TITE OMAITA' SUNDAY BEE: JULY 2$, 1907.
Great American Game of Base Ball and Us Hold on tfie Public Heart
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f iHOEVKB Invented baoe ball planted,
I a hi oil that htt b'jrgeoned beyond
I T? his wlld-st dreams, i'apa Chad.
CjJJ- A wick says the game Is of Engltaij
tf orlk'ln anil la un evolution of
"rounders,'' Hint giddy game that la sort
of a cross between cricket and ping pong.
Al Hiauldtng. with bis patriotic "blond at
fevr heat. denies the elder Cliadwkk's
averment, anil rya that rounders la n.J
more related to base ball than lacrosse 1
to font bull. The only point of resert.
blancc between the game la that both aro
played with hall and bat. and a run:ie
must touch fur bn.ies In order before ha
ran tally. Spalding Insists that base ball
In indigenous to Amrrli a, and points to
the fad that his most earnest research;
has not yet discovered the origin of thaj
game to prove his clnlm that It Is llk
Topsy "Jlst growed," and has been grow.
Ing ever since. Whatever the beginning, tha
result Is the same. All over this brr,ad
land of the free and home of the brave,
fmm May until October, base ball Is In tho
ascendancy. And during the montha front
October to May It holds first place amonaj
a lame portion of the country ' votlnU
population. The Interest of Young AmerVSj
In base ball goes on forever. In fact. It !
almost an all-year 'round game. When
the championships are al! settled In tho
fall, and the post season games have been
played off, and the country settle! down to
a long breath before turning to the aorlouS
things of life, tin; 1 n.e ball politicians get
busy, and for a few iviki the papers are
foil of stories, most i f them like Ingall'S
notion of pure politics, "d d Iridescent
dreams," but al! mighty interesting, each
In Its turn. Then coma the meetings of
the leagues, and then the Inevitable dis
cussion of next season's chances. Many a
pennant la won and lost around the bet
stove,' and then the assembling of the
teams, the training trip, with Its prelim
mary games, and then the beginning of
the championship season and all its stress
ful train of events.
Born In tho Boys.
Any boy with the normal number of red
corpuscles In his blood and an opsonic
Index that warrants the phagocytes In over
taking tho streptoccoct that may lurk In
his plasma which is one way of saying ha
Is In good health takes to base ball as
naturally and with the same avidity that
a duckling takes to water. From the time
he Is big enough to run ha engages in the
sport, and long before he Is expert In the
simplest rudiments of the three R's, he Is
versed In base ball to a poiwt where even
the oldest veteran can tell him but little
of the general practice of the game. And
through life he goes, watching the game
with an eager Interest, constantly alert to
Its advancement and ever keen in his pur
suit of its more subtle points.
Beat of All Games.
Borne reason must exist for all this, and
It la not hard to find. Base ball affords
something that no other game offers. Hrvnn
the English, conservative and patriotic, ad
mit the superiority of base ball over cricket,
onoe they have become acquainted with th
niceties of the game. Cricket has Its good
points and la Interesting in many ways,
but It Is as far behind base ball as a real
game of skill aa a stagecoach Is behind a
modern express train. This point will re
quire no argument for an American audU
enoe. Anyone who has watched two well
1 batoned teams engaged In a game of base)
jpill knows a Joy that can be found no
fiers else. It Is not merely brawn against
brawn; brains are employed and the quick
est wit has need of all his keonness to keep
up with the shifting tide of fortune on ths
ball field. Thought that anticipates attach
and action simultaneous with thought 1st
the thing that brings success to the ball
player. Then the atrength and agility ofi
the youthful athletes engaged in the game,
the moments of tense excitement, follower!
by other moments of unrestrained entnusU
asm, the Joy of the three-base hit, the
satisfaction in the sensational catch o
the long and accurate throw; all these la
the open air and bright sunshine, under ths
most appropriate of conditions, surrounded
by thousands of fellow mortals in the same
state of mental exhlllratlon, make the base
ball game an actual tordo to the spectator
and gives him a genuine physical uplift
such as he can obtain In no other way.
Fairest of Game.
Base ball must be played fairly; In fact,
' can be played In no other way, for the
rulea are so plain and so generally well
understood that unfairness is Impossible.
An Incompetent umpire may mar a gamo
by his poor decisions, but the players can
not, under ordinary conditions, play un
fairly. One of the most flagrant Instances
of an unfair advantage being taken, and
probably the only one of its kind on record,
was that which resulted In the team of
the University of Chicago being disbanded
last spring. In this Instance the Chicago
players, counting on the fact that their
opponents were unacquainted with tho
members of the team, played one man In
center field and had another bat for him
during the entire game. For the trick the
team was disbanded and the members are
barred from ever taking part In college
athletics again. Sharp practice among pro
fessionals Is quite out of tho question, but
sharp tricks are continually being pulled
oft It Is good practloe to deceive the
I other fellow as to your Intentions as far
i , as possible, but this Is not vary tar as a
general thing, for the other fellow has a
think-tank of his own and has pretty
nearly figured out which one of aa endless
variety of maneuvers will be adopted tmdsr
, a given condition and is prepared to
It by its proper check.
Oood Work beta
Up ta tho grandstand alt so.oe thoasands
.of people who have paid their money to
get In. They are called "fans," "bugs,"
and tho like, but they aro quite as wall
versed In tho fine points of the game as
any of tho players, and know Just aboat
what to look for under any otrcuirurtaooos.
Onoo la blue moon a player will brine
off soma unexpected coup, aad wfcen he
does ho Is usually saluted by a salvo of
applause. Once In a while, though, the
good play goes unnoticed. An example of
thla may be cited as having occurred in the
game last Sunday, It started Pat Rsgaa
on the downward path and really cost
Omaha the game. Hogrlever of Des
Mouies had gotten as far aa third, and a
soumd Des Moines runner waa on second.
Hupp waa at bat, with two strikes callod
en him and but little likelihood of his
making the hit needed to bring In a run.
I'at Ragan was pitching pretty good ball,
at any rate he was getting away with It,
and the chances for a Des Molnaa rum
looked mighty slim. But Iloggy has 4
head ss well as a face, and ha took ths
derperate chance. As Ragan mounted the
hill with the ball In his hand. Hogrlever
tore for homo. The audacity of his at
tempt disconcerted Ragan, and ha hesi
tated a minute and then threw tho ball ta
Gondlng, who was eagerty waiting. But
Hupp was watting, too, and the) baB
bounded off his bat 'and landed on fair
ground Just a little way back of first base,
bounded foul and went roll tag tnto tho
crowd for a two-base bit. Tno man from
second walked home, and tho deed was
did. If it had been any one but Horxy, ha
would have beea cheered to tho echo by
the crowd, but never for Hoggy, who baa
mala himself about as unpopular as
flayer ran get. It Is a aars sign whoa
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GLIMPSES OF THE GRANDSTAND. CT-; ' ' & -tthl&&-ZiV '!- I CEMXBB SECTION OF THB GRANDSTAND.
a player brings off as fine a piece of head
work as that and It Is received in sllenc.
Crowd and the Umpire.
Democracy Is the rule at the ball gams,
Bugs and buggesses are the only distinc
tions madu; these are necessary, for tito
women folks now understand the gamo
quite as well as the men, despite the ap
parent belief of the Jokesmitha to the con
trary. Grandstand and bleachers are on
common ground, and have two cardinal
articles of faith'. 0ne is that the home
team is the best fh existence, at least In
the league, and the other Is that the um
pire is a robber. Some slight difference of
opinion may be allowed for In regard to
the first proposition, but none as to the
latter. If the umpire doesn't rob the home
team, he does the visitors and this makes
the rule hold good. The umpire knows
all about It when he takes the Job, for
he used to be a ball player himself, aad
knows exactly whare the umpire stands.
Consequently, when he hears the hoarse
voiced mob In the stands Informing him
of the fact that he Is a robber, together
with more or less pertient comment con
cerning his eyes, his mind, his personal
habits, his state of bodily preservation,
with some occasional remarks as to his an
cestry and his destination after this life's
fitful fever is over and ball games have
ON THB
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Uncle Sam's Letter Carriers
N no branch of ths publlo service
Is a higher degree of moral char
acter required than with tho let
ter carriers. Appointment to ths
service is based wholly upon tho
civil service examinations, which, while
not necessarily severe, require a good com
mon aohool education, knowledge of geog
raphy, mathematics, ability to decipher ad
dressee; and a fair knowledge of ths city
or town In which the applicant expects to
bo employed. Ills raring Is based upon
anything over 70 per cent and he Is then
placed upon the eligible list for appoint
ment as a substitute. With the applica
tion thera must also be an endorsement
of five reputable oltlasna, not related to
tfao applicant, and a statement tram bis
employer. Onoe appointed as a suits tit uta
or regular carrier ho must execute a surety
bond of $1,000. Tho government will not
accept a personal bond. The age limit for
oarrlera Is from eighteen to forty years,
with special exceptions in the case of civil
war and Spanish-American war veterans
Onoe placed on the eligible list the axam
Biatfcm stands good for one year. If he la
aot mads a substitute within that period
ho must bo re-examined.
From tno list of ellglbles tho stzbatttuta
OBOUP OF
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CROWD SURGING
passed for him, tie realizes that he Is earn
ing his money. Also that the fans and
bugs are getting the worth of tholr money.
Omaha crowds are less demonstrative than
in many other cities. In fact, Omaha has
a reputation for fairness that Is proverbial
among players, all of whom recognize the
fact that what Omaha people want Is to
see a ball game; they like to Bee the home
team win, but they want the ball game
first, and a visiting player gets all that
Is coming to htm In the way of applauxe.
If Hogrlever didn't get It Sunday, Clarke,
Gochnaur and Hupp did for the fine plays
they made, and that Is proverbial of
Omaha. Even on last Sunday, when Um
pire Brennan had given decision .after de
cision against Omaha, until he had for
ever destroyed any chance of the home
team's winning, the crowd was with him
at the last, when Hogrlever started one of
HIL1. IN LEFT FIELD
list Is made up. The substitute ordinarily
has to wait from one to two years for a
regular appointment. Trior to July 1, 1907,
the substitute receives a salary of $1 per
year, should he happen to not be called
to fill the place of a regular carrier.
Since July 1, he ia to receive thirty cents
per hour for time actually employed.
The substitute must report at the
postofflee each morning. In the Omaha
-poitofflce are fourteen substitutes, who
must be ready at any time to do the
work of any one of the 107 regular carriers.
Generally the substitutes take the place
of the carriers who are each allowed fif
teen days' vacation each year. Once upon
the regular list , the carrier begins work
at $600 per year, and this Is Increased after
the second year annually at $100 per year,
the maximum salary being $1,100.
The average weight of the mall carried
In the business districts of a city the size
of Omeha on each delivery Is forty
pounds, but In the winter season this may
run up, especially during holiday tiiiea,
to seventy-five pounds per man. In ths
residence districts the malls ara lighter.
Under no circumstances Is the letter ear
rler permitted to work mora than eight
hours par day. He must so time his de
k I 1 K aa .P 4 ' J
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OMAHA MAIL CARRIERS AT THEIR
ACROSS DIAMOND BETWEEN TWO
his senseless outbreaks In the closing min
utes at the game. In all Omaha's base ball
history but one umpire has been mobbed,
and that was Bauswtne, who deliberately
stole a game out on the old Miami street
grounds, back In 1890. Several times um
pires have been assaulted by players on
the Omaha grounds, but never by a home
player. And this doesn't mean that Omaha
hasn't drawn the short end of some very
bad umpiring.
As a Business Proposition.
Base, ball as a business proposition hns
assumed proportions that are not generally
understood by those who have not followed
the game closely. Aside from the two big
leagues, the National and the American,
In 1906, twenty-eight minor leagues played
through their championship schedules and
finished the season with colors flying. For
LEFT END
liveries as to complete his work during
eight hours from the time he leaves the
office until he returns. His time Is checked
as he goes out and as he comes In. He
may work less than eight hours, but he
muBt not work over that number of hours.
If he does so. It is a violation of the post
offlee regulations and he Is liable to sum
mary discharge without further notice for
disobedience of orders. This eight-hour
rule became necessary through some of
the carriers In an eastern olty turning In
claims for overtime, which became so ex
pensive that ths department resolved to
put a stop to it and limit the work of the
carriers to eight hours.
Most of the carriers walk In their deliv
eries, particularly In the business and Inner
residence districts. In the congested busi
ness districts mounted or wagon deliveries
are made. In Qmaha fourteen are mounted
carriers or deliver by wagon; two or three
deliver by horseback in the sparsely settled
auburban districts. .
Onlaha has four sub-stations. Thirteen
carriers deliver from Station A, eleven from
Station B, and six each from Stations C
and D. Ths remaining seventy-one carriers
deliver from the main office down town.
The oldest letter carrier In Omaha In
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WCNIC
GAMES.
the current year some thirty-four minor
leagues are making the race, with good
chances of all finishing. Enough Inde
pendent clubs and local organizations are
In the field to bring the general strength
of organized ball up to numbers that
would amount to fully fifty leagues of a
strength of eight clubs each. Organized
ball controls absolutely this season, for the
Independent teams are so situated that they
must have games with league teams now
and then In order to exist, and no league
team is permitted to play against a team
on which an Ineligible player Is employed,
or against an Independent team that has
played against an Ineligible player. This
Is but a single feature of the buslnss.
Last season the paid admissions to the
National league games amounted to more
than 2,750,000, and to the American league
OF THB GRANDSTAND AND PART OF
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a Carefully Chosen Force
point of service is John H. Tebblns, who
was appointed September a, 1871. Tho next
oldest in point of service is Andrew Peter
son, appointed August 18, 1877. A. J. Latey,
superintendent of carriers, has held that
office eleven years, having been appointed
superintendent In IBM. He first entered the
postofflee service in the mailing division
In 1883.
Four colored men are included In the
Omaha regular force of carriers. These
men are old-timers and are regarded as
among the most reliable of the entire foroa,
ranking well with the white carriers . In
Intelligence, honesty and efficiency. These
men make deliveries in the business dis
trict. In the twenty years past there has
been but one dismissal from the letter car
rier foroa for dishonesty, and but four for
negleot of duty, such as loitering and for
drunkenness.
All carriers are expected to wear the
regulation uniform, which they must pro
cure themselves. The pouches are furnished
by the government. Carriers ara permitted
to receive letters for registry and may
also sell stamps to patrons. They cannot
sell money orders. In the matter of de
liveries the carrier la not required to aecand
stalrwaya beyond tho second floor In build
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games almost 8.000.000 people paid. Each of
the Chicago teams had average paid at
tendance at their games of over fl.BnO. The
Washington American and Boston Na
tional, with an average of less than l,0iX,
were the lowest. The game as at present
constituted costs more money, for the ex
penses of a big team are enormous. In
most of the minor league teams the ex
penses are limited by putting a limit on
the salary list and reducing ths mileage
of each team to a minimum, but even this
requires the most careful management to
Keep the teams on a safe basis.
OmaJia Ranks High.
Omaha has always had a high rank as a
base ball town. Only onoe In Its history
has a team failed here for lack of sup
port, and that was In 108, when tho West
ern league team Installed at the grounds
on Ames avenue went down because the
people would stop at the exposition grounds
instead of going on out to the ball park.
Several times Omaha has been Included
In a league which went to the wall, but
the local team always had sufficient patron
age to keep It alive. Since the present
Western league was organised In 1900
Omaha has been one of Its mainstays. Tho
attendance here has been large, and tho
quality of ball has been uniformly high.
THE! LEFT-FIELD BLEACHERS.
ings where there are no elevators. They
are not required to deliver mall when the
people of the house are absent except
upon the written order of the patron. House
letter boxes must be absolutely safe and
secure to receive mall delivered by carrier.
The carrier Is not required to deliver mall
at the back door of a residence, but Is re
quired to dsliver It only at the most con
venient door. They do not have to deliver
mall at houses whore contagious diseases
prevail, or at houses where vicious dogs
are permitted to run at large about the
premises. In the matter of complulnts or
faultfinding, the matter Is usually adjusted
by the carrier, when his attention Is called
to It.
Every convenience and comfort Is pro
vided at the Omaha postofflee for tha
letter carriers. They have a spacious rest
room where they can lounge about when
not on duty. Lockers are provided for each,
Df the carriers, and bath rooms, with show
er baths, toilet rooms and lavatories are
providod for their special use.
The carriers aro continued in the service
as long as ths aro physically able to per
form tha work, without regard to age. No
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Some of ths best players m ths country I
havo worn tho Omaha uniform during
these years, ar.d a remarkably fine lot of '
pitchers have been sent out. Among theso
are Mordeoal Hrgwn of the Chicago Na
tionals, generally looked upon as the bet
m the country ; Jack I'ftester of the same
team, one of the bent lefthanders In tho
business; FYanit Owen of the Chicago
Americans; (lien Llehliardt rf the Clevo
land Americans. Tommy Hughes of the
Wssbtnglon Americans. and "Tank"
Brown of tho rhlladelphla Nationals.
George Stone, who led the American
lensun batters Inst season, Is sn Omaha
graduate, and many of the players whoso
names sdorn tho score sheets dally aro
from the Vinton street lot.
Prosperity and the Players.
Fnosierlty has naturally hud its effect
on the nmusements of the people, an I
the base hall business bas shared with
all ollmr lines In the general uplift. Dur
ing the last five years the professional
gamo hns been advanced to a stage be-
yond the fondest hopes of Its supporters;
salaries fur players have reached a figure
that sound fahu'ous. scmo of the highest
being aliiHist out of apparent reason.
Tet the figures are based on the value
of the player to the tram. The owner
figures that a star player will draw
enough people to the grounds to make
up for the excess on his monthly chectr.
Even an ordinary player gets enough in
his five or six months' activity on tho'
diamond to balume the earnings of a
high-priced mechanic for a year. From
$1,750 up Is about the range of pay In
the big leagues, until the $12,000 paid
to Frank Chanee, John 3. McGraw, Napo-'
leon Lajols and cne or two others of tho
leaders is reached. The bulk of tho pay'
for big league players ranges around
$3,000, which Is equivalent to $500 '
month for the time they are engaged on'
the diamond. The rest of the year they
have to thomBelvee. In the minor league
the pay Is not so high, but still It amounts, ,
to something. Back a few years a player (
who drew down $1,800 for his summer
on the ball field was a crackerjackj
nowadays he is common in tho
Clans A leagues, to which tho Western
belongs. Fifteen men to the team and) ,
a salary limit of $3,000 per month means
that these men draw an average of over i
$60 weekly for their services. Thla 11
why so many of the American yonth!
strive to become good ball players, anoV.'
It Is also one reason why the quality ct
ball has Improved. Some of tho old boya'
Insist that the game Is no faster now IhamJ
it was fifteen years ago, but the majority,'
of the fans and the players think It is.
It Is beyond testing, for obvious reasons J,
but tho Omaha team of today could very
likely make the Omaha team that wo a
the pennant In 188 look aa IX It war
standing still In a contest
-J
. Local Attendance Bta
Some outside writers, nnacquatnted wiUl
the city, seem to misunderstand tho ea-aj
thusiasm that prevails hero over tho gsme,
and make light of tho reported attradancov
at the games. In so Instance has tho nam
ber present been purposely padded; ths
truth Is enough. It Is, of course, tmpos
slbleto glvo exact figures, as tho maos,
agement prefers to keep that much of Itajj
business secret, but the round number
stated by The Bee dally are close enough
to facts for all practical purposes. Ths
photographs from whloh the Illustrations
with this article are made were taken)
last Sunday at the park, during the gamsj
between Omaha and Des Moines. Nelthef
of them shows the entire' field, but thai
crowded condition of the stands and thai
field are plainly enougn shown. Durlnet
the last winter Secretary Rourke of th
local team made an examination of th
records of the games played since tho
league waa organized, and found that
Omaha had averaged a few over 1,000 paid,
attendance for each gamo played during
the six seasons. The figures for tho press
ent year will go above that. This makes
Omaha the best ball town of Its popular
tlon In tho United States. Other teats
owners in the league realise the benefit
Omaha has been to tho league, and a&4
mlt that, no matter bow much Omaha,
may be criticised for other things, they
get the money here. The players know,
they will get fair treatment from tho
Omaha fans, and the owners know that
they will get gate receipts enough to make
their visit profitable, and that Is why,
Omaha Is tho moat popular town on thaj,
circuit.
provision Is mads by ths government for
the' retirement of letter carriers on a pen-(
slon. An effort has been made at almost
every congress during the last fifteen years,
to secure the passage of an old age peiw
slon bill for carriers.
The carriers have an organisation known)
as the National Association of Letter Car,
rlers, which is distinctively an Insurance
organization baaed very much on the order-'
of tha ordinary fraternal association. Thai
lowest lite benefit Is $000 and tha highest
$3,000, tha assessments being paid monthly)
Sick benefits are also provided which perj
mlts the payment of $1 per day during thaj
Illness of the member for a period not to
exceed thirteen weeks. The national assoJ
elation meets biennially. Thera are alscs.
state associations and local brsaMhes, al),
of which affiliate with ths national aaao
elation. Omaha haa a thrifty branob, whlobx
Is known as Omaha branch Ib. &
The delivery of "special" letters Is ta'
trusted to the special delivery esunierov
who ara not members of tha regular Isttasj
carrier foroa. These aro greneraJJQr boys!
and aro appointed without examination a
tha discretion ot tho poatmaataa,
VJVfc8 AND CHILDREN Of THS OMAHA U !Vf!AMMf&'