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Base Ball as a Pastime for Boys and a Profitable Occupation for Men
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TOE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MAY 29, 1910.
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LAY1NO for a living! Grown
men, man of families, playing
for their livelihood and lnol-
dentally playing for large com-
petenclcs for themaelves and
ibelr families! And millions of
P
H
...icn and chlldron paying millions
tr flujiuiH annually to see thee grown men
loiiip and tear over green grass and level
field playing, playing, playing! The great-
est nation of the world, from Its official
head down to the humblest urchin, crazy,
burning up with the seal of this playing
for a living! Has the nation gone mad?
Have the American people returned to
their childhood? Why are they disport-
lng themselves like bsbes, throwing away
thelr money with such prodigal abandon?
You complain of the high cost of living!
Why, then, this lavlxh waste?
Is there anything, was there ever any
thing, that held a race In such merciless,
unrelenting bondage as base ball holds the
American people? Nol Then, what Is to
be dona? Nothing, unless you tighten the
grip. May the day never come when base
ball will lose Its charm for the people of
the United States.
A less virile race would not pour such
passion Into any pastime, a less prosperous
race could not. The American people have
mad their own national game and have
made It, Ilk themselves, big and great
and (pensive, luxurious, and they will not
tolerate any narrowing of the foul lines.
They are perfectly able and more than
willing that f2S,00O,00O or $30,000,000 shall be
expended a year to keep thla game going.
What Is It that gives base ball Us grip
on the people? First It Is the most in-
te'resting game ever played, and second, it
Is the cleanest of sports. It is the most
sclentiflo and no better proof of this Is
needed than Its own . history furnishes.
Its development knows no limitation. It
will respond to the quickening Impulse of
the most Ingenious mind. It Is a game
that demands mental as well as physical
exertion. It is so fast that It will run away
from the fellow whose intellect moves
lower than his feet and bands.
First, then, Its Inherent dynamics make
base ball the greatest of games; second,
Its absolute freedom from sinister Influ
ences Increases Its popularity. There was
a day when the avaricious gambler who
never can be classed as a sport sought to
lay the blighting touch of his unclean
hands on this game, but he did not sucoeed
and since that day he has not had the
hardihood to repeat the attempt The pub
lic, the intelligent public, knows this to
be a fact and therefore reposes the most
Implicit confidence In the Integrity of the
game. Had basa ball succumbed to the
grasp of the gambler lt would not today be
extant In Its present form If at all, but In
the very nature of things it could not have
succumbed. The exigencies of the game
would not make lt easily possible. If
there was a desire among the managers
to conduct a hippodrome It would be de
feated by the multiplicity of players.
Wrestling, boxing, racing and other sports
that have suffered from the withering In
fluence of gambling and speculation and
faking axe easier to control for such pur
poses, though it must b said, for fear
of seeming to condone the stupid dishon
esty that has all but ruined these sports,
that the pillars of the institution of base
toall have, as a rule, been men of some
moral stamina.
But there are a few cynics who will re
mind us that base ball Is a highly commer
cialised game. It Is, to be sure, the highest
potency of commercialism. And the fact
that It remains the pure, unadulterated
port In spite of Its commercialisation is
the best proof of its Inherent greatness.
No other sport has proven equal to the
test. The grand old Derby fell under the
stress, prise fighting Is all but outlawed
and 'wrestling under the bane of ill-repute.
Where Is the difference between the com
mercial aspect of base ball and that of
these other sports? It Is this: Base ball is
commercialised for the purpose of adminis
tration, which is legitimate, while the other
port were commercialised for the purpose
of exploitation, which was Illegitimate. All
that need be said further to Justify the
commercialisation of base bail la that It is
Business ana ii requires money to conduct
any business.
Tb evolution of base ball Is an absorb
ing study. Go back to tha primitive game
and come on down through the gradation
of Its development and see If you are not
struck with the marvelous science. Go
back to the days when the pitcher really
pitched the ball to the batter by a slow,
underhand delivery at the side, and the
catcher stood back fifteen feet or more
and took them on the bounce and first
bounce was out for any man on the dia
mond. Gloves, masks, protectors of any
description were unknown, and scores some
times reached the 100 mark. From that we
come to the curve ball period and the tight
fitting little gloves,
the early '80 to these
From those days In
Is a far cry for base
ball, for lt marks the most radical trans
formation In the game,
Captain Anson and Comlskey were great
leaders, two of the most Ingenious men
of their dsy. and with their old Chicago
Whit Box and St. Louis Browns they did
their part toward developing base ball.
toward working out the mlnulla of the
game. They were brainy men and so were
some of their contemporaries men Ilk
John M. Ward. Buck Kwlng, Ttin Keefe.
Jim O Rourke, Mike Kelly, Arlie Latham,
Jimmy UaJvtn, Fred Dunlap scores of
them. They pulled off play that atartlod
th fans of those days and as players som
of these mn probably never yet have been
surpassed. What haa happened, than? Is
not base ball faster and butter today than
It was two dca4a and more ago? As
suredly It la. but It la th gam that has
beea developed and improved upon more
than th Individual.
Mike Kelly, with all his Intrepid and re
sourceful skill, knew nothing of som of
th Inside plays that are common In th
minor league today; he and his content-
porarie simply had not proceeded that far
In thetr education. Comlskey was the first
man to discover the proper way to play
first baa down th field ft ways and he
"Running Safe, at Fiest
wii a treat first baseman, but first bane-
man ar doing today what comlskey never
thought of doing as a player, though as a
rranager he has helped Initiate. The point
of Interest here Is that the game has been
brought up to such a scientific stage that
It plsys Itself largely as an automaton,
What progress Is yet possible may be as
great as that that has been achieved, but
another generation will have to determine
that, and that Is not saying that we have
reached the standstill stage, erther. The
game will continue to unfold Its new se-
creta and processes year by year.
With the development of base ball has
come also a higher standard of manhood
as a matter of course, as a natural conse-
quence. The game as played today Is too
fast for the sluggard or the man who dls-
slpates. The game today is only for the
swift IW Is a business that invites young
men from colleges and the best homes in
the land, that calls for the highest type
of intellectual training. Its laws are ln-
scruteble. For tne young man who will
devote his whole powers to the game It
offers due recompense In material form.
and for the man who conserves his powers
it affords long years of service. The vet-
eran, Jamas U. O'Rourke, at the close of
last season rounded out about forty-two
consecutive years on the diamond and the
old reliable Cy Young is still pitching ef-
fectlve ball at the age of 44, while George
A. Van Haltren at 62 finished his services
a year or so ago. .
Men speculate without satisfactory re-
suits as to the relative merits of the great-
est plays In tha modern game. What will
Btnke one man as the areatest mav not
so Impress another, but certainly all will
aaree that when nronerlv Htased the ninth
ball la as einttln unci in frf thriiiin
a play can well be. The pinch play is of
late origin, though some fans have tried
to date It back to Mike Kelly's time, but
this can hardly be done. Kelly stole home.
but there is a deal of difference between
stealing home and working the pinch play.
The latter Is best operated with the bases
full, two outs and two strikes and three
balls on the batter. This Is the most
critical moment any pitcher can face. Un
less he be very effective and a very cool
headed man he Is sure to lose out
This Is the ripe setting for the pinch
play. With the bases full and two strikes
and three balls on the batter the next bull
Pitched must be a ball or strik
it
ball
a run Is forced In, it a strike then the
pitcher has his only chance of salvation.
The moment the pitcher draws back his
arm to deliver this last, fatal ball every
runner on base makes a grim dash for
the next bag, the man on third tearing for
home In dead earnest He has taken a big
lead and with the .notion of the arm that
delivers the ball he goes down the path.
If the pitcher keeps his head and puts the
ball over the plate and the batter hits it
fair nothing can shut off the run, or If
the pitcher loses his head for the Instant
and throws wide to catch the runner at
the plate, or throws a ball unintentionally
the runner Is safe, for he is forced, so
there is the one chance left for the pitcher
to fan his man and retire the side.
The tension of such a situation Is trying
and lt requires a level head to get away
with lt It more often happens that the
pitcher does not prove equal to the task,
Pitchers will fight against such an emer-
gency wnen tney see u coming up as mey
would resist a catastrophe.
A not lie r very trying ordeal comes when
there Is a runner on second and first and
not more than one out, so it is expedient
for the batter to bunt. This time lt is the out well. The wit won all the tricks,
third baseman Instead of the pitcher who " 'Well, my friend,' sneered one of his
Is on the anxious seat The third base- opponents, "you won the game by that low
man is compelled to watch his base, lest lead. Yet there was no earthly reason why
the man on second steal, and at the you should have made such a lead. And
same time be must lay for that treacherous therefore you won accidentally, even idloilc-
bunt which the batter is always alert to ally. Ha, ha!'
place. If then the third baseman play up " 'I had a very good reason for leading
close for the bunt It gives the runer at the low card I did,' tha wit replied,
second an excellent chance to steal with- " 'Bosh! What was it?' his opponent de
out a hit to aid him, so by a close work- mended.
lng harmony between the man at bat and " -Weil have a bet,' said the wit. 'Sup
runner on second It Is very easy to land ner for the nartv raimiMm. and Htti
the man on third, either by a drive out
or a bunt or a bluff at either or the com-
pletlon of neither.
The hit and run play and the trick of
going from first to third on a bunt are
bits of Ingenuity, depending entirely on the
accuracy ot a batsman and the speed of a
runner, the latter Is . very seldom pulled
off In major league ball, though Jimmy
Austin used to get away with lt in the
western, uut wnetner it is tha hit and
run or the bunt game, one thing Is In-
dispensable to success and that Is fast,
intelligent base running. The team without
this can never hope to win games, and the
game without this is not an Interesting
- iinuiurt mey buildings which are now under contract columns and beams alreudy In place are
Most people imagine that base running Is Wed him. to be eTtctti over of tne termna4 of such etrength that twelve additional
entirely a matter of speed. They could "No." he admitted. ar(i have mure floor Bpace lhan any othef stories can be added, wheneer the rail
not be further rong. Borne very ordinary "'Are you a second-clss fiddler?" office building In the world; and hen ruia company io decide!,
sprinters are today and always have been "Well, no. I'm not even a second-class ultimately dwelnned . niiinn.d it -m k. The buildlnit in which the terminal arehl.
mn the star base runners. The famous
01 " ouae. iveuy. onae. tarns,
was not a very fast runner, and with tne
possible exception of the peerless Aril
Lthm 00 mln of hl tlm ""'passed him
" Das" runner- arge-he
'" f00 n ora-and was not built
for speed on the bases, yet he studied
every detail ot the game with such sci-
ntlfl precision, he had such absolute con-
fldenc in his own ability and above all
he bad the slide perfected so that he was
able to run rings around mn much faster
than himself when it cam to stealing a
bas.
But th value of speed must not be un
derestimated. It Is one ot the essentials
to th game, but It ha to be properly
governed and directed. It Is Just Ilk
steam in an engine th motive power, pro
vided there Is an experienced hand at the
throttle, but If th man in th cab knows
nothing about handling steam th steam,
Instead of being th power that runs th
train, becomes a most dangerous element,
a peril In fact. Ty Cobb is rated as the
h..t r. .... id.. v,. v..- .u.
" happy combination of extraordinary speed
i- A u-1 k i... . ...
VVUUimi H III! .UUCIIW JUUUIlll, dill IU1
r, men .. fist a. Cobb and possibly
faster who are not the base runner h Is.
Bas ball Is system personified. The
success of the game depends on team work
mora than Individual greatness. A wis
luad to plan a campaign la essential to
every victory. It la too bad that the fans
cannot see on the Inside of the game, for
If they could It would enhance their In-
terest In the game and make them less
critical. A ran Is a peculiar thing. Ma
may turn from the wildest booster to the
maddest defamer on one Utile hit or out.
Just one Instance to Illustrate the power
of the wise manager: In one game be
tween Detroit and Chicago for the world's
championship this was brought out most
effectively, but never understood by the
public, who could not see what was In
side of Frank Chance's mind. Detroit sent
Wild Bill Donovan to the box. That mo-
mcnt Chance gave tne order to his men,
"Walt It out." For the layman's sake It
might be explained that this means try
for a bare on balls. Wild Bill had vpeed
tliat seemed to be superhuman and his
curves broke with marvelous precision.
One by one Cub and Cub walked up to
the plate and walked back to the bench,
and fqr eight Innings neither side scored.
The big Sunday crowd roared and roasted
Chance and the rest of the Cubs begged
pleaded to be allowed to hit the ball,
"Walt, wait, wait," was the manager's per-
slstent order.
Chance figured that no mortal could,
maintain the speed that Donovan had for
nine innings and he watched every move-
mtnt the man made to detect tne r.rst ratnt
aign of weakening. The eighth Inning
opened with Artie Hofman at bat. The
order still was to wait. Horman waited
unttl hd two "trlkes and was forced
to hit He poked a little safety down
toward third and as he turned to see where
the bail went, urn uonovan maae one i.iue
movement of his arm that convinced
Chance he was tired. Tinker wa the next
man up. nn, v'i ji.icr now
and Tinker smashed the ball to the right
field fence for a home run. That was the
Fort Sumter shot and the general from
the bench commanded a general attack,
"Hit thn firat hall " fhanpn tnM Hlu mn
and they did until when the Inning closed
six runs were In, Detroit was beaten and
the world's contest settled there and then.
But what did the fans up in the stands
and out in the bleachers know of this
ImMa tvnrlr? Xnthlnir Ttlev MB w man
inat ..in in nrt frnm th nlt
apparenty unable to hit the ball for eight
tnnlngl tna concluded that Wild BUI had
the Cubs at hlB mercy. The one fault of
base ball Is that it cannot reveal its deep-
'est science to the world, that lt cannot
show the careful thought and planning
that goes Into every play. Of course the
real student of the game can see most of
this, but how few students there are as
compared with the fars.
A fan Is the most unreasonable of human
May Time Flowers Culled
The Beet of Ileaaous.
NRJCO CARUSO was laughing
E
over the recent Black Hand at-
tempt to extort J15.000 from him.
"I like to see my fellow
countrymen make money," said
the tunor.
I even like to see
tnt-ni make money quickly and easily. But
x tl gi-st on thelr piayng the ,farrie.
. Thcv mustn't, like a wit I know
the ruleil ot tha Kame even , JeBl
break
"This wil, in
bridge sitting at a Fifth
avenue club, led, contrary to all precedent,
a very small card. Yet this load turned
birds. Will vou bet that I hadn't a good
reason for my queer lead?'
Weil. I take the bet,' was the reply
'Now give your reason.'
" 'Well,' said the w it 'I saw your hand ' "
New York Tilbur.o.
&
HIbtU In the Third Class.
There was once a fiddler who was very
Pieclse in his statements. He wasn't much
or a nuaisr. ana he knew lt. It was not
In his nature to claim talent which he did
not possess. One night there was a dance.
Th committee couldn't get the regular
music. So they appealed to this fiddler,
He said he sure Would play for them.
a first-class fiddler?"
ndCler.
". ior B.acious saxes, wnai are you
nr ah you a imaier at an?-
'-I'm not a first-class fiddler," tald the
h"t musician. "I'm not a second-class
' -'na oarnea nign in
tho third 1 class!
They took him on. Cleveland Leader.
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T.-I u i ! J"""" T .
Kirk LaShelle met an actor andr noticed
that he w
wearing a mourning band on
his arm.
the actor explained,
"It's for my father
"I've Just come from his funeral
.o,,r. rrKi nis sympamy. The
actor's grief was obviously very real and
great. I attended to all the funeral ar-
uu?'?XI?1Ia y? Vf.rythln
Just as father would have liked It.
"Wer there many thsre?" asktd LaShell.
"Many there!" cried tho actor with pride,
"Why, my boy, we turned 'em away!"
Success Magaxlne. v
He Wn. CeanCed.
'llu. mtioK An I . . . .
- " v. u u. numerated r
wtn nA A a rL.u -....-.. . . i
, P , ""'
,n, '-"US Supervisor Juhn W. Farley's
r;ft . . . . .
"V"'?! ,eV ""V f. ow-
..iJi " l... . . ! .' Mr' "ru'y'
, census taken
-w l ..
rpeck l has, continued the old man.
I
f t
Li
LrRATTATT !T "BAT TOR A PlUCH
Hit He Delivered
Q.ODPDaQQD
beings. The other day at Vinton street
park the bases were full and Bill Schlpke
came up and bunted. In the Instant a
ilump of "home knockers" sitting well up
In the stands back of the scorer's box,
broke forth with a mast for not "hitting
cr out." But their prattle ended tne nexi
Becon(1 wnen they taw the needed run cross
the plate.
Thi. hnntin nm Is one of the greatest
featu8 of modern ba,e b lt iB resorted
to in major and minor leagues alike and
wins many games. It is used according to
in rtA inriivliti'A. In the Ns-
tonul Icgue ,fit Marquard of New York
or Jack Ffelster go Into the box ana tne
0PPln
will order the bunt
game, knowing the difficulty these pitch
ers have In handling that tantalizing hit.
In this day of scientific pitching the
popular conception Is that the man tri the
middle of the diamond Is the mainstay of
the team. .Whether the estimate be too
h'Bh or not- certain It is that a winning
team must have .a well-balanced pitching
tari. nux. 11 you are comma uuwn w ny
one Position as the sine qua non of sue-
ces,s you will have to name the catcher
Instead of the pitcher. A catcher Is the
balance wheel of any team. That Is why
the old head Is more valuable behind the
bat than the new. That Is why teams
change catchers just as little as possible,
and why they have such difficulty in get-
"Ma darter has done tole me I Uonu los'
all ma sense."
"We don't mean It that way," answered
the supervisor, laughing. "Have you been
counted by Uncle Sam?"
'"Yessah."
"When?"
"Long time ergo. Reckon It wah hefo'
de stahs fell."
"Whero were you born?"
"Middle Tennessee. I know'd Oineral
Jackson when he was MecUd president. Ma
daddy waited fo' him onct."
"How old are you?"
"Law, mlst a, I don't know. Ma whl'.e
folks say I been bo'n back somewhar in de
twenties."
"How long have you lived in Memphis?"
"Since befo' de wah."
"Got any children?"
Marvel in Railroad Terminal
HE present decade will undoubt
edly go down in New York City
history as the age of great un
dertakings. The adopted plan
for the utilisation ot the seven
T
teen city blocks that form the
vv York rntri i,mi.i i. J-.i
ably the biggest undertaking ever backed
by a single corporation!
In .rihin it h- . i..
must be kept In constant use; the railroad
station which Is now In course of erec
tion will be the biggest In the world;
It will have the moat trackage of any sta
tion In the world: the two commercial
tn, only railroad terminal in the world
which Is self-supporting. This latier faot
. Dartlcularlv striking uhon it i. r.m.m.
bered that this widespreadlng terminal Is
In the heart of the biggest city In America
and that a conservative estimate of the
property value puts the figure at $50,000 0o0.
While on the subject of dollars, It may
be well to give th total estimated cost
of thl follosal enterprise. As has been
aaldi a conservative estimate of the oroo-
,rty value Is 160,000,000. Since the rumor
ot mewe improvements has leaked out
prices for surrounding nrouertv hivn r
risen tnat s per cent might be added to
this flamr.. Th. rn.t nf -v.-., .,i .v,.
double-decked, subterranean train yards,
hni putting in the steel to carry the car
"rvlt" ,nd the ,treet tratflc' whlch crl-
crosses th yards, adds another $50,000,000.
i ne cost or the various buildings which are
ultimately to cover these seventeen blocks
of train yards some of these bu.ldlngs al-
ready In course of construc tion, some under
contract for erection, and other only ten-
tatively suggested-varles from M.000,000 to
mj.ow.uuu more.
. . . , - ....
Anoiner unique teaiuie or tuts terminal
is the fact that It Will h. tha nnlv .llnn
..... ........
ot Nfw ork. or any other American cWy.
whfre' rchitectually spe.klng. harmony
exists. There will be no clashing here of
architectural styles; In developing these
seventeen block .1 oit structural bar-
II;-"
i k -. i ii i it v
' - .... - .ar w n
JftWWl'W'T"JI 1 1 I wwwmwm ,1 i I II -ii. I . si s f
- .
GETTING BACK. TO TIKST - THE C7MT1BE CALLED
ting good catchers. For
a long time tne
New York Clients were called a one-man
team, meaning cnrisiy mainewson. ui
would Mathewson's pitching prowess have
been without a Bresnahan or a Bowerman?
Where haa It been since New Yorw loBt
these men? The catcher sees the whole
field, he has a view of everything and
every man and Is able, by a system of
signs, to direct and balance and guide the
old ship better than any other man. No
from Story- Teller's Garden
"Yessah, but Ah doan know how many, little speech he made during the presenta
1'se been married several times." tlon of a petition by a delegation whose
Finally Supervisor Farley turned him. over
ti a special enumerator. The papers were
fixed up, and as the old man started out
he hesitated at the door, turned half around,
saying to Mr. Farley.
"Got er dime?"
TocketlnK the coin, he shambled onward.
"Dis sho' am a
great country. I sho" Is
proud ob de fac' dat I has bien counted,
But de country hain t nJgh as good a
whtn Gintral Jackson lived. Not nigh as
good." Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
How Beverldge Drake In.
Indlanlans tell a story of Sejiotor Beve-
ridge's entrance into politics when he was
little more than a boy. He won the llllng
of the governor of the state by a quaint
mony Is to be maintained.
Of the entire group of buildings, which
will eventually cover this terminal, there
is one structure. This is the office building
which is designed to extend from Forty-
thrld street to Forty fifth street on Lex-
ington avenue. The northern half of this
building has bern completed and Is already
In use. The ground floor Is occupied by a
branch Dost office, having a floor SDace of
100,000 square feet. The six stories are oo-
cupled by the general executive offices ot
the New York Central railroad and Its allied
corporations. This building, as now com
pleted, Is seven storied high, but the steel
tectural development will center Is, of
course, the new Grand Central station.
This structure, covering six eitv hlncks
l be the biggest railroad station In the
world. The station, which Is now being
built Is about 130 feet high. This building
I a railroad terminal pure and simple. It
has but two floors, the express train level,
which is the upper and the suburban train
level.
Thi is the buildlna which the railroad
Is now busily constructing. Tha commu-
ter or the more distant traveler, shunter
ahnut h in h..n t.mnnr.ri-
fences, has progressed with this work. If
h i
behind one of those board
fences, and If he had
tect to point out Just w
with him sn archi-
11 Viit'is uiksl Vi hi mils!
b -m"el drover that a goodly portion
of the new station Is actually completed
In considering the progress made upon
this great enterprise, It must be remem-
btred that not only is the biggest railroad
terminal In the world being built, hut that
at the same time and on the same spot the
busiest railroad terminal In the world is
doine business. Exclusive of work ti-ilna.
. .
m.VSl trains, or 14.143 miles of trains, came
anri went Irum th. tlr.nif I'.nlrul .l.linn
...... - ' ' '
last year.
ln spite of the great handicaps, the archl-
tens believe that the station and terminal
will be completed in less thau two years.
New York Tims
. "... -a;
r" . '. ... "'-'. '
Start tor a '6 Bagger-
Ditcher, no matter how great he may be.
can do his best work without the best
catcher behind tne nat. Tne Backbone or
tha Omaha team for years has been the
old reliable John Gondlng. At times we
have had ordinary men, poor pitchers, but
Gondlng s guiding Influence has made up
for the loss.
The lack of catching material undoubedly
has always been Detroit's fatal weakness.
Whether "with a bettr catcher lt could
spokesman was Insufferably long-winded
and tedious. The man talked to the gov.
ernor nearly an hour, during which evtry
one stood. To all It seemed that lt would
never end.
Whereupon Beverldge remarked quietly:
"If you don't grant It, governor, we'll
hnve that speech repeated to you." Lippln-
cott's.
Senator Stone's Kind of Miott.
Senator Stone and Colonel John Donovan
of St. Joseph were standing at the window
of the senator's office in the senate offtcs
building as the parade of Miller Bros.' Wild
West show passed. When the Indians, In
war paint and feathers, and the frontier
scouts, tvlth their long rifles, came In sight
the senator and the colonel became as boys
again.
'I always did like shows with plenty ot
rn
shootln'," said Stone. "John, let's go." against the left field fence and was stand
Through his secretary the senator phoned lng on second bass when the third man
for seats. A
few moments later ftone
again spoke.
"John," said he,
lng picture habit.
"I've got Into the mov
There was one I saw
night a trapper, or a cowboy
or a
hunter, or somebody like that was being
chased by Injuns. All of 'em were riding
like blaxes. The Indians were shootln', and
every now and then the cowboy, or what-
ever he was, would turn and bang away
with a huge pistol, whereat an Injun would
drop, ay, it was a race! and the cowboy
got away
I always did like shows with
plenty of shootln'." Washington Post.
Taft Likes to Tell This Une,
In Illustration of the futility of any per
son's being a democrat, President Taft Is
fond of tviling this story as lt was told to
him by an Irish Judge.
A prisoner was brought before the Judge
on the charge of murder. Ho was con
victed, but the Jury recpmrnendi-d clemency
because physicians who had gone on the
stanu lesunea inai mo muruerru inmi
would not have died from the blow he had
receivtd had he not had what Is technically
known as a "paper skull," this meaning
that tne skuu was aDnormaliy mm.
The Judge pointed this out to the prisoner
and asked him If he had anything to say
to modify his punishment.
"Judge," said the convicted man, "this is
Tipperary?"
"Yes." said the Judge; "the county of
Tlpperary."
"Well, your honor," concluded (he pris-
oner, "all I can say Is 1 wish you would
tell m what business a man with a paper
skull has got In Tlpperary." Popular
Magazine.
l-
A tioott Uees.er.
u you warn an answer iony question
under Ihe sun." said Jtobert Edison, "ask
a small boy
Ild you ever hear about the
mother of a bad boy who ai-ked James
Russell Lowell to write In her autograph
album? The poet, complying, wrote the
line.
" 'What Is so rare as a day In June?'
"Calling at this womsn's house a few
days later, Lowell Idly turned the pages
of the album till he came to his own auto-
graph and saw this answer:
" 'A Chinaman withA'hlsleis.' " Youp's
Magain
Wote
Till 5 RUITNUR
have defeated the Cubs or Pirates for the
world's series or not. It certainly was un
able to win without It.
But if there is one play which above all
others caps the climax In a game of ball
lt Is wrapped up In this combination of
thrilling circumstances: It is the last half
of the ninth, the score 4 to 1 against the
home team. Two are out and the bases
full; there are two strikes on the batter.
Stop a moment and think did you ever
see such a situation? Have you ever sat
In the stands or bleachers with one leg
wrapped three times around the other, your
lower lip caught under your teeth, your
breath long ago gone and every muscle
and nerve in your body drawn to the
breaking point? Have you? Basi-a full, two
outs, two strikes, last of ninth, score 4 to I
against us!
oh, somewhere In this favored land the sun
is shlnlnff briarht: & -f '
The bands are playing somewhere and
somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and
somewhere children shout;
But there Is no joy In Mudvllle mighty
Casey has struck outl
The experience comes to few men in ft
lireiime, dui wnen u comes no man win
ever forget It It came to a crowd at
Vinton street parle one day about three or
four years ago. 'The visiting team was
ahead and old Joe Dolan at bat with two
strike and the bases full In the last halt
of the ninth. He had Just one chance to
mount up to the skies of adulation or sink;
to the depths of Ignominy In the esti
mation of the fans. It Is an awful moment
In the life of a batter as well as a pitcher.
Those who recall this incident remember
that Old Joe slammed the next ball pitched
crossed the plate. The score was I to 1
Instead of 4 to 1 and only three runs were
needed to win.
But you say this play Is purely physical,
a matter of luck. Not at all. It Involves
r.erve and Judgment and, of course, the
ability of the batter
to outguess the
pltcner. Base ball Is a constant guessing
match between pitcher and batter, any
way, but It Is not In any sense a game of
chance or luck.
Batting Is no more a matter ot guexNlng
than is fielding a hit ball. Take one of
the plays shown In the accompanying
photos. You can discern the hall hit by
the butter well on Its way to the fielder
and the fielder is well on his way to the,
ball before the runner has left the plate.
Th Mcm of fleld)ng ,., , tho alertness
of the mind to gauge and JiuUe the course
and speed of the ball. The best fielder
will "start with the crack of the bat."
That is the only pnssiblo hope he may
hnve of ever intercepting or catching the
ball.
Walt one second and It will be too
lat4
Tn. other day In St. Louis Red Fisher,
formeriy i,rt fielder for Omaha, made
ealcll whlch thB Bt. j.0uls papers pro-
nounccd one 0f the most phenomenal ever
ln ttiat C,yt and when we remember
thllt gucl, m,n ag Curtis. Welch and Jimmy
jvjcAleer hsve played ball there we can ap-
predate that this wss something of ft
CHtc;i. The papers gave a minute descrhA
tl f the catch. Fisher was playing ii
j(.rt. The moment the ball was hit he
turned like a flash and started on a dead
run towaid the fence, apparently never
inoklna- or carina hm th. hull was.
Then suddenly he wheeled to look In the
direction of the ball and then he ran back-
wardi a f,w yardi then turn(,(j ad ran
forwardi,, then face(, the ba, aa and
save one wild. hlh Ivan Imn tha air.
rM.Mn, ... h, ,,,,, fV,.
hand would go. He came down In a heap,
but he had the ball In his glove.
Luck, you say? Oh, no. Science; nothing
else. Fisher got a head on that ball th
Instant It was hit; hn kenw where lt was
going and he stsrted for the same plac,,
and when the ball arrived he was there, io
meet It. MC
Expert fielding Is the ability to JudsV
course and speed of a hit ball. Anyboo
who can play at all can catch a fly.