races to deter
mine the college chompionship of
America. One race will be for a
mile, each of the contestants running
the quarter. The second race will
be at four miles, each member of the
relay team running a mile. The third
race will be for a distance of two
miles, each runner going a half mile.
In addition to the relay races there
ill also be scratch events, open only
to college men, graduate or under
graduates, in which the first prize will
be a gold watch; 100-yard dash, 120
yard hurdle, high Jump, broad Jump,
shot-put, hammer-throw, discus, and
pole vault.
Baltimore is to have a running club.
Trinity college may take up la
crosse.
The New York Athletic club has 4,
232 members.
The San Mateo Polo club, of Cali
fornia, will construct a $75,000 club
house.
Manager McGraw wants to win
three consecutive National league
pennants.
India is likely to be represented by
a team of athletes at the 1916 Olympic
games in Berlin.
Hereafter all of. the meetings of the
International league will be held in
the Hotel Imperial, in New York.
Manager McCreedie of the Portland
team of the Pacific coast league says
he won’t have a captain on his team
Manager McGraw believes George
Burns has the best chance of all the
rookies to land a regular outfield
berth.
Manager Joe Birmingham says il
Blanding, his right-hander, doesn't im
prove, he will use him as a pinch
hitter.
The University of Pennsylvania
imagined it bad a wonderful wrestling
squad, but was laid flat on its back by
Cornell, 33 to 0.
Fred Merkle is the only big league
player extant who made a hit this
w’inter. The rest were in vaudeville
and Fred bowled.
Nick Cullop, former New Orleans
southpaw, now the property of the
Cleveland Naps, is being touted as a
second Marty O’Toole.
“Old Cy” Young, the daddy of the
slab artists, in his twenty-two years
on the diamond had seventy-eight
shut-out games to his credit.
Ed Williams, an Indian, and Ar
cher Reilly have been turned over to
the Springfield club, of the Ohio
league, by the Indianapolis club.
Here’s Josh Devore’s dope for the
standing of the first-division teams for
1913; New York, first; Pittsburg, sec
ond; Cincinnati, third; Cubs, fourth.
The season now is upon us when the
bush league recruit brings into the
majors his usual collection of super
stitions and hobbies, which only time
can eradicate.
Emil Klank, manager of Frank
Gotch, has promised to espouse the
cause of Ernst Kartye and make the
middleweight pretenders battle the
turner champion.
Greenwich officials who refused to
permit Kid McCoy to talk would con
fer a favor on humanity if they gar
nered the world's supply of fighters
under their jurisdiction.
Eddie Dent, the youngster drafted
by Washington from the Newark club,
has made a favorable impression, and
Manager Griffith believes he will be
useful to him before the coming sea
son closes.
Manager Ramsey, of the Troy (New
York State League, club, has engaged
the grounds of the Oritana Field club,
of Hackensack, N. J., for a training
place and has ordered his players to
report there on or before April 7. 1
LAST WOOD CHURCH
Edifice Built 900 Years Ago Still
Stands in England.
-i.
Ancient Building of Greensted Was
Constructed of Oak Timbers and Is
Believed to Have Sheltered Re
mains of St. Edmund.
London.—In many of the northern
countries of Europe, as well as in
England, there is abundant evidence
of the use of wood in the middle ages
for the construction of sacred build
ings. “There was a time,” says the
Venerable Ilede, “when there was
not a stone church in all the land,
but the custom was to build them all
of wood.” The earliest cathedral at
York and the Church of Lindisfarne,
in Holy Island, were build of wood.
The best account of these early wood
en churches is to be found in Profes
sor Dietrichen's book on the Norse
Stavekirker. In Norway some 21 out
of 1,000 or more of the original stave
kirker still exist. In England there re<
mains only one such wooden church,
the nave of which is a genuine exam
ple of Saxon timber building—Green
sted, in Essex.
The little Church of Greensted lies
a mile west of Ongar, and about 20
miles northeast of London, and is al
most screened from the observation of
the traveler approaching from either
direction by tall trees. It is in all prob
ability due to its exceptionally se
questered position, as well as to its
small size and insignificant endow
ments, that it has escaped unharmed
during 900 years of eventful and tu
multuous history.
The accredited tradition connects
the foundation of the church with the
history of St. Udmund, the martyred
king of East Anglia, who was mur
dered by the Danes in 870 A. D., in the
twenty-ninth year of his age. The
life and death of this king formed the
theme for the songs of many early
English chroniclers. When the saint’s
body was brought from London to
Edmondsbury in 1913 a temporary
resting place was afforded the re
mains at Greensted, where the monks
hastily erected a wooden chapel to
give them shelter.
There is much, however, to suggest
that the fabric is of still older date.
If the building had been erected for
the reason assigned, it surely would
have been dedicated to St. Edmund,
rather than to St. Andrew, as is the
case. Moreover, the method of con
struction is not that which was usual
in the eleventh century, when
churches of stone were common, but
belongp rather to an age anterior by
one or two centuries. The structure
also shows no sign of hasty erection,
I
1
Old Church at Greensted, Essex
England.
but is substantially knit together of
the trunks of old oak trees placed one
against the other, the round side be
ing outermost. We may therefore
from this and other evidence conclude
that the church was preserved when
buildings of stone became common, be
cause of the sacred use to which it
had been put, rather than that it was
hastily erected to give a night’s
shelter to the body of the saint.
In 1848 a thorough restoration oi
the church became necessary. The
oak sills, which had been laid on the
earth with some rough flint put under
at intervals, had become so rotten as
to let the upright timbers drop
through. The greater part of the old
oak timbers were preserved, but it
was necessary to cut some five inches
from the lower ends owing to the rav
ages made by the wood beetle. A
course of bricks was plated beneath,
and on this the oak trunks still rest,
for many centuries the cleft logs or
trunks had teen covered with plaster
within and without, which had doubt
less been instrumental in preserving
them from the weather. This plas
ter now was removed. The trunks
forming the walls number 25 on the
north side and 21 on the south. The
total length of the nave is 30 feet, and
the width 14 feet. The roof was orig
inally, no doubt, of simple thatch. To
this primitive structure was added a
chancel o later date.
That now existing, which may date
from the reign of Henry VII., probably
replaced one of the Norman period,
and relics of this earlier flint chan
cel may be seen underneath the pres
ent brickwork. A tower and spire
covered with shingles of the west end
are of fifteenth century date.
To celebrate the nine hundredth an
niversity of the founding of this
church, the rector and parishioners
propose to hold a special commemo
rative service on St. Alban's day, and
to erect a lych gate as a tangible me
morial of the historical event.
Hard and sound, though beaten by
the storms of nearly a thousand win
ters, the ancient trunks of Greensted
church yet promise to endure a thou
sand more.
AROUSES BOSTON GIRLS’ IRE
Professor Says That He Believes Nol
One of Them Has Perfect
/ Foot.
L ""
Boston.—Boston women are sin
cerely indignant because men whc
have set themselves up as experts
have declared “no Boston girl has a
perfect foot.” Dr. E. H. Bradford
Bays so. He is head of the Harvard
Medical kchool and is an expert on the
structure' of the human foot. He says:
“I do not believe there is a girl in all
Boston with a perfect foot.”
Afternoon Dress a Triumph of
the Expert Parisian Modiste
BinUfwood t
Afternoon dress of red voile, pleated with belt of embroidered ribbon. The
skirt forms three rows of straight cut ruffles.
STYLES IN CHILDREN’S COATS
Severe Simplicity Will Be the Ac
cepted Idea for the Models of
the Coming Ceason.
According to the Dry Goods Econo
mist, simple tailored styles for every
day wear are receiving the most at
tention in children's coats. Such gar
ments are shown in serges, Bedford
tords, whipcords, poplins and fancy
mixtures. The collars, cuffs and revers
ire usually of silk, ratine or cloth in
some bright color. On the dressier
numbers lingerie collars and cuffs are
employed. In most instances these
ire made detachable, so that they can
be easily laundered. Belts are a fea
ture of many of the best selling
models. Frequently the belt is seen
inly in the back section. When the
3ntire belt is used it is placed several
inches below the waist line and is
made of satin, silk or velvet. Plain
ir crushed broad velvet belts are con
sidered particularly smart and are
used with excellent effect on bright
tolored coats in red, Wilhelmina blue,
tan and rose. Sashes are also being
ased in a similar manner. These are
frequently in black or of the same
shade as the coat itself.
SMART SPRING SUIT
A spring suit of navy blue broad
sloth with one button cutaway jacket.
New Screens.
Many of the new screens are exceed
ingly beautiful. Those of embossed
leather are much In demand. Except
in the distinctly Oriental screens there
Is a reaction against anything like
sumptuous decoration. When cov
sred with the new brocades that show
gold and silver threads Interwoven in
the lovely patterns of olden time the
screens are much to be desired.
There is a slight tendency to have
the material employed for the screens
match the curtains of dining rooms,
libraries and bedrooms.
AIM SHOULD BE SIMPLICITY
Best Ideas for Dressing of Young
Girl’s Hair Is Here Given
From Authority.
In the Woman's Home Companion
Grace Margaret Gould writes “A Talk
With Girls About Their Clothes.” Fol
lowing is an extract which presents
Miss Gould’s Ideas about hairdressing
for,young girls:
“In arranging your hair, I would
bear first in mind, if I were you, not
to hide the shape of your head. You
may admire the way your older sis
ter or your best friend's mother wears
her hair, but don’t try to copy it. The
more simply you fix your hair the
more becoming it is sure to be. Part- i
ing the hair either In the middle of
at the sides is very pretty if it hap
pens to be becoming to you, but if it
is not, the soft wavy pompadour worn
without a rat is in quite as good style.
The hair which is drawn back from
the forehead in a low pompadour and
continued back over the crown of
the head, where it is then made into a
little coil covered by a big bow, is
very effective, only it must not have
the effect of all bow and little head.
The bow should be small enough to
show two cunning little curls be-'
low it"
IDEAS FOR SPRING DRESSES
According to Information, Printed
Silks Will Be Largely Used In
the New Costmues.
Paris dressmakers are using printed
silks of rather florid designs on soft
silks and crepe de chines for linings,
especially where plain materials are in
question. All crepe fabrics also are
in demand for home gowns, and with
these the introduction of printed silks
will take the form of collar facings
and little touches in the waist-bands.
Buttons will also be covered in small
designed printed silk.
Sponge cloths, ratine or velour de
laine, all more or less the same thing,
will still find favor in the early spring,
but serge and suitings in navy blue
promise to be more in vogue than
ever.
In the navy blue suiting the tiny
pin stripe is likely to lead the way,
one or two coats and skirts having
already been seen in this material.
The fashion in tailor mades does not
just yet show much change. The
lines are simple in the extreme. The
inverted pleat at front and back, al
lowing of a little more freedom in
movement, but retaining the straight
line, is so far the only innovation.
Frilly Fashions.
Certain details of dress are being
hotly debated at the present time, and
in the end we shall all follow the
whim of the moment, as we are al
lowed to do in these happy days. Last
spring the new fashion of long sleeves
was much heralded, which for some
queer reason the dressmakers tried to
force us to accept when summer was
coming in.
The fashion, so far as summer was
concerned, was foredoomed to failure.
But when autumn arrived, of course,
the time of the long sleeve had come,
and down it crept accordingly until
now, when, apart from the prevailing
frills, the material itself reaches down
half way to the finger tips in the old
familiar Bernhardt fashion.
To Freshen Ribbons.
Ribbons and silk can usually be
made to look fresher if they are
washed in soapy water, dried and
Ironed. If they are desired stiff they
should be ironed while wet. If they
are to be soft they must first be dried,
and any wrinkles which refuse to Iron
out without water can be moistened
with a sponge wrung dry.
Too Much.
“My feelings have been lacerated.”
“Did it take?"
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrnp for Chlldrem
teething, softens the gums, reduces inflamma
tion,allays pain,cures wind colic,25cbottlejfc
Sometimes the early bird has a
long wait before breakfast is served
in the dining car.
Red Cross Ball Blue gives double value
for your money, goes twice as far as any
other. Ask your grocer. Adv.
Not Oiuite.
“Is he what you might call a police
captain at large?”
“No; he’s only out on bail.’’—Town
Topics.
ASK FOR AIXEVS FOOT-EASE.
the Antiseptic powder to shake into your
shoes. Relieves Corns, Bunions, Ingrowing1
Nails, Swollen and Sweating feet. Blisters
and Callous spots. Sold everywhere, Joe.
Don’t accept any substitute. Sample FKb-h.
Address Allen fc$. Olmsted. LeRoy, N\Y. Adv.
Good Question.
Sunday School Teacher—And the
serpent, for tempting Eve, was made
to crawl all the rest of his life.
Small Girl—Please, sir, an’ how did
he got along in the world before?
Important to Mothers
Examine carefully every bottle of
CASTOR1A, a safe and sure remedy for
infants and children, and see that it
Children Cry for Fletcher’s Castoria
Directly Children Aright.
The young need to be taught that
although there is sometimes a pleas
ure of the senses in committing sin,
it is inevitably followed by remorse
and punishment. Crime, remorse,
punishment form an inseparable trio.
On the other hand, while it is often
hard to do right, the sense of satis
faction, self-respect and self-control
that follows right action is worth all
the effort made;
HOW TO TREAT PIMPLES AND
BLACKHEADS
For pimples and blackheads the fol
lowing is a most effective and eco
nomical treatment: Gently smear the
affected parts with Cuticura Oint
ment, on the end of the finger, but
do not rub. Wash off the Cuticura •
Ointment in five minutes with Cuti
cura Soap and hot water and continue
bathing for some minutes. This treat
ment is best on rising and retiring.
At other times use Cuticura Soap
freely for the toilet and bath, to as
sist in preventing inflammation, irri
tation and clogging of the pores, the
common cause of pimples, blackheads,
redness and roughness, yellow, oily,
mothy and other unwholesome condi
tions of the skin.
Cuticura Soap and Ointment sold
throughout the world. Sample of each
free with-32-p. Skin Book. Addrea#
post-card “Cuticura, Dept L, Boston.”
Adv.
Warranted in Using Cuss Words.
A small boy in Fort Scott was out
playing with his wagon one day and
just at the critical moment one wheel
came off. The youngster walked
around the wagon several times and
surveyed it with the air of one accus
tomed to disappointments. As he
dragged the wagon to his home he met
a boy friend who joined him, and to
gether they trudged on, the Fort Scott
Tribune says. The owner of the wag
on sat on the front step with a for
lorn look; then quickly brightening up
he exclaimed: “Let's cuss.” “All
right,” returned the other, “Cuss, cuss,
cuss.”—Kansas City Star.
The Silo as a Forage Bank.
There is produced every year in this
country sufficient forage to feed liber
ally all the live stock of the land, and
leave a good balance besides. The
shortage of supplies each year is due
to the spoiling and wasting of forage
already grown, and the means of pre
serving this forage will solve the
stock problem of the country. The
principal waste is now going on with
the corn plant. It is most noticeable
in the corn belt states where perhaps
SO per cent, of the stalk and leaves of
this most valuable forage is wasted
annually. As economic stock produc
tion is determined by the proper use
of forage, the silo furnishes a means
whereby all farm forage can be pre
served and placed in the best possible
condition of feeding. The silo is too
well known to require a description of
this method, but its use is certainly
sadly wanting. It can be safely said,
on any farm where 10 head or more
of cattle are kept, a silo is a proper
equipment, and of great economic
value. •
THE KNOW HOW
To Feed Children and Get Good Re
sults.
There are more nervous persons
made so by undigested food lying in
the stomach than the average indi
vidual would suppose.
If food remains undigested in the
stomach, it begins to ferment, set up
gas and a large portion is thus con
verted into poison.
That’s why imperfectly digested food
may, and often does, cause irritation
of the nerves and stupor of the mind_
brain and nerves are really poisoned.
“My daughter had complained for
some time of a distressed feeling in
the stomach, after eating, which set
me thinking that her diet was not
right,” writes an anxious and intelli
gent mother.
“She had been fond of cereals, but
had never tried Grape-Nuts. From
reading the account of this predigest
ed food, it seemed reasonable to try
Grape-Nuts for her case.
were really wonderful.
The little brain that seemed at times
unable to do its work, took on new
life and vigor. Every morning, now,
before going to school, she eats the
crisp little morsels and is now com
pletely and entirely well, she seems to
have a new lease on life—no more
distress in the stomach, nor head
ache, but sound and well everyway.”
by Postum Co., Battle
Creek, Mich. Read the book, “The
Road to Wellville,” in pkgs.
"There’s a Reason.”
®TW *»sd the above letter? A
oae appears from time to time
tateJSE *’ tr“e’ “d *■»»•*