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L  I  B  RAR.Y 

-    OF  TH-E 
UN  IVERSITY 
OF    ILLINOIS 


HISTORICAL  8VHVE T 


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A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER 

ADRIAN    C.    ANSON 


A 

BALL  PLAYER'S 
CAREER 


BEING  THK 


ADRIAN  C.  ANSON 

Ly»TL  MANAGER  AND  CAPTAIN 
OF  THE 

CHICAGO   BASE   BALL  CLUB 


CHICAGO 

ERA  PUBLISHING  Co. 
1 900 


COPYRIGHT 

ERA  PUBLISHING  CO. 

igco 


SB 

ST 


T5 

1 


To 

MY  FATHER 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I. — MY  BIRTHPLACE  AND  ANCESTRY 7 

II. — BOYHOOD  DAYS  AT  MARSHALLTOWN 13 

III. — SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  NATIONAL  GAME 21 

IV. — FURTHER  FACTS  AND  FIGURES 29 

V. — THE  GAME  AT  MARSHALLTOWN 32 

VI. — MY  EXPERIENCE  AT  ROCKFORD 46 

VII. — WITH  THE  ATHLETICS  OF  PHILADELPHIA 54 

VIII. — SOME  MINOR  DIVERSIONS 62 

IX. — WE  BALL  PLAYERS  Go  ABROAD 69 

X. — THE  ARGONAUTS  OF  1874 78 

XI. — I  WIN  ONE  PRIZE  AND  OTHERS  FOLLOW 86 

XII. — WITH  THE  NATIONAL  LEAGUE 92 

XIII. — FROM  FOURTH  PLACE  TO  THE  CHAMPIONSHIP ico 

XIV. — THE  CHAMPIONS  OF  THE  EARLY  '8os 109 

XV. — WE  FALL  DOWN  AND  RISE  AGAIN 118 

XVI. — BALL  PLAYERS  EACH  AND  EVERY  ONE 129 

XVII. — WHILE  FORTUNE  FROWNS  AND  SMILES 136 

XVIII. — FROM  CHICAGO  TO  DENVER 144 

XIX. — FROM  DENVER  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO 153 

XX. — Two  WEEKS  IN  CALIFORNIA 161 

XXI. — WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS 171 

XXII. — FROM  HONOLULU  TO  AUSTRALIA 185 

XXIII. — WITH  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES 195 

XXIV. — BALL  PLAYING  AND  SIGHT-SEEING  IN  AUSTRALIA.  205 

XXV. — AFLOAT  ON  THE  INDIAN  SEA 215 

XXVI. — FROM  CEYLON  TO  EGYPT 224 

XXVII. — IN  THE  SHADOW  OF  THE  PYRAMIDS '. 234 

XXVIII. — UNDER  THE  BLUE  SKIES  OF  ITALY 242 

XXIX. — OUR  VISIT  TO  LA  BELLE  FRANCE 251 

XXX. — THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND  AND  IRELAND.  . . .  260 

XXXI. — "HOME,  SWEET  HOME" 273 

XXXII. — THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  BROTHERHOOD 286 

XXXIII. — MY  LAST  YEARS  ON  THE  BALL  FIELD 295 

XXXIV. — IF  THIS  BE  TREASON,  MAKE  THE  MOST  OF  IT 306 

XXXV. — How  MY  WINTERS  WERE  SPENT 315 

XXXVI. — WITH  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  THE  CUE 321 

XXXVII. — NOT  DEAD,  BUT  SLEEPING 329 

XXXVIII.— L'ENvoi    337 


A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY   BIRTHPLACE  AND   ANCESTRY. 

The  town  of  Marshalltown,  the  county  seat  of  Marshall 
County,  in  the  great  State  of  Iowa,  is  now  a  handsome  and 
flourishing  place  of  some  thirteen  or  fourteen  thousand  in- 
habitants. I  have  not  had  time  recently  to  take  the  census 
myself,  and  so  I  cannot  be  expected  to  certify  exactly  as 
to  how  many  men,  women  and  children  are  contained 
within  the  corporate  limits. 

At  the  time  that  I  first  appeared  upon  the  scene,  how- 
ever, the  town  was  in  a  decidedly  embryonic  state,  and 
outside  of  some  half-dozen  white  families  that  had  squatted 
there  it  boasted  of  no  inhabitants  save  Indians  of  the 
Pottawattamie  tribe,  whose  wigwams,  or  tepees,  were 
scattered  here  and  there  upon  the  prairie  and  along  the 
banks  of  the  river  that  then,  as  now,  was  not  navigable 
for  anything  much  larger  than  a  fiat-bottomed  scow. 

The  first  log  cabin  that  was  erected  in  Marshalltown 
was  built  by  my  father,  Henry  Anson,  who  is  still  living,  a 
hale  and  'hearty  old  man,  whose  only  trouble  seems  to  be, 
according  to  his  own  story,  that  he  is  getting  too  fleshy, 
and  that  he  finds  it  more  difficult  to  get  about  than  he 
used  to. 

He  and  his  father,  Warren  Anson,  his  grandfather, 
Jonathan  Anson,  and  his  great-grandfather,  Silas  Anson, 
were  all  born  in  Dutchess  County,  New  York,  and  were 
direct  descendants  of  one  of  two  brothers,  who  came  to 


8  A   BALL   PLAYER'S   CAREER. 

this  country  from  England  some  time  in  the  seventeenth 
century.  They  traced  their  lineage  back  to  William  An- 
son,  Esq.,  of  Lincoln's  Inn,  an  eminent  barrister  in  the 
reign  of  James  I.,  who  purchased  the  Mansion  of  Shuzs- 
borough,  in  the  county  of  Stafford,  and,- even  farther  back, 
to  Lord  Anson,  a  high  Admiral  of  the  English  navy,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  of  that  daring  band  of  sailors  who  cir- 
cumnavigated the  globe  and  helped  to  lay  the  foundation 
of  England's  present  greatness. 

I  have  said  that  we  were  direct  descendants  of  one  of 
two  brothers.  The  other  of  the  original  Ansons  I  am 
not  so  proud  of,  and  for  this  reason :  He  retained  the  fam- 
ily name  until  the  Revolutionary  war  broke  out,  when  he 
sided  with  the  King  and  became  known  as  a  Tory.  Then, 
not  wishing  to  bear  the  same  name  as  his  brother,  who 
had  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Colonists,  he  changed  his 
name  to  Austin,  and  some  of  his  descendants  my  father 
has  met  on  more  than  one  occasion  in  his  travels. 

My  mother's  maiden  name  was  Jeanette  Rice,  and  she, 
like  my  father,  was  of  English  descent,  so  you  can  see 
how  little  Swedish  blood  there  is  in  my  veins,  in  spite  of 
the  nickname  of  "the  Swede"  that  was  often  applied  to  me 
during  my  ball-playing  career,  and  which  was,  I  fancy, 
given  me  more  because  of  my  light  hair  and  ruddy  com- 
plexion than  because  of  any  Swedish  characteristics  that  I 
possessed. 

Early  in  life  my  father  emigrated  from  New  York 
State  into  the  wilds  of  Michigan,  and  later,  after  he  was 
married,  and  while  he  was  but  nineteen  years  of  age,  and 
his  wife  two  years  his  junior,  he  started  out  to  find  a  home 
in  the  West,  traveling  in  one  of  the  old-fashioned  prairie 
schooners  drawn  by  horses  and  making  his  first  stop  of 
any  account  on  the  banks  of  the  Cedar  River  in  Iowa. 
This  was  in  the  high-water  days  of  1851,  and  as  the  river 


MY   BIRTHPLACE  AND  ANCESTRY.  9 

overflowed  its  banks  and  the  waters  kept  rising  higher  and 
higher  my  father  concluded  that  it  was  hardly  a  desirable 
place  near  which  to  locate  a  home,  and  hitching  up  his 
team  he  saddled  a  horse  and  swam  the  stream,  going  on  to 
the  westward.  He  finally  homesteaded  a  tract  of  land  on 
the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Marshalltown,  which  he 
laid  out,  and  to  which  he  gave  the  name  that  it  now  bears. 
This,  for  a  time,  was  known  as  "Marshall,"  it  being  named 
after  the  town  of  Marshall  in  Michigan,  but  when  a  post- 
office  was  applied  for  it  was  discovered  that  there  was  al- 
ready a  postoffice  of  that  same  name  in  the  State,  and  so 
the  word  "town""was  added,  and  Marshalltown  it  became, 
the  names  of  Anson,  Ansontown  and  Ansonville  having 
all  been  thought  of  and  rejected.  Had  the  name  of  "An- 
sonia"  occurred  at  that  time  to  my  father's  mind,  however, 
I  do  not  think  that  either  Marshall  or  Marshalltown  would 
have  been  its  title  on  the  map. 

It  was  not  so  very  long  after  the  completion  of  my 
father's  log  cabin,  which  stood  on  what  is  now  Marshall- 
town's  main  street,  that  I,  the  first  white  child  that  was 
born  there,  came  into  the  world,  the  exact  date  of  my 
advent  being  April  i/th,  1852.  My  brother  Sturges  Ran- 
some,  who  is  two  years  my  senior,  was  born  at  the  old 
home  in  Michigan,  and  I  had  still  another  brother  Melville 
who  died  while  I  was  yet  a  small  boy,  so  at  the  time  of 
which  I  write  there  were  three  babies  in  the  house,  all  of 
them  boys,  and  I  the  youngest  and  most  troublesome  of 
the  lot. 

The  first  real  grief  that  came  into  my  life  was  the  death 
of  my  mother,  which  occurred  when  I  was  but  seven  years 
old.  I  remember  her  now  as  a  large,  fine-looking  woman, 
who  weighed  something  over  two  hundred  pounds,  and 
she  stood  about  five  feet  ten-and-a-half  inches  in  height. 
This  is  about  all  the  recollection  that  I  have  of  her. 


io        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

If  the  statements  made  by  my  father  and  by  otherof  our 
relatives  are  to  be  relied  upon,  and  I  see  no  reason  why 
they  should  not  be,  I  was  a  natural-born  kicker  from  the 
very  outset  of  my  career,  and  of  very  little  account  in  the 
world,  being  bent  upon  making  trouble  for  others.  I  had 
no  particularly  bad  traits  that  I  am  aware  of,  only  that  I 
was  possessed  of  an  instinctive  dislike  both  to  study  and 
work,  and  I  shirked  them  whenever  opportunity  offered. 

I  had  a  penchant,  too,  for  getting  into  scrapes,  and  it 
was  indeed  a  happy  time  for  my  relatives  when  a  whole  day- 
passed  without  my  being  up  to  some  mischief. 

Some  of  my  father's  people  had  arrived  on  the  scene 
before  my  mother's  death,  and,  attracting  other  settlers 
to  the  scene,  Marshalltown,  or  Marshall  as  it  was  then 
called,  was  making  rapid  strides  in  growth  and  import- 
ance. The  Pottawattomies,  always  friendly  to  the  whites, 
were  particularly  fond  of  my  father  and  I  often  remember 
seeing  both  the  bucks  and  the  squaws  at  our  cabin,  though 
I  fancy  that  they  were  not  so  fond  of  us  boys  as  they  might 
have  been,  for  we  used  to  tease  and  bother  them  at  every 
opportunity.  Johnny  Green  was  their  chief,  and  Johnny, 
in  spite  of  his  looks,  was  a  pretty  decent  sort  of  a  fellow, 
though  he  was  as  fond  of  fire-water  as  any  of  them  and  as 
Iowa  was  not  a  prohibition  State  in  those  early  days  he 
managed  now  and  then  to  get  hold  of  a  little.  "The  fights 
that  he  fought  and  the  rows  that  he  made"  were  as  a  rule 
confined  to  his  own  people. 

Speaking  of  the  Indians,  I  remember  one  little  occur- 
rence in  which  I  was  concerned  during  those  early  days 
that  impressed  itself  upon  my  memory  in  a  very  vivid  fash- 
ion, and  even  now  I  am  disposed  .to  regard  it  as  no  laugh- 
ing matter,  although  my  father  entertains  a  contrary  opin- 
ion, but  then  my  father  was  not  in  my  position,  and  that, 
ofttimes,  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world. 


MY    BIRTHPLACE  AND   ANCESTRY.  11 

The  Pottawattamies  were  to  have  a  war  dance  at  the 
little  town  of  Marietta,  some  six  or  seven  miles  up  the 
river,  and  of  course  w.e  boys  were  determined  to  be  on 
hand  and  take  part  in  the  festivities.  There  were  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  of  us  in  the  party  and  we  en-joyed  the  show 
immensely,  as  was  but  natural.  Had  we  all  been  content 
to  look  on  and  then  go  home  peacefully  there  would  have 
been  no  trouble,  but  what  boys  would  act  in  such  un- 
boyish  fashion?  Not  the  boys  of  Marshalltown,  at  any 
rate.  It  was  just  our  luck  to  run  up  against  two  drunken 
Indians  riding  on  a  single  pony,  and  someone  in  the  party, 
I  don't  know  who,  hit  the  pony  and  started  him.  to  buck- 
ing. 

Angrier  Indians  were  never  seen.  With  a  whoop  and 
a  yell  that  went  ringing  across  the  prairies  they  started 
after  us,  and  how  we  did  leg  it!  How  far  some  of  the 
others  ran  I  have  no  means  of  knowing  but  I  know  that 
I  ran  every  foot  of  the  way  back  to  Marshalltown,  nor  did 
I  stop  until  I  was  safe,  as  I  thought,  in  my  father's  house. 

My  troubles  did  not  end  there,  however,  for  along  in 
the  darkest  hours  of  the  night  I  started  from  sleep  and 
saw  those  two  Indians,  o>ne  standing  at  the  head  and  one 
at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  and  each  of  them  armed  with  a 
tomahawk.  That  they  had  come  to  kill  me  1  was  cer- 
tain, and  that  they  would  succeed  in  doing  so  seemed  to 
me  equally  sure.  I  tried  to  scream  but  I  could  not.  I  was 
as  powerless  as  a  baby.  I  finally  managed  to  move  and  as 
I  did  so  I  saw  them  vanish  through  the  open  door-way 
and  disappear  in  the  darkness. 

There  was  no  sleep  for  me  that  night,  as  you  may  im- 
agine. I  fancied  that  the  entire  Pottawattomie  tribe  had 
gathered  about  the  house  and  that  they  would  never  be 
content  until  they  had  both  killed  and  scalped  me.  I  just 
lay  there  and1  shivered  until  the  dawn  came,  and  I  do  not 


12         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

think  there  was  a  happier  boy  in  the  country  than  I  when 
the  morning  finally  broke  and  I  convinced  myself  by  the 
evidence  of  my  own  eye-sight  that  there  was  not  so  much 
as  even  a  single  Indian  about. 

As  soon  as  it  was  possible  I  told  my  father  about  my 
two  unwelcome  visitors,  but  the  old  man  only  laughed 
and  declared  that  I  had  been  dreaming.  It  was  just  pos- 
sible that  I  had,  but  I  do  not  believe  it.  I  saw  those  two 
Indians  as  they  stood  at  the  head  and  foot  of  my  bed  just 
as  plainly  as  I  ever  saw  a  base-ball,  and  I  have  had  my  eye 
on  the  ball  a  good  many  times  since  I  first  began  to  play 
the  game.  I  saw  both  their  painted  faces  and  the  toma- 
hawks that  they  held  in  their  sinewy  hands.  More  than 
that,  I  heard  them  as  well  as  saw  them  when  they  went 
out. 

That  is  the  reason  why  I  insist  that  I  was  not  dreaming. 
I  deny  the  allegation  and  defy  the  alligator! 

There  were  two  Indians  in  my  room  that  night.  What 
they  were  there  for  I  don't  know,  and  at  this  late  day  I 
don't  care,  but  they  were  there,  and  I  know  it. 

I  shall  insist  that  they  were  there  to  my  dying  day, 
and  they  were  there ! 


CHAPTER  II. 

BOYHOOD   DAYS  AND   MEMORIES. 

What's  in  a  name?  Not  much,  to  be  sure,  in  many  of 
them,  but  in  mine  a  good  deal;  for  I  represent  two  Michi- 
gan towns  and  two  Roman  Emperors,  Adrian  and  Con- 
stantine. My  father  had  evidently  not  outgrown  his  liking 
for  Michigan  when  I  came  into  the  world,  and  as  he  was 
familiar  with  both  Adrian  and  Constantine  and  had  many 
friends  in  both  places  he  concluded  to  keep  them  fresh  in 
his  memory  by  naming  me  after  them. 

I  don't  think  he  gave  much  consideration  to  the  noble 
old  Romans  at  that  time.  In  fact,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
that  he  did  not  think  of  them  at  all,  but  nevertheless 
Adrian  Constantine  I  was  christened',  and  it  was  as  Adrian 
Constantine  Anson  that  my  name  was  first  entered  upon 
the  roll  of  the  little  school  at  Marshalltown. 

I  was  then  in  my  "smart"  years,  and  what  I  didn't 
know  about  books  would  have  filled  a  very  large  library, 
and  I  hadn't  the  slightest  desire  to  know  any  more.  In 
my  youthful  mind  book-knowledge  cut  but  a  small,  a  very- 
small,  figure,  and  the  school  house  itself  was  as  bad  if  not 
worse  than  the  county  jail. 

The  idea  of  my  being  cooped  up  between  four  walls 
when  the  sunbeams  were  dancing  among  the  leaves  out- 
side and  the  bees  were  humming  among  the  blossoms, 
seemed  to  me  the  acme  of  cruelty,  and  every  day  that  I 
spent  bending  over  a  desk  represented  to  my  mind  just  so 
many  wasted  hours  and  opportunities.  I  longed  through 
all  the  weary  hours  to  be  running  out  barefoot  on  the 
„ — prairies;  to  be  playing  soak-ball,  bull  pen  or  two  old  cat, 


14         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

on  one  of  the  vacant  lots,  or  else  to  be  splashing  about  like 
a  big  Newfoundland  dog  in  the  cool  waters  of  Lynn 
Creek. 

About  that  time  my  father  had  considerable  business 
to  attend  to  in  Chicago  and  was  absent  from  home  for  days 
and  weeks  at  a  time.  You  know  the  old  adage,  "When  the 
cat's  away,"  etc.?  Well,  mouse-like,  that  was  the  time  in 
which  I  played  my  hardest.  I  played  hookey  day  after 
day,  and  though  I  was  often  punished  for  doing  so  it  had 
but  little  effect.  Run  away  from  school  I  would,  and  run 
away  from  school  I  did  until  even  the  old  man  became 
disgusted  with  the  idea  of  trying  to  make  a  scholar  of  me. 

Sport  of  any  kind,  and  particularly  sport  of  an  outdoor 
variety,  had  for  me  more  attractions  than  the  best  book 
that  was  ever  published.  The  game  of  base-ball  was  then 
in  its  infancy  and  while  it  was  being  played  to  some  ex- 
tent to  the  eastward  of  us  the  craze  had  not  as  yet  reached 
Marshalltown.  It  arrived  there  later  and  it  struck  the 
town  with  both  feet,  too,  when  it  did  come. 

"Soak  Ball"  was  at  this  time  my  favorite  sport.  It 
was  a  game  in  which  the  batter  was  put  out  while  running 
the  bases  by  being  hit  with  the  ball;  hence  the  name.  The 
ball  used  was  a  comparatively  soft  one,  yet  hard  enough  to 
hurt  when  hurled  by  a  powerful  arm,  as  many  of  the  old- 
timers  as  well  as  myself  can  testify.  It  was  a  good  exer- 
cise, however,  for  arms,  legs  and  eyes,  and  many  of  the 
ball  players  who  acquired  fame  in  the  early  seventies  can 
lay  the  fact  that  they  did  so  to  the  experience  and  training 
thatt  his  rough  game  gave  to  them. 

So  disgusted  did  my  father  finally  become  with  the 
progress  of  my  education  at  Marshalltown  that  he  deter- 
mined upon  sending  me  to  the  State  University  at  Iowa 
City.  I  was  unable  to  pass  the  examination  there  the  first 
time  that  I  tried  it,  but  later  I  succeeded  and  the  old  man 


IIKXIIY  AXSOX 
iit-r  of  Marsliallto-.'.'ii,  fowi 


BOYHOOD   DAYS  AND  MEMORIES.  15 

fondly  imagined  that  I  was  at  last  on  the  high  road  to 
wealth,  at  least  so  far  as  book-knowledge  would  carry  me. 

But,  alas,  for  his  hopes  in  that  direction!  I  was  not  a 
whit  better  as  a  student  at  Iowa  City  than  I  had  been  at 
home.  I  was  as  wild  as  a  mustang  and  as  tough  as  a  pinev 
knot,  and  the  scrapes  that  I  managed  to  get  into  were  too 
numerous  to  mention.  The  State  University  finally  be- 
came too  small  to  hold  me  and  the  University  of  Notre 
Dame  in  Indiana,  then  noted  as  being  one  of  the  strictest 
schools  in  the  country,  was  selected  as  being  the  proper 
place  for  "breaking  me  into  harness,"  providing  that  the 
said  "breaking  in"  performance  could  be  successfully  ac- 
complished anywhere. 

To  Notre  Dame  I  went  and  if  I  acquired  any  honors 
in  the  way  of  scholarships  during  the  brief  time  that  I  was 
there  I  have  never  heard  of  them.  Foot-ball,  base-ball 
and  fancy  skating  engrossed  the  most  of  my  attention,  and 
in  all  of  these  branches  of  sport  I  attained  at  least  a  col- 
lege reputation.  As  a  fancy  skater  I  excelled,  and  there 
were  few  boys  of  my  age  anywhere  in  the  country  that 
could  beat  me  in  that  line. 

The  base-ball  team  that  represented  Notre  Dame  at 
that  time  was  the  Juanitas,  and  of  this  organization  I  was 
a  member,  playing  second  base.  The  bright  particular  star 
of  this  club  was  my  brother  Sturgis,  who  played  the  center 
field  position.  Had  he  remained  in  the  business  he  would 
certainly  have  made  his  mark  in  the  profession,  but  unfor- 
tunately he  strained  his  arm  one  day  while  playing  and 
was  obliged  to  quit  the  diamond.  He  is  now  a  successful 
business  man  in  the  old  town  and  properly  thankful  that 
a  fate  that  then  seemed  most  unkind  kept  him  from  becom- 
ing a  professional  ball  player. 

Looking  back  over  my  youthful  experiences  I  marvel 
that  I  have  ever  lived  to  relate  them,  and  that  I  did  not 


16         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

receive  at  least  a  hundred  thrashings  for  every  one  that 
was  given  me.  I  know  now  that  I  fully  deserved  all  that  I 
received,  and  more,  too.  My  father  was  certainly  in  those 
days  a  most  patient  man.  I  have  recorded  the  fact  else- 
where that  I  was  as  averse  to  work  as  I  was  to  study,  and 
I  had  a  way  of  avoiding  it  at  times  that  was  peculiarly 
my  own. 

While  I  was  still  a  boy  in.  Marshalltown  and  before  I 
'had  graduated  (?)  from  either  the  State  University  or  the 
college  of  Notre  Dame,  my  father  kept  a  hotel  known  as 
the  Anson  House.  The  old  gentleman  was  at  that  time 
the  possessor  of  a.  silver  watch,  and  to  own  that  watch  was 
the  height  of  my  ambition.  Time  and  again  I  begged  him 
to  give  it  to  me,  but  he  had  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  my  im- 
portunities. 

In  the  back  yard  of  the  hotel  one  day  when  I  had  been 
begging  him  for  the  gift  harder  than  usual,  there  stood  a 
huge  pile  of  wood  that  needed  splitting,  and  looking  at 
this  he  remarked,  that  I  could  earn  the  watch  if  I  chose 
by  doing  the  task.  He  was  about  to  take  a  journey  at  the 
time  and  I  asked  him  if  he  really  meant  it.  He  replied 
that  he  did,  and  started  away. 

I  don't  think  he  had  any  more  idea  of  my  doing  the 
task  than  he  had  of  my  flying.  I  had  some  ideas  of  my 
own  on  the  subject,  however,  and  he  was  scarcely  out  of 
sight  before  I  began  to  put  them  into  execution.  The 
larder  of  the  hotel  was  well  stocked,  and  cookies  and 
doughnuts  were  as  good  a  currency  as  gold  and  silver 
among  boys  of  my  acquaintance.  This  being  the  case  it 
dawned  upon  my  mind  that  I  could  sublet  the  contract,  a 
plan  than  I  was  not  long  in  putting  into  practice. 

Many  hands  make  quick  work,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  I  had  a  little  army  of  boys  at  work  demolishing  that 
wood  pile.  The  chunks  that  were  too  big  and  hard  to  split 


BOYHOOD   DAYS  AND  MEMORIES.  17 

we  placed  on  the  bottom,  then  placed  the  split  wood  over 
them.  The  task  was  accomplished  long-  before  the  old 
gentleman's  return,  and  when  on  the  night  of  his  arrival 
I  took  him  out  and  showed  him  that  such  was  the  case  he 
looked  a  bit  astonished.  He  handed  over  the  watch, 
though,  and  for  some  days  afterwards  as  I  strutted  about 
town  with  it  in  my  pocket  I  fancied  it  was  as  big  as  the 
town  clock  and  wondered  that  everybody  that  I  met  in 
my  travels  did  not  stop  to  ask  me  the  time  of  day. 

It-  was  some  time  afterwards  that  my  father  discovered 
that  the  job  had  been  shirked  by  me,  and  paid  for  with 
the  cakes  and  cookies  taken  from  his  own  larder,  but  it  was 
then  too  late  to  say  anything  and  I  guess,  if  the  truth  were 
known,  he  chuckled  to  himself  over  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  been  outwitted. 

The  old  gentleman  seldom  became  very  angry  with 
me,  no  matter  what  sort  of  a  scrape  I  might  have  gotten 
into,  and  the  only  time  that  he  really  gave  me  a  good 
dressing  down  that  I  remember  was  when  I  had  traded 
during  his  absence  from  home  his  prize  gun  for  a  Llewel- 
,  v  lyn  setter.  When  he  returned  and  found  what  I  had  done 
he  was  as  mad  as  a  hornet,  but  quieted  down  after  I  had 
told  him  that  he  had  better  go  hunting  with  her  before 
making  so  much  fuss.  This  he  did  and  was  so  pleased  with 
the  dog's  behavior  that  he  forgave  me  for  the  trick  that  I 
had  played  him.  That  the  dog  was  worth  more  than  the 
gun,  the  sequel  proved. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Dwight  who  lived  down  in  the 
bottoms  had  given  his  boy  instructions  to  kill  a  black-and- 
lan  dog  if  he  found  it  in  the  vicinity  of  his  sheep.  The  lad, 
who  did  not  know  one  dog  from  another,  killed  the  setter 
and  then  the  old  gentleman  boiled  over  again.  He  de- 
manded pay  for  the  dog,  which  was  refused.  Then  he 
sued,  and  a  jury  awarded  him  damages  to  the  amount  of 


i8         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

two  hundred  dollars,  all  of  which  goes  to  prove  that  I  was 
even  then  a  pretty  good  judge  of  dogs,  although  I  had  not 
been  blessed  with  a  bench  show  experience. 

I  may  state  right  here  that  my  father  and  I  were  more 
like  a  couple  of  chums  at  school  together  than  like  father 
and  son.  We  fished  together,  shot  together,  played  ball 
together,  poker  together  and  I  regret  to  say  that  we  fought  /•- 
together.  In  the  early  days  I  got  rather  the  worst  of  these 
arguments,  but  late*  on  I  managed  to  hold  my  own  and 
sometimes  to  get  even  a  shade  the  better  of  it. 

The  old  gentleman  was  an  athlete  of  no  mean  ability. 
He  was  a  crack  shot,  a  good  ball  player  and  a  man  that 
could  play  a  game  of  billiards  that  in  those  days  was  re- 
garded as  something  wonderful  for  an  amateur.  My  love 
of  sport,  therefore,  came  to  me  naturally.  I  inherited  it, 
and  if  I  have  excelled  in  any  particular  branch  it  is  because 
of  my  father's  teachings.  He  was  a  square  sport,  and  one 
that  had  no  use  for  anything  that  savored  of  crookedness. 
There  was  nothing  whatever  of  the  Puritan  in  his  make- 
up, and  from  my  early  youth  he  allowed  me  to  participate 
in  any  sort  of  game  that  took  my  fancy.  He  had  no  idea 
at  that  time  of  my  ever  becoming  a  professional.  Neither 
had  I.  There  were  but  few  professional  sports  outside  of 
the  gamblers,  and  even  these  few  led  a  most  precarious  ex- 
istence. 

I  was  quite  an  expert  at  billiards  long  before  I  was  ever 
heard  of  as  a  ball  player.  There  was  a  billiard  table  in  the 
old  Anson  House  and  it  was  upon  that  that  I  practiced 
when  I  was  scarcely  large  enough  to  handle  a  cue.  It  was 
rather  a  primitive  piece  of  furniture,  but  it  answered  the 
purpose  for  which  it  had  been  designed.  It  was  one  of 
the  old  six  pocket  affairs,  with  a  bass-wood  bed  instead  of 
slate,  and  the  balls  sometimes  went  wabbling  over  it  very 
much  the  same  fashion  as  eggs  would  roll  if  pushed  about 


BOYHOOD  DAYS  AND  MEMORIES.  19 

on  a  kitchen  table  with  a  broomstick.  In  spite  of  having  to 
use  such  poor  tools  I  soon  became  quite  proficient  at  the 
game  and  many  a  poor  drummer  was  taken  into  camp  by 
the  long,  gawky  country  lad  at  Marshalltown,  whose  back- 
ers were  always  looking  about  for  a  chance  to  make  some 
easy  money. 

Next  to  base-ball,  billiards  was  at  that  time  my  favorite 
sport  and  there  was  not  an  hour  in  the  day  that  I  was  not 
willing  to  leave  anything  that  I  might  be  engaged  upon  to 
take  a  hand  in  either  one  of  these  games. 

When  it  came  to  weeding  a  garden  or  hoeing  a  field  of 
corn  I  was  not  to  be  relied  upon,  but  at  laying  out  a  ball 
ground  I  was  a  whole  team.  The  public  square  at  Mar- 
shalltown, the  land  for  which  had  been  donated  by  my 
father,  struck  me  as  being  an  ideal  place  to  play  ball  in. 
There  were  too  many  trees  growing  there,  however,  to 
make  it  available  for  the  purpose.  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  turn  it  into  a  ball  ground  in  spite  of  this,  and  shoulder- 
ing an  ax  one  fine  morning  I  started  in. 

How  long  it  took  me  to  accomplish  the  purpose  I  had 
in  view  I  have  forgotten,  but  I  know  that  I  succeeded 
finely  in  getting  the  timber  all  out  of  the  way.  It  was 
hard  work,  but  you  see  the  base-ball  fever  was  on  me  and 
that  treeless  park  for  many  a  long  day  after  was  a  spot 
that  I  took  great  pride  in. 

At  the  present  time  it  is  shaded  by  stately  elms,  while, 
almost  in  the  center  of  its  velvet  lawn,  flanked  by  cannon, 
stands  a  handsome  stone  courthouse  that  is  the  pride  of 
Marshall  County. 

Then  it  was  ankle  deep  in  meadow  grass  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  low  picket  fence  over  which  the  ball  was 
often  batted,  both  by  members  of  the  home  team  and  by 
their  visitors  from  abroad. 

Many  a  broken  window  in  Main  Street  the  Anson 


20         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

family  were  responsible  for  in  those  days,  but  as  all  the 
owners  of  stores  on  that  thoroughfare  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  grounds  were  base-ball  enthusiasts,  broken 
windows  counted  for  but  little  so  long  as  Marshalltown 
carried  off  the  honors. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  NATIONAL  GAME. 

Just  at  what  particular  time  the  base-ball  fever  be- 
came epidemic  in  Marshalltown  it  is  difficult  to  say,  for 
the  reason  that,  unfortunately,  all  of  the  records  of  the 
game  there,  together  with  the  trophies  accumulated,  were 
destroyed  by  a  fire  that  swept  the  place  in  1897,  and  that 
also  destroyed  all  of  the  files  of  the  newspapers  then  pub- 
lished there. 

The  fever  had  been  raging  in  the  East  many  years  pre- 
vious to  that  time,  however,  and  had  gradually  worked  its 
way  over  the  mountains  and  across  the  broad  prairies  until 
the  sport  had  obtained  a  foothold  in  every  little  village  and 
hamlet  in  the  land.  Before  entering  further  on  my  experi- 
ence it  may  be  well  to  give  here  and  now  a  brief  history 
of  the  game  and  its  origin. 

When  and  where  the  game  first  made  its  appearance 
is  a  matter  of  great  uncertainty,  but  the  general  opinion 
of  the  historians  seems  to  be  that  by  some  mysterious 
process  of  evolution  it  developed  from  the  boys'  game  of 
more  than  a  century  ago,  then  known  as  "one  old  cat,"  in 
which  there  was  a  pitcher,  a  catcher,  and  a  batter.  John 
M.  Ward,  a  famous  base-ball  player  in  his  day,  and  now 
a  prosperous  lawyer  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  late 
Professor  Proctor,  carried  on  a  controversy  through  the 
columns  of  the  New  York  newspapers  in  1888,  the  latter 
claiming  that  base-ball  was  taken  front  the  old  English 
game  of  "rounders,"  while  Ward  argued  that  base-ball 
was  evolved  from  the  boys'  game,  as  above  stated,  and 
was  distinctly  an  American  game,  he  plainly  proving  that 
it  had  no  connection  whatever  with  "rounders." 


22         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

The  game  of  base-ball  probably  owed  its  name  to  the 
fact  that  bases  were  uced  in  making  its  runs,  and  were 
one  of  its  prominent  features. 

There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  the  game  was  played 
in  the  United  States  as  early  at  leact  as  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century,  for  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  de- 
clared a  few  years  ago  that  base-ball  was  one  of  the  sports 
of  his  college  days,  and  the  autocrat  of  the  breakfast  table 
graduated  at  Harvard  in  1829.  Along  in  1842  a  number 
of  gentlemen,  residents  of  New  York  City,  were  in  the 
habit  of  playing  the  game  as  a  means  of  exercise  on  the 
vacant  lot  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  Avenue  and  Twenty- 
sixth  Street,  where  Madison  Square  Garden  now  stands. 
In  1845  tney  formed  themselves  into  a  permanent  organi- 
zation known  as  the  Knickerbocker  Club,  and  drew  up  the 

v/\ 

first  code  of  playing  rules  of  the  game,  which  were  very 
simple  as  compared  with  the  complex  rules  which  govern 
the  game  of  the  present  time,  and  which  are  certainly 
changed  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  one  busy  in  keeping 
track  of  them. 

The  grounds  of  this  parent  organization  were  soon 
transferred  to  the  Elysian  Fields,  at  Hoboken,  N.  J., 
where  the  Knickerbockers  played  their  first  match  game 
on  June  iQth,  1846,  their  opponents  not  being  an  organ- 
ized club,  but  merely  a  party  of  gentlemen  who>  played 
together  frequently,  and  styled  themselves  the  New  York 
Club.  The  New  Yorks  won  easily  in  four  innings,  the 
game  in  those  days  being  won  by  the  club  first  making 
twenty-one  runs  on  even  innings.  The  Knickerbockers 
played  at  Hoboken  for  many  years,  passing  out  of  exist- 
ence only  in  1882.  In  1853  the  Olympic  Club  of  Philadel- 
phia was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  playing  town-ball, 
a  game  which  had  some  slight  resemblance  to  base-ball. 
The  Olympic  Club,  however,  did  not  adopt  the  game  of 


SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  NATIONAL  GAME.    23 

base-ball  until  1860,  and  consequently  cannot  claim  prior- 
ity over  the  Knickerbockers,  although  it  was  one  of  the 
oldest  ball -play  ing  organizations  in  existence,  and  was 
disbanded  only  a  few  years  ago. 

In  New  England  a  game  of  base-ball  known  by  the 
distinctive  title  of  "The  New  England  game"  was  in  vogue 
about  fifty  years  ago.  It  was  played  with  a  small,  light 
ball,  which  was  thrown  over-hand  to  the  bat,  and  was 
different  from  the  "New  York  game"  as  practiced  by  the 
Knickerbockers,  Gotham,  Eagle,  and  Empire  Clubs  of 
that  city.  The  first  regularly  organized  club  in  Massa- 
chusetts playing  the  present  style  of  base-ball  was  the 
Olympic  Club  of  Boston,  which  was  established  in  1854, 
and  in  the  following  year  participated  in  the  first  match 
game  played  in  that  locality,  its  opponents  being  the  Elm 
Tree  team.  The  first  match  games  in  Philadelphia,  San 
Francisco  and  Washington  were  played  in  1860.  For 
several  years  the  Knickerbocker  Club  was  alone  in  the 
field,  but  after  a  while  similar  clubs  began  to  organize, 
while  in  1857  an  association  was  formed  which  the  fol- 
lowing year  developed  into  the  National  Association. 

The  series  of  rules  prepared  by  a  committee  of  the  prin- 
cipal clubs  of  New  York  City  governed  all  games  prior  to 
1857,  but  on  January  22d,  1857,  a  convention  of  clubs  was 
held  at  which  a  new  code  of  rules  was  enacted.  On  March 
loth,  1858,  delegates  from  twenty-five  clubs  of  New  York 
and  Brooklyn  met  and  organized  the  National  Association 
/V —  'of  Base-ball  Players,  which  for  thirteen  successive  sea- 
sons annually  revised  the  playing  rules,  and  decided  all 
disputes  arising  in  base-ball. 

The  first  series  of  contests  for  the  championship  took 
place  during  1858  and  1859.  At  that  time  the  Elysian 
Fields,  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  were  the  great  center  of  base-ball 


24         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

playing,  and  here  the  Knickerbockers,  Eagle,  Gotham  and 
Empire  Clubs  of  New  York  City  ruled  supreme. 

A  rival  sprung  up,  however,  in  the  Atlantic  Club  of 
Brooklyn,  and  its  success  led  to  the  arrangement  of  a 
series  of  games  between  selected  nines  of  the  New  York 
and  Brooklyn  Clubs  in  1858.  In  these  encounters  New 
York  proved  victorious,  winning  the  first  and  third  games 
by  the  respective  scores  of  22  to  18,  and  29  to  18,  while 
Brooklyn  won  the  second  contest  by  29  to  8.  In  October, 
1861,  another  contest  took  place  between  the  representa- 
tive nines  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn  for  the  silver  ball 
presented  by  the  New  York  Clipper,  and  Brooklyn  easily 
won  by  a  score  of  18  to  6.  The  Civil  war  materially  affect- 
ed the  progress  of  the  game  in  1861,  '62  and  '63  and  but 
fittle  base-ball  was  played,  many  wielders  of  the  bat  having 
laid  aside  the  ash  to  shoulder  the  musket. 

The  Atlantic  and  Eckford  Clubs  of  Brooklyn  were  the 
chief  contestants  for  the  championship  in  1862,  the  Eck- 
fords  then  wresting  the  championship  away  from  the  At- 
lantics,  and  retaining  it  also  during  the  succeeding  season, 
when  they  were  credited  with  an  unbroken,  succession  of 
victories.  The  champion  nine  of  the  Eckford  Club  in 
1863  were  Sprague,  pitcher;  Beach,  catcher;  Roach,  Wood 
and  Duffy  on  the  bases;  Devyr,  shortstop;  and  Manolt, 
Swandell  and  Josh  Snyder  in  the  outfield. 

The  championship  reverted  back  to  the  Atlantics  in 
1864,  and  they  held  the  nominal  title  until  near  the  close  of 
1867,  their  chief  competitors  being  the  Athletics,  of  Phila-. 
delphia  and  the  Mutuals  of  New  York  City. 

The  Athletics  held  the  nominal  championship  longer 
than  any  other  club,  and  also  claims  the  credit  of  not  be- 
ing defeated  in  any  game  played  during  1864  and  1865, 
the  feat  of  going  through  two  successive  seasons  without 
a  defeat  being  unprecedented  at  that  time  in  base-ball  his- 


SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  NATIONAL  GAME.    25 

tory.  The  Eckfords  of  Brooklyn,  however,  went  through 
the  season  of  1863  without  losing  a  game,  and  the  Cin- 
cinnati Reds,  under  the  management  of  the  late  Harry 
Wright,  accomplished  a  similar  feat  in  1869,  the  latter  at 
the  time  meeting  all  of  the  best  teams  in  the  country,  both 
East  and  West. 

The  Atlantic's  champion  nine  in  1864  and  1865  were 
Pratt,  pitcher;  Pearce,  catcher;  Stark,  Crane  and  C.  Smith, 
on  the  bases;  Galvin,  shortstop;  and  Chapman,  P.  O'Brien 
and  S.  Smith  in  the  outfield.  Frank  Norton  caught  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  season  and  Pearce  played  shortstop. 

The  Athletics  in  1866  played  all  of  the  strongest  clubs 
in  the  country  and  were  only  twice  defeated,  once  by  the 
Atlantics  of  Brooklyn,  and  once  by  the  Unions  of  Mor- 
risania.  The  first  game  between  the  Atlantics  and  Athlet- 
ics for  the  championship  took  place  October  ist,  1866,  in 
Philadelphia,  the  number  of  people  present  inside  and 
outside  the  inclosed  grounds  being  estimated  as  high  as 
30,000,  it  being  the  largest  attendance  known  at  the  base- 
ball game  up  to  that  time.  Inside  the  inclosure  the  crowd 
was  immense,  and  packed  so  close  there  was  no  room  for 
the  players  to  field.  An  attempt  was  made,  however,  to 
play  the  game,  but  one  inning  was  sufficient  to  show  that 
it  was  impossible,  and  after  a  vain  attempt  to  clear  the 
field  both  parties  reluctantly  consented  to  a  postponement. 

The  postponed  game  was  played  October  22d,  in  Phil- 
adelphia. 

The  price  of  tickets  was  placed  at  one  dollar  and  up- 
wards, and  two  thousand  people  paid  the  "steep"  price  of 
admission,  the  highest  ever  charged  for  mere  admission  to 
the  grounds,  while  five  or  six  thousand  more  witnessed  the 
game  from  the  surrounding  embankment.  Rain  and  dark- 
ness obliged  the  umpire  to  call  the  game  at  the  end  of  the 
second  inning,  the  victory  remaining  with  the  Athletics,  by 


26         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  decisive  totals  of  31  to  12.  A  dispute  about  the  gate 
money  prevented  the  playing  of  the  decisive  game  of  the 
season. 

The  Unions  of  Morrisiana,  by  defeating  the  Atlantics 
in  two  out  of  three  games  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season  of 
1867,  became  entitled  to  the  nominal  championship,  which 
during  the  next  two  seasons  was  shifted  back  and  forth 
between  the  leading  clubs  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn. 
The  Athletics  in  1868,  and  the  Cincinnatis  in  1869,  had, 
however,  the  best  records  of  their  respective  seasons,  and 
were  generally  acknowledged  as  the  virtual  champions. 

The  Athletics  of  Philadelphia  in  1866  had  McBride, 
pitcher;  Dockney,  catcher;  Berkenstock,  Reach  and  Pike 
on  the  bases;  Wilkins,  shortstop;  and  Sensenderfer,  Fisler 
and  Kleinfelder  in  the  outfield.  Their  nine  presented  few 
changes  during  the  next  two  seasons,  Dockney,  Berken- 
stock and  Pike  giving  way  to  Radeliff,  Cuthbert  and 
Berry  in  1867,  and  Schafer  taking  Kleinfelder's  place  in 
1868. 

The  Cincinnati  nine  in  1869  were  Brainard,  pitcher; 
Allison,  catcher;  Gould,  Sweasy '  and  Waterman  on  the 
bases;  George  Wright,  shortstop,  and  Leonard,  Harry 
Wright  and  McVey  in  the  outfield. 

In  1868  the  late  Frank  Queen,  proprietor  and  editor  of 
the  New  York  Clipper,  offered  a  series  of  prizes  to  be  con- 
tested for  by  the  leading  clubs  of  the  country,  a  gold  ball 
being  offered  for  the  champion  club,  and  a  gold  badge  to 
the  player  in  each  position,  from  catcher  to  right  field,  who 
had  the  best  batting  average.  The  official  award  gave  the 
majority  of  the  prizes  to  the  Athletic  club.  McBride,  Rad- 
eliff, Fisler,  Reach  and  Sensenderfer,  having  excelled  in 
their  respective  positions  of  pitcher,  catcher,  first  base, 
second  base,  and  center  field.  Waterman,  Hatfield  and 
Johnson,  of  the  Cincinnatis,  excelled  in  the  positions  of 


SOME  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  NATIONAL  GAME.    27 

third  base,  left  field  and  right  field,  and  George  Wright  of 
the  Unions,  of  Morrisiania  as  shortstop.  The  gold  ball 
was  also  officially  awarded  to  the  Athletics  as  the  emblem 
of  championship  for  the  season  of  1868. 

The  Atlantics  of  Brooklyn  were  virtually  the  cham- 
pions of  1870,  being  the  first  club  to  deprive  the  Cincin- 
nati Reds  of  the  prestige  of  invincibility  which  had  marked 
their  career  during  the  preceding  season.  The  inaugural 
contest  between  these  clubs  in  1870  took  place  June  I4th 
on  the  Capitoline  grounds  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  the  At- 
lantics then  winning  by  a  score  of  8  to  7  after  an  exciting 
struggle  of  eleven  innings.  The  return  game  was  played 
September  2d,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  resulted  in  a  de- 
cisive victory  for  the  Reds,  by  a  score  of  14  to  3. 

This  necessitated  a  third  or  decisive  game,  which  was 
played  in  Philadelphia  October  6th,  and  this  the  Atlantics 
won  by  a  score  of  1 1  to  7. 

The  Atlantics  in  that  year  had  Zettlein,  pitcher;  Fergu- 
son, catcher;  Start,  Pike  and  Smith  on  the  bases;  Pearce, 
shortstop,  and  Chapman,  Hall  and  McDonald  on  the  out- 
field. 

The  newspapers  throughout  the  country  had  by  this 
time  begun  to  pay  unusual  attention  to  the  game,  and  the 
craze  was  'spreading  like  wildfire  all  over  the  country, 
every  little  country  town  boasting  of  its  nine,  and  as  these 
were  for  the  greater  part  made  up  of  home  players,  local 
feeling  ran  high,  and  the  doings  of  "our  team"  furnished 
the  chief  subject  of  conversation  at  the  corner  grocery,  and 
wherever  else  the  citizens  were  wont  to  congregate. 

With  the  advent  of  the  professional  player  the  game  in 
the  larger  towns  took  on  a  new  lease  of  life,  but  in  the 
smaller  places  where  they  could  not  afford  the  expense 
necessary  to  the  keeping  of  a  first-class  team  it  ceased  to 


28         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

be  the  main  attraction  and  interest  was  centered  in  the 
doings  of  the  teams  of  the  larger  places. 

That  the  professional  player  improved  the  game  itself 
goes  without  saying  as  being  a  business  with  him  instead 
of  a  pastime,  and  one  upon  which  his  daily  bread  depended, 
he  went  into  it  with  his  whole  soul,  developing  its  beauties 
in  a  way  that  was  impossible  to  the  amateur  who  could 
only  give  to  it  the  time  that  he  could  spare  after  the  busi- 
ness hours  of  the  day. 

This  was  the  situation  at  the  time  that  I  first  entered 
the  base-ball  arena,  and,  looking  back,  when  I  come  to 
compare  the  games  of  those  days  with  the  games  of  to-day 
and  note  the  many  changes  that  have  taken  place,  I  cannot 
but  marvel  at  the  improvement  made  and  at  the  interest 
that  the  game  has  everywhere  excited. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FURTHER   FACTS  AND   FIGURES. 

The  professional  player  of  those  early  days  and  the  pro- 
fessional player  of  the  present  time  were  totally  different 
personages.  When  professionalism  first  crept  into  the 
ranks  it  was  generally  the  custom  to  import  from  abroad 
some  player  who  had  made  a  name  for  himself,  playing 
some  certain  position,  and  furnish  him  with  a  business 
situation  so  that  his  services  might  be  called  for  when 
needed,  and  so  strong  was  the  local  pride  taken  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  team  that  business  men  were  not  averse  to  fur- 
nishing such  a  man  with  a  position  when  they  were  in- 
formed that  it  would  be  for  the  good  of  the  home  organiza- 
tion. 

Prior  to  the  year  1868  the  professional  was,  compara- 
tively speaking,  an  unknown  quantity  on  the  ball  field, 
though  it  may  be  set  dow7n  here  as  a  fact  that  on  more 
than  one  occasion  previous  to  that  time  "the  laborer  had 
been  found  worthy  of  his  hire,"  even  in  base-ball,  though 
that  matter  had  been  kept  a  secret  as  far  as  possible,  even 
in  the  home  circle. 

Up  to  the  year  mentioned  the  rules  of  the  National  As- 
sociation had  prohibited  the  employment  of  any  paid 
player  in  a  club  nine,  but  at  that  time  so  strong  had  the 
rivalry  become  between  the  leading  clubs  of  the  principal 
cities  that  the  practice  of  compensating  players  had  be- 
come more  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance 
and  the  law  was  practically  a  dead  letter  so  far  as  these 
clubs  were  concerned. 

The  growth  of  the  professional  class  of  players,  and  the 


30         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

consequent  inequality  in  strength  between  these  and  the 
amateur  players  made  a  distinction  necessary  and  in  1871 
the  National  Association  split  up,  the  professional  clubs 
forming  an  association  of  their  own. 

The  first  series  of  championship  games  under  a  regular 
official  code  of  rules  was  then  established,  and  since  then 
the  contests  for  the  professional  championship  have  been 
the  events  of  each  season's  play. 

The  first  convention  of  delegates  from  avowedly  pro- 
fessional clubs  was  held  March  i/th,  1871,  in  New  York 
City,  and  a  code  of  rules  were  then  adopted,  the  principal 
clause  being  the  one  suggested  by  the  Athletic  Club  of 
Philadelphia,  to  the  effect  that  the  championship  should 
belong  to  the  club  which  won  the  greatest  number  of 
games  in  a  series  of  five  with  every  other  contesting  club. 

The  professional  Association  thus  organized  consisted 
of  the  following  clubs :  Athletics  of  Philadelphia,  Boston, 
Chicago,  Forest  Citys  of  Cleveland,  Forest  Citys  of  Rock- 
ford,  Haymakers  of  Troy,  Kekiongas  of  Fort  Wayne,  Mu- 
tuals  of  New  York  City,  and  Olympics  of  Washington. 
The  Eckford  Club  of  Brooklyn  entered  the  Association 
about  the  middle  of  the  season,  but  its  games  were  not 
counted.  The  Kekiongas  disbanded  in  July,  but  their 
games  were  thrown  out. 

That  season  marked  my  advent  on  the  diamond  as  a 
professional,  I  being  a  member  of  the  Forest  Citys  of 
Rockford;  so  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  I  was  among  the 
first  of  the  men  in  America  who  made  of  base-ball  play- 
ing a  business. 

The  additions  to  the  Association  in  1872  were  the  At- 
lantic and  Eckford  of  Brooklyn,  Baltimore,  National  of 
Washington,  and  Mansfield  of  Middletown,  Conn.,  the 
last  mentioned,  however,  disbanding  before  the  close  of 
the  championship  season.  The  Forest  Citys  of  Rockford 


FURTHER   FACTS  AND    FIGURES.  31 

did  not  enter  the  arena  that  year,  but  I  was  "still  in  the 
ring,"  having  transferred  my  services  to  the  Athletics  of 
Philadelphia,  where  I  remained  until  the  formation  of  the 
•'-  National  League  in  1876. 

In  1875  tne  Athletics  had  a  rival  in  the  new  Philadel- 
phia club;  the  Maryland  of  Baltimore  and  the  Resolute  of 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  also  entering  the  championship  arena. 
The  Forest  City  of  Cleveland  and  the  Eckford  of  Brooklyn 
dropped  out  after  1872,  and  the  two  Washington  clubs 
were  consolidated.  The  Chicago  club,  which  had  been 
broken  up  by  the  great  fire  of  1871  and  had  been  out  of 
existence  in  1872  and  1873,  again  entered  the  Association 
in  1874,  when  Hartford  was  for  the  first  time  represented 
by  a  professional  club.  The  Washington,  Resolute  and 
the  Maryland  Clubs  were  not  members  of  the  Association 
in  that  year. 

Thirteen  professional  clubs  competed  for  the  cham- 
pionship in  1875,  the  St.  Louis  team  being  the  only  one  of 
the  new  entries  that  did  not  disband  before  the  season 
closed.  This  was  the  last  season  of  the  Professional  Asso- 
ciation, it  being  superseded  by  the  National  League,  an 
organization  which  still  exists,  though  it  lacks  the  brains 
and  power  that  carried  it  on  to  success  in  its  earlier  days, 
this  being  notably  the  case  in  Chicago  and  New  York, 
where  the  clubs  representing  these  cities  have  gone  down 
the  toboggan  slide  with  lightning-like  rapidity. 

In  this  connection  the  names  of  the  teams  winning  the 
Professional  Association  championships,  together  with 
the  players  composing  them  are  given: 

1871.  Athletic,  McBride,  pitcher;  Malone,  catcher; 
Fisler,  Reach  and  Meyerle  on  the  bases;  Radcliffe,  short- 
stop ;  Cuthbert,  Senserderfer  and  Heubel  in  the  outfield, 
and  Bechtel  and  Pratt,  substitutes. 

1872.  Boston,  Spalding,  pitcher;  McVey,  catcher; 


32         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Gould,  Barnes  and  Schafer  on  the  bases;  George  Wright, 
shortstop;  Leonard,  Harry  Wright  and  Rogers  in  the  out- 
field; and  Birdsall  and  Ryan,  substitutes. 

1873.  Boston,  Spalding,  pitcher;  Jas.  White,  catcher; 
Jas.  O'Rourke,  Barnes  and  Schafer  on  the  bases;  George 
Wright,  shortstop;  Leonard,  Harry  Wright  and  Manning 
in  the  outfield;  and  Birdsall  and  Sweasey,  substitutes. 
Addy  took  Manning's  place  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season. 

1874.  Boston,   Spalding,  pitcher;   McVey,  catcher; 
White,  Barnes  and  Schafer  on  the  bases;  George  Wright, 
shortstop;  Leonard,  Hall  and  Jas.  O'Rourke  in-  the  out- 
field; and  Harry  Wright  and  Beal,  substitutes. 

1875.  Boston,  Spalding,  pitcher;  Jas.  White,  catcher; 
McVey,  Barnes  and  Schafer  on  the  Bases;  George  Wright, 
shortstop;  Leonard,  Jas.  O'Rourke  and  Manning  in  the 
outfield,  and  Harry  Wright  and  Beal,  substitutes.    Heifert 
and  Latham  each  played  first  base  during  part  of  the  sea- 
son. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  Boston  Club  held  the 
championship  in  those  early  days  for  four  successive  sea- 
sons, and  playing  against  them  as  I  did  I  can  bear  witness 
to  their  strength  and  skill  as  ball  players. 

Many  of  the  men,  who  like  myself  were  among  the  first 
to  enter  the  professional  ranks  in  those  days,  have 
achieved  distinction  in  the  business  world,  the  notables 
among  them  being  A.  G.  Spalding,  now  head  of  the  largest 
sporting  goods  house  in  the  world,  with  headquarters  in 
Chicago ;  George  Wright,  who  is  the  head  of  a  similar  es- 
tablishment at  Boston,  and  Al  Reach,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  same  line  of  business  at  Philadelphia,  while  others, 
not  so  successful,  have  managed  to  earn  a  living  outside  of 
the  arena,  and  others  still,  have  crossed  "the  great  divide" 
leaving  behind  them  little  save  a  memory  and  a  name. 

In  those  early  days  of  the  game  the  rules  required  a 


FURTHER  FACTS  AND   FIGURES.  33 

straight  arm  delivery,  and  the  old-time  pitchers  found  it  a 
difficult  matter  to  obtain  speed  save  by  means  of  an  under- 

^.  hand  throw  or  jerk  of  the  ball.  Creighton,  of  the  Excel- 
siors of  Brooklyn,  however,  with  his  unusually  swift  pitch- 
ing puzzled  nearly  all  of  the  opposing  teams  as  early  as 
1860.  Sprague  developed  great  speed,  according  to  the 
early  chroniclers  of  the  game,  while  with  the  Eckford 
Club  of  the  same  city  in  1863,  and  Tom  Pratt  and  McBride 
of  the  Athletics  were  also  among  the  first  of  the  old-time 
pitchers  to  attain  speed  in  their  delivery.  About  1865, 
Martin  pitched  a  slow  and  deceptive  drop  ball,  it  being  a 
style  of  delivery  peculiarly  his  own,  and  one  I  have  never 
seen  used  by  any  one  else,  though  Cunningham  of  Louis- 
ville uses  it  to  a  certain  extent. 

The  greatest  change  ever  made  in  the  National  Game 
was  the  introduction  of  what  is  known  as  curve  pitching, 
followed  as  it  was  several  seasons  afterwards  by  the  re- 
moval of  all  restrictions  on  the  method  of  delivering  the 
ball  to  the  batter.  Arthur,  known  under  the  sobriquet 
of  "Candy,"  Cummings  of  Brooklyn  is  generally  conceded 

.  to  have  been  the  first  to  introduce  curve  pitching,  which 
he  did  about  1867  or  1868.  Mount,  the  pitcher  of  the 
Princeton  College  and  Avery  of  Yale  are  accredited  with 
using  the  curve  about  1875,  but  Mathews  of  the  New 
York  Mutuals  and  Nolan  of  the  Indianapolis  team  were 
among  the  first  of  the  professional  pitchers,  after  Cum- 
mings, to  become  proficient  in  its  use,  which  was  generally 
adopted  in  1877,  and  to  the  skill  acquired  by  both  of  these 
men  in  handling  of  the  ball  I  can  testify  by  personal  ex- 
perience, having  had  to  face  them,  bat  in  hand,  on  more 
than  one  occasion. 

Many  people,  including  prominent  scientists,  were  for 
a  long  time  loth  to  believe  that  a  ball  could  be  curved  in 


34         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  air,  but  they  were  soon  satisfied  by  practical  tests,  pub- 
licly made,  as  to  the  truth  of  the  matter. 

With  the  doing  away  with  the  restrictions  that  gov- 
erned the  methods  of  the  pitcher's  delivery  of  the  ball  and 
the  introduction  of  the  curve  the  running  up  of  large 
scores  in  the  game  became  an  impossibility,  and  the  bats- 
man was  placed  at  a  decided  disadvantage. 

Reading  over  the  scores  of  some  of  those  old-time 
games  in  the  present  day  one  becomes  lost  in  wonder 
when  he  thinks  of  the  amount  of  foot-racing,  both  around 
the  bases  and  chasing  the  ball,  that  was  indulged  in  by 
those  players  of  a  past  generation.  Here  are  some  sample 
performances  taken  from  a  history  of  base-ball,  com- 
piled by  Al  Wright  of  New  York  and  published  in  the 
Clipper  Annual  of  1891,  which  go  to  illustrate  the  point 
in  question. 

The  largest  number  of  runs  ever  made  by  a  club  in  a 
game  was  by  the  Niagara  Club  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  June 
8th,  1869,  when  they  defeated  the  Columbias  of  that  city 
by  the  remarkable  score  of  209  to  10,  two  of  the  Niagaras 
scoring  twenty-five  runs  each,  and  the  least  number  of 
runs  scored  by  any  one  batsman  amounted  to  twenty. 
Fifty-eight  runs  were  made  in  the  eighth  inning  and  only 
three  hours  were  occupied  in  amassing  this  mammoth 
total.  Just  think  of  it!  Such  a  performance  as  that  in 
these  days  would  be  a  sheer  impossibility,  and  that  such 
is  the  case  the  base-ball  players  should  be  devoutly  thank- 
ful, and,  mind  you,  this  performance  was  made  by  an 
amateur  team  and  not  by  a  team  of  professionals. 

One  hundred  runs  and  upward  have  been  scored  in  a 
game  no  less  than  twenty-five  times,  the  Athletics  of  Phil- 
adelphia accomplishing  this  feat  nine  times  in  1865  and 
1866,  and  altogether  being  credited  with  scores  of  162, 
131,  119,  118,  114,  114,  no,  107,  106,  104,  101,  and  101. 


FURTHER  FACTS  AND  FIGURES.  35 

On  October  2oth,  1865,  the  Athletics  defeated  the  Will- 
iamsport  Club  by  101  to  8  in  the  morning,  and  the  Alerts 
of  Danville,  Pa.,  by  162  to  n  in  the  afternoon.  Al  Reach 
in  these  two  games  alone  scored  thirty-four  runs. 

It  strikes  me  that  the  ball  players  of  those  days  earned 
their  salaries  even  if  they  did  not  get  them,  nc  matter 
what  other  folks  may  think  about  it 

In  1867,  a  game  was  played  in  which  the  losers  made 
91  runs  and  the  winning  club  123,  of  which  51  were  made 
in  the  last  inning.  The  Chicagos  defeated  the  Memphis 
team  May  i3th,  1870,  by  a  score  of  157  to  i,  and  the  For- 
est City  Club  of  Cleveland  four  days  later  beat  a  local  team 
132  to  i,  only  five  innings  being  played.  The  Forest  Citys 
made  in  these  five  innings  no  fewer  than  101  safe  hits, 
with  a  total  of  180  bases,  this  being  an  unequalled  record. 
The  Unions  of  Morrisiania  were  credited  with  100  safe 
hits  in  a  nine-inning  game  in  1866. 

The  largest  score  on  record  by  professional  clubs  was 
made  by  the  Atlantics  of  Brooklyn  and  the  Athletics  of 
Philadelphia  July  5th,  1869,  when  the  former  won  by  51 
to  48.  Fifteen  thousand  people  paid  admission  to  the 
Capitoline  Grounds,  Brooklyn,  where  the  game  was 
played,  and  the  Atlantics  made  six  home  runs  and  the 
Athletics  three  during  its  progress.  The  greatest  num- 
ber of  runs  in  an  inning  in  a  first-class  game  was  scored 
by  the  Atlantics  of  Brooklyn  in  a  match  with  the  New 
York  Mutuals,  October  i6th,  1861,  when  they  scored  26 
runs  in  their  third  inning.  George  Wright  umpired  a 
game  between  amateur  clubs  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  in 
1867,  in  which  the  winners  made  68  runs  in  an  inning,  the 
largest  total  ever  made. 

The  most  one-sided  contest  between  first  class  clubs 
was  that  between  the  Mutuals  and  Chicagos  June  I4th, 
1874,  when  the  former  won  by  38  to  i,  the  Chicagos  mak- 


36         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ing  only  two  safe  hits.  The  greatest  number  of  home  runs 
in  any  one  game  was  credited  to  the  Athktics  of  Philadel- 
phia, September  3Oth,  1865,  when  they  made  twenty-five 
against  the  National  Club  of  Jersey  City,  Reach,  Klein- 
fclder  and  Potter  each  having  five  home  rum  to  their 
credit  en  this  occasion.  The  same  club  was  credited  with 
nineteen  home  runs  May  Qth,  1866,  while  playing  an  ama- 
teur club  at  New  Castle,  Delaware.  Harry  Wright,  while 
playing  with  the  Cincinnatis  against  the  Holt  Club  June 
22d,  1867,  at  Newport,  Ky.,  made  seven  home  runs,  the 
largest  number  ever  scored  by  any  individual  player  in  a 
game,  though  "Lip"  Pike  followed  closely,  he  making  six 
home  runs,  five  in  succession,  for  the  Athletics  against  the 
Alerts,  July  i6th,  1866,  in  Philadelphia. 

These  were,  as  a  matter  of  course,  exceptional  perform- 
ances, and  ones  that  would  be  impossible  in  these  days  of 
great  speed  and  curve  pitching,  but  serve  to  show  that 
there  were  ball  players,  and  good  ones,  even  in  those  days 
when  the  National  Game  was  as  yet,  comparatively  speak- 
ing, in  its  infancy,  and  the  National  League,  of  the  forma- 
tion and  progress  of  which  I  will  speak  later  on  as  yet 
unheard  of. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  greater  number  of 
these  old-time  games  were  not  played  upon  enclosed 
grounds  and  that  the  batter  in  many  cases  had  no  fences 
to  prevent  him  from  lining  them  out,  while  the  pitcher  was 
so  hampered  by  rules  and  regulations  as  to  give  the  bats- 
man every  advantage,  while  now  it  is  the  pitcher  that 
enjoys  a  wide  latitude  and  the  batsman  who  is  hampered. 

It  was  a  much  easier  matter  to  hit  the  old  underhand 
delivery,  with  its  straight  ball,  and  to  send  the  pigskin 
screaming  through  the  air  and  over  a  low  picket  fence, 
than  to  hit  the  swift  curved  ball  of  to-day  and  lift  it  over 
the  high  board  fences  that  surround  the  professional 
grounds,  as  any  old-time  player  can  testify. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   GAME   AT   MARSHALLTOWN. 

If  my  memory  serves  me  rightly  it  was  some  time  in 
the  year  1866  that  the  Marshalitown  Base-Ball  Club,  of 
which  my  father  was  a  prominent  member,  sprung  into 
existence,  and  among-  the  men  who  made  up  the  team  at 
that  time  were  many  who  have  since  become  prominent  in 
the  history  not  only  of  Marshalitown  but  of  Marshall 
County  as  well,  among  them  being  Captain  Shaw,  Eminett 
Green,  A.  B.  Cooper,  S.  R.  Anson  and  >the  old  gentleman 
himself,  it  being  owing  to  my  father's  exertions  that  Mar- 
shalitown acquired  the  county  seat,  and  he  has  since 
served  the  town  as  both  Mayor  and  Councilman  and  seen 
it  grow  from  a  single  log  cabin  to  a  prosperous  city. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  this  team  base-ball  had 
been  played  there  in  a  desultory  fashion  for  some  time, 
but  with  its  formation  the  fever  broke  out  in  its  most 
virulent  form,  and  it  was  not  many  weeks  before  the  entire 
town  had  gone  base-ball  crazy,  the  fever  seemingly  at- 
tacking everybody  in  the  place  save  the  baby  in  arms, 
which  doubtless  escaped  merely  because  of  its  extreme 
youth  and  lack  of  understanding. 

In  the  absence  of  any  records  relating  to  those  early 
days  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  say  just  who  the  Marshall- 
town  team  beat  and  who  it  did  not,  but  I  do  know  that 
long  before  I  became  a  member  of  it  and  while  I  was  still 
.  playing  with  the  second  nine,  which  went  by  the  name  of 
/v  the  "Stars,"  the  team  enjoyed  a  ball-playing  reputation 
second  to  none  in  the  State  and  the  doings  of  "our  team" 


38         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

every  week  occupied  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  columns 
of  the  local  papers,  the  editors  of  which  might  have  been 
seen  enjoying  the  sport  and  occupying  a  front  seat  on  the 
grass  at  every  game,  with  note  book  in  hand  recording 
each  and  every  play  in  long-hand,  for  the  score  book 
which  has  since  made  matters  so  easy  for  the  game's 
chroniclers  had  not  then  been  perfected  and  the  club's 
official  scorer  kept  a  record  of  the  tallies  made  by  means 
of  notches  cut  with  his  jack-knife  in  a  stick  provided  for 
the  occasion. 

Prior  to  June,  1867,  the  Marshalltown  team  had  ac- 
quired for  itself  a  reputation  that  extended  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  State,  and  at  Waterloo,  where 
a  tournament  was  given,  they  had  beaten  everything  that 
came  against  them.  In  a  tournament  given  at  Belle  Plaine 
in  either  that  year  or  the  next  they  put  in  an  appearance 
to  contest  for  a  silk  flag  given  by  the  ladies  of  that  town, 
but  so  great  was  the  respect  that  they  inspired  that  the 
other  visiting  clubs  refused  to  play  against  them  unless 
they  were  given  the  odds  of  six  put-outs  as  against  the 
regular  three.  This  was  handicapping  with  a  vengeance, 
but  even  at  these  odds  the  Marshalltown  aggregation  was 
too  much  for  its  competitors  and  the  flag  was  brought 
home  in  triumph,  where,  as  may  be  imagined,  a  great  re- 
ception awaited  the  players,  the  whole  town  turning  out 
en  masse  to  do  them  honor. 

There  was  nothing  too  good  for  the  ball  players  of 
those  days  and  they  were  made  much  of  wherever  they 
chose  to  go.  A  card  of  invitation  that  recently  came  into 
my  possession  and  that  illustrates  this  fact,  reads  as  fol- 
lows: 


THE  GAME  AT  MARSHALLTOWN.  39 


Empire  Base  Bali 


jfourteffanrt  Latly  are  cordially  inriled  to  attend  a  Social  forty  al  Lincoln  Ball, 
on  Thurtday  Evening,  June  27,  iS'if,  giren  tinder  the  autpicet  of  the 
Empire  Sate  Salt  Club  of  Waterloo,  complimentary  to 
their  guttlt,  the  Marihalltoten  S.  S.  C. 

CQRISUTTEE  OF  AR  R  ANGEME.NTS. 

C.  A.  Eberhart,  J.  W.  Cr«oker.  Charles  Ku.tUn, 

T.  Vuii  ,  U.  A.  C«bb.  F.  Switzsr. 

FtQQft  WA.NAGER.$. 

Q.  C.  Wilier.  H.  R.  Crltteodtn. 


Supper  terred  at  ff  o'clock,  at  the  Central  fioute  brealrfatt  room.      Carriayet  in 
attendance  at  S  o  'clock. 


While  this  aggregation  of  home  talent  was  busily  en- 
gaged in  acquiring  fame  but  not  fortune  let  no  one  think 
for  a  moment  that  I  was  overlooking  my  opportunities, 
even  though  I  were  only  a  member  of  the  second  nine.  On 
the  contrary,  I  was  practicing  early  and  late,  and  if  I  had 
any  great  ambition  it  was  to  play  in  the  first  nine,  and 
with  this  end  in  view  I  neglected  even  my  meals  in  order 
that  I  might  become  worthy  of  the  honor. 

My  father  was  as  enthusiastic  over  the  game  as  I  was 
myself  and  during  the  long  summer  seasons  the  moment 
that  we  had  swallowed  our  supper,  or,  rather,  bolted  it,  he 
and  I  would  betake  ourselves  to  the  ball  grounds,  where 
we  would  practice  until  the  gathering  darkness  put  a  stop 
to  our  playing. 

My  brother  Sturgis,  who  was  also  a  member  of  the 
team,  was  not  so  enthusiastic  over  base-ball  as  were  my 
father  and  myself,  and  he  would  finish  his  supper  in  a 
leisurely  fashion  before  following  us  to  the  grounds.  He 
was  far  above  the  average  as  a  player,  however,  and  ex- 
celled both  as  a  thrower  and  a  batsman.  I  have  seen  him 
on  more  than  one  occasion  throw  a  ball  a  distance  of  from 
125  to  130  yards,  and  in  a  game  that  was  played  at  Omaha, 


40         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Neb.,  he  is  credited  with  making  the  longest  hit  ever  seen 
there,  the  old-timers  declaring  that  he  knocked  the  ball 
out  of  sight,  which  must  be  true,  because  nobody  was 
ever  able  to  find  it. 

It  was  some  time  after  the  tournaments  at  Belle  Plaine 
and  Waterloo  before  I  was  promoted  to  the  dignity  of  a 
first-niner,  and  then  it  was  due  to  the  solicitation  of  my 
father,  wrho  declared  that  I  played  as  good  ball  as  anybody 
in  the  team,  even  if  I  was  "only  a  kid." 

If  ever  there  was  a  proud  youngster  I  was  one  at  that 
particular  time,  and  I  think  I  justified  the  old  gentleman's 
good  opinion  of  me  by  playing  fairly  good  ball,  at  least 
many  of  my  friends  were  good  enough  to  tell  me  so. 

With  my  father  playing  third  base,  my  brother  playing 
center  field  and  myself  playing  second  base  the  Anson 
family  was  pretty  well  represented  on  that  old  Marshall- , 
town  nine,  and  as  the  team  held  the  State  championship 
for  several  years  the  Anson  trio  must  at  least  have  done 
their  share  of  the  playing. 

It  was  while  I  was  away  at  Notre  Dame  that  misfor- 
tune came  to  Marshalltown.  The  Des  Moines  Club  chal- 
lenged for  the  flag  and  the  home  team  accepted  the  defy. 
The  Des  Moines  organization  was  then  one  of  the  strong- 
est in  the  State.  The  game  was  played  at  Marshalltown, 
and  to  the  horror  and  astonishment  of  the  good  people  of 
that  town,  who  had  come  to  look  upon  their  club  as  in- 
vincible, Des  Moines  won,  and  when  they  went  back  to 
the  State  capital  they  took  the  emblem  of  the  champion- 
ship with  them. 

This  emblem  I  determined  the  town  should  have  back, 
and  immediately  upon  my  return  from  the  Indiana  Col- 
lege I  organized  a  nine  and  challenged  for  the  trophy. 
That  team  was  made  up  as  follows: 

Kenny   Williams,   pitcher;   Emmett   Green,  catcher; 


THE   GAME  AT  MARSHALLTOWN.  41 

A.  B.  Cooper,  A.  C.  Anson  and  Henry  Anson  on  the 
bases;  Pete  Hoskins,  shortstop;  Sam  Sager,  Sturgis  An>- 
son  and  Milton  Ellis  in  the  outfield;  A.  J.  Cooper,  substi- 
tute. 

We  had  the  best  wishes  of  the  town  with  us  when  we 
departed  for  Des  Moines  and  were  accompanied  by  quite 
a  delegation  of  the  townspeople  who  were  prepared  to 
wager  to  some  extent  on  our  success.  The  game  was 
played  in  the  presence  of  a  big  crowd  and  when  we  came 
back  to  Marshalltown  the  flag  came  with  us  and  there  it 
remained  until,  with  the  other  trophies  that  the  club  had 
accumulated,  it  went  up  in  smoke. 

The  night  of  our  return  'there  was  "a  hot  time  in  the 
old  town,"  and  had  there  been  any  keys  to  the  city  I  am 
pretty  certain  that  we  would  have  been  presented  with 
them. 

The  fame  of  the  Forest  City  Club  of  Rockford,  one  of 
the  first  professional  clubs  to  be  organized  in  the  West, 
had  been  blown  across  the  prairies  until  it  reached  Mar- 
shalltown, so  when  they  came  through  Iowa  on  an  exhi- 
bition tour  after  the  close  of  their  regular  season  we  ar- 
ranged for  a  game  with  them.  They  had  been  winning 
ail  along  the  line  by  scores  that  mounted  up  all  the  way 
from  30  to  loo  to  i,  and  while  we  did  not  expect  to  beat 
them,  yet  we  did  expect  to  give  them  a  better  run  than 
they  had  yet  had  for  their  money  since  the  close  of  the 
professional  season. 

The  announcement  of  the  Rockford  Club's  visit  natur- 
ally excited  an  intense  amount  of  interest  all  through  that 
section  of  the  country  and  when  the  day  set  for  the  game 
arrived  the  town  was  crowded  with  visitors  from  all  parts 
of  the  State.  Accompanying  the  Forest  Citys  was  a  large 
delegation  of  Chicago  sporting  men,  who  had  come  pre- 
pared to  wager  their  money  that  the  Marshalltown  aggrc- 


42        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

gation  would  be  beaten  by  a  score  varying  all  the  way 
from  8  to  20  to  I,  and  they  found  a  good  many  takers 
among  the  townspeople  who  had  seen  us  play  and  who 
had  a  lot  of  confidence  in  our  ability  to  hold  the  visitor's 
score  down  to  a  low  figure. 

Upon  the  result  of  the  game  A.  G.  Spalding,  who  was 
the  pitcher  for  the  Forest  Citys,  alleges  that  my  father 
wagered  a  cow,  but  this  the  old  gentleman  indignantly  de- 
nies, and  he  further  declares  that  not  a  single  wager  of 
any  sort  was  made  by  any  member  of  the  team. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  one  thing  is  certain,  and  that  is  that 
the  game  was  witnessed  by  one  of  the  largest  crowds  that 
had  ever  gathered  around  a  ball  ground  in  Marshalltown, 
and  we  felt  that  we  had  every  reason  to  feel  elated  when 
at  the  end  of  the  ninth  inning  the  score  stood  at  18  to  3 
in  their  favor. 

So  disgusted  were  the  visitors  and  their  followers  over 
the  showing  that  we  had  made  in  spite  of  their  best  en- 
deavors that  they  at  once  proceeded  to  arrange  another 
game  for  the  next  day,  cancelling  another  date  ahead  in 
order  to  do  so. 

Speaking  of  this  second  game  my  father  says:  "The 
rules  of  the  game  at  that  time  made  the  playing  of  a  'Ryan 
dead  ball'  compulsory,  and  this  it  was  the  province  of  the 
home  club  to  furnish,  and  this  was  the  sort  of  a  ball  that 
was  played  with  the  first  day.  To  bat  such  a  ball  as  this 
to  any  great  distance  was  impossible  and  our  fielders 
were  placed  well  in  for  the  second  game,  just  as  they  had 
been  in  the  first,  but  we  soon  discovered  that  the  balls  were 
going  far  beyond  us,  and  on  noting  their  positions  when 
our  turn  to  bat  came  we  found  their  fielders  placed  much 
further  out  than  on  the  day  before.  My  first  impression 
was  that  the  great  flights  taken  by  the  ball  were  due  to  the 
tremendous  batting,  but  later  on  I  became  convinced  that 


THE  GAME  AT  MARSHALLTOWN.  43 

there  was  something  wrong  with  the  ball,  and  called  for 
time  to  investigate  the  matter. 

"On  questioning  our  unsophisticated  management  I 
discovered  that  the  visitors  had  generously  (?)  offered  to 
furnish  the  ball  for  the  second  game,  as  we  had  furnished 
the  ball  for  the  first,  and  had  been  allowed  to  do  so.  We 
later  learned  that  they  had  skinned  the  liveliest  kind  of  a 
'Bounding  Rock'  and  re-covered  it  with  a  'Ryan  Dead 
Ball'  cover.  This  enabled  them  to  get  ahead  at  the  start, 
but  after  we  had  learned  of  the  deception  we  held  them 
down  so  close  that  they  won  back  but  a  very  small  share 
of  the  money  that  they  had  lost  on  the  game  of  the  day 
before,  though  they  beat  us  by  a  score  of  35  to  5. 

"Let  me  say  right  here,  too,  that  the  visitors  had  their 
own  umpire  with  them,  and  he  was  allowed  to  umpire  the 
game.  He  let  Al  Spalding  do  about  as  he  pleased,  and 
pitch  as  many  balls  as  he  wished  without  calling  them, 
and  once  when  I  was  at  the  bat  and  he  could  not  induce 
me  to  hit  at  the  wild  ones  that  he  was  sending  in  he  fired  a 
vicious  one  straight  in  my  direction,  when,  becoming  ir- 
ritated in  my  turn,  I  dropped  the  bat  and  walked  out  in 
his  direction  with  a  view  of  administering  a  little  proper 
punishment  to  the  frisky  gentleman.  He  discovered  what 
was  coming,  however,  and  meekly  crawled  back,  piteously 
begging  pardon  and  declaring  it  all  a  mistake.  There  was 
one  result  of  the  game,  however,  which  was  that  when 
the  Rockford  people  were  organizing  a  professional  nine 
they  wrote  to  Marshalltown  and  tried  to  secure  the  whole 
Anson  family,  and  Adrian,  who  was  still  only  a  boy,  was 
allowed  to  sign  with  them,  I  retaining  his  older  brother  at 
home  to  aid  me  in  my  business." 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  old  gentleman  is  mis- 
taken in  the  substitution  of  a  "Bounding  Rock"  for  a 
"Ryan  Dead  Ball"  in  that  game,  although  I  do  remember 


44         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

that  the  stitching-  was  different  from  anything  that  we  had 
ever  seen  before,  and  it  may  be  that  we  were  fooled  as  he 
has  stated.  If  so  the  trick  was  certainly  a  clever  one. 

That  same  fall  Sager  and  Haskins  were  engaged  by  the 
Rockford  team,  and  I  have  always  thought  that  it  was  due 
to  the  representations  made  by  them  that  I  was  engaged 
to  play  with  the  Forest  Citys  the  following  season.  I 
signed  with  them  for  a  salary  of  sixty-six  dollars  a  month, 
which  was  then  considered  a  fairly  good  salary  for  a  ball 
player,  and  especially  one  who  was  only  eighteen  years 
old  and  a  green  country  lad  at  that. 

All  that  winter  Sager  and  I  practiced  as  best  we  could 
in  the  loft  of  my  father's  barn  and  I  worked  as  hard  as  I 
knew  how  in  order  to  become  proficient  in  the  ball-play- 
ing art. 

Before  saying  farewell  to  Marshalltown  and  its  ball 
players  let  me  relate  a  most  ludicrous  incident  that  took 
place  there  some  time  before  my  departure.  A  feeling  of 
most  intense  rivalry  in  the  base-ball  line  existed  between 
Des  Moines  and  Clinton,  Iowa,  and  one  time  when  the 
former  had  a  match  on  with  the  latter  I  received  an  offer 
of  fifty  dollars  from  the  Clinton  team  to  go  on  there  and 
play  with  them  in  a  single  game. 

Now  fifty  dollars  at  that  time  was  more  money  than  I 
had  ever  had  at  any  one  time  in  my  life,  and  so  without 
consulting  any  one  I  determined  to  accept  the  offer.  I 
knew  that  I  would  be  compelled  to  disguise  myself  in  or- 
der to  escape  recognition  either  by  members  of  the  Des 
Moines  team  or  by  some  of  the  spectators,  and  this  I  pro- 
ceeded to  do  by  dying  my  hair,  staining  my  skin,  etc. 

I  did  not  think  that  my  own  father  could  recognize  me, 
when  I  completed  my  preparations  and  started  to  the 
depot  to  take  the  train  for  Des  Moines,  but  that  was  where 
I  made  a  mistake.  The  old  gentleman  ran  against  me  on 


THE   GAME  AT   MARSHALLTOWN.  45 

the  platform,  penetrated  my  disguise  at  once  and  asked  me 
where  I  was  going.  I  told  him,  and  then  he  remarked 
that  I  should  do  no  such  thing,  and  he  started  me  back 
home  in  a  hurry.  When  he  got  there  he  gave  me  a  lec- 
ture, told  me  that  such  a  proceeding  on  my  part  was  not 
honest  and  would  ruin  my  reputation.  In  fact,  he  made 
me  thoroughly  ashamed  of  myself.  The  team  from  Clin- 
ton had  to  get  along  without  my  services,  but  I  shall 
never  forget  what  a  time  I  had  in  getting  the  dye  out  of  my 
hair  and  the  stain  from  my  skin. 

That  fifty  dollars  that  I  didn't  get  bothered  me,  too,  for 
a  long  time  afterwards.  I  am  glad  now,  however,  that 
the  old  gentleman  prevented  me  getting  it.  Dishonesty 
does  not  pay  in  base-ball  any  better'  than  it  does  in  any 
other  business,  and  that  I  learned  the  lesson  early  in  life 
is  a  part  of  my  good  fortune. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MY  EXPERIENCE  AT  ROCKFORD. 

I  can  remember  almost  as  well  as  if  it  were  but  yester- 
day my  first  experience  as  a  ball  player  at  Rockford.  It 
was  early  in  the  spring,  and  so  cold  that  a  winter  over- 
coat was  comfortable.  I  had  been  there  but  a  day  or  two 
when  I  received  orders  from  the  management  to  report 
one  afternoon  at  the  ball  grounds  for  practice.  It  was 
a  day  better  fitted  for  telling  stories  around  a  blazing  fire 
than  for  playing  ball,  but  orders  were  orders,  and  I  obeyed 
them.  I  soon  found  that  it  was  to  test  my  qualities  as  a 
batsman  that  I  had  been  ordered  to  report.  A  bleak 
March  wind  blew  across  the  enclosure,  and  as  I  doffed 
my  coat  and  took  my  stand  at  the  plate  I  shivered  as 
though  suffering  from  the  ague.  This  was  partially  from 
the  effects  of  the  cold  and  partially  from  the  effects  of 
what  actors  call  strage  fright,  and  I  do  not  mind  saying 
right  now  that  the  latter  had  more  than  the  former  to  do 
with  it.  You  must  remember  that  I  was  "a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land,"  a  "kid"  both  as  to  years  and  experience, 
with  a  knowledge  that  my  future  very  largely  depended 
upon  the  showing  that  I  might  make. 

Facing  me  was  "Cherokee  Fisher,"  one  of  the  swiftest 
of  the  old-time  underhand  pitchers,  a  man  that  I  had  heard 
a  great  deal  about,  but  whom  I  had  never  before  seen, 
while  watching  my  every  move  from  the  stand  were  the 
directors  of  the  team,  conspicuous  among  them  being 
Hiram  Waldo,  whose  judgment  in  base-ball  matters  was 
at  that  time  second  to  do  man's  in  the  West,  and  a  man 
that  I  have  always  been  proud  to  call  my  friend. 


FlKST  PUOFESSIOXAI,  TEAM  THAT  AjVSOX  BELOXGKIJ  TO 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AT  ROCKFORD.  47 

I  can  remember  now  that  I  had  spent  some  consider- 
able time  in  selecting  a  bat  and  that  I  was  wondering 
in  my  own  mind  whether  I  should  be  able  to  hit  the  ball 
or  not.  Finally  Fisher  began  sending  them  in  with  all 
the  speed  for  which  he  was  noted.  I  let  a  couple  go  by 
and  then  I  slammed  one  out  in  the  right  field,  and  with 
that  first  hit  my  confidence  came  back  to  me.  From  that 
time  on  I  batted  Fisher  successfully,  but  the  most  of  my 
hits  were  to  the  right  field,  owing  to  the  fact  that  I  could 
not  at  that  time  successfully  gauge  his  delivery,  which 
was  much  swifter  than  anything  that  I  had  ever  been  up 
against. 

In  after  years  a  hit  to  right  field  was  considered  "the 
proper  caper,"  and  the  man  who  could  line  a  ball  out  in 
that  direction  at  the  proper  time  was  looked  upon  as  a 
most  successful  batsman.  It  was  to  their  ability  in  that 
line  of  hitting  that  the  Bostons  for  many  years  owed  their 
success  in  winning  the  championship,  though  it  took 
some  time  for  their  rivals  in  the  base-ball  arena  to  catch 
on  to  that  fact. 

After  that  time  I  was  informed  by  Mr.  Waldo  that  I 
was  "all  right,"  and  as  you  may  imagine  this  assurance 
coming  from  his  lips  was  a  most  welcome  one,  as  it  meant 
at  that  time  a  great  deal  to  me,  a  fact  that,  young  as  I  was, 
I  thoroughly  appreciated. 

The  make-up  of  the  Rockford  Club  that  season  was 
as  follows:  Hastings,  catcher;  Fisher,  pitcher;  Fulmer, 
shortstop  ;  Mack,  first  base ;  Addy,  second  base  ;  Anson, 
third  base;  Ham,  left  fielder;  Bird  center  fielder;  and 
Stires,  right  fielder;  Mayer,  substitute. 

This  was  a  fairly  strong  organization  for  those  days, 
and  especially  so  when  the  fact  is  taken  into  considera- 
tion that  Rockford  was  but  a  little  country  town  then  and 
the  smallest  place  in  size  of  any  in  the  country  that  sup- 


48         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ported  a  professional  league  team,  and  that  the  venture 
was  never  a  paying  one  is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at.  To 
be  sure,  it  was  a  good  base-ball  town  of  its  size,  but  it  was 
not  large  enough  to  support  an  expensive  team,  and  for 
that  reason  it  dropped  out  of  the  arena  after  the  season 
of  1871  was  over,  it  being  unable  to  hold  its  players  at 
the  salaries  that  it  could  then  afford  to  pay. 

There  were  several  changes  in  the  make-up  of  the 
team  before  the  season  was  over,  but  the  names  of  the 
players  as  I  have  given  them  were  those  whose  averages 
were  turned  in  by  the  Official  Scorer  of  the  league  at  the 
end  of  the  season,  they  having  all,  with  one  exception, 
played  in  twenty-five  games,  that  exception  being  Fulmer, 
who  participated  in  but  sixteen.  I  led  the  team  that  sea- 
son both  in  batting  and  fielding,  as  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing table,  a  table  by  the  way  that  is  hardly  as  complete 
as  the  tables  of  these  latter  days : 

Average  first  Average  Average 

Players.              Games,  base  hits,  put  out.  assisted. 

Anson,  3d  b 25  1.64            2.27  3.66 

Mack,  ist  b 25  1.20           n.  0.44 

Addy,  2d  b 25  1.20             2.72  3.33 

Fisher,  p 25  1.20             1.16  1.88 

Stires,  r.  f 25  1.20             1.27  0.33 

Hastings,  c 25  1.12            3.33  0.83 

Ham,  1.  f 25  i.oo             1.50  0.55 

Bird,  c.  f 25  i.oo             1.66  o.ii 

Fulmer,  s.  s 16  i.oo            2.35  3.57 

These  averages,  in  my  estimation,  are  hardly  to  be  re- 
lied upon,  as  changes  in  the  personnel  of  the  team  were 
often  made  without  due  notice  being  given,  while  the 
system  of  scoring  was  faulty  and  not  near  so  perfect  as  at 
the  present  writing.  This  was  not  the  fault  of  their  com- 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AT  ROCKFORD.  49 

piler,  however  who  was  obliged  to  take  the  figures  given 
him  by  the  club  scorer,  a  man  more  or  less  incompetent, 
as  the  case  might  be. 

Before  the  regular  season  began  my  time  at  Rockford 
was  mostly  spent  in  practice,  so  that  I  was  in  fairly  good 
shape  when  the  day  arrived  for  me  to  make  my  profes- 
sional debut  on  the  diamond.  My  first  game  was  played 
on  the  home  grounds  the  Rockford  team  having  for  its 
opponent  the  Forest  City  Club  of  Cleveland.  Ohio,  a  fairly 
strong  organization  and  one  that  that  season  finished 
fourth  on  the  list  for  championship  honors,  the  Athletics 
of  Philadelphia  carrying  off  the  prize. 

I  had  looked  forward  to  this  game  with  fear  and  mis- 
givings, and  my  feelings  were  by  no  means  improved 
when  I  was  informed  that  owing  to  the  non-arrival  of 
Scott  Hastings,  the  regular  catcher,  I  was  expected  to 
fill  that  responsible  position,  one  to  which  I  was  a  com- 
parative stranger.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  make 
the  best  of  the  situation,  however,  and  this  I  did,  though 
I  can  truthfully  say  that  for  the  first  five  innings  I  was 
as  nervous  as  a  kitten. 

We  were  beaten  that  day  by  a  score  of  12  to  4,  and 
though  I  had  a  few  passed  balls  to  my  credit,  yet  on  the 
whole  I  believe  that,  everything  considered,  I  played  a 
fairly  good  game ;  at  least  I  have  been  told  so  by  those 
who  were  in  a  better  position  to  judge  than  I  was. 

With  that  first  game  my  nervousness  all  passed  away, 
and  I  settled  down  to  play  a  steady  game,  which  I  did 
all  through  the  season.  As  I  have  said,  however,  the 
Rockford  team  was  not  a  strong  one,  and  of  the  thirty- 
two  record  games  in  which  we  engaged  we  won  but  thir- 
teen, our  winning  scores  being  as  follows:  May  I7th,  at 
Rockford,  Rockford  15,  Olympics  of  Washington  12; 
May  23,  at  Fort  Wayne,  Rockford  17,  Kekionga  13  ;  June 


50         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

5th,  at  Philadelphia,  Rockford  n,  Athletic  10;  June  I5th, 
at  Philadelphia,  Rockford  10,  Athletics  7;  July  5th,  at 
Rockford,  Rockford  29,  Chicago  14;  July  3ist,  at  Rock- 
ford,  Rockford  18,  Mutual  5 ;  August  3d,  at  Rockford, 
Rockford  4,  Kekionga  o  (forfeited) ;  August  7th,  at  Chi- 
cago, Rockford  16,  Chicago  7;  August  8th,  at  Chicago, 
Rockford  12,  Cleveland  5 ;  September  ist,  at  Brooklyn, 
Rockford  39,  Athletics  5 ;  September  2d,  at  Brooklyn, 
Rockford  14,  Eckford  9 ;  September  5th,  at  Troy,  Rock- 
ford  15,  Haymakers  5;  September  i6th,  at  Cleveland, 
Rockford  19,  Cleveland  12. 

In  the  final  revision  many  of  these  games  were  thrown 
out  for  one  reason  and  another,  so  that  in  the  official 
guides  for  that  year  the  Rockford  Club  is  credited  with 
only  six  games  won  and  is  given  the  last  position  in  the 
championship  race,  several  of  the  games  with  the  Ath- 
letics being  among  those  declared  forfeited. 

I  learned  more  of  the  world  that  season  with  the  Rock- 
fords  than  I  had  ever  known  before.  Prior  to  that  time 
my  travels  had  been  confined  to  the  trips  away  to  school 
and  to  some  of  the  towns  adjacent  to  Marshalltown,  and 
outside  of  these  I  knew  but  little.  With  the  Rockford 
team,  however,  I  traveled  all  over  the  East  and  West  and 
learned  more  regarding  the  country  I  lived  in  and  its 
wonderful  resources  than  I  could  have  learned  by  going 
to  school  for  the  half  of  a  lifetime.  The  Rockford  man- 
agement treated  the  players  in  those  days  very  nicely. 
We  traveled  in  sleeping  cars  and  not  in  the  ordinary  day 
coaches  as  did  many  of  the  players,  and  though  we  were 
obliged  to  sleep  two  in  a  berth  we  did  not  look  upon  this 
as  an  especial  hardship  as  would  the  players  of  these  latter 
days,  many  of  whom  are  inclined  to  grumble  because 
they  cannot  have  the  use  of  a  private  stateroom  on  their 
travels. 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AT  ROCKFORD.  51 

I  made  acquaintances,  too,  in  all  parts  of  the  country 
that  were  invaluable  to  me  in  after  days,  and  though  I  had 
not  finished  sowing  my  wild  oats  I  think  the  folly  of  it 
all  had  begun  to  dawn  on  my  mind  as  I  saw  player  after 
player  disappear  from  the  arena,  the  majority  of  them 
being  men  who  had  given  promise  of  being  shining  lights 
in  the  base-ball  world. 

Of  the  men  who  played  with  me  at  Rockford  but  few 
remained  in  the  profession,  and  these  but  for  a  season 
or  two,  after  which  they  drifted  into  other  lines  of  busi- 
ness. Bob  Addy,  who  was  one  of  the  best  of  the  lot,  was 
a  good,  hard  hustling  player,  a  good  base  runner  and  a 
hard  hitter.  He  was  as  honest  as  the  day  is  long  and 
the  last  that  I  heard  of  him  he  was  living  out  in  Oregon, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  running  a  tin  shop.  He  was  an 
odd  sort  of  a  genius  and  quit  the  game  because  he  thought 
he  could  do  better  at  something  else. 

"Cherokee"  Fisher  was  originally  a  Philadelphian, 
but  after  the  disbandment  of  the  Rockford  Club  he  came 
to  Chicago,  securing  a  place  in  the  Fire  Department, 
where  he  still  runs  with  the  machine.  He  was  a  good 
man  in  his  day  and  ranked  high  as  a  pitcher. 

Charles  Fulmer  was  a  fair  average  player.  He,  too, 
drifted  out  of  the  game  in  the  early  '705,  and  the  last  that 
I  knew  of  him  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men in  the  Quaker  City. 

Scott  Hastings,  the  regular  catcher,  was  a  fair  all- 
around  player,  but  by  no  means  a  wonder.  After  he  left 
Rockford  he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  employed 
for  a  time  in  a  wholesale  clothing  house.  He  is  now,  or 
was  at  last  accounts,  in  San  Francisco  and  reported  as 
being  worth  a  comfortable  sum  of  money. 

The  other  members  of  the  old  team  T  have  lost  sight 
of  and  whether  they  are  living  or  dead  I  cannot  say.  They 


U     OF  ILL   LIB  UNIVERSITY  Of 

ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 


52         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

were  a  good-hearted,  jovial  set  of  fellows,  as  a  rule,  and 
my  association  with  them  was  most  pleasant,  as  was  also 
my  relations  with  the  Rockford  management,  who  could 
not  have  treated  me  better  had  I  been  a  native  son,  and 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  much  both  in  the  way  of  good 
advice  and  encouraging  words ;  and  let  me  say  right  here 
that  nothing  does  so  much  good  to  a  young  player  as  a 
few  words  of  approbation  spoken  in  the  right  way  and  at 
the  right  time.  It  braces  him  up,  gives  him  needed  con- 
fidence in  himself,  and  goes  a  long  way  further  toward 
making  him  a  first-class  player  than  does  continual  fault- 
finding. 

It  had  been  an  understood  thing,  at  least  so  far  as  the 
old  gentleman  was  concerned,  when  he  gave  his  consent 
to  my  playing  with  Rockford  for  a  season,  that  I  should 
at  the  end  of  it  return  home  and  resume  my  studies,  but 
fate  ordained  otherwise.  Several  times  during  the  season 
I  was  approached  by  members  of  the  Athletic  Club  man- 
agement with  offers  to  play  as  a  member  of  their  team 
the  next  season,  that  of  1872,  and  they  finally  offered  me 
the  sum  of  $1,250  per  annum  for  my  services.  This  was 
much  better  than  I  was  doing  at  Rockford,  and  yet  I  was 
reluctant  to  leave  the  little  Illinois  town,  where  I  had 
made  my  professional  debut,  and  where  I  had  hosts  of 
friends. 

When  the  end  of  the  season  came  and  the  Rockford 
people  offered  to  again  sign  me  ?t  the  same  old  figures  I 
told  them  frankly  of  the  Philadelphia  offer,  but  at  the 
same  time  offered  to  again  sign  with  Rockford,  providing 
that  they  would  raise  my  salary  to  $100  per  month.  The 
club  had  not  made  its  expenses  and  they  were  not  even 
certain  that  they  would  place  a  professional  team  in  the 
arena  during  the  next  season.  This  they  told  me  and  also 
that  they  could  not  afford  to  pay  the  sum  I  asked  for  my 


MY  EXPERIENCE  AT  ROCKFORD.  53 

services,  and  so  without  consulting  the  folks  at  Marshall- 
town  I  appended  my  name  to  a  Philadelphia  contract, 
and  late  in  the  fall  bade  good-by  to  Rockford  and  its 
ball  players,  turning  my  face  towards  the  City  of  Brother- 
ly Love,  where  I  played  ball  with  the  Athletics  until  the 
formation  of  the  National  League  in  1876,  and  it  was  not 
until  five  years  had  elapsed  that  I  revisited  my  old  home 
in  Marshalltown,  taking  a  bride  with  me. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WITH  THE  ATHLETICS  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 

The  winter  of  1871  and  1872  I  spent  in  Philadelphia, 
where  I  put  in  my  time  practicing  in  the  gymnasium, 
playing  billiards  and  taking  in  the  sights  of  a  great  city. 

The  whirligig  of  time  had  in  the  meantime  made  a 
good  many  changes  in  the  membership  of  the  Professional 
League,  for  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  1871  had  been  the 
most  prosperous  year  in  the  history  of  base-ball,  up  to 
that  time,  many  clubs  had  fallen  by  the  wayside,  their 
places  in  the  ranks  being  taken  by  new-comers,  and  that 
several  of  these  were  unable  to  weather  the  storms  of  1872 
^  because  of  a  lack  of  financial  support  is  now  a  matter  of 
history. 

Conspicuous  among  the  absentees  when  the  season 
opened  was  the  Chicago  Club,  which  had  been  broken  up 
by  the  great  fire  that  swept  over  the  Queen  of  the  Inland 
Seas  in  October  of  1871,  and  not  then  reorganized;  the 
Forest  City  of  Rockford,  the  Kekiongas  of  Fort  Wayne, 
and  several  others. 

At  the  opening  of  the  regular  playing  season  the 
League  numbered  eleven  members,  as  follows :  Boston, 
of  Boston,  A/lass. ;  Baltimore,  of  Baltimore,  Md. ;  Mutuals, 
of  New  York ;  Athletics,  of  Philadelphia ;  Troy,  of  Troy, 
N.  Y. ;  Atlantic,  of  Brooklyn ;  Cleveland,  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio ;  Mansfield,  of  Mansfield,  Ohio ;  Eckford,  of  Brook- 
lyn ;  and  Olympic  and  National,  both  of  Washington,  D. 
C.  Of  these  eleven  clubs  but  six  finished  the  season,  the 
others  falling  out,  either  because  of  bad  management  or 
a  lack  of  financial  support,  these  six  being  the  Athletic, 


WITH  THE  ATHLETICS  OF  PHILADELPHIA.      55 

Baltimore,  Boston,  Mutual,  Atlantic  and  Eckford  teams. 
The  first  four  of  these  were  regularly  salaried  clubs,  while 
the  two  last  were  co-operative  concerns. 

The  make-up  of  the  Athletics  that  season  was  as  fol- 
lows: Malone,  catcher.;  McBride,  pitcher;  Mack,  first 
base ;  Fisler,  second  base ;  Anson,  third  base ;  McGeary, 
shortstop ;  Cuthbert,  left  field ;  Tracey,  center  field ;  and 
Meyerle,  right  field.  Outside  of  the  Bostons  this  was  the 
strongest  team  that  had  yet  appeared  on  the  diamond.  It 
was  even  stronger  than  the  team  that  represented  the 
Hub  in  some  respects,  though  not  equal  to  them  as  a 
whole,  the  latter  excelling  at  team  work,  which  then,  as 
now,  proved  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  winning 
a  championship. 

That  the  Athletics  were  particularly  strong  at  the  bat 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  six  of  their  players  that  season 
figure  among  the  first  eleven  on  the  batting  list,  the  Bos- 
tons coming  next  with  three,  and  the  Baltimore  third. 

In  some  of  the  games  that  we  played  that  season  the 
fielders  had  a  merry  time  of  it  and  found  at  least  plenty 
of  exercise  in  chasing  the  ball.  In  the  first  games  that  I 
played  with  the  Athletics,  our  opponents  being  the  Balti- 
mores,  the  fielders  did  not  have  a  picnic  by  any  means, 
the  score  standing  at  34  to  19  at  the  end  of  the  game, 
and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  ball  used  was  a  "dead 
one." 

During  the  entire  season  and  not  counting  exhibition 
games  we  played  forty-six  games,  of  which  we  won  thirty 
and  lost  sixteen,  while  the  Bostons,  who  carried  off  the 
championship,  took  part  in  fifty-nine  games,  of  which 
they  won  38  and  lost  n. 

Figuring  in  twenty-eight  championship  games,  I  fin- 
ished fourth  on  the  list  of  batsmen,  with  forty-seven  base- 
hits  to  my  credit,  an  average  of  1.67  to  the  game,  a  per- 


56        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

forniance  that  I  was  at  that  time  very  proud  of  and  that  I 
am  not  ashamed  of  even  at  this  late  date. 

The  season  of  1873  saw  some  changes  in  the  make-up 
of  the  Athletics,  the  nine  that  season  being  made  up  as 
follows :  McGeary,  catcher ;  McBride,  pitcher ;  Murnane, 
first  base ;  Fisler,  second  base ;  Fulton,  third  base ;  Anson, 
shortstop ;  Cuhbert,  left  field ;  Reach,  center  field ;  Fisler, 
right  field ;  and  McMullen  and  Sensenderfer,  substitutes. 

This  was,  if  anything,  a  stronger  all-around  team  than 
the  one  of  the  preceding  year,  and  if  it  failed  to  make 
equally  as  good  a  showing  it  was  because  the  teams  that 
were  opposed  to  it  were  also  of  a  better  calibre.  The 
demand  for  good  ball  players  had  risen,  and  as  is  usual 
in  such  cases  the  supply  was  equal  to  the  demand,  just  as 
it  would  be  to-day  under  similar  circumstances. 

The  opening  of  the  championship  season  found  nine 
clubs  ready  to  compete  for  the  championship  honors,  viz. : 
The  Athletics,  Atlantics,  Baltimore,  Boston,  Mutual, 
Maryland,  Philadelphia,  Resolute  and  Washington,  and 
five  of  these  beside  the  Athletics  had  particularly  strong 
teams,  the  Maryland,  Resolute  and  Washington  teams 
being  the  weaklings. 

During  the  year  the  Athletics  took  part  in  fifty  pro- 
fessional games,  of  which  they  won  twenty-seven  and  lost 
twenty-three,  and  in  fourteen  exhibition  games,  of  which 
they  won  twelve  and  lost  two,  being  defeated  in  the  ex- 
hibition series  twice  by  their  home  rivals,  the  Philadel- 
phias,  which  numbered  among  its  players  several  who 
had  helped  to  make  the  Athletics  famous  in  former  years, 
among  them  being  Malone  and  Mack. 

Between  these  two  nines  there  was  the  strongest  kind 
of  a  rivalry,  and  as  both  were  popular  with  the  home  peo- 
ple great  crowds  turned  out  to  see  the  contests  between 
them.  One  of  these  contests  resulted  in  a  thirteen  inning 


WITH  THE  ATHLETICS  OF  PHILADELPHIA.      57 

game,  the  score  then  standing  at  5  to  4  in  favor  of  the 
Philaclelphias,  greatly  to  our  disgust,  and  to  the  intense 
joy  of  our  rivals. 

For  the  second  time  since  the  formation  of  the  Flayers' 
League,  Boston  carried  off  the  championship  honors, 
while  we  were  compelled  to  content  ourselves  with  the 
third  position,  but  I  still  stood  forth  on  the  batting  list, 
and  that  was  some  consolation,  at  least  to  me. 

The  opening  of  the  season  of  1874  again  saw  nine  clubs 
ready  to  do  battle  for  the  championship,  but  the  Mary- 
land and  Resolute  Clubs  were  missing  from  the  list  and 
in  their  places  were  the  re-organized  Chicagos  and  the 
Hartford  aggregation,  both  of  which  presented  strong 
teams  and  teams  that,  properly  managed,  might  have 
made  much  better  showing  in  the  pennant  race. 

Still  more  changes  had  been  made  in  the  make-up  of 
the  Athletic  team,  which  in  May  of  that  year  was  com- 
posed of  the  following  players :  Clapp,  catcher ;  McBride, 
second  base;  Sutton,  third  base;  McGeary,  shortstop; 
Gedney,  left  field;  McMullen,  center  field;  and  Anson, 
right  field. 

From  the  way  in  which  I  was  changed  around  from 
one  position  to  another  in  those  days  it  can  be  readily 
surmised  that  I  was  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  a  general- 
utility  man,  who  could  play  in  one  position  about  as  well 
as  in  another,  which  in  my  humble  judgment  was  a  mis- 
take, for  in  base-ball  as  in  all  other  trades  and  profes- 
sions the  old  adage  holds  true  that  a  jack-of-all  trades  is 
master  of  none. 

The  year  1874  will  ever  be  memorable  in  the  history 
of  the  game  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  base-ball  was  then 
introduced  to  the  notice  of  our  English  cousins  by  a  trip 
that  was  made  to  the  "Tight  Little  Isle"  by  the  members 
of  the  Boston  and  Athletic  Clubs,  a  trip  of  which  I  shall 


5&        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

have  more  to  say  later,  and  also  by  reason  of  the  fact  that 
the  game  that  season  enjoyed  a  veritable  boom,  clubs  of 
the  professional,  semi-professional  and  amateur  variety 
springing  up  in  every  direction. 

The  clubs  going  to  make  up  the  Professional  League 
were  admittedly  stronger  than  ever  before,  and  to  take 
the  pennant  from  Boston  was  the  avowed  ambition  not 
only  of  the  Athletics  but  of  every  team  that  was  to  con- 
test against  the  "Hub"  aggregation.  The  effort  was, 
however,  as  futile  as  those  of  the  two  preceding  years  had 
been,  and  for  the  third  successive  season  the  teams  from 
the  modern  Athens  carried  off  the  prize,  not  because  they 
were  the  better  ball  players,  but  for  the  reason  that  better 
discipline  was  preserved  among  them  and  they  were  better 
managed  in  every  way  than  were  any  of  their  opponents. 
For  the  second  time  we  were  compelled  to  content  our- 
selves with  the  third  place  in  the  race,  the  second  going  to 
the  Mutuals  of  New  York,  that  being  the  first  time  since 
the  Professional  League  was  organized  that  they  had 
climbed  so  high  up  the  ladder.  The  Philadelphias  fell 
from  the  second  to  the  fourth  place  and  the  Chicago 
"White  Stockings,"  of  whom  great  things  had  been  ex- 
pected, finished  on  the  fifth  rung  of  the  ladder. 

Of  the  fifty-two  record  games  that  were  counted  as 
championship  contests  and  that  were  played  by  the  Ath- 
letics, we  won  thirty-one  and  lost  twenty-one,  while  of  the 
sixty  games  in  which  the  Bostons  figured  they  won  forty- 
three  and  lost  but  seventeen,  a  wonderful  showing  when 
the  playing  strength  of  the  clubs  pitted  against  them  is 
taken  into  consideration. 

Among  the  batsmen  that  season  I  stood  eighth  on  the 
list,  the  lowest  position  that  I  had  occupied  since  I  broke 
into  the  ranks  of  the  professional  players. 

When  the  season  of  1875  opened  I  little  realized  that  it 


WITH  THE  ATHLETICS  OF  PHILADELPHIA.      59 

was  to  be  the  last  year  that  I  should  wear  an  Athletic  uni- 
form, and  yet  such  proved  to  be  the  case.  While  playing 
with  them  my  salary  had  been  raised  each  successive  sea- 
son, until  I  was  now  drawing  $1,800  a  year,  and  the  limit 
had  not  yet  been  reached,  as  I  was  to  find  out  later, 
although  at  the  time  I  left  Philadelphia  for  Chicago  I 
would,  for  personal  reasons  that  will  appear  later, 
have  preferred  to  remain  with  the  Athletics  at  a  consider- 
able less  salary  than  I  was  afterward  paid.  This,  too,  was 
destined  to  be  the  last  year  of  the  Professional  League,  the 
*  National  League  taking  its  place,  and  as  a  result  a  general 
shifting  about  among  the  players  took  place  in  1876, 
many  of  the  old-time  ball  tossers  being  at  that  time  lost 
in  the  shuffle. 

The  year  1875  saw  no  ^ess  tnan  thirteen  clubs  enter 
the  championship  arena,  Philadelphia  being  represented 
by  no  less  than  three,  while  St.  Louis,  a  new-comer,  fur- 
nished two  aspirants  for  the  honors,  the  full  list  being  as 
follows:  Boston,  Athletic,  Hartford,  St.  Louis,  Phila- 
delphia, Chicago,  Mutual,  New  Haven,  St.  Louis  Reds, 
Washington,  Centennial,  Atlantic  and  Western,  the  latter 
organization  representing  the  far  Western  city  of  Keokuk. 

The  series  consisted  of  ten  games,  six  to  be  played  as 
the  legal  quota,  and  at  the  close  of  the  season  but  seven 
of  the. thirteen  original  championship  seekers  had  fulfilled 
the  conditions,  three  of  the  clubs  having  been  disbanded 
when  the  season  was  but  about  half  over.  Again  and  for 
the  fourth  time  the  Boston  aggregation  carried  off  the 
honors,  with  a  record  unsurpassed  up  to  that  time,  as  out 
of  seventy-nine  games  played  they  won  seventy-one  and 
lost  but  eight,  while  the  Athletics,  who  finished  in  the 
second  place,  played  seventy-three  games  in  all,  losing 
twenty  and  winning  fifty-three. 

That  three  of  the  clubs  that  started  in  the  race  should 


60         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

have  dropped  out  as  they  did  is  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
and  why  one  of  them  at  least  was  ever  allowed  to  enter 
is  a  mystery.  Looked  at  from  a  purely  geographical 
standpoint,  the  Keokuk  Club,  known  as  the  Western,  was 
doomed  to  failure  from  the  very  start.  It  was  too  far 
away  from  the  center  of  the  base-ball  interests  and  the 
expense  of  reaching  it  too  great  to  warrant  the  Eastern 
clubs  in  making  the  trip,  and  the  city  itself  was  too  small 
to  turn  out  a  paying  crowd,  while  the  other  two  local 
clubs  found  the  field  already  too  well  covered  and  suc- 
cumbed to  local  opposition. 

Small  scores  in  1875  were  the  rule  and  not  the  excep- 
tion. The  sharp  fielding  and  the  restrictions  placed  on 
the  batter,  which  had  grown  closer  with  ,each  passing 
season,  made  the  running  up  of  such  big  scores  as  marked 
the  game  in  the  early  days  impossible,  while  the  many 
close  contests  that  took  place  added  greatly  to  the  popu- 
larity of  what  was  now  fully  recognized  as  distinctively 
the  National  Game  of  America. 

It  was  not  all  smooth  sailing  for  the  promoters  of  the 
game,  even  at  this  time.  In  the  many  poolrooms  then  ex- 
isting throughout  the  country  and  especially  in  the  larger 
cities  great  sums  of  money  were  wagered  on  the  result  of 
the  various  contests,  and  as  a  result  "crookedness"  on  the 
part  of  various  players  was  being  charged,  and  though 
these  charges  were  vigorously  denied  by  those  interested 
the  denials  carried  but  little  weight  in  view  of  the  in-and- 
out  performances  of  the  teams  in  which  they  were  en- 
gaged. 

There  was  a  lack  of  discipline,  too,  among  the  players, 
and  it  was  the  necessity  for  prompt  action  in  stamping  out 
the  evils  then  existing  that  caused  the  birth  of  the  new 
National  League  and  the  death  of  the  old  organization. 

There  are  "crooks  in  all  professions,  but  I  venture  the 


WITH  THE  ATHLETICS  OF  PHILADELPHIA.      61 

assertion  right  here  that  the  "crooks"  in  base-ball  have 
indeed  been  few  and  far  between.  Once  detected,  they 
have  been  summarily  dismissed  from  the  ranks,  and  with 
the  brand  of  dishonesty  stamped  upon  them  they  have 
been  forced  to  earn  a  living  in  some  other  way. 

It  has  long  been  a  maxim  among  the  followers  of  rac- 
ing that  "a  crooked  jockey"  is  always  "broke,"  and  this 
same  saying  holds  good  regarding  the  crooked  ball  play- 
ers. I  might  mention  the  names  of  several  players  who 
were  summarily  dismissed  from  the  league  ranks  because 
of  crookedness  and  who  have  since  that  time  managed  to 
eke  out  a  miserable  existence  by  hanging  about  pool- 
rooms and  bucket-shops,  but  what  good  would  it  do? 
They  have  learned  their  lesson  and  the  lesson  has  indeed 
been  a  bitter  one. 

It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  charges 
against  these  men  were  proven.  They  were  not  dismissed 
because  of  idle  hearsay,  but  because  of  absolute  and  con- 
vincing proof.  The  breath  of  scandal  has  assailed  more 
than  one  ball  player  without  any  good  and  convincing 
reason,  and  will  doubtless  do  so  again,  just  as  it  has  as- 
sailed private  reputations  of  men  in  other  walks  of  life. 
The  breath  of  truth  has  blown  these  scandals  aside,  how- 
ever, and  to-day  the  professional  ball  .player  stands  as 
high  in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow  men,  providing  that 
he  conducts  himself  as  a  gentleman  and  not  as  a  loafer,  as 
does  the  professional  man  in  other  walks  of  life. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SOME  MINOR  DIVERSIONS. 

Philadelphia  is  a  good  city  to  live  in,  at  least  I  found 
it  so,  and  had  I  had  my  own  way  I  presume  that  I  should 
still  be  a  resident  of  the  city  that  William  Penn  founded 
instead  of  a  citizen  of  Chicago,  while  had  I  had  my  own 
way  when  I  Jeft  Marshalltown  to  go  into  a  world  I  knew 
but  little  about  I  might  never  have  lived  in  Philadelphia 
at  all.  At  that  time  I  was  more  than  anxious  to  come  to 
Chicago  and  did  my  best  to  secure  a  position  with  the 
Chicago  Club,  of  which  Tom  Foley,  the  veteran  billiard- 
room  keeper,  was  then  the  manager.  As  he  has  since  in- 
formed me,  he  was  looking  at  that  time  for  ball  players  with 
a  reputation,  and  not  for  players  who  had  a  reputation  yet 
to  make,  as  was  the  case  with  me,  and  so  he  turned  my 
application  down  witn  the  result  that  I  began  my  pro- 
fessional career  in  Rockford  instead  of  in  Chicago,  as  I 
had  wished  to  do.  "It  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody 
good,"  however,  and  for  the  Providence  that  took  me  to 
Rockford  and  afterward  to  the  "City  of  Brotherly  Love," 
I  am  at  this  late  day  truly  thankful,  however  displeased  I 
may  have  been  at  that  time. 

I  have  often  consoled  myself  since  then  with  the  re- 
flection that  had  I  come  to  Chicago  to  start  my  career  in 
1871,  that  career  might  have  come  to  a  sudden  end  right 
there  and  then,  and  all  of  my  hopes  for  the  future  might 
have  gone  up  in  smoke,  for  the  big  fire  that  blotted  out 
the  city  scattered  the  members  of  the  Chicago  Base  Ball 
Club  far  and  wide  and  left  many  of  them  stranded,  for  the 
time  being  at  least,  on  the  sands  of  adversity. 


SOME  MINOR  DIVERSIONS.  63 

Shakespeare  has  said,  "There  is  a  Providence  that 
shapes  our  ends  rough  hew  them  as  we  will,"  and  it  seems 
to  me  that  the  immortal  Bard  of  Avon  must  have  had  my 
case  in  mind  when  he  wrote  that  line,  for  I  can  see  but 
little  to  complain  about  thus  far  in  the  treatment  accorded 
me  by  Providence,  though  I  am  willing  to  admit  that 
there  was  some  pretty  rough  hewing  to  do  before  I  was 
knocked  into  any  shape  at  all. 

When  I  began  playing  ball  at  Rockford  I  was  just  at 
that  age  when,  in  my  estimation,  I  knew  a  heap  more  than 
did  the  old  man,  and  that  idea  had  not  ^een  entirely 
knocked  out  of  my  head  when  I  arrived  in  Philadelphia. 
The  outdoor  life  that  I  had  led  when  a  youngster,  the  con- 
stant exercise  that  I  had  indulged  in,  together  with  the 
self-evident  truth  that  the  Lord  had  blessed  me  with  a 
constitution  that  a  young  bull  might  envy,  had  all  con- 
spired to  make  me  a  young  giant  in  strength,  and  as  a  re- 
sult I  was  as  full  of  animal  spirits  as  is  an  unbroken  thor- 
oughbred colt,  and  as  impatient  of  restraint. 

Good  advice  was,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  thrown 
away  upon  me,  and  if  I  had  any  trouble  it  rolled  off  from 
my  broad  shoulders  as  water  from  a  duck's  back  and  left 
not  a  trace  behind.  In  the  language  of  the  old  song,  I  was, 
"Good  for  any  game  at  night,  my  boys,"  or  day,  either, 
for  that  matter,  and  the  pranks  that  I  played  and  the 
scrapes  that  I  got  into  were,  some  of  them,  not  of  a  very 
creditable  nature,  though  they  were  due  more  to  exuber- 
ation  than  to  any  innate  love  of  wrong-doing. 

In  any  contest  that  required  strength  and  skill  I  was 
always  ready  to  take  a  hand,  and  in  these  contests  I  was 
able  to  hold  my  own  as  a  rule,  though  now  and  then  I 
got  the  worst  of  it,  as  was  the  case  when  I  entered  the 
throwing  match  at  the  Union  Grounds  in  Brooklyn  in 
October,  1872.  The  entries  were  Hatfield  and  Boyd,  of 


64         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  Mutuals;  George  Wright  and  Leonard,  of  the  Bostons, 
and  Fisler  and  myself,  representing  the  Athletics.  The 
ball  was  thrown  from  a  rope  stretched  between  two  stakes 
driven  into  the  ground  one  hundred  and  ten  yards  from 
the  home-plate.  Each  competitor  was  allowed  three 
throws,  and  the  rules  governing  the  contest  required  that 
the  ball  be  dropped  within  two  large  bags  placed  on  a  line 
with  the  home-plate  and  about  sixty  feet  apart.  Hatfield 
led  us  all  in  each  of  his  three  trials,  and  on  the  last  one  he 
beat  his  own  record  of  132  yards  made  at  Cincinnati  in 
1868  by  clearing  133  yards  i  foot  and  7^  inches.  Leonard 
came  next  with  1 19  yards  I  foot  10  inches,  Wright  third 
with  117  yards  I  foot  i  inch,  Boyd  fourth  with  115  yards  I 
foot  7  inches,  Fisler  fifth  with  112  yards  6  inches,  while 
your  humble  servant  brought  up  the  tail  end  of  the  proces- 
sion with  a  throw  of  no  yards  and  6  inches,  not  a  bad 
performance  in  itself,  but  lacking  a  long  ways  of  being 
good  enough  to  get  the  money  with. 

Among  the  famous  characters  of  which  the  Quaker 
City  boasted  in  those  days  was  Prof.  William  McLean,  or 
"Billy"  McLean,  as  he  was  generally  called,  an  ex-prize 
fighter  and  a  boxing  teacher  whose  reputation  for  skill 
with  the  padded  mitts  was  second  to  no  man's  in  the 
country.  To  take  boxing  lessons  from  a  professional  who 
really  knew  something  touching  the  "noble  art  of  self- 
defense,"  as  the  followers  of  ring  sports  would  say,  was 
something  that  I  had  never  had  an  opportunity  of  doing 
before,  and  it  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  that  I  availed 
myself  of  the  chance  before  I  had  been  there  a  very  long 
time. 

I  towered  over  McLean  like  a  mountain  over  a  mole 
hill,  and  I  remember  well  that  the  first  time  that  I  faced 
him  I  thought  what  an  easy  matter  it  would  be  for  me 
to  knock  his  reputation  into  a  cocked  hat,  and  that  before 


SOME  MINOR  DIVERSIONS.  65 

a  man  could  say  "Jack  Robinson."  In  a  very  few  mo- 
ments, however,  I  had  changed  my  opinion.  I  had  fan- 
cied that  I  was  a  pretty  good  sort  of  a  man  myself  with  or 
without  the  gloves,  but  long  before  the  end  of  that  first 
lesson  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  my  education  in 
that  line,  as  well  as  others,  had  been  neglected,  and  that 
I  still  had  considerable  to  learn.  McLean  went  around 
me  very  much  as  a  cooper  goes  around  a  barrel,  hitting 
me  wherever  and  whenever  he  pleased,  and  the  worst  of 
the  matter  was  that  I  could  not  hit  him  at  all.  It  was  not 
until  after  he  had  convinced  me  just  how  little  I  knew 
that  he  began  to  teach  me,  beginning  with  the  rudiments 
of  the  art.  I  proved  to  be  an  apt  pupil  and  soon  became 
quite  proficient  at  the  game,  in  fact  so  good  was  I  that  I 
sometimes  fancied  that  I  could  lick  a  whole  army  of  wild- 
cats, this  being  especially  the  case  when  the  beer  was  inw 
and  the  wit  was  out,  for  be  it  beer  or  wine,  the  effect  is 
generally  the  same,  a  fact  that  I  had  not  yet  learned, 
though  it  dawned  on  me  long  before  I  left  Philadelphia,  v 
and  I  quit  it  for  good  and  all,  to  which  fact  I  attribute  the 
success  that  I  have  since  met  with  both  in  the  sporting 
and  the  business  world. 

It  was  in  1875  and  during  my  last  season  with  the  Ath- 
letics, if  I  remember  rightly,  that  I  became  involved  in  a 
saloon  row,  that,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  was  not  to  my  '"v/ 
credit,  and  that  I  have  been  ashamed  of  ever  since.  We 
had  been  out  to  the  grounds  practicing  until  nearly  night- 
fall and  on  the  way  home  we  stepped  into  a  German  sa- 
loon on  the  corner  for  the  purpose  of  refreshing  the  inner 
man  and  washing  the  dust  out  of  our  throats.  In  some 
way  the  conversation  turned  on  the  doings  of  various 
fighters  and  I  expressed  myself  pretty  freely  concerning 
their  merits  and  demerits,  for  having  taken  boxing  les- 


66         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

sons,  I  was  naturally  anxious  to  set  myself  up  as  an 
authority  on  matters  pugilistic. 

Just  as  we  were  in  the  midst  of  the  argument  a  fresh 
policeman  happened  along  and  "chipped  into  the  game" 
with  the  remark  that  if  there  was  any  fighting  to  be  done 
he  would  himself  take  a  hand  in  it. 

That  was  my  chance.    For  what  had  I  taken  boxing 

lessons  unless  I  could  at  least  do  a  policeman?    "Come 

.  "A 

on!"  I  yelled  and  then  I  smashed  him.    He  was  not  the 

only  policeman  on  the  beat,  however.  There  were  others — 
in  fact,  several  of  them,  and  they  clubbed  me  good  and 
plenty,  finally  leading  me  away  with  the  nippers  on. 

Arriving  at  the  police  station,  and  a  pretty  tough-look- 
ing object  I  was,  as  you  may  imagine,  I  immediately  sent 
for  the  President  of  the  club,  who,  as  good  luck  would 
have  it,  was  also  a  Police  Commissioner.  When  he  put 
in  an  appearance  he  looked  at  me  in  astonishment  and 
then  asked  me  what  I  had  been  doing. 

I  told  him  that  I  hadn't  been  doing  anything,  but  that 
I  had  tried  to  do  the  whole  police  force,  and  with  very 
poor  success.  I  was  released  on  honor  that  night  and  the 
next  morning  appeared  before  Alderman  Buck,  who 
listened  to  both  sides  of  the  story,  and  then  let  me  go, 
thinking  by  my  appearance,  doubtless,  that  I  had  already 
been  punished  enough.  After  court  had  adjourned  we 
all  adjourned  on  my  motion  to  the  nearest  saloon,  where 
we  had  several  rounds  of  drink  and  then — well,  then  I 
started  in  to  celebrate  a  victory  that  was,  after  all,  a  good 
deal  more  like  a  defeat. 

While  thus  engaged  I  was  unfortunate  enough  to  run 
up  against  the  young  lady  that  I  had  already  determined 
to  make  Mrs.  Anson,  and  not  being  in  the  best  of  condi- 
tion, she  naturally  enough  did  not  like  it,  but  as  Rudyard 
Kipling  says — that  is  another  story. 


SOME  MINOR  DIVERSIONS.  67 

4 

That  experience  ended  the  wild-oats  business  for  me, 
however,  and  although  the  crop  that  I  had  sown  was,  com-  v 
paratively  speaking,  a  small  one,  yet  it  was  more  than 
sufficient  for  all  my  needs,  and  I  now  regret  at  times  that 
I  was  foolish  enough  to  sow  any  at  all. 

The  only  other  row  that  I  ever  had  of  any  consequence 
took  place  on  a  street  car  one  day  when  I  was  going  out 
to  the  ball  grounds,  a  game  between  the  Athletics  and 
Chicagos  being  scheduled  for  decision.  The  most  in- 
tense rivalry  existed  at  that  time  between  these  two  or- 
ganizations and  the  feeling  among  their  partisans  ran 
high.  A  gentleman  on  the  car — at  least  he  was  dressed 
like  a  gentleman — asked  me  what  I  thought  in  regard  to 
the  relative  strength  of  the  two  organizations.  At  that 
time  I  had  some  $1,500  invested  in  club  stock  and  natur- 
ally my  feelings  leaned  toward  the  club  of  which  I  was 
a  member,  still  I  realized  that  they  were  pretty  evenly 
matched,  and  I  so  stated. 

He  then  remarked  in  sneering  tones,  "Oh,  I  don't 
know.  I  guess  they  play  to  win  or  lose  as  will  best  suit 
their  own  pockets." 

I  informed  him  that  if  he  meant  to  insinuate  that  either 

f\ 

one  of  them  would  throw  a  game,  he  was  a  liar. 

He  gave  me  the  lie  in  return  and  then  I  smashed  him, 
and  I  am  not  ashamed  to  say  that  I  would  do  it  again 
under  the  same  circumstances. 

I  have  heard  just  such  remarks  as  that  made  even  in 
this  late  day,  remarks  that  are  as  unjust  to  the  players  as 
they  are  uncalled  for  by  the  circumstances.  Lots  of  men 
seem  to  forget  that  the  element  of  luck  enters  largely  into 
base-ball  just  as  it  does  into  any  other  business,  and  that 
things  may  happen  during  a  contest  that  cannot  be  fore- 
seen either  by  the  club  management  or  by  the  field  cap- 
tain. 


68        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

An  unlucky  stumble  on  the  part  of  a  base  runner  or  a 
dancing  sunbeam  that  gets  into  a  fielder's  eyes  at  some 
critical  time  in  the  play  may  cost  a  game;  indeed,  it  has 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  and  yet  to  the  man  who  sim- 
ply judges  the  game  by  the  reports  that  he  may  read  in 
the  papers  the  thing  has  apparently  a  "fishy"  look,  for  the 
reason  that  neither  the  sunbeam  nor  the  stumble  receives 
mention. 

If  every  sport  and  business  man  in  this  world  were  as 
crooked  as  some  folks  would  have  us  to  believe,  this  would 
indeed  be  a  poor  world  to  live  in,  and  I  for  one  would  be 
perfectly  willing  to  be  out  of  it. 

The  real  truth  of  the  matter  is  that  the  crooks  in  any 
line  are  few  and  far  between.  That  being  the  case  it's  a 
pretty  fair  old  sort  of  a  world,  and  I  for  one  am  glad  that 
I  am  still  in  it,  and  very  much  in  it  at  that. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WE   BALL  PLAYERS   GO   ABROAD. 

The  first  trip  that  was  ever  made  across  the  big  pond  /'• 
by  American  ball  players  and  to  which  brief  reference  was 
made  in  an  earlier  chapter,  took  place  in  the  summer  of 
1874.  London  was,  as  a  matter  of  course,  our  first  objec- 
tive point,  and  I  considered  myself  lucky  indeed  in  being 
a  member  of  one  of  the  organizations  that  was  to  attempt 
to  teach  our  English  cousins  the  beauties  of  America's 
National  Game. 

The  two  clubs  selected  to  make  the  trip  were  the  Bos- 
tons, then  champions,  and  the  Athletics,  and  the  players 
who  were  to  represent  them,  together  with  their  positions, 
are  given  below: 

BOSTON.  POSITIONS.  ATHLETIC. 

Catcher John  E.  Clapp 

A.  G.  Spalding.  . .  Pitcher Jas.  D.  McBride 

Jas.  O'Rourke.  . .  First  base West  D.  Fisler 

Ross  C.  Barnes. .  Second  base Jos.  Battin 

Harry  Schafer.  . .  Third  base Ezra  B.  Sutton 

Geo.  Wright Shortstop M.  E.  McGeary 

A.  J.  Leonard.  . .  .  Left  field Albert  W.  Gedney 

Cal  C.  McVey Right  field A.  C.  Anson— 

Harry  Wright.  . .  .  Center  field Jas.  F.  McMullen 

Geo.  W.  Hall Substitute Al  J.  Reach 

Thos.  H.  Beals.  . .  .Substitute J.  P.  Sensenderfer 

Sam  Wright,  Jr.  .  Substitute Tim  Murnane 

James  White  of  the  Boston  team  declined  to  go  at  the 
last  moment,  his  place  being  taken  by  Kent  of  the  Har- 
vard College  team  while  Al  Reach  was  kept  from  making1 


70        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  trip  by  business  engagements.  Alfred  H.  Wright  of 
the  "New  York  Clipper"  and  Philadelphia  "Sunday  Mer- 
cury," and  H.  S.  Kempton  of  the  "Boston  Herald"  both 
accompanied  us  and  scored  the  base-ball  games  that  were 
played  on  the  trip,  while  the  first-named  officiated  in  the 
same  capacity  when  the  game  was  cricket.  In  addition  to 
these  men,  both  clubs  were  accompanied  by  large  parties 
of  friends  who  were  anxious  to  see  what  sort  of  a  recep- 
tion would  be  accorded  to  us  by  o-ur  British  cousins,  who 
had  never  yet  witnessed  a  base-ball  game,  their  nearest 
approach  to  it  having  been  to  look  on  at  a  game  of 
"rounders." 

The  entire  cabin  of  the  steamship  Ohio  had  been  en- 
gaged for  ourselves  and  our  friends,  and:  on  July  i6th  a 
great  crowd  assembled  at  the  wharf  to  see  us  off  and  to 
wish  us  God-speed  on  our  journey.  The  trip  across  was 
fortunately  a  pleasant  one  and  as  we  were  a  jolly  party  the 
time  passed  all  too  quickly,  the  seductive  game  of  draw 
poker  and  other  amusements  of  a  kindred  sort  helping  us 
to  forget  that  the  old  gentleman  with  t'he  scythe  and  hour- 
glass was  still  busily  engaged  in  making  his  daily  rounds. 

It  was  my  first  sea  voyage,  and  to  say  that  I  enjoyed 
it  would  be  to  state  -but  the  simple  truth.  The  element  of 
poetry  was  left  largely  out  of  my  make-up  and  so  I  did 
not  go  into  ecstasies  over  the  foam-crested  waves  as  did 
several  of  the  party,  but  I  was  as  fond  of  watching  for  the 
flying  fish  that  now  and  then  skimmed  the  waves  and  for 
the  porpoises  that  often  put  in  an  appearance  as  any  of 
the  rest  of  the  party.  If  I  speculated  at  all  as  to  the  im- 
mensity of  the  rolling  deep  by  which  we  were  surrounded, 
it  was  because  I  wished  that  I  might  be  able  to  devise 
some  plan  for  bottling  it  up  and  sending  it  out  West  to 
the  old  gentleman  to  be  used1  for  irrigating  purposes.  That 
such  an  amount  of  water  should  have  been  allowed  to  go 


WE  BALL  PLAYERS  GO  ABROAD.       71 

to  waste  was  to  me  a  matter  for  wonderment.  I  was  look- 
ing at  the  practical  side  of  the  matter,  and  not  at  the 
poetical. 

July  27th  we  arrived  at  Liverpool  and  as  the  majority 
of  us  had  grown  tired  of  the  monotony  of  sea  life  we  were 
glad  enough  once  more  to  set  foot  on  solid  land.  With 
fourteen  games  of  ball  to  be  played  and  seven  games  of 
cricket  we  had  but  little  time  to  devote  to  sight-seeing, 
though  you  may  be  sure  that  we  utilized  the  days  and 
nights  that  we  had  off  for  that  purpose. 

There  was  considerable  curiosity  on  the  part  of  our 
British  cousins  to  s>ee  what  the  American  Game  was  like 
and  as  a  result  we  were  greeted  by  large  crowds  wherever 
we  went.  We  were  treated  with  the  greatest  kindness 
both  by  press  and  public  and  words  of  praise  for  our  skill 
both  at  batting  and  fielding  were  to  be  heard  on  all  sides. 
Exhibition  games  between  the  two  clubs  were  played  at 
Liverpool,  Manchester,  London,  Sheffield  and  Dublin,  the 
Boston  Club  winning  eight  games  and  the  Athletics  six. 

When  it  came  to  playing  cricket  we  proved  to  be  some- 
thing of  a  surprise  party.  In  these  games  we  played 
eighteen  men  against  eleven  and  defeated  with  ease  such 
crack  organizations  as  the  Marylebone,  Prince's,  and  Sur- 
rey Clubs  in  London,  the  Sheffield  Club  at  Sheffield,  the 
Manchester  Club  in  Manchester  and  the  AlL-Ireland  Club 
in  Dublin,  while  the  game  with  the  Richmond  Club  was 
drawn  on  account  of  rain,  we  having  the  best  of  it  at  that 
time.  While  I  was,  comparatively  speaking,  a  novice  in 
this  game,  at  which  the  Wrights  were  experts,  they  hav- 
ing enjoyed  a  reputation  as  first-class  cricketers  in  Amer- 
ica for  years,  yet  I  managed  to  make  the  highest  score  of 
all  in  our  game  with  the  All-Ireland  Eleven,  and  to  hold 
my  own  fairly  well  in  the  other  cricket  games  that  were 
played. 


72         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  speak  too  highly  of  the  treat- 
ment that  was  accorded  to  us  on  this  trip  both  in  England 
and  Ireland,  where  peer  and  peasant  both  combined  to 
make  our  visit  a  pleasant  one.  We  were  entertained  in 
royal  style  wherever  we  went  and  apparently  there  was 
nothing  too  good  for  us.  Lords  and  ladies  were  largely 
in  evidence  among  the  spectators  wherever  we  played 
and  among  our  own  countrymen  residing  in  the  British 
metropolis  we  were  the  lions  of  the  day. 

The  contrast  between  the  crowds  in  attendance  at  our 
games  there  and  those  that  greeted  us  at  home  attracted 
my  attention  most  forcibly.  An  English  crowd  is  at  all 
times  quiet  and  sedate  as  compared  with  a  crowd  in  onr 
own  country.  They  are  slower  to  grasp  a  situation  and 
to  seize  upon  the  fine  points  of  a  play.  This,  so  far  as 
base-ball  was  concerned,  was  only  to  be  expected,  the 
game  being  a  strange  one,  but  the  same  fact  was  true  when 
it  came  to  their  own  National  game,  that  of  cricket.  There 
was  an  apparent  listlessness,  too,  in  their  playing  that 
would  have  provoked  a  storm  of  cat-calls  and  other  cries 
of  derision  from  the  occupants  of  the  bleaching  boards  at 
home. 

It  was  our  skill  at  fielding  more  than  at  batting  that 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Britishers  and  that  brought 
out  their  applause.  Our  work  in  that  line  was  a  revelation 
to  them,  and  that  it  was  the  direct  cause  of  a  great  im- 
provement afterwards  in  their  own  game  there  can  be  no 
reason  to  doubt. 

Between  sight-seeing  and  base-ball  and  cricket  playing 
the  thirty  days  allotted  to  our  visit  passed  all  too  quickly 
and  when  the  time  came  for  us  to  start  on  our  homeward 
journey  there  was  not  one  of  the  party  but  what  would 
gladly  have  remained  for  a  longer  period  of  time  in 
"Merry  England,"  had  such  a  thing  been  possible.  It  was 


WE  BALL  PLAYERS  GO  ABROAD.       73 

a  goodly  company  of  friends  that  assembled  at  the  dock 
in  Queenstown  to  wish  us  a  pleasant  voyage  on  August 
27th,  which  was  just  one  month  to  a  day  from  the  date  of 
our  arrival,  and  we  were  soon  homeward  bound  on  board 
of  the  steamship  Abbotsford.  The  voyage  back  was  any- 
thing but 'a  pleasant  one  and  more  than  half  the  party 
were  down  at  one  time  and  another  from  the  effects  of  sea- 
sickness. Old  Neptune  had  evidently  made  up  his  mind 
to  show  us  both  sides  of  his  character  and  he  shook  us 
about  on  that  return  voyage  very  much  as  though  we 
were  but  small  particles  of  shot  in  a  rattle-box. 

We  arrived  at  Philadelphia  Sept.  9,  where  we  were  the 
recipients  of  a  most  enthusiastic  ovation,  in  which  brass 
bands  and  a  banquet  played  a  most  important  part,  and 
after  the  buffeting  about  that  we  had  received  from  the 
waves  of  old  ocean  we  were  glad  indeed  that  the  voyage 
was  over. 

The  impression  that  base-ball  made  upon  the  lovers  of 
sport  in  England  can  be  best  illustrated  by  the  following 
quotations  taken  from  the  columns  of  the  London  Field, 
then,  as  now,  one  of  the  leading  sporting  papers  of  that 
country: 

"Base-ball  is  a  scientific  game,  more  difficult  than 
many  who  are  in  the  habit  of  judging  hastily  from  the  out- 
ward semblance  can  possibly  imagine.  It  is  in  fact  the 
cricket  of  the  American  continent,  considerably  altered 
since  its  first  origin,  as  has  been  cricket,  by  the  yearly  re- 
course to  the  improvements  necessitated  by  the  experi- 
ence of  each  season.  In  the  cricket  field  there  is  at  times 
a  wearisome  monotony  that  is  entirely  unknown  to  base- 
ball. To  watch  it  played  is  most  interesting,  as  the  atten- 
tion is  concentrated  but  for  a  short  time  and  not  allowed 
to  succumb  to  undue  pressure  of  prolonged  suspense.  The 
broad  principles  of  base-ball  are  not  by  any  means  cliffi- 


74         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

cult  of  comprehension.  The  theory  of  the  game  is  not 
unlike  that  of  "Rounders,"  in  that  bases  have  to  be  run; 
but  the  details  are  in  every  way  different. 

"To  play  base-ball  requires  judgment,  courage,  pres- 
ence of  mind  and  the  possession  of  much  the  same  quali- 
ties as  at  cricket.  To  see  it  played  by  experts  will  astonish 
those  who  only  know  it  by  written  descriptions,  for  it  is  a 
fast  game,  full  of  change  and  excitement  and  not  in  the 
least  degree  wearisome.  To  see  the  best  players  field  even 
is  a  sight  that  ought  to  do  a  cricketer's  heart  good;  the 
agility,  dash  and  accuracy  of  tossing  and  catching  pos- 
sessed by  the  Americans  being  wonderful." 

This,  coming  at  that  time  from  a  paper  of  the  "Field's" 
high  standing  was  praise,  indeed,  but  the  fact  remains 
that  the  game  itself,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  made  to  in- 
troduce it,  has  never  become  popular  in  England,  for  the 
reason  perhaps  that  it  possesses  too  many  elements  of  dash 
and  danger  and  requires  too  much  of  an  effort  to  play  it. 

Commenting  after  our  return  to  this  country  upon 
this  tour  and  its  results,  Henry  Chadwick,  the  oldest 
writer  on  base-ball  in  this  country  and  an  acknowledged 
authority  on  the  game,  said: 

"The  visit  of  the  American  base-ball  players  to  En- 
gland and  the  success  they  met  there,  not  only  in  popu- 
larizing the  American  National  Game  but  in  their  matches 
at  cricket  with  the  leading  Cricket  Clubs  of  England,  did 
more  for  the  best  interests  of  base-ball  than  anything  that 
has  occurred  since  the  first  tour  through  the  country  of 
the  noted  Excelsior  Club  of  Brooklyn  in  1860.  In  the 
first  place,  the  visit  in  question  has  resulted  in  setting  at 
rest  forever  the  much  debated  question  as  to  whether  we 
had  a  National  Game  or  not,  the  English  press  with  rare 
unanimity  candidly  acknowledging  that  the  'new  game 
of  base-ball'  is  unquestionably  the  American  National 


WE  BALL  PLAYERS  GO  ABROAD.       75 

v  Game.  Secondly,  the  splendid  display  of  fielding  exhib- 
ited by  the  American  ball  players  has  opened  the  eyes  of 
English  cricketers  to  the  important  fact  that  in  their  ef- 
forts to  equalize  the  attack  and  defense  in  their  national 
game  of  cricket,  in  which  they  have  looked  only  to  certain 
modifications  of  the  rules  governing  bowling  and  batting, 
they  have  entirely  ignored  the  important  element  of  the 
game,  viz.,  fielding;  and  that  this  element  is  so  important 
is  a  fact  that  has  been  duly  proved  by  the  brilliant  success 
of  the  American  base-ball  players  in  cricket,  a  game  in 
which  the  majority  of  them  were  mere  novices,  and  yet 
by  their  ability  as  fielders  in  keeping  down  their  adver- 
saries' scores  they  fully  demonstrated  that  skill  in  fielding 
is  as  great  an  element  of  success  in  cricketing  as-  bowling 
and  batting,  if  it  be  not  greater,  and  also  that  the  principles 
of  saving  runs  by  sharp  fielding1  is  as  sound  as  that  of 
making  runs  by  skillful  batting.  But,  moreover,  they 
have  shown  by  this  self-same  fielding  skill  that  the  game  of 
base-ball  is  a  better  school  for  fielding  than  cricket,  the  pe- 
culiarity of  the  play  in  the  former  game  requiring  a 
prompter  return  of  the  ball  from  the  outfield,  swifter  and 
more  accurate  throwing,  and  surer  catching  than  the  or- 
dinary practice  of  cricket  would  seem  to  need. 

"Another  result  of  the  tour  has  been  to  show  our  En- 
glish cousins  the  great  contrast  between  the  character  and 
habits  of  our  American  base-ball  professionals  and  those 
of  the  English  professional  cricketers,  taking  them  as  a 
class.  One  of  the  London  players  warmly  complimented 
the  American  players  on  their  fine  physique  as  athletes 
and  especially  commented  on  their  abstemious  habits  in 
contrast,  as  the  paper  stated  'with  our  beer-drinking  En- 
glish professional  cricketers.'  In  fact,  the  visit  of  the  base- 
ball players  has  opened  old  John  Bull's  eyes  to  the  fact 
that  we  are  not  as  neglectful  of  athletic  sports  as  he 


76        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

thought  we  were,  for  one  thing,  and  in  our  American  base- 
ball representatives  we  presented  a  corps  of  fielders  the 
equal  of  which  in  brilliancy  of  play  England  has  never 
seen  even  among  the  most  expert  of  her  best  trained  crick- 
eters. So  much  for  our  National  Game  of  base-ball  as  a 
school  for  fielding  in  cricket.  We  sent  these  ball  players 
out  to  show  England  how  we  played  ball,  but  with  no  idea 
of  their  being  able  to  accomplish  much  at  cricket;  but  to 
our  most  agreeable  surprise  they  defeated  every  club  that 
they  played  with  at  that  game,  and  Bell's  Life  does  the 
American  team  the  justice  to  say  that  an  eleven  could  no 
doubt  be  selected  from  the  American  ball  players  that 
would  trouble  some  of  the  best  of  our  elevens  to  defeat. 

"The  telegrams  from  England  in  every  instance  re- 
ferred to  the  games  played  as  between  twenty-two  Ameri- 
cans and  eleven  English,  but  when  the  regular  reports 
were  secured  by  mail  it  was  found  that  it  was  eighteen 
against  twelve,  quite  a  difference  as  regards  the  odds 
against  side.  The  first  dispatch  also  referred  to  the  'weak 
team  presented  against  the  Americans,'  but  the  score 
when  received  showed  that  the  eighteen  had  against  them 
in  the  first  match  six  of  the  crack  team  which  came  over 
here  in  1872,  together  with  two  professionals  and  four  of 
the  strongest  of  the  Marylebone  Club.  Englishmen  did 
not  dream  that  the  base-ball  novices  could  make  such  a 
good  showing  in  the  game,  and  knowing  nothing  of  their 
ability  as  fielders  they  thought  it  would  be  an  easy  task 
to  defeat  even  double  their  own  number,  the  defeat  of  the 
celebrated  Surrey  and  Prince's  Club  twelves  in  one  in- 
ning, and  of  the  strong  teams  of  Sheffield,  Manchester  and 
Dublin  by  large  scores,  opened  their  eyes  to  their  mis- 
take, and  very  naturally  they  began  to  hold  the  game  that 
could  yield  such  players  in  great  respect. 

"Worthy  of  praise  as  the  success  of  our  base-ball  rep- 


WE  BALL  PLAYERS  GO  ABROAD.       77 

resentatives  in  England  is,  the  fact  of  their  admirable  de- 
portment and  gentlemanly  conduct  on  and  off  the  field,  is 
one  which  commends  itself  even  more  to  the  praise  of  our 
home  people.  That  they  were  invited  to  so  many  high 
places  and  held  intercourse  with  so  many  of  the  best  peo- 
ple fully  shows  that  their  behavior  was  commendable  in 
the  extreme.  Considering  therefore  the  brilliant  success 
of  the  tour  and  the  credit  done  the  American  name  by 
these  base-ball  representatives,  it  was  proper  that  their  re- 
ception on  their  reappearance  in  our  midst  should  be  com- 
mensurate with  their  high  salaries,  for  in  every  respect  did 
they  do  credit  to  themselves  and  our  American  game  of 
'base-ball.'  " 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  ARGONAUTS  OF    1874.. 

The  players  that  made  the  first  trip  abroad  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  National  Game  may  well  be  styled  the  Argo- 
nauts of  Base-ball,  and  though  they  brought  back  with 
them  but  little  of  the  golden  fleece,  the  trip  being  financial- 
ly a  failure,  their  memory  is  one  that  should  always  be 
kept  green  in  the  hearts  of  the  game's  lovers,  if  for  no 
other  reason  than  because  they  were  the  first  to  show  our 
British  cousins  what  the  American  athlete  could  do  when 
it  came  both  to  inventing  and  playing  a  game  of  his  own. 

That  they  failed  to  make  the  game  a  popular  one 
abroad  was  no  fault  of  theirs,  the  fault  lying,  if  anywhere, 
in  the  deep-rooted  prejudice  of  the  English  people  against 
anything  that  savored  of  newness  and  Americanism,  and 
in  the  love  that  they  had  for  their  own  national  game  of 
cricket,  a  game  that  had  been  played  by  them  for  genera- 
tions. 

I  doubt  if  a  better  body  of  men,  with  the  exception 
of  your  humble  servant,  who  was  too  young  at  the  game 
to  have  been  taken  into  account,  could  have  been  selected 
at  that  time  to  illustrate  the  beauties  of  the  National  game 
in  a  foreign  clime. 

They  were  ball  players,  every  one  of  them,  and  though 
new  stars  have  risen  and  set  since  then,  the  stars  of  thirty 
years  ago  still  live  in  the  memory  both  of  those  who  ac- 
companied them  on  the  trip  and  those  who  but  knew  of 
them  through  the  annals  of  the  game  as  published  in  the 
daily  press  and  in  the  guide  books. 

Harry  Wright,  the  captain  of  the  Boston  Reds,  was 


THE  ARGONAUTS  OF  1874.  79 

even  then  the  oldest  ball  player  among  the  Argonauts, 
he  having  played  the  game  for  twenty  years,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  Knickerbockers  when  many  of  his  com- 
panions had  not  as  yet  attained  the  dignity  of  their  first 
pair  of  pants.  He  was  noted,  too,  as  a  cricketer  of  no 
mean  ability,  having  succeeded  his  father  as  the  profes- 
sional of  the  famous  St.  George  Club  long  before  he  was 
ever  heard  of  in  connection  with  the  National  Game.  As 
an  exponent  of  the  National  Game  he  first  became  noted 
as  the  captain  of  the  celebrated  Red  Stocking  Club  of 
Cincinnati,  a  nine  that  went  through  the  season  of  1869, 
playing  games  from  Maine  to  California  without  a  single 
defeat.  As  captain  and  manager  of  a  ball  team  Mr.  Wright 
had  few  equals,  and  no  superiors,  as  his  subsequent  history 
in  connection  with  the  Boston  and  Philadelphia  Clubs 
will  prove.  He  was  a  believer  in  kind  words  and  gov- 
erned his  players  more  by  precept  and  example  than  by 
any  set  of  rules  that  he  laid  down  for  their  guidance.  As 
a  player  at  the  time  of  this  trip  he  was  still  in  his  prime 
and  could  hold  his  own  with  any  of  the  younger  men  in 
the  outfit,  while  his  knowledge  of  the  English  game  proved 
almost  invaluable  to  us.  Harry  Wright  died  in  1895,  and 
when  he  passed  away  I  lost  a  steadfast  friend,  and  the 
base-ball  world  a  man  that  was  an  honor  in  every  way  to 
the  profession. 

A.  G.  Spalding  was  at  that  time  justly  regarded  as 
being  one  of  the  very  best  pitchers  in  the  profession,  and 
from  the  time  that  he  first  appeared  in  a  Boston  uniform 
until  the  time  that  he  left  the  club  and  cast  his  fortunes 
with  the  Chicagos  he  was  a  great  favorite  with  both  press 
and  public.  As  Harry  Chadwick  once  wrote  of  him,  "In 
judgment,  command  of  the'  ball,  pluck,  endurance,  and 
nerve  in  his  position  he  had  no  superior."  He  could  dis- 
guise a  change  of  pace  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deceive  the 


8o         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

most  expert  batsman,  while  as  a  scientific  hitter  himself 
he  had  few  superiors.  He  had  brains  and  used  them,  and 
this  made  him  a  success  not  only  as  a  ball  player  but  as  a 
business  man.  As  a  manufacturer  and  dealer,  Mr.  Spald- 
ing  has  acquired  a  world-wide  reputation,  and  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  none  glory  in  his  success  more  than  do  his  old 
associates  on  the  ball  field. 

James  O'Rourke,  or  "Jim,"  as  we  all  called  him,  was  a 
splendid  ball  player  and  especially  excelled  in  playing 
behind  the  bat  and  in  the  outfield,  which  position  he 
played  for  many  years.  A  sure  catch,  an  active  fielder,  a 
good  thrower,  and  a  fine  batsman,  O'Rourke  was  always 
to  be  relied  upon.  Born  of  Irish  parentage,  he  hailed  from 
the  Nutmeg  State  and  was  when  I  last  heard  of  him  in 
business  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and  reported  as  doing  well. 
He  was  a  quiet,  gentlemanly  young  fellow,  blessed  with  a 
goodly  share  of  Irish  wit,  and  a  rich  vocabulary  of  jaw- 
breaking  words. 

Ross  Barnes,  who  held  down  the  second  bag,  was  one 
of  the  best  ball  players  that  ever  wore  a  shoe,  and  I  would 
like  to  have  nine  men  just  like  him  right  now  under  my 
management.  He  was  an  all-around  man,  and  I  do  not 
know  of  a  single  man  on  the  diamond  at  the  present  time 
that  I  regard  as  his  superior.  He  was  a  Rockford  prod- 
uct, but  after  his  ball  playing  days  were  over  he  drifted  to 
Chicago  and  was  at  the  last  time  I  saw  him  circulating 
around  on  the  open  Board  of  Trade. 

"Harry"  Schafer  was  a  good,  all-around  player,  but  I 
have  seen  men  that  could  play  third  base  a  good  deal  bet- 
ter than  he  could.  Sometimes  his  work  was  of  a  brilliant 
character,  while  at  others  it  was  but  mediocre.  He  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania  and  his  usually  smiling  face  and 
unfailing  fund  of  good  nature  served  to  make  him  a  gen- 
eral favorite  wherever  he  went. 


THE  ARGONAUTS  OF  1874.  81 

George  Wright,  a  brother  of  the  lamented  Harry,  was 
another  splendid  all-around  ball  player,  and  one  that  up 
to  the  time  that  he  injured  his  leg  had  no  equal  in  his  po- 
sition, that  of  shortstop.  He  was  one  of  the  swiftest  and 
most  accurate  of  throwers,  and  could  pull  down  a  ball  that 
would  have  gone  over  the  head  of  almost  any  other  man 
in  the  business,  bounding  into  the  air  for  it  like  a  rubber 
ball.  As  .a  cricketer  he  ranked  among  the  best  in  the 
country.  Retiring  from  the  ball  field,  he  became  a  dealer 
in  sporting  goods  at  Boston,  Mass.,  where  he  still  is,  and 
where  he  is  reported  to  have  "struck  it  rich." 

Andrew  J.  Leonard,  a  product  of  the  Emerald  Isle, 
was  brought  up  in  New  Jersey,  and  excelled  as  an  out- 
fielder, being  a  splendid  judge  of  high  balls,  a  sure  catch, 
and  a  swift  and  accurate  long-distance  thrower.  He  was  a 
good  batsman  and  a  splendid  base  runner,  and  was  nearly 
as  good  a  player  on  the  infield  as  in  the  out.  He  is  at 
present  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  business 
and  reported  as  fairly  successful. 

Cal  C.  McVey,  the  heavy-weight  of  the  team,  came 
like  myself  from  the  broad  prairies  of  Iowa,  and  was  built 
about  as  I  am,  on  good,  broad  Western  lines.  He  was  a 
fairly  good  outfielder,  but  excelled  either  as  a  catcher  or 
baseman.  He  was  conscientious  and  a  hard  worker,  but 
his  strongest  point  was  his  batting,  and  as  a  wielder  of  the 
ash  he  had  at  that  time  few  superiors.  He  is  somewhere 
in  California  ,at  the  present  writing,  and  has  money 
enough  in  his  pocket  to  pay  for  at  least  a  lodging  and 
breakfast,  and  does  not  have  to  worry  as  to  where  his 
dinner  is  to  come  from. 

Young  Kent,  the  Harvard  College  man,  who  took  Jim 
White's  place  on  the  trip,  was  a  tall,  rangy  fellow  and  a 
good  amateur  ball  player.  He  never  joined  the  profes- 
sional ranks,  but  since  his  graduation  has  written  several 


82         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

books,  and  made  himself  quite  a  reputation  in  literary 
circles. 

John  E.  Clapp,  the  regular  catcher  of  the  Athletics, 
was  a  cool,  quiet,  plucky  fellow,  and  one  of  the  best  catch- 
ers at  that  time  the  profession  could  boast  of.  He  hailed 
originally  from  New  York,  I  believe,  and  while  in  En- 
gland surprised  the  cricketers  by  his  fine  catching,  no 
ball  being  too  hot  for  him  to  handle.  Unless  I  am  greatly 
mistaken,  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  police 
force,  and  an  honored  member  of  the  blue-coat  and  brass- 
button  brigade. 

James  Dickson  McBride,  who  was  better  known  the 
country  over  as  "Dick"  McBride,  was  at  that  time  the 
most  experienced  man  in  his  position  that  the  country 
could  boast  of,  he  having  been  the  regular  pitcher  of  the 
Athletics  since  1860.  He  had  speed  in  a  marked  degree, 
plenty  of  pluck  and  endurance  and  a  thorough  command 
of  the  ball.  He  was  a  man  of  brains,  who  always  played 
to  win,  and  to  his  hard  work  and  general  knowledge  of 
the  fine  points  of  the  game  the  Athletics  owed  much  of 
their  success.  "Dick"  was  a  good  cricketer,  too,  that 
being  his  game  prior  to  his  appearance  on  the  diamond. 
He  hailed  from  the  Quaker  City,  where  he  still  resides, 
having  a  good  position  in  the  postoffice. 

West  D.  Fisler  was  a  fine,  all-around  ball  player,  re- 
markable for  his  coolness  and  nerve.  He  was  a  very  quiet 
sort  of  fellow  and  one  of  the  last  men  that  you  would  pick 
out  for  a  really  great  player.  He  could  play  any  position 
on  the  team,  was  thoroughly  honest  and  always  played 
the  best  he  knew  how.  He  is  still  living  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Philadelphia,  and  though  not  rich  in  this  world's 
goods,  has  still  enough  to  live  on. 

Joe  Batten  was  the  youngest  member  of  the  Athletic 
team  and  at  that  time  quite  a  promising  young  player. 


THE  ARGONAUTS  OF  1874.  83 

He  did  not  last  long  with  the  Athletics,  'however,  and  after 
playing  on  one  or  two  other  league  teams  he  dropped  out 
sight.  He  was  a  bricklayer  by  trade,  and  the  last  time  I 
heard  of  him  he  was  in  St.  Louis  working  at  his  trade. 

Ezra  B.  Sutton  then  ranked  as  one  of  the  best  third- 
base  players  in  the  country.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
accurate  throwers  that  I  ever  saw ;  a  splendid  fielder  and 
a  good  batter,  though  not  a  particularly  heavy  one.  When 
he  finally  quit  the  game  he  settled  down  in  business  at 
Rochester,  where  he  was  still  living  the  last  I  heard  of 
him.  A  good  man  was  Sutton,  and  one  that  would  com- 
pare very  favorably  with  the  best  in  his  line  at  the  present 
day. 

M.  H.  McGeary  was  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  though 
not  a  Dutchman,  as  his  name  goes  to  prove.  He  was  not 
only  an  effective  and  active  shortstop  but  a  good  change 
catcher  as  well,  being  noted  for  his  handling  of  sharp  fly 
tips  While  in  the  latter  position.  He  was  in  Philadelphia 
when  last  heard  from,  and  doing  fairly  well. 

Albert  W.  Gedney  was  the  postoffice  clerk  of  the  New 
York  State  Senate  at  the  time  of  our  trip,  and  was  one  of 
the  best  of  left  fielders,  being  an  excellent  judge  of  high 
balls  and  a  sure  catch,  especially  in  taking  balls  on  the 
run.  He  is  now  a  prosperous  mill  owner  near  New  York 
City  and  does  not  have  to  worry  as  to  where  the  next 
meal  is  coming  from, 

James  McMullen,  who  played  the  center  field,  was  an 
active  and  effective  man  in  that  position.  He  was  also  a 
fairly  good  left-handed  pitcher,  and  a  rattling  good  bats- 
man, who  excelled  in  fair-foul  hitting.  McMullen  was 
an  all-around  good  fellow,  and  when  he  died  in  1881  he 
left  a  host  of  friends  to  mourn  his  loss. 

J.  P.  Sensenderfer  accompanied  the  club  as  a  sub- 
stitute, as  did  Timothy  Murnane,  and  both  were  good, 


84        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

all-around  ball  players,  and  are  both  still  in  the  land  of 
the  living  and  doing  more  than  well,  Philadelphia  being 
the  abiding  place  of  the  former,  while  the  last  named  is 
the  sporting  editor  of  the  "Boston  Globe." 

I  take  particular  pride  in  calling  the  attention  of  the 
public  to  the  fact  that  but  one  player  of  all  those  making 
the  trip  went  wrong  in  the  after  years,  that  one  being 
George  W.  Hall,  who  accompanied  the  Bostons  as  a  sub- 
stitute and  who  in  company  with  A.  H.  Nichols,  James 
H.  Graver  and  James  A.  Devlin  was  expelled  by  the 
Louisville  Club  in  1877  for  crooked  playing,  they  having 
sold  out  to  the  gamblers. 

That  there  should  have  been  but  one  black  sheep 
among  so  many,  in  my  estimation  speaks  well  for  the 
integrity  of  ball  players  as  a  class  and  for  the  Argonauts 
of  1874  in  particular. 

That  the  great  majority  of  these  men  have  also  made 
a  success  in  other  lines  of  business  since  they  retired  from 
the  profession  is  also  an  argument  in  favor  of  teaching  the 
young  athletic  sports.  A  successful  athlete  must  be  the 
possessor  of  courage,  pluck  and  good  habits,  and  these 
three  attributes  combined  will  make  a  successful  business 
man  no  matter  what  that  particular  line  of  business 
may  be. 

For  the  companions  of  that,  my  first  trip  across  the 
Atlantic,  who  are  still  in  the  land  of  the  living  I  have  still 
a  warm  place  in  my  heart.  I  have  both  slept  and  eaten 
with  them,  and  if  we  have  disagreed  in  some  particulars 
it  was  an  honest  disagreement.  Whenever  the  information 
comes  to  me  that  some  one  of  them  is  doing  particularly 
well,  I  am  honestly  glad  of  it,  and  I  have  faith  enough  in 
human  nature  to  believe  that  they  have  the  same  feeling 
so  far  as  I  am  concerned. 

For  the  two  that  are  dead  I  have  naught  but  kind 


THE  ARGONAUTS  OF  1874. 


85 


words  and  pleasant  memories.     They  were  my  friends 
while  living,  and  dead  I  still  cherish  their  memory. 
To  me  they  are  not  dead,  only  sleeping. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

I  WIN  ONE  PRIZE  AND  OTHERS  FOLLOW. 

If  it  is  true,  as  some  people  allege,  that  marriage  is  a 
lottery,  then  all  I  have  to  say  regarding  it  is  that  I  drew 
the  capital  prize  and  consequently  may  well  be  regarded  as 
a  lucky  man,  for  truer,  fonder,  and  more  sensible  wife 
than  I  have,  or  a  happier  home  cannot  be  found  even 
though  you  search  the  wide  world  over.  It  was  in  Phila- 
delphia that  I  wooed  and  won  her,  and  I  was  by  no  means 
the  only  contestant  that  was  in  the  field  for  her  heart  and 
hand.  There  were  others,  and  one  in  particular  that  was 
far  better  looking  and  much  more  of  a  lady's  man  than 
myself,  but  when  he  found  that  I  had  a  pull  at  the  weights 
he  retired,  though  not  without  a  struggle,  and  left  me  in 
undisputed  possession  of  the  field. 

Just  why  I  happened  to  be  the  successful  suitor  is  now, 
and  always  has  been,  to  me  a  mystery.  I  have  asked  Mrs. 
Anson  to  explain,  but  somehow  I  can  get  very  little  sat- 
isfaction. I  was  by  no  means  a  model  man  in  the  early 
days  of  my  courtship,  as  my  experiences  detailed  else- 
where go  to  prove,  but  I  was  an  honest  and  faithful  wooer, 
as  my  wife  can  testify,  and  that  perhaps  had  as  much  to  do 
with  the  successful  termination  of  my  suit  as  anything. 
I  had  been  used  to  having  everything  that  I  wanted  from 
my  babyhood  up,  and  after  I  had  once  made  up  my  mind 
that  I  wanted  my  wife,  which  I  did  very  early  in  our  ac- 
quaintance, I  laid  siege  to  her  heart  with  all  the  artifices 
that  I  could  command. 

I  am  sometimes  inclined  to  believe  that  I  fell  in  love 
with  her,  at  least  part  way,  the  very  first  time  that  I  met 
her,  else  why  should  I  remember  her  so  vividly? 


I  WIN  ONE  PRIZE  AND  OTHERS  FOLLOW.      87 

Her  name  was  Virginia  M.  Fiegal,  and  she  was  one  of 
a  family  of  two,  and  the  only  daughter,  her  father  being 
John  Fiegal,  a  hotel  and  restaurant  man  in  the  Quaker 
City. 

The  first  time  that  I  ever  saw  her  was  at  a  ball  given 
by  the  National  Guards  in  Philadelphia,  and  though  she 
was  then  but  a  fair-haired,  blue-eyed  girl  of  some  twelve 
or  thirteen  summers,  and  still  in  short  dresses,  she  at- 
tracted my  attention.  Just  how  she  was  dressed  on  that 
occasion  I  could  not  tell  you  to  save  my  life,  nor  do  I  think 
I  could  have  done  so  an  hour  after  the  ball  was  over,  but 
for  all  that  the  memory  of  her  sweet  face  and  girlish  ways 
lingered  with  me  long  after  the  strains  of  music  had  died 
awray  and  the  ball-room  was  given  over  to  the  flitting 
shadows. 

Some  months,  or  weeks,  perhaps,  I  have  really  forgot- 
ten which,  drifted  by  before  I  saw  her  again,  and  then  it 
was  at  a  club  ball,  and  this  time  I  paid  her  considerable 
attention,  in  fact,  I  liked  her  better  than  any  girl  that  I 
had  yet  met  and  was  not  afraid  to  show  it,  although  I  could 
not  then  muster  up  the  necessary  courage  to  go  on  boldly 
about  my  wooing.  In  fact,  I  left  a  great  deal  to  chance, 
and  chance  in  this  case  treated  me  very  kindly. 

Some  time  later,  when  the  summer  days  were  long,  I 
met  her  again  in  company  with  a  Miss  Cobb,  later  the 
wife  of  Johnnie  McMullen,  the  base-ball  pitcher,  at  Fair- 
mount  Park,  and  that  was  the  day  of  my  undoing.  After 
a  pleasant  time  I  accompanied  her  home  to  luncheon  at 
her  invitation,  and  that  I  had  lost  my  heart  long  before 
the  door  of  her  house  was  reached  I  am  now  certain. 

Once  inside  the  door  I  asked  her  rather  abruptly  if 
her  father  or  mother  was  at  home,  and  I  fancied  she  looked 
rather  relieved  when  she  found  out  that  the  only  reason 


88        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

that  I  had  asked  her  was  that  I  wanted  to  smoke  a  cigar, 
and  not  to  loot  the  house  of  its  valuables. 

Prior  to  that  time  I  had  circulated  among  the  ladies 
but  little,  my  whole  mind  having  been  concentrated  on 
base-ball  and  billiard  playing,  and  the  particular  fit  of  my 
coat  or  the  fashion  of  my  trousers  caused  me  but  little 
concern.  From  that  afternoon  on,  however,  things  were 
different,  and  I  am  afraid  that  I  spent  more  time  before 
the  mirror  than  was  really  necessary.  I  also  began  to  hunt 
up  excuses  of  various  kinds  for  visiting  the  house  of  the 
Fiegals,  and  some  of  these  were  of  the  flimsiest  character. 
I  fancied  then  that  I  was  deceiving  the  entire  family,  but  I 
know  now  that  I  was  deceiving  only  myself. 

I  was  not  the  only  ball  player  that  laid  siege  to  Miss 
Virginia's  heart  in  those  days.  There  was  another,  the 
handsome  and  debonair  Charlie  Snyder,  who  was  a  great 
favorite  with  the  girls  wherever  he  went.  I  became  jeal- 
ous very  early  in  the  game  of  Charlie's  attentions  to  the 
young  lady  that  I  had  determined  upon  making  Mrs.  An- 
son.  It  was  rather  annoying  to  have  him  dropping  in 
when  I  had  planned  to  have  her  all  to  myself  for  an  even- 
ing, and  still  more  annoying  to  find  him  snugly  ensconced 
in  the  parlor  when  I  myself  put  in  an  appearance  on  the 
scene. 

So  unbearable  did  this  become  that  I  finally  informed 
him  that  I  would  stand  no  more  trespassing  on  my  stamp- 
ing grounds,  and  advised  him  to  keep  away.  But  to  this 
he  paid  but  little  attention  and  it  was  not  until  my  sweet- 
heart herself,  at  my  request,  gave  him  his  conge  that  he 
refrained  from  longer  calling  at  the  house.  It  was  the 
old  story  of  "two  is  company,  three  is  none,"  and  I  was 
greatly  relieved  when  he  abandoned  the  field. 

I  was  now  the  fair  Virginia's  steady  company,  and 
long  before  I  came  to  Chicago  we  understood  each  other 


VIHGIXIA  JAXET  Axsox 

AIJHIAX  C.  Axsox  VIHGIXIA  M.  Axsox 

GRACE  Axsox  CLOUGH 

DnnnTTTV   Avsnv  AnEI/E  AXSOX 


I  WIN  ONE  PRIZE  AND  OTHERS  FOLLOW.      89 

so  well  that  I  ceased  to  worry  about  any  of  the  callers  at 
her  home  and  began  to  dream  of  the  time  when  I  should 
have  one  of  my  own  in  which  she  should  be  the  presiding 
genius  of  the  hearth-stone. 

She  was  not  in  favor  of  my  coming  to  Chicago,  and 
had  it  been  possible  for  me  to  remain  with  honor  in  Phila- 
delphia I  should  have  done  so,  but  that  being  impossible 
I  left  for  the  great  metropolis  of  the  West,  promising  to 
return  for  her  providing  her  father  would  give  his  consent 
to  our  marriage  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  think  one  of  the  first  things  almost  that  I  did  after 
arriving  in  Chicago  was  to  write  the  daddy  of  my  sweet- 
heart asking  for  her  hand.  I  had  been  a  little  afraid  to  do 
so  when  at  close  range,  but  the  farther  away  I  went  the 
bolder  I  became,  for  I  knew  that  whatever  his  answer 
might  be  I  was  certainly  out  of  any  personal  danger. 

The  old  gentleman's  answer  was,  however,  a  favor- 
able one,  and  so  after  my  first  season's  play  in  Chicago 
was  over  I  returned  to  Philadelphia  and  there  was  united 
to  the  woman  of  my  choice,  and  I  am  frank  to  confess  that 
I  was  more  nervous  when  I  faced  the  minister  on  that  oc- 
casion that  I  ever  was  when,  bat  in  hand,  I  stood  before 
the  swiftest  pitcher  in  the  league. 

The  first  little  visitor  that  came  to  us  was  a  baby  girl 
that  we  called  Grace,  who  was  born  October  6,  1877.  That 
seems  a  long  time  ago  now.  The  baby  Grace  has  grown 
to  womanhood's  estate  and  is  the  happy  wife  of  Walter 
H.  Clough,  and  the  proud  mother  of  Anson  McNeal 
Clough,  who  was  born  May  7,  1899,  and  who  will  be 
taught  to  call  me  "grandpa"  as  soon  as  his  baby  lips  can 
lisp  the  words. 

Adrian  Hulbert  Anson  was  our  next  baby.  He  was 
born  Sept.  n,  1882,  and  died  four  days  afterward,  that 


go         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

being  the  first  grief  that  we  had  known  since  our  mar- 
riage. 

Another  daughter,  Adele,  crept  into  our  hearts  and 
household  April  24th,  1884,  and  is  still  with  us. 

Adrian  C.  Anson  Jr.  came  into  the  world  on  September 
4th,  1887,  and  died  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  January  fol- 
lowing. He  lived  the  longest  of  all  of  my  boys  and  his 
death  was  the  cause  of  great  grief  both  to  his  mother  and 
myself. 

The  storks  brought  me  another  daughter,  my  little 
Dorothy,  on  August  I3th,  1889,  and  she,  thank  God,  is 
still  engaged  in  making  sunshine  for  us  all. 

John  Henry  Anson  was  born  on  May  3d,  1892,  but  four 
days  later  the  angel  of  Death  again  stopped  at  my  thresh- 
old and  when  he  departed  he  bore  a  baby  boy  in  his  arms, 
whither  I  know  not,  but  to  a  better  world  that  this  I  feel 
certain,  and  one  to  which  his  baby  brothers  had  jour- 
neyed before  him. 

Virginia  Jeanette  arrived  November  22d,  1899,  and 
has  already  learned  to  kick  at  the  umpire  when  her  meals 
are  not  furnished  as  promptly  as  she  has  reason  to  think 
they  should  be.  She  is  a  strong,  healthy  baby,  and  bids 
fair  to  remain  with  us  for  some  years  to  come. 

Before  returning  again  to  the  ball  field,  on  which  the 
greater  portion  of  my  life  has  been  spent,  I  wish  to  record 
the  fact  that  all  that  I  have  and  all  that  I  have  earned  in 
the  way  both  of  money  and  reputation  in  later  years  I  owe 
not  to  myself,  but  to  Mrs.  Anson.  She  has  been  to  me  a 
helpmeet  in  the  truest  and  best  sense  of  the  word,  rejoicing 
with  me  in  the  days  of  my  success  and  sympathizing  with 
me  in  the  days  of  my  adversity. 

It  was  owing  to  her  good  counsel  that  I  braced  up  in 
the  days  when  she  was  my  sweetheart,  and  it  was  to  please 
her  that  I  have  staid  braced  up  ever  since,  and  am  conse- 


I  WIN  ONE  PRIZE  AND  OTHERS  FOLLOW.      91 

quently  still  strong  in  mind  and  limb  and  as  healthy  a 
specimen  of  an  athlete  as  you  can  find  in  a  year's  travel, 
albeit  a  little  too  heavy  to  run  the  bases  still  and  play  the 
game  of  ball  that  I  used  to  play. 

I  have  never  found  it  necessary  when  I  have  lost  $250 
/\  on  a  horse  race  or  a  match  of  any  kind  to  go  home  and  in- 
form Mrs.  Anson  that  owing  to  my  bad  judgment  I  had 
lost  $2.50,  but  on  the  contrary  I  have  made  it  a  point  to 
tell  her  the  truth  at  all  times,  so  that  she  knows  just  as 
well  how  I  stand  to-day  as  I  do  myself. 

She  and  I  are  not  only  husband  and  wife  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  word,  but  we  are  boon  companions  as  well, 
and  I  always  enjoy  myself  better  on  a  trip  when  Mrs. 
Anson  accompanies  me  that  I  do  if  I  am  alone. 

I  am  as  proud  of  my  daughters  as  any  man  can  well 
be  and  my  only  desire  is  that  they  shall  all  be  as  good  as 
their  mother  and  make  the  husbands  of  their  choice  as 
good  and  true  wives. 

At  the  present  writing  the  only  one  of  my  birds  that 
has  left  its  parent  nest  and  started  out  to  build  a  home  of 
its  own  is  in  Baltimore,  where  her  husband,  as  fine  a  fel- 
low as  any  man  could  wish  to  have  for  a  son-in-law,  is  at 
present  engaged  in  superintending  the  putting  up  of  an 
office  building  contracted  for  the  George  H.  Fuller  Co., 
of  Chicago,  in  whose  employ  he  is. 


CHAPTER  XTI. 

WITH  THE  NATIONAL  LEAGUE. 

It  was  some  time  in  the  fall  of  1875  and  while  the  Na- 
tional League  was  still  in  embryo  that  I  first  made  the 
acquaintance  of  William  A.  Hulbert,  who  afterwards  be- 
came famous  as  the  founder  of  that  organization  and  the 
man  whose  rugged  honesty  and  clear-headed  counsels 
made  of  base-ball  the  National  Game  in  the  truest  and 
broadest  sense  of  the  word. 

At  that  time  Mr.  Hulbert  was  the  President  of  the 
Chicago  Base-Ball  Club,  and  in  company  with  A.  G. 
Spalding  he  came  to  Philadelphia  for  the  purpose  of  get- 
ting my  signature  to  a  contract  to  play  in  the  Western 
metropolis. 

It  was  the  ambition  of  the  Chicago  management  to  get 
together  a  championship  team,  and  with  that  object  in 
view  they  had  already  signed  the  big-four  who  had  helped 
so  many  itmes  to  win  the  pennant  for  Boston,  viz. :  Cal 
McVey,  first  base;  James  White,  catcher;  Ross  Barnes, 
second  base ;  and  A.  G.  Spalding,  pitcher,  and  the  latter, 
who  was  to  captain  the  Chicago  team,  had  suggested  my 
engagement  as  third  baseman.  I  finally  agreed  to  play 
with  the  team  at  a  salary  of  $2,000,  or  $200  more  than  I 
was  then  getting  with  the  Athletics. 

I  well  remember  Mr.  Hulbert's  appearance  at  that 
time.  He  stood  in  the  neighborhood  of  six  feet,  and 
weighed  close  to  215  pounds.  He  had  a  stern  expression 
of  countenance  and  impressed  one  right  from  the  start 
as  being  a  self-reliant  business  man  of  great  natural  abil- 
ity, and  such  he  turned  out  to  be.  He  was  good-heartecl 


WITH    THE    NATIONAL    LEAGUE.  93 

and  of  a  convivial  nature  when  business  hours  were  over, 
but  as  honest  as  the  day  was  long,  and  would  tolerate 
nothing  that  savored  of  crookedness  in  any  shape  or  form. 
As  an  executive  he  had  but  few  equals  and  no  superiors. 
He  was  quick  to  grasp  a  situation  and  when  once  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  do  a  thing  it  took  the  very  best  sort 
of  an  argument  to  dissuade  him. 

During  the  winter  of  1875-6  the  National  League 
sprang  into  being,  the  Hon.  Morgan  G.  Bulkeley  of  Hart- 
ford, who  was  afterwards  elected  Governor  of  Connecti- 
cut, being  its  first  President,  he  being  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Hulbert  the  following  year.  The  clubs  composing  the 
league  were  as  follows :  Athletics  of  Philadelphia,  Bos- 
tons of  Boston,  Hartfords  of  Hartford,  Chicagos  of  Chi- 
cago, St.  Louis  of  St.  Louis,  Louisville  of  Louisville,  Ky., 
Mutuals  of  New  York,  and  Cincinnati  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

When  I  came  to  consult  with  the  future  Mrs.  Anson 
in  regard  to  my  proposed  change  of  base  she  not  unnatur- 
ally objected  to  my  going  so  far  from  home,  for  I  had 
learned  to  regard  Philadelphia  as  my  home  by  that  time. 

I  naturally  thought  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for  me 
to  get  my  release  from  Chicago,  and  being  naturally 
anxious  to  please  her  I  made  two  trips  to  Chicago  that 
winter  for  the  purpose,  and  finally  did  what  no  ball  player 
ever  did  before — offered  $1,000  to  be  released  from  my 
promise. 

It  was  no  go,  however,  as  both  Messrs.  Hulbert  and 
Spalding  had  made  up  their  minds  that  I  should  play  on 
their  team,  and  both  of  them  knew  me  well  enough  to 
know  that  I  would  keep  my  word  at  all  hazards,  no  mat- 
ter what  my  personal  likes  or  dislikes  in  the  matter 
might  be. 

The  last  few  months  of  my  stay  in  Philadelphia  passed 
all  too  quickly,  and  a  short  time  before  the  opening  of  the 


94         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

regular  season  found  me  in  the  Garden  City  ready  to  don 
a  Chicago  uniform  and  do  the  very  best  I  could  to  help 
win  the  pennant  for  the  latest  city  of  my  adoption. 

The  constitution  of  the  new  league  provided  for  an 
entrance  fee  of  $100  per  club,  and  also  provided  that  no 
city  of  less  than  75,000  inhabitants  could  become  a  mem- 
ber. It  also  provided  that  each  city  should  be  represented 
by  one  club  only,  this  prohibiting  the  danger  of  local 
opposition,  such  as  the  Professional  Players'  Association 
had  suffered  from  in  Philadelphia,  St.  Louis  and  other 
cities.  Other  reforms  were  the  adoption  of  a  player's 
contract,  which  enabled  the  clubs  to  keep  their  players 
and  prevented  them  from  being  hired  away  by  rival  or- 
ganizations. 

This  was  the  first  step  toward  the  reserve  rule  that 
followed  later.  It  also  provided  for  the  expelling  of 
players  who  were  guilty  of  breaking  their  contracts  or  of 
dishonesty,  and  such  players  were  to  be  debarred  forever 
afterwards  from  playing  on  the  league  teams.  Gambling 
and  liquor  selling  on  club  grounds  were  prohibited  and 
players  interested  in  a  bet  on  the  result  of  games  or  pur- 
chasing a  pool  ticket  were  liable  to  expulsion. 

The  make-up  of  the  Chicago  team  in  full  for  the  Na- 
tional League's  initial  season  was  as  follows:  A.  G. 
Spalding,  pitcher,  captain  and  manager;  James  White, 
catcher;  A.  C.  Anson,  third  base;  Ross  Barnes,  second 
base ;  Cal  A.  McVey,  first  base ;  J.  P.  Peters,  shortstop  ;  J. 
W.  Glenn,  left  field ;  Paul  A.  Hines,  center  field ;  Robert 
Addy,  right  field ;  and  J.  F.  Cone,  Oscar  Bielaski,  and  F. 
H.  Andrus,  substitutes. 

All  through  the  season  of  1876  the  most  intense  rivalry 
existed  between  the  Chicago  and  Boston  Clubs.  The 
management  of  the  latter  organization,  smarting  under 
the  fact  that  the  "big  four"  had  been  hired  away  from 


WITH    THE    NATIONAL    LEAGUE.  95 

them  by  the  Western  Metropolis,  had  gotten  together 
as  strong  a  team  as  was  possible  under  the  circumstances, 
the  list  including  Harry  Wright,  manager ;  J.  E.  Borden 
("Josephs"),  T.  H.  Murnane,  F.  L.  Beals,  H.  C.  Schafer, 
A.  J.  Leonard,  J.  H.  O'Rourke,  J.  F.  Manning,  F.  T. 
Whitney,  George  Wright,  John  F.  Morrill,  Lewis  Brown, 
T.  McGinley,  and  W.  R.  Parks. 

Our  strongest  opponents,  however,  proved  to  be  the 
Hartford  Club,  of  which  Robert  Ferguson  was  captain 
and  manager,  and  which  numbered  among  its  players 
Allison,  Cummings,  Bond,  Mills,  Burdock,  Gary,  York, 
Remsen,  Cassidy,  Higham,  and  Harbidge. 

As  I  have  said  before,  it  was  anything  to  beat  Chicago, 
so  far  as  the  Bostons  were  concerned,  but  this  feat  they 
were  unable  to  accomplish  until  the  very  tail  end  of  the 
season,  and  after  we  had  beaten  them  in  nine  straight 
games. 

The  first  game  that  we  played  on  the  Boston  grounds 
that  season  I  remember  well,  because  of  the  enormous 
crowd  that  turned  out  to  witness  the  contest.  The  advent 
of  the  "Big  Four"  in  a  new  uniform  was  of  course  the 
attraction,  and  long  before  the  hour  set  for  calling  the 
game  had  arrived  the  people  were  wending  their  way  in 
steady  streams  toward  the  scene  of  action.  Every  kind  of 
a  conveyance  that  could  be  used  was  pressed  into  service, 
from  the  lumbering  stage  coach  that  had  been  retired 
from  active  service,  to  the  coach-and-four  of  the  million- 
aire. Street  cars  were  jammed  to  suffocation,  and  even 
seats  in  an  express  wagon  were  sold  at  a  premium. 

It  was  Decoration  Day,  and  therefore  a  holiday,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  as  if  all  Boston  had  determined  to  be 
present  on  that  occasion.  By  hundreds  and  thousands 
they  kept  coming,  and  finally  it  was  found  necessary  to 
close  the  gates  in  order  to  keep  room  enough  in  the 


96        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

grounds  to  play  the  game  on.  With  the  gates  closed  the 
crowd  began  to  swarm  over  the  fences,  and  the  special 
policemen  employed  there  had  their  hands  more  than 
full  of  trouble. 

The  "Big  Four"  were  given  a  great  ovation  when  they 
put  in  an  appearance,  and  of  course  the  whole  team  shared 
in  the  honors  that  were  showered  upon  them.  The  game 
that  followed  was,  as  might  have  been  expected,  played 
under  difficulties,  but  thanks  to  the  excellent  pitching  of 
Spalding  and  the  fine  support  given  him  by  the  entire 
team  we  won  by  a  score  of  5  to  i,  and  the  Hubbites  were 
sorer  than  ever  over  the  "Big  Four's"  defection. 

Our  other  victories  over  the  Boston  aggregation  that 
season  were  as  follows:  June  ist,  at  Boston,  Chicago  9, 
Boston  3 ;  June  3d,  at  the  same  place,  Chicago  8,  Boston 
4 ;  July  i  ith,  at  Chicago,  Chicago  18,  Boston  /  ;  July  i2th, 
at  the  same  place,  Chicago  n,  Boston  3;  and  July  I5th, 
again,  Chicago  15,  Boston  o;  September  I5th,  at  Boston, 
Chicago  9,  Boston  3 ;  September  i6th,  Chicago  7,  Boston 
2 ;  and  September  22d,  at  Chicago,  Chicago  12,  Boston  10. 
September  23d  we  met  Boston  for  the  last  time  during  the 
season,  and,  anxious  as  we  were  to  make  our  victories 
over  them  ten  straight,  that  being  the  number  of  games 
called  for  by  the  schedule,  we  failed  to  do  so,  being  beaten 
by  a  score  of  10  to  9. 

I  think  that  Harry  Wright  was  happier  that  day  when 
O'Rourke  crossed  the  home  plate  and  scored  the  winning 
run  than  he  would  have  been  had  somebody  made  him 
a  present  of  a  house  and  lot,  so  anxious  was  he  to  win  at 
least  one  game  from  Chicago  during  the  season. 

Both  the  Athletics  and  Mutuals  failed  to  play  out  their 
scheduled  games  in  the  West  that  fall,  and  as  a  result 
they  were  expelled  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  League 


V\r.  A.  LIULBERT 

Organizer  of  the  National  League 


WITH    THE    NATIONAL    LEAGUE.  97 

held  in  Cleveland  the  December  following,  leaving  but 
six  clubs  to  contest  for  championship  honors  in  1877. 

That  first  year  of  the  League  was  not  a  success  when 
viewed  from  a  financial  standpoint,  as  not  a  single  one 
of  the  clubs  that  composed  it  made  any  money,  even  the 
Chicagos,  who  carried  off  the  pennant,  quitting  loser. 
The  men  who  had  organized  it  were  by  no  means  dis- 
couraged, however,  and  that  they  finally  reaped  the  re- 
ward of  their  pluck  and  perseverance  is  now  a  matter  of 
history. 

In  the  fall  I  again  signed  with  Chicago,  as  did  Spald- 
ing,  McVey,  Barnes,  Peters,  Andrus,  and  Glenn  of  the 
old  team,  while  Jim  White  returned  to  his  first  love,  the 
Bostons.  The  new-comers  on  the  team  were  Bradley, 
who  had  pitched  for  the  St.  Louis  Club  the  year  before, 
and  who  was  accounted  as  being  one  of  the  best  in  the 
business,  and  H.  W.  Smith  a  change  catcher  and  out- 
fielder. 

This  was  a  year  of  disaster  as  far  as  Chicago  was  con- 
cerned, and  we  brought  up  the  tail  end  of  the  pennant 
race,  the  whip  going  to  Boston,  which  won  31  games 
and  lost  17,  while  Louisville  stood  second  on  the  list  with 
28  games  won  and  20  lost,  to  its  credit,  Hartford  being 
third,  St.  Louis  fourth,  and  Chicago  fifth,  the  Cincinnatis 
having  failed  to  weather  the  financial  storm,  being  ex- 
pelled from  the  League  because  of  non-payment  of  dues. 

There  would  doubtless  have  been  a  different  tale  to 
tell  in  regard  to  the  championship  of  1877  had  it  not  been 
for  the  crookedness  of  some  of  the  Louisville  palyers. 
The  team  on  paper  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  season 
was  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  strongest  that  had  ever 
been  gotten  together,  and  going  off  with  a  rush  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year  its  success  seemed  to  be  almost 
assured.  By  the  middle  of  the  season  the  team  had  ob- 


98        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

tained  so  great  a  lead  that  the  race  seemed  to  be  all  over 
but  the  shouting. 

In  those  days  poolrooms  were  a  much  greater  evil 
than  they  are  at  the  present  time,  and  the  betting  on  base- 
ball was  hot  and  heavy.  The  Louisville  having  such  a 
lead  were  favorites  at  long  odds.  When  the  club  started 
on  its  last  Eastern  trip  they  had  some  twelve  games  to 
play,  out  of  which  they  had  less  than  half  to  win  in  order 
to  land  the  pennant.  On  this  trip  enough  games  were 
thrown  to  give  Boston  the  pennant,  and  when  the  direc- 
tors of  the  Louisvile  Club  came  to  sift  matters  down  they 
had  but  little  difficulty  in  finding  out  the  guilty  parties, 
who  were  A.  C.  Nichols,  William  H.  Graver,  George 
Hall  and  James  A.  Devlin. 

How  much  money  this  quartette  netted  by  its  crooked 
work  is  not  known  to  this  day,  but  it  has  been  proven 
that  Devlin  secured  but  a  beggarly  $100  as  his  share,  as 
once  the  others  had  him  in  their  power  they  could  com- 
pel him  to  do  just  whatever  they  pleased  under  threats  of 
exposure. 

These  four  players  were  promptly  expelled  for  selling 
games  by  the  Louisvile  Club,  whose  action  was  later  rati- 
fied by  the  League,  and  though  they  made  application 
time  after  time  in  later  years  to  be  reinstated,  their  ap- 
plications were  denied  and  they  passed  out  of  sight  and 
out  of  hearing  as  far  as  the  base-ball  world  was  con- 
cerned. 

They  were  all  of  them  good  ball  players,  better  than 
the  average,  and  Devlin,  a  really  great  pitcher,  undoubted- 
ly had  a  brilliant  future  before  him.  The  inabiity  to  stand 
temptation,  however,  caused  his  downfall  and  left  him 
but  little  better  than  a  wreck  on  the  shores  ot  time. 

The  year,  taken  as  a  whole,  has  been  generally  set 
down  as  being  the  darkest  in  the  history  of  the  League. 


WITH   THE   NATIONAL    LEAGUE.  99 

As  in  the  preceding  year,  all  the  clubs  lost  money  and  the 
outlook  seemed  indeed  a  dark  one. 

The  darkest  hour  comes  just  before  the  dawn,  how- 
ever, and  the  following  year  saw  a  change  for  the  better 
in  base-ball  prospects. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

FROM    FOURTH   PLACE  TO  THE  CHAMPIONSHIP. 

The  year  1878  saw  but  six  clubs  in  the  league  race, 
there  being  the  Boston,  Cincinnati,  Providence,  Chicago, 
Indianapolis  and  Milwaukee  clubs,  and  they  finished  in 
the  order  named,  the  Hub's  representatives  winning  by 
a  margin  of  four  games  from  their  nearest  competitor.  The 
early  part  of  the  year  saw  the  Cincinnatis  in  the  lead,  with 
Chicago  well  up  toward  the  front,  and  it  looked  for  a  time 
as  though  the  honors  of  the  season  might  be  carried  off 
by  the  Western  clubs.  The  Cincinnati  Club  went  into 
the  air  during  the  summer, 'however,  and  surrendered  the 
first  place  to  Boston,  the  latter  team  playing  finely  to- 
gether, and  though  it  rallied  strongly  afterward  it  found 
itself  unable  to  overtake  the  leaders. 

The  Chicago  team  was  not  a  strong  one  that  season 
and  minor  ailments  and  accidents  made  it  still  weaker  than 
it  would  otherwise  have  been.  A.  G.  Spalding  having  re- 
tired from  active  ball  playing,  had  gone  into  the  sporting 
goods  business,  and  Robert  Ferguson  had  been  selected 
to  take  his  place  as  manager  and  captain  of  the  team, 
which  was  made  up  as  follows: 

Robert  Ferguson,  shortstop  and  captain;  Anson,  left 
field;  Start,  first  base;  Cassidy,  right  field;  Remsen,  cen- 
ter field;  Hankinson,  third  base;  McClellan,  second  base; 
Frank  Larkin,  pitcher;  Harbidge,  catcher;  Hallman  and 
Reis,  substitutes. 

There  were  several  weak  spots  in  this  team  and  it  was 
not  long  before  the  fact  became  evident.  Ferguson  him- 
self, while  a  fair  shortstop,  was  by  no  means  a  top-notcher, 


FROM  FOURTH  PLACE  TO  CHAMPIONSHIP.    101 

and  neither  was  he  a  really  good  manager,  he  not  having 
the  necessary  control  over  the  men  that  he  had  under  him. 

Harbridge  was  not  even  a  fair  catcher;  in  fact,  accord- 
ing to  my  estimate,  he  was  a  poor  one.  He  was  a  left- 
handed  thrower  and  made  awkward  work  getting  a  ball 
to  the  bases. 

Joe  Start  was  a  good  ball  player,  indeed,  a  first-class 
man.  He  was  always  to  be  depended  upon,  worked  hard, 
was  a  sure  catch,  a  good  fielder  and  a  first-class  wielder 
of  the  ash.  He  was  known  far  and  wide  as  "Old  Reliable" 
and  his  reputation  was  in  every  way  above  reproach,  both 
on  and  off  the  field. 

McClellan,  who  played  the  second  base,  I  first  saw 
play  at  St.  Paul  in  1876.  He  was  a  nice  fielder,  but  only  a 
moderate  batsman.  Taking  him  all  around,  however,  he 
was  better  than  the  average,  but  not  to  be  compared  with 
some  of  the  men  who  afterwards  played  in  that  position. 

Cassidy,  the  right  fielder,  was  only  an  average  player, 
and  Hankinson,  who  played  third  base  and  change  pitcher, 
was  never  in  the  first  class. 

Larkin,  who  had  pitched  the  year  before  for  the  Hart- 
ford Club,  was  a  rattling  good  man  and  a  really  first- 
class  pitcher,  who  would  have  won  more  games  than  he 
did  had  he  met  with  the  support  that  he  should  have  had. 

Remsen  was  a  fine  fielder  and  a  fast  base-runner  but 
his  weak  point  was  in  hitting.  He  was  a  good  thrower, 
too,  though  I  beat  him  in  a  match  at  Hartford  by  covering 
127  yards  and  4  inches,  a  performance  that  surprised  some 
people  who  had  wagered  their  money  on  his  success. 

During  the  greater  part  of  that  year  I  was  troubled 
with  a  frog  felon  on  my  right  hand  that  nearly  incapaci- 
tated me  from  playing  altogether.  It  was  absolute  torture 
to  me  to  catch,  but  I  managed  to  worry  along  with  it  in 
some  sort  of  fashion,  though  unable  to  do  myself  justice, 


102        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

and  for  that  reason  I  stood  lower  on  the  list  of  averages 
than  I  might  otherwise  have  done. 

A  felon  is  a  mighty  unpleasant  thing  to  have  at  the. 
best,  and  a  man  deserves  some  credit  for  playing  ball  at 
all  that  is  afflicted  in  that  w-ay. 

When  the  season  ended  none  of  the  clubs  had  made 
any  money,  but  the  game  was  growing  steadily  in  public 
favor,  and  it  was  evident  to  even  the  most  superficial  ob- 
server that  there  was  "a  good  time  coming." 

The  following  year,  1879,  saw  a  great  many  changes 
both  in  League  memberships  and  in  the  personnel  of  its 
players.  At  the  annual  meeting  held  in  Cleveland  Decem- 
ber 4,  1878,  the  Indianapolis  Club  resigned  its  member- 
ship and  the  circuit  was  filled  by  the  admission  of  clubs 
from  Cleveland,  Buffalo  and  Syracuse.  The  Milwaukee 
Club  afterward  failing  to  come  to  time  the  Troy,  N.  Y., 
Club  was  taken  in  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

George  Wright,  one  of  the  greatest  players  of  the  day, 
and  the  man  to  whom  Boston  owed  much  of  its  success 
in  winning  the  pennant,  deserted  Boston  for  Providence, 
taking  O'Rourke  with  him,  and  after  the  hardest  sort  of 
a  fight  with  Boston,  Chicago  and  Buffalo  he  succeeded 
in  winning  the  pennant  with  that  organization,  he  having 
the  services  of  John  M.  Ward  and  "Bobby"  Matthews  as 
pitchers,  Lewis  J.  Brown  as  catcher;  Joe  Start,  M.  H. 
McGeary  and  W.  L.  Hague  on  the  bases;  with  "Tommy" 
Stark,  Paul  Hines  and  James  O'Rourke  in  the  field.  Emil 
Grace  and  John  Farrell  replaced  Brown  and  Hague  to- 
ward the  close  of  the  season. 

It  was  a  great  year  of  changes  all  around  and  the 
League  teams  taken  as  a  whole  were  stronger  than  they 
had  ever  been  before. 

Among  the  pitchers  outside  of  these  I  have  already 
mentioned  were  such  stars  as  McCormick,  "Jimmy"  Gal- 


FROM  FOURTH  PLACE  TO  CHAMPIONSHIP.    103 

vin,  Bradley  and  Will  White,  all  of  whom  are  famous  as 
twirlers  in  base-ball  history. 

The  Chicago  team  was  that  season  the  strongest  that 
the  "Windy  City"  had  yet  put  in  the  field.  To  succeed 
Ferguson,  who  had  gone  elsewhere,  I  was  selected  as  cap- 
tain and  manager,  a  position  that  I  have  always  had  rea- 
son to  believe  came  to  me  through  the  influence  of  Mr. 
Hulbert,  and  that  I  retained  for  many  a  year,  through 
both  good  and  evil  report,  finding  it  but  a  thankless  job 
at  best.  The  make-up  of  the  team  in  full  was  as  follows: 
Larkin,  pitcher;  Flint,  catcher;  Anson,  first  base;  Quest, 
second  base;  Hankinson,  pitcher  and  third  base;  Peters, 
stortstop;  Dalrymple,  Gore,  Remsen  and  George  Schaffer 
in  the  field,  with  Williamson  alternating  with  Hankinson 
at  third  base. 

Quest,  Flint,  Williamson  and  George  Schaffer  all  came 
from  the  Indianapolis  team  of  the  year  before,  and  Dal- 
rymple, who  afterward  became  a  great  favorite  with  Chi- 
cago "fans,"  from  the  Milwaukees. 

Geo.  C.  Gore  was  a  newcomer  in  the  League  ranks, 
he  hailing  from  New  Bedford,  but  he  soon  made  for  him- 
self a  name,  being  a  first-class  fielder  and  a  batsman  that 
was  away  above  the  average,  as  is  shown  by  his  record 
made  in  after  years. 

It  was  my  first  season  as  a  first  baseman,  though  I  had 
played  the  position  at  odd  times  before,  and  that  it  suited 
me  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  I  led  the  League  with  a  field- 
ing average  of  .974  and  stood  first  among  the  batsmen 
with  .407,  which  was  the  largest  percentage  ever  made 
up  to  that  time.  Flint  that  season  stood  first  in  the  list  of 
catchers,  and  Quest  led  the  second  basemen.  It  was  some 
time  during  the  close  of  the  season  that  an  unfortunate  ac- 
cident happened  to  Larkin,  and  one  that  caused  his  retire- 
ment from  the  diamond  for  some  time  afterward.  A  line 


104        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ball  from  my  bat  struck  him  on  the  head,  and  as  a  result, 
it  was  at  least  so  stated,  he  had  to  be  sent  to  an  asylum, 
where  he  remained  for  some  time,  though  I  believe  that 
he  afterwards  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  in- 
jury. 

It  was  during  this  year  also  that  the  first  reserve  rule 
was  adopted,  it  being  in  the  shape  of  a  signed  agreement 
by  the  terms  of  which  each  League  club  was  permitted  to 
reserve  five  men  for  the  following  season,  an  agreement 
that  I  have  always  looked  upon  as  being  one  of  the  best 
things  that  could  have  happened,  for  the  reason  that  it 
enabled  all  of  the  clubs  interested  to  reserve  at  least  the 
nucleus  of  a  strong  team  as  a  foundation  upon  which  to 
build. 

The  season  of  1880 1  have  always  looked  upon  as  a  red 
letter  one  in  my  history,  and  for  good  reasons,  as  that 
year  the  Chicago  team  under  my  management  brought 
the  pennant  to  Chicago,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  x 
the  teams  it  had  to  encounter  were  made  up  of  first-class 
material  in  nearly  every  case. 

The  Chicago  team  of  that  season  outclassed  all  of  its 
competitors,  it  being  made  up  as  follows:  Corcoran  and 
Goldsmith,  pitchers;  Flint,  catcher;  Anson,  first  base; 
Quest,  second  base;  Williamson,  third  base;  Burns,  short- 
stop; Dalrymple,  Gore  and  Kelly  in  the  field,  and  L.  T. 
Beals,  substitute. 

Unlike  the  majority  of  the  clubs  the  Chicago  Club  did 
not  have  to  depend  upon  the  services  of  one  first-class 
pitcher,  but  had  two,  both  of  whom  were  "cracker-jacks," 
and  were  therefore  able  to  play  them  on  alternate  days 
instead  of  breaking  them  down  or  laming  them  by  con- 
tinued and  arduous  services. 

In  catchers,  too,  the  club  was  especially  fortunate,  as 
Flint,  who  ranked  as  one  of  the  best  of  his  day,  had  an 


FROM  FOURTH  PLACE  TO  CHAMPIONSHIP.     105 

efficient  ally  in  Mike  Kelly,  who  could  fill  the  breach  when 
necessary. 

This  was  an  especially  strong  team,  too,  at  the  bat,  as 
is  shown  by  the  records,  Gore  leading  the  League  with  an 
average  of  .365,  with  myself  second  with  .338,  Dalrymple 
third  with  .332,  Burns  fifth  with  .309.  In  fielding  Will- 
iamson led  the  third  basemen  with  an  average  of  .893, 
while  the  fewest  hits  of  the  year  were  made  off  Cor- 
coran's  pitching.  Among  the  first  basemen  I  held  second 
place  with  a  percentage  of  .977.  Sullivan  of  the  Worcester 
team  being  first  with  .982  to  his  credit. 

The  Chicago  Club  that  year  made  a  little  money,  but 
it  was  the  only  one  of  the  lot  that  did,  the  others  losing, 
that  is,  some  of  them,  more  because  of  bad  management 
than  for  any  other  reason. 

In  consequence  of  an  agreement  in  regard  to  the  sale 
of  liquors  in  club  grounds  the  Cincinnati  Club  that  season 
forfeited  its  membership,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
League  held  in  New  York  December  8th,  1880,  the  De- 
troit Club  was  elected  to  the  vacant  place. 

The  team  that  had  represented  Chicago  in  1880  was 
good  enough  for  me,  and  also  good  enough  for  the  club 
directors,  and  that  we  were  able  to  hold  the  players  was  a 
matter  for  self-congratulation. 

The  only  new  man  on  the  list  in  1881  was  Andrew 
Pearcy,  who  took  T.  L.  Seal's  place  as  substitute,  and 
who  cut  but  little  figure,  as  he  was  called  upon  to  play 
but  seldom. 

That  the  Chicago  Club  again  won  the  pennant  in  1881 
was  due  to  two  reasons.  First,  its  strength  as  a  batting  or- 
ganization, and  in  this  respect  it  was  undoubtedly  the  su- 
perior of  all  its  rivals,  and,  secondly,  the  superb  team  work, 
the  entire  team  playing  together  as  one  man  and  having 
but  one  object  in  view,  and  that  the  landing  of  the  cham- 


io6     A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

pionship.  Record  playing  was  entirely  lost  sight  of  by 
the  members  of  the  club,  and  sacrifice  hitting  was  in- 
dulged in  whenever  a  point  could  be  made  by  so  doing. 

The  race  throughout  the  season  for  everything  except 
the  last  place  was  a  close  and  exciting  one,  and  up  to  the 
very  last  week  the  result  was  in  doubt,  so  close  together 
were  the  four  leaders. 

When  the  season  finally  closed,  however,  we  had  56 
games  won  and  28  games  lost  to  our  credit,  against  47 
games  won  and  37  games  lost  by  the  Providence  Club, 
which  finished  in  the  second  place. 

Buffalo  came  third  with  45  games  won  and  38  games 
lost,  and  Detroit  fourth  with  41  games  won  and  43  lost; 
Troy  being  fifth,  Boston  sixth,  Cleveland  seventh  and 
Worcester  eighth  on  the  list. 

In  batting  that  season  I  again  led  the  list  with  an  av- 
erage of  .399  and  stood  at  the  head  of  the  first  basemen 
with  .975  to  my  credit. 

When  the  season  came  to  a  close  the  majority  of  the 
League  clubs  had  made  money  and  base-ball  was  more 
popular  than  ever  with  the  public,  who  had  learned  to 
look  upon  it  as  a  square  sport,  and  one  over  which  the 
gamblers  had  no  control  whatever. 

The  grounds  occupied  by  the  Chicago  Club  at  that 
time  were  the  most  accessible  of  any  in  the  country,  being 
situated  on  the  lake  front  near  the  foot  of  Randolph  street, 
and  within  five  minutes'  walk  from  any  part  of  the  busi- 
ness district.  The  only  fault  that  could  be  found  with 
them  were  that  they  were  too  small,  both  for  the  crowds 
that  thronged  them  when  an  important  game  was  being 
played,  and  because  of  the  fact  that  the  fences  interfered 
too  often  with  the  performance  of  the  League's  star  bats- 
men. 

With  such  a  team  as  the  champions  then  boasted  of 


FROM   FOURTH  PLACE  TO  CHAMPIONSHIP.     107 

what  was  the  use  of  making  any  changes?  No  use  what- 
ever, and  so  the  season  of  1882  found  the  same  old 
"White-Stocking"  team  in  the  field,  the  only  new  player 
that  had  been  signed  being  Hugh  Nichols,  who  came 
from  Rockford,  and  who  was  signed  as  an  outfielder. 

There  was  no  change  either  in  the  clubs  that  went  to 
make  up  the  League,  each  and  every  one  of  which  was 
bent  on  wresting  the  championship  from  the  Garden  City, 
and  with  that  object  in  view  every  other  club  in  the  league 
had  been  strengthened  as  far  as  was  possible. 

The  attempt  was  a  vain  one,  however,  although  the 
race  from  the  start  to  the  finish  was  a  hot  one,  and  one  that 
kept  the  lovers  of  base-ball  on  tenter  hooks  until  the  sea- 
son was  over,  while  the  betting  in  the  poolrooms  through- 
out the  country  was  hot  and  heavy,  and  be  it  said  right 
here,  to  the  credit  of  the  ball  players,  there  was  not  the 
slightest  suspicion  or  whisper  of  crookedness  in  connec- 
tion with  the  games.  The  rivalry  was  most  intense,  and 
as  a  result  the  crowds  that  greeted  the  players  everywhere 
were  both  large  and  enthusiastic,  this  being  especially  the 
case  on  the  home  grounds,  where,  owing  to  our  long-con- 
tinued success,  we  were  naturally  great  favorites.  The 
majority  of  the  clubs  in  the  League  that  season  made 
money  and  to  all  appearances  an  era  of  prosperity,  so  far 
as  the  National  Game  was  concerned,  had  begun. 

The  close  of  the  season  again  saw  the  Chicago  Club  in 
the  lead,  they  having  won  55  games  and  lost  29,  while 
Providence  stood  second  on  the  list  with  52  games  won 
and  32  games  lost  to  its  credit. 

Buffalo  stood  third,  Boston  fourth,  Cleveland  fifth,  De- 
troit sixth,  Troy  seventh,  while  Worcester,  as  in  the  pre- 
ceding year,  brought  up  the  tail  end  of  the  procession. 

Brouthers  of  the  Buffalo  Club  headed  the  batting  list 
with  a  percentage  of  .369,  while  I  came  next  with  .367, 


io8        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

and  that  I  had  had  my  eye  on  the  ball  throughout  the  sea- 
son is  a  fact  that  the  opposing  pitchers  could  bear  wit- 
ness to. 

Prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  season,  the  exact  date  be- 
ing April  10,  1882,  President  Hulbert,  the  founder  of  the 
League,  and  one  of  the  best  friends  that  I  had  ever  had 
either  inside  or  outside  of  the  profession,  passed  away, 
leaving  a  void  in  base-ball  circles  that  was  indeed  hard  to 
fill.  It  has  often  been  a  matter  of  sincere  regret,  both  to 
myself  and  others,  that  he  could  not  have  lived  to  witness 
the  fruition  of  all  his  hopes.  Arbitrary  and  severe  though 
he  may  have  been  at  times,  yet  the  fact  remains  that  he 
was  the  best  friend  that  the  ball  players  had  ever  had. 

Appreciating  the  possibilities  of  the  game  as  a  money- 
maker, when  rightly  conducted,  he  bent  his  energy  toward 
rescuing  it  from  the  hands  of  gamblers,  into  which  it 
seemed  about  to  fall,  and  place  it  where  it  belonged,  at  the 
head  of  ail  of  American  outdoor  sports. 

Many  and  many  a  time  since  than  have  I  missed  his 
cool-headed  judgment,  his  cheering  words  and  his  sound 
advice,  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  to-day  that  to 
him  the  ball  players  owe  even  now  a  debt  of  gratitude  that 
can  never  be  repaid. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  CHAMPIONS  OF  THE   EARLY  EIGHTIES. 

The  team  that  brought  the  pennant  back  to  Chicago 
in  the  early  '8os  was  a  rattling  good  organization  of  ball 
players,  as  the  "fans"  who  remember  them  can  testify, 
and  while  they  were  the  cracks  of  that  time,  and  perhaps 
as  strong  a  team  as  the  League  had  seen  up  to  that  date, 
yet  they  were  not  as  strong  either  as  a  team  or  as  indi- 
vidual ball  players  as  the  team  that  represented  Chicago 
several  years  atterward.  The  secret  of  the  club's  success 
in  those,  days  lay  in  its  team  work,  and  in  the  fact  that  a 
goodly  portion  of  the  time  was  spent  in  studying  and  de- 
veloping the  fine  points  of  the  game,  which  long  practice 
made  them  fairly  perfect  in.  There  were  one  or  two 
weak  spots  in  its  make-up,  but  so  well  did  it  perform  as 
a  whole  that  these  weak  spots  were  quite  apt  to  be  lost 
sight  of  when  the  time  for  summing  up  the  result  of  the 
season's  play  had  arrived. 

In  its  pitching  department  the  team  was  particularly 
strong  at  that  time  as  compared  with  some  other  of  the 
League  clubs. 

Larry  Corcoran,  upon  whose  skill  great  reliance  was 
placed,  was  at  that  time  in  the  zenith  of  his  glory  as  a 
twirler.  He  came,  if  my  memory  serves  me  rightly,  from 
somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Buffalo.  He  was  a 
very  little  fellow,  with  an  unusual  amount  of  speed,  and 
the  endurance  of  an  Indian  pony.  As  a  batter  he  was  only 
fair,  but  as  a  fielder  in  his  position  he  was  remarkable, 
being  as  quick  as  a  cat  and  as  plucky  as  they  made  them. 

A  sort  of  an  all-around  sport  was  Larry,  and  a  boxer 


HO        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

of  no  mean  ability.  I  remember  a  set-to  that  he  had  one 
night  in  the  old  club  house  with  Hugh  Nichols,  in  which 
he  all  but  knocked  Hughy  out,  greatly  to  that  gentle- 
man's surprise,  as  he  had  fancied  up  to  that  time  that  he 
was  Corcoran's  master  in  the  art  of  self-defense. 

After  his  release  by  the  Chicago  Club  he  drifted  back 
East,  where  he  pitched  for  a  time  in  some  of  the  minor 
leagues.  Later  on  he  was  given  another  trial  by  the  Chi- 
cagos,  but  his  work  proved  unsatisfactory,  he  having 
outlived  the  days  of  his  usefulness  in  the  pitching  line. 
After  that  he  again  went  East,  where  he  died  several 
years  ago. 

Fred  Goldsmith,  the  other  pitcher,  was  a  great  big, 
over-grown,  good-natured  boy,  who  was  always  just 
a-going  to  do  things  that  he  never  did.  He,  too,  came 
from  the  East,  and"  was,  I  believe,  pitching  for  the 
Tecumseh,  Canada,  Club  when  he  signed  with  us. 

He  was  the  possessor  of  a  great  slow  ball  and  was 
always  cool  and  good-natured.  As  a  batsman  he  was 
only  fair,  and  as  a  fielder  decidedly  careless.  When  it 
came  to  backing  up  a  player  "Goldy"  was  never  to  be 
relied  upon,  and  after  the  play  was  over  and  he  was  asked 
why  he  'had  not  done  so,  he  would  reply:  "Oh,  I'd  a-bin 
thar  ef  I'd  bin  needed."  But  in  spite  of  this  the  fact  re- 
mains that  he  was  rarely  on  hand  when  he  was  needed, 
and  many  an  overthrown  ball  found  its  way  into  the  field 
that  would  have  been  stopped  had  he  been  backing  up 
the  basemen  in  the  way  that  he  should  have  done. 

I  remember  seeing  him  in  a  game  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  once 
when  pitching  for  Chicago,  when  he  was  a  sight  to  behold. 
He  was  playing  and  the  rain  was  coming  down  in  tor- 
rents while  the  grounds  were  deep  in  mud  and  water. 
Hatless,  without  shoes  and  stockings  and  with  his 
breeches  rolled  clear  up  to  his  thigh,  as  if  he  were  pre- 


THE  CUAMPIOXS  OF  THE  EARLY  'BO's 


THE  CHAMPIONSHIP  OF  THE   EARLY  '8os.      in 

paring  to  ford  the  Hudson  river,  "Goldy"  was  working 
like  a  Trojan,  and  I  am  not  over  sure  but  that  he  was 
one  at  that  time. 

His  arm  was  gone  when  he  left  us,  and  if  he  played 
ball  any  afterward,  it  was  only  in  desultory  fashion.  He 
tended  bar  in  different  places  for  a  time,  but  finally  set- 
tled down  to  the  business  of  market  gardening  near 
Detroit,  where,  from  all  that  I  can  learn,  he  is  making  a 
good  living. 

Frank  S.  Flint,  "Old  Silver,"  originally  hailed  from  St. 
Louis,  where  he  first  came  into  notice  as  the  back  stop  of 
an  amateur  team. 

He  came  to  us  direct  from  the  Indianapolis  Club, 
where  he  had  been  engaged  in  catching  the  delivery  of 
"the  only  Nolan,"  who  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  of  the  League  pitchers.  He  was  a  fine  ball- 
player, a  good,  hard  worker,  but  a  weak  batter,  batting 
being  his  weakest  point.  He  was  generally  reliable,  and 
that  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  was  a  hard  drinker,  the 
love  of  liquor  being  his  besetting  weakness.  A  pluckier 
man  never  stood  behind  a  bat,  there  never  coming  a  ball 
his  way  that  was  too  hard  for  him  to  handle,  or  at  least  to 
attempt  to.  In  "Old  Silver's"  day  the  catcher's  glove  had 
/v — not  come  into  use,  and  all  of  his  work  was  done  with 
hands  that  were  unprotected.  Those  hands  of  his  were 
a  sight  to  behold,  and  if  there  is  a  worse  pair  to-day  in 
the  United  States,  or  a  pair  that  are  as  bad,  I  should 
certainly  like  to  have  a  look  at  them.  His  fingers  were 
bent  and  twisted  out  of  all  shape  and  looked  more  like  the 
knotted  and  gnarled  branches  of  a  scrub  oak  than  any- 
thing else  that  I  can  think  of. 

Long  before  the  gloves  now  used  by  catchers  were 
invented  I  had  a  buckskin  mitt  made  at  Spalding's  that 


II2        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

I  thought  would  fill  a  long-felt  want,  and  this  I  finally 
persuaded  "Old  Silver"  to  try. 

He  tried  it  for  about  half  of  an  inning,  then  threw  it 
down,  declaring  it  was  no  good,  and  went  on  in  the  old 
way.  After  his  playing  days  in  Chicago  were  over  he 
went  into  the  saloon  business  and  died  a  short  time  after- 
wards of  consumption.  His  wife  died  in  California  a  little  time 
after  him  with  the  same  disease,  which  she  had  contracted 
while  nursing  him.  Prior  to  her  departure  from  Chicago 
and  when  she  had  been  informed  by  a  physician  that  her 
days  were  numbered,  she  sent  for  me,  and  after  telling 
me  that  she  had  "roasted"  me  in  the  papers  all  her  life, 
begged  my  forgiveness,  saying  that  she  had  found  out 
her  mistake.  This,  of  course,  was  granted. 

Mrs.  Keene  and  my  wife  saw  that  she  had  every  com- 
fort, and  Mr.  Keene,  Mr.  Spalding  and  myself  furnished 
the  money  that  took  her  to  the  Golden  State,  where  she 
lived  but  a  short  time  after  her  arrival. 

Joe  Quest,  who  played  the  second  base,  was  another 
player  who  carne  to  us  from  the  Indianapolis  team,  but 
prior  to  that  time  he  had  been  playing  around  New  Castle, 
Pa.  Joe  was  a  good,  reliable,  steady  fellow,  but  a  weak 
batsman.  He  was  a  conscientious  player,  however,  and 
one  that  could  always  be  depended  upon  to  play  the  best 
ball  that  he  was  capable  of.  His  strongest  point  was 
trapping  an  infield  fly,  and  in  this  particular  line  he  was 
something  of  a  wonder. 

Joe  played  on  several  teams  after  leaving  Chicago, 
and  with  varying  success.  Of  late  years  he  has  been  em- 
ployed in  the  City  Hall  at  Chicago,  where  he  holds  a 
good  position. 

Ed  Wiliamson  was  another  player  who  came  to  us 
from  Indianapolis,  where  he  had  already  made  for  himself 
quite  a  reputation.  He,  too,  hailed  originally  from  some- 


THE   CHAMPIONSHIP  OF  THE  EARLY  '8os.      113 

where  around  New  Castle,  and  was  playing  in  Pittsburg 
the  first  time  that  I  ever  saw  him.  My  wife  knew  him 
long  before  I  knew  him,  however.  He  was  then  a  mem- 
ber of  an  amateur  club  in  Philadelphia,  for  which  she 
acted  as  a  sort  of  treasurer,  taking  care  of  the  money  that 
they  raised  to  buy  balls  with,  etc. 

Ed  was,  in  my  opinion,  the  greatest  all-around  ball- 
player the  country  ever  saw.  He  was  better  than  an 
average  batsman  and  one  of  the  few  that  knew  how  to 
wait  for  a  ball  and  get  the  one  that  he  wanted  before 
striking.  He  was  a  good  third  baseman,  a  good  catcher 
and  a  man  who  could  pitch  more  than  fairly  well,  too, 
when  the  necessity  for  his  doing  so  arose.  Taking  him 
ail  in  all,  I  question  if  we  shall  ever  see  his  like  on  a  ball 
field  again.  He  was  injured  some  years  later  while  the 
Chicago  Club  was  making  a  trip  around  the  world,  and 
was  never  the  same  fellow  afterward.  After  his  retire- 
ment from  the  diamond  he  ran  a  saloon  in  company  with 
Jimmy  Woods,  another  ball-player,  on  Dearborn  street, 
Chicago,  which  was  a  popular  resort  for  the  lovers  of 
sports.  He  died  of  dropsy  at  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas, 
leaving  a  wife,  but  no  children. 

Williamson  was  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  many 
players  that  the  Chicago  Club  has  had.  A  big,  good- 
natured  and  good-hearted  fellow,  he  numbered  his  friends 
by  the  hundreds,  and  his  early  death  was  regretted  by 
all  who  knew  him. 

Thomas  E.  Burns  was  playing  with  the  Albany,  N.  Y., 
Club,  who  were  then  the  champions  of  the  New  York 
State  League  when  I  signed  him  to  play  with  Chicago. 
He  was  a  fair  average  batter,  but  was  hardly  fast  enough 
to  be  considered  a  really  good  shortstop. 

He  was  a  fair  base-runner,  using  excellent  judgment 
in  that  respect,  and  a  first-class  slider,  going  into  the  bases 


ii4        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

head  first  when  compelled  to  make  a  slide  for  them,  in- 
stead of  feet  first,  like  the  majority  of  the  players  of  that 
day  and  generation ;  in  fact,  he  was  more  of  a  diver  than 
a  slider,  and  he  generally  managed  to  get  there. 

After  his  release  by  Chicago  he  went  to  Pittsburg, 
where  I  had  secured  him  a  five-year  contract  as  manager 
at  a  handsome  salary,  and  where  he  had  some  trouble  that 
resulted  in  the  club's  breaking  the  agreement  and  in  the 
bringing  of  a  lawsuit,  which  he  won. 

He  then  took  charge  of  the  Springfield,  Mass.,  Club, 
a  member  of  the  New  England  League,  Springfield  being 
not  far  from  his  old  home  at  New  Britain.  Two  years  ago 
he  took  my  place  as  manager  of  the  Chicago  Club,  and 
that  he  has  not  made  a  success  of  it  is  due  to  certain  causes 
that  will  be  explained  later  on. 

Abner  Dalrymple  was  brought  into  the  Chicago  fold 
from  Milwaukee,  where  he  had  been  playing.  He  was 
only  an  ordinary  fielder,  and  a  fair  base  runner,  but  ex- 
celled as  a  batsman.  I  have  said  that  he  was  a  fair  fielder, 
and  in  that  respect  perhaps  I  am  rating  him  too  high,  as 
his  poor  fielding  cost  us  several  games  that  in  my  esti- 
mation we  should  have  won.  Dalrymple  was  a  queer 
proposition,  and  for  years  a  very  steady  player.  He  was 
never  known  to  spend  a  cent  in  those  days,  and  was  so 
close  that  he  would  wait  for  somebody  else  to  buy  a  news- 
paper and  then  borrow  it  in  order  to  see  what  was  going 
on.  Later  on  he  broke  loose,  however,  and  when  he  did 
he  became  one  of  the  sportiest  of  sports.,  blowing  his 
money  as  if  he  had  found  it  and  setting  a  hot  pace  for  his 
followers. 

He  finally  settled  down  again,  however,  and  now  holds 
a  good  railroad  position  in  the  Northwest,  where  he  is 
living  with  his  family.  His  was  about  the  quickest  case  of 


THE  CHAMPIONSHIP  OF  THE  EARLY  '8os.     115 

"loosening  up  from  .extreme  tightness"  that  I  have  ever 
run  across. 

George  F.  Gore,  who  played  the  center  field,  came 
here  from  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  being  brought  out  by  Mr. 
Hulbert,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  club  at  the  time  he 
came  to  us.  He  was  an  all-around  ball  player  of  the  first 
class,  a  hard  hitter  and  a  fine  thrower  and  fielder,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  his  bad  habits  he  might  have  still  been 
playing  ball  to-day.  Women  and  wine  brought  about  his 
downfall,  however,  and  the  last  time  that  I  saw  him  in 
New  York  he  was  broken  down,  both  in  heart  and  pocket, 
and  willing  to  work  at  anything  that  would  yield  him  the 
bare  necessities  of  life. 

Mike  Kelly,  who  afterwards  became  famous  in  base- 
ball annals  as  the  $10,000  beauty,  came  to  Chicago  from 
Cincinnati,  and  soon  became  a  general  favorite.  He  was 
a  whole-souled,  genial  fellow,  with  a  host  of  friends,  and 
but  one  enemy,  that  one  being  himself. 

Time  and  time  again  I  have  heard  him'  say  that  he 
would  never  be  broke,  and  he  died  at  just  the  right  time  to 
prevent  such  a  contretemps  from  occurring.  Money 
slipped  through  Mike's  fingers  as  water  slips  through  the 
meshes  of  a  fisherman's  net,  and  he  was  as  fond  of  whisky 
as  any  representative  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  but  just  the 
same  he  was  a  great  ball  player  and  one  that  became 
greater  than  he  then  was  before  ceasing  to  wear  a  Chi- 
cago uniform.  He  was  as  good  a  batter  as  anybody,  and  a 
great  thrower,  both  from  the  catcher's  position  and  from 
the  field,  more  men  being  thrown  out  by  him  than  by 
any  other  man  that  could  be  named.  He  was  a  good 
fielder  when  not  bowled  up,  but  when  he  was  he  some- 
times failed  to  judge  a  fly  ball  correctly,  though  he  would 
generally  manage  to  get  pretty  close  in  under  it.  In-  such 


ii6        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

cases  lie  would  remark  with  a  comical  leer:  "By  Gad,  I 
made  it  hit  me  gloves,  anyhow." 

After  his  return  to  Boston  he  played  good  ball  for  a 
time,  but  his  bad  habits  soon  caused  his  downfall,  just  as 
they  had  caused  the  downfall  of  many  good  players  be- 
fore him,  for  it  may  be  set  down  as  an  axiom  that  base- 
ball and  booze  will  not  mix  any  better  than  will  oil  and 
water.  The  last  time  that  I  ever  saw  him  was  at  an  East- 
ern hotel  barroom,  and  during  the  brief  space  of  time  that 
we  conversed  together  he  threw  in  enough  whisky  to  put 
an  ordinary  man  under  the  table.  After  leaving  Boston 
the  "only  Mike"  had  charge  of  Al  Johnson's  team  at  Al- 
toona,  Pa.,  but  whisky  had  become  at  this  time  his  mas- 
ter, and  he  made  a  failure  of  the  managerial  business.  Not 
being  able  to  control  himself  it  is  hardly  to  be  wondered 
at  that  he  failed  when  it  came  to  the  business  of  control- 
ling others.  He  died  some  years  ago  in  New  Jersey,  a  vic- 
tim to  fast  living,  and  a  warning  to  all  ball  players.  Had 
he  been  possessed  of  good  habits  instead  of  bad  there  is 
no  telling  to  what  heights  Kelly  might  have  climbed,  for 
a  better  fellow  in  some  respects  never  wore  a  base-ball 
uniform. 

Tommy  Beale  was  a  nice,  gentlemanly  little  chap,  who 
had  played  at  one  time  with  the  Boston  Club.  He  was 
never  a  howling  success  as  a  ball  player  and  after  being 
released  by  Chicago  he  umpired  for  a  while  and  then 
drifted  down  to  Florida,  where  he  had  an  orange  grove 
and  was  doing  well  until,  one  night,  "there  came  a  frost,  a 
killing  frost,"  that  not  only  destroyed  his  orange  grove 
but  that  burst  him  up  in  business  as  well.  Since  that  un- 
fortunate event  happened,  I  have  lost  sight  of  him,  and 
where  he  is  now,  or  what  he  is  doing,  I  know  not. 

Hugh  Nichols  was  a  little  fellow  who  came  from  Rock- 
ford,  Illinois.  He  was  never  a  star  player,  but  was  a  fair 


WM.  A.  SUNDAY 
Now  a  Famous  Evangelist 


THE  CHAMPIONSHIP  OF  THE  EARLY  '8os.      117 

and  showy  player,  lacking  in  stamina.  He  was  only  a  fair 
batsman,  and  after  his  release  by  Chicago  he  played  for  a 
time  in  some  of  the  other  League  teams,  principally  Cin- 
cinnati. He  then  managed  the  Rockford  team  in  the  Illi- 
nois State  League,  after  which  he  settled  down  as  a  bil- 
liard-room keeper,  in  which  business  he  is  still  engaged. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WE  FALL  DOWN  AND   CLIMB  AGAIN. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  League  held  in  Provi- 
dence R.  I.,  December  6th,  1882,  the  Worcester  and  Troy 
Clubs  resigned  their  membership,  neither  of  them  being 
cities  of  sufficient  size  to  support  a  team  as  expensive  as 
one  good  enough  to  have  a  chance  for  championship 
honors  in  such  company  must  of  necessity  be,  and  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  were  elected  to  fill  the  vacancies. 
At  the  same  time  A.  G.  Mills  was  elected  to  fill  the  va- 
cancy in  the  League  Presidency  caused  by  the  death  of 
Mr.  Hulbert. 

The  League  Circuit  in  1883  again  consisted  of  eight 
cities,  while  the  number  of  games  necessary  to  constitute  a 
series  had  been  increased  from  twelve  to  fourteen.  The 
only  change  in  the  personnel  of  the  Chicagos  was  the  sub- 
stitution of  Fred  Pfeffer  for  Joe  Quest  at  second  base. 
The  fight  between  Chicago  and  Boston,  Providence  and 
Cleveland  was  veritably  a  battle  of  the  giants,  and  as  a  re- 
sult excitement  throughout  the  country  ran  high  and  big 
crowds  everywhere  were  the  rule. 

The  Boston  team,  with  M.  Hines  and  Hackett  as 
catchers,  Buffington  and  Whitney,  pitchers;  Morrill,  first 
base;  Burdock,  second  base;  Sutton,  third  base;  WTise, 
shortstop;  Horning,  left  field;  Smith,  center  field;  Rad- 
ford,  right  field;  and  Brown,  substitute,  proved  to  be  a 
trifle  the  strongest,  they  carrying  off  the  pennant  with  a 
total  of  63  games  won  and  35  lost,  while  Chicago  came 
next  on  the  list  with  59  games  won  and  39  lost.  Provi- 
dence, which  stood  third,  won  58  games  and  lost  40,  while 


WE   FALL  DOWN  AND   CLIMB   AGAIN.         119 

Cleveland,  which  came  fourth,  had  55  games  won  and  42 
games  lost  to  its  credit. 

Buffalo,  New  York,  Detroit  and  Philadelphia  followed 
in  the  order  named. 

Brouthers  of  the  Buffalo  team  again  stood  first  on  the 
list  of  batsmen  with  a  percentage  of  .371,  while  your 
humble  servant  had  fallen  down  to  the  twelfth  place  on.  the 
list,  my  percentage  being  .307. 

The  event  of  the  season,  or  of  the  year  perhaps,  I 
should  say,  was  the  adoption  of  a  document  then  known 
as  the  tripartite  agreement,  now  known  as  the  National 
Agreement,  which  was  formulated  by  A.  G.  Mills,  John  B. 
Day  and  A.  H.  Soden,  representing  the  League;  O.  P. 
Caylor,  William  Barnier  and  Lewis  Simmons,  represent- 
ing the  American  Association,  and  Elias  Mather  of  the 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  Club,  acting  for  the  Northwest- 
ern League. 

This  document,  among  other  things,  provided  that  no 
contract  should  be  made  for  the  services  of  any  player  for 
a  longer  period  than  seven  months,  beginning  April  ist 
and  terminating  October  3ist,  and  that  no  contract  for 
their  services  should  be  made  prior  to  October  2oth  of  the 
year  on  which  such  services  terminated. 

It  also  provided  that  on  the  loth  day  of  October  of 
each  year  the  Secretary  of  each  Association  should  trans- 
mit to  the  Secretary  of  each  other  Association  a  reserve 
list  of  players,  not  exceeding  fourteen  in  number,  then 
under  contract  with  each  of  its  several  club  members,  and 
of  such  players  reserved  on  any  prior  annual  reserve  list, 
who  had  refused  to  contract  with  said  club's  members, 
and  of  all  other  eligible  players,  and  such  players,  together 
with  all  other  thereafter  to  be  regularly  contracted  with 
by  such  club  members,  are  and  shall  be  eligible  to  con- 


120        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

tract  with  any  other  club  members  of  either  association 
party  hereto. 

The  object  of  this  was  to  prevent  what  was  then  at 
that  time  a  growing  evil,  the  stealing  of  players  by  one 
club  from  another,  and  that  it  was  successful  in  that  re- 
spect there  can  be  no  denying. 

The  reserve  clause  was  not  popular  with  many  of  the 
players,  however,  and  it  was  this  that  later  on  led  to  the 
Brotherhood  revolt  and  a  general  shaking  up  in  base-ball 
circles. 

Such  had  been  the  boom  in  base-ball  in  1883,  an<^  5° 
promising  did  the  outlook  seem  from  a  monetary  stand- 
point for  a  similar  boom  in  1884  that  Henry  V.  Lucas,  of 
St.  Louis,  evidently  believing  that  there  was  millions  in 
it,  organized  and  took  hold  of  the  short-lived  Union  Asso- 
ciation, the  failure  of  which  wrecked  him  in  both  purse 
and  spirit. 

This  Association  was  organized  at  Pittsburg  in  Sep- 
tember, 1883,  and  was  launched  with  a  great  flourish  of 
trumpets,  the  cities  agreed  upon  for  the  circuit  being 
Washington,  St.  Louis,  Altoona,  Pa.,  Boston,  Baltimore, 
Cincinnati,  Philadelphia  and  Chicago. 

Of  the  fifty  League  players,  who,  it  had  been  given 
out,  would  break  their  contracts  and  join'  them,  not  a 
baker's  dozen  showed  up  when  the  time  came.  Only  five 
of  the  original  clubs  played  out  their  schedules,  these  be- 
ing the  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Boston,  Baltimore  and  Na- 
tionals of  Washington,  they  finishing  in  the  order  named, 
Boston  and  Baltimore  being  tied  for  the  third  place. 

The  Union  Association  season  opened  on  April  i/th. 
Within  six  weeks  of  that  time  the  Akoona  Club  gave  up 
the  fight,  being  succeeded  by  Kansas  City.  The  Key- 
stone Club  of  Philadelphia  lasted  until  August,  and  was 
then  succeeded  by  the  Wilmington,  Del.,  Qub,  which  had 


WE   FALL  DOWN   AND   CLIMB  AGAIN.         121 

been  persuaded  to  desert  the  Eastern  League  by  Mr.  Lu- 
cas. In  September  they,  too,  passed  it  up  and  Milwaukee 
took  the  vacant  place,  they  lasting  but  a  short  time. 

The  Chicago  Union  Association  Club,  a  weak  sister  at 
the  best,  played  along  to  almost  empty  benches  until  Au- 
gust, when  it  gave  up  the  fight  and  transferred  its  team  to 
Pittsburg,  but  that  city  refused  to  support  it  and  it  finally 
gave  up  the  ghost  about  the  middle  of  September. 

In  the  meantime  the  League,  which  had  expelled  the 
deserting  players,  was  having  a  most  exciting  and  pros- 
perous season,  though  the  majority  of  clubs  had  signed 
many  more  players  than  they  had  any  use  for,  the  object 
being  to  keep  them  away  from  the  Union  Association. 
For  the  Chicago  Club  that  season  no  less  than  nineteen 
players  were  signed,  some  of  whom  were  seldom  called 
upon  to  play. 

The  regulars,  that  is,  the  men  who  were  depended 
upon  to  do  the  playing,  were  Corcoran,  Goldsmith  and 
Clarkson,  pitchers;  Flint  and  Kelly,  catchers;  Anson, 
first  base;  Pfeffer,  second  base;  Williamson,  third  base; 
Burns,  shortstop;  Dalrymple,  Gore,  Kelly  and  Sunday 
in  the  outfield. 

In  some  way  or  other  we  got  started  off  with  the  wrong 
foot  first,  as  the  horsemen  would  say,  and  the  end  of  May 
found  us  in  the  fifth  place,  Boston  and  Providence  being 
the  leaders,  and  at  the  end  of  June  we  had  not  improved 
our  position. 

From  that  time  on  the  Providence  Club  played  great 
ball,  the  wonderful  endurance  of  Pitcher  Radbourne  being 
one  of  the  features  of  the  season,  and  though  we  rallied 
in  September  and  October,  winning  every  game  that  we 
played  in  the  last-named  month,  the  best  that  we  could  do 
was  to  beat  New  York  for  the  fourth  place,  each  club  win- 
ning 62  games  and  losing  50. 


122        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

The  championship  record  showed  84  games  won  and 
28  lost  for  the  Providence  Club,  73  games  won  and  38 
lost  for  Boston,  and  64  games  won  and  47  lost  foi  Buffalo, 
while  Philadelphia,  Cleveland  and  Detroit  brought  up 
the  rear. 

In  the  matter  of  averages  James  O'Rourke  again  led 
the  list,  with  a  percentage  of  .350  to  his  credit. 

The  position  that  the  club  occupied  at  the  close  of  that 
season  was  not  satisfactory  to  me,  as  I  felt  that  it  should 
have  been  better,  but  there  was  no  use  crying  over  spilt  V 
milk,  the  only  thing  to  do  being  to  try  it  again. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  Corcoran,  whose  pitching 
days  were  about  over,  was  released,  as  was  also  Gold- 
smith, whose  work  had  not  been  of  the  first  class,  and 
Clarkson  and  McCormick,  the  latter  having  played  with 
the  Cleveland  team  the  year  before,  were  relied  upon  to 
puzzle  the  opposing  batsmen,  the  other  members  of  the 
team  being  Flint,  Kelly,  Anson,  Pfeffer,  Williamson, 
Burns,  Dalrymple,  Gore  and  Sunday.  O.  P.  Beard,  C. 
Marr,  E.  E.  Sutcliff e  and  Joe  Brown  were  all  given  a  trial, 
but  released  early  in  the  season. 

The  St.  Louis  Club,  of  which  Mr.  Lucas  was  the  Pres- 
ident, was  taken  in  in  order  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by 
the  withdrawal  of  Cleveland,  and  this  act  on  the  part  of 
the  League  so  incensed  President  Mills  that  he  resigned, 
the  three  offices  of  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
being  combined  in  Nicholas  E.  Young,  who  is  still  at  the 
head  of  the  League  affairs,  with  headquarters  at  the  Na- 
tional Capital. 

The  records  of  1885  show  that  there  were  really  but 
two  clubs  in  the  race  from  start  to  finish,  these  represent- 
ing the  rival  clubs  of  New  York  and  Chicago,  and  as  be- 
tween them  it  was  nip  and  tuck  almost  to  the  last  minute. 

At  the  end  of  the  month  of  May  the  New  York  team 


WE   FALL   DOWN   AND   CLIMB   AGAIN.          123 

was  in  the  lead,  they  having  won  17  out  of  the  21  games 
they  had  played  that  month,  while  Chicago,  which  stood 
second,  had  only  won  14  out  of  the  20  games  that  it  played. 
The  month  of  June  saw  a  change  in  the  program,  how- 
ever, Chicago  winning  21  games  out  of  the  23  played  that 
month,  while  New  York  only  won  15  out  of  the  20  that  it 
took  part  in. 

During  the  month  of  July  it  looked  like  anybody's  race 
as  between  the  two  leaders,  each  winning  18  games, 
though  Chicago  sustained  but  six  defeats  as  against  seven 
for  the  representatives  of  the  Eastern  metropolis.  In  the 
succeeding  month  New  York  had  a  shade  the  better  of  it, 
they  winning  18  out  of  21  games  played,  while  Chicago 
won  only  15  out  of  19.  In  September  it  was  again  our 
turn,  however,  and  we  won  17  games  out  of  20,  New  York 
having  to  be  content  with  13  out  of  19. 

The  last  of  September  and  the  first  of  October  saw  the 
pennant  "cinched,"  so  far  as  we  were  concerned.  The 
New  Yorks  finished  the  season  with  four  games  at  Chi- 
cago and  three  of  these  they  needed  in  order  to  win  the 
championship.  They  had  already  won  nine  out  of  the 
twelve  games  that  they  had  played  with  us  during  the  sea- 
son, and  looked  upon  the  result  here  as  a  foregone  con- 
clusion. They  reckoned  without  their  host,  however,  on 
this  occasion,  as  we  won  three  straight  games  from  them, 
the  scores  being  7  to  4,  2  to  I,  and  8  to  3  respectively. 

Our  totals  for  the  season  showed  87  games  won  and 
25  lost,  as  against  85  games  won  and  27  lost  for  the  Giants. 
Philadelphia  came  third  with  56  games  won  and  54  lost, 
while  Providence  occupied  the  fourth  place  with  53  games 
won  and  57  lost.  Boston,  Detroit,  Buffalo  and  St.  Louis 
finished  as  named. 

There  were  a  good  many  funny  stories  told  about  those 
closing  games  between  New  York  and  Chicago.  The  ad- 


124        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

mirers  of  the  Giants  came  on  to  witness  the  games  in 
force,  and  so  certain  were  they  that  their  pets  would  win 
that  they  wagered  their  money  on  the  result  in  the  most 
reckless  fashion. 

Even  the  newspaper  men  who  accompanied  them  on  the 
trip  caught  the  contagion.  P.  J.  Donolrue,  of  the  New 
York  "World,"  since  deceased,  was  one  of  the  most  reck- 
less of  these.  He  could  see  nothing  in  the  race  but  New 
York,  and  no  sooner  had  'he  struck  the  town  than  he 
began  to  hunt  for  someone  who  would  take  the  Chicago 
end  of  the  deal. 

About  nine  o'clock  the  night  before  the  playing  of  the 
first  game  he  appeared  in  the  "Inter  Ocean"  office  and 
announced  that  he  was  looking  for  somebody  who  thought 
Chicago  could  win,  as  he  wished  to  wager  $100  on  the  re- 
sult. He  was  accommodated  by  the  sporting  editor  of 
that  paper.  The  next  night  after  the  Giants  had  lost  P.  J. 
again  appeared  on  the  scene  and  announced  his  readiness 
to  double  up  on  the  result  of  the  second  game.  He  was 
accommodated  again,  and  again  New  York  was  the  loser. 

Still  a  third  time  did  P.  J.  appear  with  an  offer  to 
double  up  the  whole  thing  on  the  result  of  the  next  game. 
This  looked  like  a  bad  bet  for  the  local  man,  but  local 
pride  induced  him  to  make  the  wager.  For  the  third  time 
the  Giants  went  down  before  the  White  Stockings,  and 
that  night  P.  J.  was  missing,  but  a  day  or  two  afterwards 
he  turned  up  quite  crestfallen,  and  had  a  draft  on  New 
York  cashed  in  order  that  he  might  get  back  home  again. 

Mr.  Donohue  was  not  the  only  man  who  went  broke 
on  the  result,  however.  There  was  not  a  man  on  the  dele- 
gation that  accompanied  the  Giants  that  did  not  lose,  and 
lose  heavily  on  the  games,  which  went  a  long  ways  to- 
ward illustrating  the  glorious  uncertainties  of  base-ball. 

The  season  of  1886  saw  another  change  in  the  National 


WE   FALL  DOWN   AND   CLIMB   AGAIN.         125 

League  circuit,  Buffalo  and  Providence  dropping  out  of 
the  fight.  The  vacant  places  were  taken  by  Kansas  City 
and  Washington.  The  Detroit  Club,  thanks  to  a  deal  en- 
gineered by  Fred  Stearns,  was  greatly  strengthened  by  se- 
curing the  quartette  of  players  from  the  Buffalo  Club 
known  as  the  "Big  Four,"  these  being  White,  Rowe, 
Richardson  and  Brouthers,  which  made  them  a  most  for- 
midable candidate  for  championship  honors,  and  which, 
indeed,  they  might  have  won  had  it  not  been  for  the  Phila- 
delphia Club,  of  which  Harry  Wright  was  the  manager. 

Commenting  on  the  League  season  for  that  year 
Spalding's  Official  Guide  for  1887  says:  "The  past  sea- 
son of  1886  proved  to  be  a  very  profitable  one  to  a  ma- 
jority of  the  eight  League  clubs,  those  of  Chicago,  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  Boston  and  Detroit  all  finding  it  a 
successful  season  financially,  while  Chicago  profited  by 
bearing  off  the  honors  of  the  League  championship  for  the 
sixth  time  during  the  eleven  years'  existence  of  the  Na- 
tional League. 

"The  clubs  of  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  and  Washington, 
however,  failed  to  realize  expectations,  all  three  being  on 
the  wrong  side  of  the  column  in  profit  and  loss.  As  hith- 
erto, good  and  bad  management  of  the  club  teams  had  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  the  results  of  the  season's  cam- 
paign, financially  and  otherwise. 

"A  feature  of  the  season's  championship  contest  was 
the  telling  work  done  by  the  Philadelphia  Club.  '  This 
club  closed  their  first  season  in  the  League  as  the  tail  end 
of  the  eight  clubs  which  entered  the  list  that  year,  the 
eight  including  Cleveland,  Providence  and  Buffalo.  In 
1884  Philadelphia  closed  the  season  as  sixth.  In  1885 
they  finished  third  and  in  October  of  1886  they  held  third 
place,  but  finally  had  to  close  a  close  fourth,  after  giving 
Detroit  and  Chicago  a  terrible  shaking  up.  In  fact,  the 


ia6        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

championship  games  in  Philadelphia,  the  latter  part  of 
September  and  first  week  in  October,  were  among  the 
most  noteworthy  of  the  season,  for  from  the  22d  of  Sep- 
tember to  the  close  of  the  season  in  October  the  club  in 
games  with  Chicago,  Detroit,  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  and 
Washington  won  13,  lost  3  and  had  two  draws. 

"The  struggle  for  the  pennant  after  the  May  contest 
lay  entirely  between  the  Chicago,  Detroit,  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  Clubs,  the  other  four  having  no  show  from 
the  very  outset. 

"A  notable  incident  of  the  campaign  was  the  fact  that 
in  the  closing  month  it  lay  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the 
Philadelphia  Club  to  decide  whether  the  pennant  was  to 
go  to  Detroit  or  Chicago. 

"When  Chicago  left  Philadelphia  for  Boston  the  last 
of  September  all  Detroit  was  in  a  fever  of  excitement  at 
the  prospect  of  their  club's  success.  The  only  question  of 
interest  was,  'Would  they  go  through  Philadelphia  safe- 
ly?' It  was  only  when  Harry  Wright's  pony  League 
team  captured  the  Detroits  twice  out  of  four  games,  one 
being  drawn,  that  Chicago  felt  relief  from  anxiety  as  to  the 
ultimate  outcome  of  the  pennant  race.  It  was  a  gallant 
struggle  by  Philadelphia,  and  it  made  the  close  of  the 
campaign  season  one  of  the  most  exciting  on  record. 

"The  League  schedule  had  been  raised  that  season  from 
sixteen  to  eighteen  games,  nine  to  be  played  on  the 
grounds  of  each  club,  and  of  these  only  twenty-four  re- 
mained unplayed  at  the  close  of  the  season,  fifteen  of 
which  were  drawn  with  the  score  a  tie." 

This  was  one  of  the  hardest  seasons  that  I  had  ever 
gone  through,  and  when  it  was  over  I  felt  that  we  were 
lucky,  indeed,  to  have  captured  the  pennant  for  the  third 
successive  time. 

The  champion  team  of  that  year  showed  but  little 


WE   FALL   DOWN   AND   CLIMB   AGAIN.          127 

change  in  make-up  from  that  of  the  preceding  year,  Clark- 
son,  McCormick  and  John  Flynn  being  the  pitchers;  Kel- 
ly, Flint  and  Moolie,  catchers;  Anson,  first  base;  Pfeffer, 
second  base;  Burns,  third  base;  Williamson,  shortstop; 
Dalrymple,  left  field;  Ryan  and  Gore,  center  field;  and 
Sunday,  right  field. 

It  was  a  close  race  that  season  (between1  Mike  Kelly 
and  myself  for  the  batting  honors  of  the  League,  and 
Michael  beat  me  out  by  a  narrow  margin  at  the  finish,  his 
percentage  being  .388  as  against  .371,  while  Brouthers 
came  third  on  the  list  with  .3/0. 

That  was  the  last  season  that  the  championship  pen- 
jiant  was  flown  in  Chicago  up  to  the  present  writing,  and 
looking  back  at  it  now  it  seems  to  me  an  awful  long  time 
ago. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

BALL-PLAYERS  EACH  AND  EVERY  ONE. 

The  team  that  brought  the  pennant  back  to  Chicago 
in  the  years  1885  and  1886  was,  in  my  estimation,  not  only 
the  strongest  team  that  I  ever  had  under  my  management 
but,  taken  all  in  all,  one  of  the  strongest  teams  that  has 
ever  been  gotten  together  in  the  history  of  the  League, 
the  position  of  left  field,  which  was  still  being  played  by 
Dalrymple  being  its  only  weak  spot.  The  fact,  however, 
that  "Dal"  was  a  terrific  batter  made  up  for  a  great  many 
of  his  shortcomings  in  the  field,  which  would  scarcely  have 
been  overlooked  so  easily  had  it  not  been  for  his  ability  as 
a  wielder  of  the  ash.  In  its  pitching  department  it  was 
second  in  strength  to  none  of  its  competitors  and  behind 
the  bat  were  Flint  and  Kelly,  both  of  whom  were  widely 
and  favorably  known.  The  outfield  was,  to  say  the  least, 
equal  to  that  of  any  of  the  other  League  clubs,  and  the  in- 
field admittedly  the  strongest  in  the  country.  This  was 
the  infield  that  became  famous  as  "Chicago's  stone  wall," 
'that  name  being  given  to  it  for  the  reasons  that  the  only 
way  that  a  ball  could  be  gotten  through  it  was  to  bat  it 
so  high  that  it  was  out  of  reach.  The  members  of  that 
famous  infield  were  Williamson,  Pfeffer,  Burns  and  my- 
self, and  so  long  had  we  played  together  and  so  steadily 
had  we  practiced  that  there  was  scarcely  a  play  made 
that  we  were  not  in  readiness  to  meet.  "We  had  a  system 
of  signals  that  was  almost  perfect,  and  the  moment  that  a 
ball  was  hit  and  we  had  noted  its  direction  we  knew  just 
what  to  look  for.  We  were  up  to  all  the  tricks  of  the 
game,  and  better  than  all  else  we  had  the  greatest  confi- 
dence in  each  other. 


BALL  PLAYERS,  KACU  AND  EVERY  OXE 


BALL  PLAYERS  EACH  AND  EVERY  ONE.   129 

I  had  shifted  the  positions  of  Williamson  and  Burns 
and  the  former  was  now  playing  shortstop  and  the  latter 
third  base.  At  third  base  Burns  was  as  good  as  the  best 
of  them,  he  excelling  at  the  blocking  game,  which  he 
carried  on  in  a  style  that  was  particularly  his  own  and 
which  was  calculated  to  make  a  base-runner  considerable 
trouble.  At  short  Williamson  was  right  in  his  element 
and  in  spite  of  his  size  he  could  cover  as  much  ground  in 
that  position  as  any  man  that  I  have  ever  seen.  While 
his  throwing  was  of  the  rifle-shot  order,  it  was  yet  easy  to 
catch,  as  it  seemed  to  come  light  to  your  hands,  and  this 
was  also  true  of  the  balls  thrown  by  Pfeffer  and  Burns, 
both  of  whom  were  very  accurate  in  that  line.  Of  the 
merits  of  Williamson  and  Burns  as  ball  players  I  have  al- 
ready spoken  in  another  chapter. 

Fred  Pfeffer,  who  came  from  Louisville,  Ky.,  was  a 
ball-player  from  the  ground  up,  and  as  good  a  second 
baseman  as  there  was  in  the  profession,  the  only  thing 
that  I  ever  found  to  criticize  in  his  play  being  a  tendency 
to  pose  for  the  benefit  of  the  occupants  of  the  grand  stand. 
He  was  a  brilliant  player,  however,  and  as  good  a  man  in 
this  position  according  to  my  estimate  as  any  that  ever 
held  down  the  second  bag.  He  was  a  high-salaried  player 
and  one  that  earned  every  cent  that  he  received,  being  a 
hard  worker  and  always  to  be  relied  upon.  He  was  a  neat 
dresser,  and  while  not  a  teetotaler,  never  drank  any  more 
than  he  knew  how  to  take  care  of.  As  a  thrower,  fielder 
and  base  runner  he  was  in  the  first  class,  while  as  a  bats- 
man he  was  only  fair.  Later  on  he  became  tangled  up  in 
the  Brotherhood  business,  in  which  he  lost  considerable 
of  the  money  that  he  had  laid  by  for  a  rainy  day.  It  was 
some  time  after  the  Brotherhood  revolt,  in  which  Fred  >/\ 
had  been  one  of  the  prime  movers,  and  a  brief  history  of 
which  is  recorded  elsewhere,  that  he  was  taken  back  into 


130         A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  fold.  He  was  anxious  to  play  again  in  Chicago,  and 
I  gave  him  the  chance.  His  health  was,  however,  bad  at 
that  time  and  he  was  unable  to  do  himself  justice  and  to 
play  the  ball  that  when  a  well  man  he  was  capable  of.  I 
hung  on  to  him  as  long  as  I  could,  but  when  the  papers 
began  to  howl  long  and  loud  about  his  shortcomings  I 
was  finally  forced  to  release  him.  It  was  his.  health  that 
put  him  out  of  the  business  and  nothing  else,  and  had  it 
not  been  for  that  drawback  he  might  still  be  playing  ball. 
At  the  present  writing  he  is  engaged  in  the  poolroom  and 
bookmaking  line  at  Chicago  and  making  a  living,  to  say 
the  least  of  it. 

John  Clarkson  was  a  really  great  pitcher,  in  fact,  the 
best  that  Chicago  ever  had,  and  that  is  saying  a  great 
deal,  as  Chicago  has  had  some  of  the  very  best  in  the  pro- 
fession since  the  game  first  became  popular  within  its  sub- 
urbs. He  was  the  possessor  of  a  remarkable  drop  curve 
and  fast  overhand  lifting  speed,  while  his  change  of  pace 
was  most  deceiving.  He  was  peculiar  in  some  things, 
however,  and  in  order  to  get  his  best  work  you  had  to 
keep  spurring  him  along,  otherwise  he  was  apt  to  let  up, 
this  being  especially  the  case  when  the  club  was  ahead 
and  he  saw  what  he  thought  was  a  chance  to  save  him- 
self. As  a  fielder  he  was  very  fair,  and  as  a  batsman  above 
the  average,  so  far  as  strength  went,  though  not  always 
to  be  depended  upon  as  certain  to  land  upon  the  ball.  His 
home  was  down  at  Ocean  Spray,  near  Boston,  but  he 
came  to  us  from  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  He  was  re- 
leased to  the  Bostons  in  the  spring  of  1888  for  the  sum  of 
$10,000,  and  played  with  that  team  for  several  years.  He 
is  now  in  the  cigar  business  in  Michigan  and  is,  I  ami 
glad  to  learn,  successful.  Pitchers  of  Clarkson's  sort  are 
few  and  far  between,  as  club  managers  of  these  latter  days 
can  testify. 


BALL  PLAYERS  EACH  AND  EVERY  ONE.   131 

Jim  McCormick,  who  was  Clarkson's  alternate  in  the 
box,  was  also  one  of  the  best  men  in  his  line  that  ever  sent 
a  ball  whizzing  across  the  plate.  He  was  a  great  big  fel- 
low with  a  florid  complexion  and  blue  eyes,  and  was  ut- 
terly devoid  of  fear,  nothing  that  came  in  his  direction 
being  too  hot  for  him  to  handle.  He  was  a  remarkable 
fielder  and  a  good  batsman  for  a  pitcher,  mien  who  play 
that  position  being  poor  wielders  of  the  ash,  as  a  rule,  for 
the  reason,  as  I  have  always  thought,  that  they  paid  more 
attention  to  the  art  of  deceiving  the  batsman  that  are  op- 
posed to  them  than  they  do  to  developing  their  own  bat- 
ting powers.  The  most  of  McCormick's  hits  landed  in  the 
right  field,  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  swung  late  at  the  ball. 
He  came  to  Chicago  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  but  prior  to 
that  had  pitched  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  was  going  back 
when  he  joined  us,  but  for  all  that  he  pitched  a  lot  of  good 
ball  and  won  many  a  good  game,  thanks  both  to  himself 
and  also  to  the  good  support  that  he  received.  After  he 
left  us  he  drifted  down  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  which  seems 
to  be  a  sort  of  Mecca  for  broken-down  ball  players,  and 
became  identified  with  the  racing  business,  owning  and 
training  for  a  time  quite  a  string  of  his  own  and  horses 
that  won  for  him  quite  a  considerable  sum.  of  money.  He 
is  now  running  a  saloon  in  that  New  Jersey  town,  and  is 
fairly  well-to-do. 

John  Flynn,  who  was  the  third  pitcher  in  the  string, 
came  to  Chicago  from  Boston  and  was  another  good 
man  in  the  twirling  line.  He  had  a  wonderful  drop  ball, 
good  command  of  the  sphere  and  great  speed.  He  was 
also  a  good  batter  for  a  pitcher,  and  a  fast  fielder.  His 
arm  gave  out  while  he  was  with  us,  however,  and  besides 
that  he  got  into  fast  company  and,  attempting  to  keep  up 
the  clip  with  his  so-called  friends,  found  the  pace  much 
too  rapid  for  him  and  fell  by  the  wayside.  John  was  a 


I32        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

good  fellow,  and  with  good  habits,  and  had  his  arm  held 
out,  he  might  have  made  his  mark  in  the  profession,  but 
the  good  habits  he  lacked  and  the  arm  was  not  strong 
enough  to  bear  the  strain,  so  he  dropped  out  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  what  has  become  of  him  I  know  not,  though  I 
think  he  is  in  Boston. 

Moolic,  who  had  been  signed  to  relieve  Kelly  and 
Flint  behind  the  bat  and  to  handle  the  delivery  of  Flynn, 
was  never  much  of  a  factor  in  the  game,  he  not  being 
strong  enough  to  stand  the  strain.  He  was  let  out  early 
for  that  reason  and  never  developed  into  a  player  of  any 
note.  He  is  somewhere  in  New  England  at  the  present 
time,  but  just  where  and  what  engaged  at  I  am  unable 
to  state. 

James  T.  Ryan  was  at  that  time  and  is  now  a  good  ball 
player.  His  home  was  in  Clinton,  Mass.,  and  he  came  to 
us  from  the  Holy  Cross  College,  in  which  team  he  had 
been  playing.  He  was  a  mere  boy  when  he  first  signed 
with  Chicago  but  promised  well,  and  though  for  a  time 
he  did  not  come  up  to  the  expectations  that  I  had  formed 
regarding  him,  I  kept  him  on  the  team.  His  greatest  fault 
was  that  he  would  not  run  out  on  a  base  hit,  but  on  the 
Contrary  would  walk  to  his  base.  This  I  would  not  stand, 
and  so  I  fined  him  repeatedly,  but  these  fines  did  little 
good,  especially  after  the  advent  of  James  C.  Hart,  who 
refused  to  endorse  them  and  supported  Ryan  in  his  in- 
subordination, in  regard  to  which  I  shall  have  more  to 
say  later.  Ryan  was  a  good  hitter,  not  an  overly  fast  base 
runner,  and  a  good  judge  of  a  fly  ball.  He  was  also  an  ac- 
curate left-handed  thrower.  He  could  never  cover  as 
much  ground  as  people  thought,  and  though  he  ranked 
with  Lange  as  a  batsman,  he  was  not  in  the  same  class 
with  that  player  either  as  a  base  runner  or  a  fielder,  the 
Californian  in  the  two  latter  respects  being  able  to  race  all 


BALL  PLAYERS  EACH  AND  EVERY  ONE.   133 

around  him.  Ryan  at  the  present  writing  is  still  a  member 
of  the  Chicago  team,  and,  though  by  no  means  as  good  a 
player  as  he  was  some  years  ago,  is  quite  likely  to  remain 
there  as  long  as  Mr.  Hart  continues  at  the  head  of  affairs. 
William  A.  Sunday,  or  "Billy,"  as  we  all  called  him 
in  those  days,  was  born  in  Ames,  Iowa,  and  was  as  good  a 
boy  as  ever  lived,  being  conscientious  in  a  marked  de- 
gree, hardworking,  good-natured  and  obliging.  At  the 
time  that  I  first  ran  across  him  he  was  driving  an  under- 
VKtaker's  wagon  in  Marshalltown,  though  it  was  not  be- 
cause of  his  skill  in  handling  the  ribbons  that  he  attracted 
my  attention. 

There  was  a  fireman's  tournament  going  on  at  the  time 
of  my  visit,  in  which  Sunday  was  taking  part,  and  it  was 
the  speed  that  he  showed  on  that  occasion  that  opened 
my  eyes  to  his  possibilities  in  the  base-ball  playing  line. 
He  was,  in  my  opinion,  the  fastest  man  afterwards  on  his 
feet  in  the  profession,  and  one  who  could  run  the  bases 
like  a  scared  deer.  The  first  thirteen  times  that  he  went 
to  the  bat  after  he  began  playing  with  the  Chicagos  he  was 
struck  out,  but  I  was  confident  that  he  would  yet  make  a 
ball  player  and  hung  onto  him,  cheering  him  up  as  best  I 
could  whenever  he  became  discouraged.  As  a  baserun- 
ner  his  judgment  was  at  times  faulty  and  he  was  alto- 
gether too  daring,  taking  extreme  chances  because  of  the 
tremendous  turn  of  speed  that  he  possessed.  He  was  a 
good  fielder  and  a  strong  and  accurate  thrower,  his  weak 
point  lying  in  his  batting.  The  ball  that  he  threw  was  a 
hard  one  to  catch,  however,  it  landing  in  the  hands  like  a 
chunk  of  lead.  Since  "Bill"  retired  from  the  diamond  he 
has  become  noted  as  an  evangelist,  and  I  am  told  by 
those  who  should  know  that  he  is  a  brilliant  speaker  and  a 
great  success  in  that  line.  May  luck  be  with  him  wherever 
he  may  go  ! 


134        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

1  have  said  that  Sunday  threw  a  remarkably  hard  ball 
to  catch,  and  this  was  true,  but  I  have  noted  the  same  pe- 
culiarity in  regard  to  other  players  that  I  have  met.  How 
to  explain  the  reason  for  this  is  a  difficult  matter.  He 
was  not  as  swift  a  thrower  as  either  Williamson,  Burns  or 
Pfeffer,  all  of  whom  sent  the  ball  across  the  field  with  the 
speed  of  a  bullet  and  with  the  accuracy  of  first-class  marks- 
men. In  spite  of  the  extreme  speed  with  which  they  came 
into  the  hand,  however,  they  seemed  to  sort  of  lift  them- 
selves as  they  came  and  so  landed  lightly,  while  Sunday's 
balls,  on  the  contrary,  seemed  to  gain  in  weight  as  they 
sailed  through  the  air  and  were  heavy  and  soggy  when 
they  struck  the  hands.  This  is  a  strange  but  true  fact, 
and  one  that,  perhaps,  some  scientists  can  explain.  I  con- 
fess that  I  cannot,  nor  have  I  ever  been  able  to  find  any- 
body that  could  do  so  to  my  satisfaction. 

Of  the  members  of  this  old  team  the  most  famous  in 
the  history  of  Chicago  as  a  base-ball  city,  three  are  dead, 
Flint,  Williamson  and  Kelly,  while  the  others  are  scat- 
tered far  and  wide,  Ryan  being  the  only  one  of  them  that 
is  still  playing.  Over  the  graves  of  three  of  them  the 
grass  has  now  been  growing  for  many  a  year,  and  yet  I 
can  see  them  as  plainly  now  as  in  the  golden  days  of  the 
summers  long  ago,  when,  greeted  by  the  cheers  of  an  ad- 
miring multitude,  we  all  played  ball  together.  If  it  were 
possible  for  the  dead  to  come  back  to  us,  how  I  should  like 
once  more  to  marshall  the  members  of  that  championship 
team  of  1884,  '85  and  '86  together  and  march  with  them 
once  more  across  the  field  while  the  cheers  of  the 
crowd  rang  in  our  ears.  But  that  1  can  never  do.  The 
past  is  dead,  and  there  is  no  such  thing  as  resurrecting  it, 
however  much  we  may  wish  to  do  so. 

I  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  mentioning  little 
Willie  Hahn,-  our  mascot  in  those  days,  and  a  mascot  of 


ADRIAN   C.  AXSOX 


WILLIE   HAIIX 

Mascot 


BALL  PLAYERS  EACH  AND  EVERY  ONE.   135 

whom  we  were  exceedingly  proud.  Not  more  than  four 
or  five  years  ago  his  parents  lived  in  a  three-story  house 
not  far  from,  the  old  Congress  street  grounds.  The  first 
time  that  I  ever  saw  him  he  came  on  the  grounds  arrayed 
in  a  miniature  Chicago  uniform,  and  so  cunning  was  he 
that  we  at  once  adopted  him  as  our  "mascot,"  giving  him 
the  freedom  of  the  grounds,  and  he  was  always  on  hand 
when  the  club  was  at  home,  being  quite  a  feature,  and  one 
that  pleased  the  lady  patrons  of  the  game  immensely.  I 
had  lost  sight  of  him  for  years,  but  one  day  a  fine,  manly- 
looking  fellow  walked  into  my  billiard-room  and  intro- 
duced himself  as  the  mascot  of  those  other  days.  I  was 
glad  to  see  him  and  also  glad  to  learn  that  he  has  a  good 
position  and  is  getting  on  in  the  world. 


CHATER  XVII. 

WHILE  FORTUNE   FROWNS  AND  SMILES. 

Should  I  omit  to  mention  herein  the  two  series  of 
games  that  the  Chicagos  played  with  the  St.  Louis 
Browns,  champions  of  the  American  Association,  in  1885 
and  1886,  somebody  would  probably  rise  to  remark  that 
I  was  in  hopes  that  the  public  had  forgotten  all  about 
them.  Such  is  not  the  case,  however.  The  games  in  both 
cases  were  played  after  the  regular  season  was  over  and 
after  the  players  had  in  reality  passed  out  of  my  control, 
and  for  that  reason  were  not  as  amenable  to  the  regular 
discipline  as  when  the  games  for  the  League  champion- 
ship were  going  on.  The  St.  Louis  Browns  was  a  strong 
organization,  a  very  strong  one,  and  when  we  met  them  in 
a  series  of  games  for  what  was  styled  at  the  time  the 
world's  championship,  in  the  fall  of  1885,  they  would  have 
been  able,  in  my  estimation,  to  have  given  any  and  all  of 
the  League  clubs  a  race  for  the  money. 

In  the  series  of  games,  one  of  which  was  played  at 
Chicago,  three  in  St.  Louis,  one  at  Pittsburg,  and  two  at 
Cincinnati,  we  broke  even,  each  winning  three  games,  the 
odd  one  being  a  tie,  and  as  a  result  the  sum  of  $1,000, 
which  had  been  placed  in  the  office  of  the  "Mirror  of 
American  Sports,"  of  which  T.  Z.  Cowles,  of  Chicago, 
was  the  editor,  to  be  given  to  the  winning  team,  was 
equally  divided  between  the  two  teams. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  of  1886  the  St.  Louis  team, 
having  again  won  the  championship  of  the  American  As- 
sociation, another  series  of  games  was  arranged  and  a 
provision  was  made  that  the  gate  money,  which  hitherto 


WHILE  FORTUNE  FROWNS  AND  SMILES.       137 

had  been  equally  divided  between  the  two  clubs,  should  all 
go  to  the  winner.  The  series  consisted  of  six  games,  three 
of  which  were  played  in  Chicago  and  three  in  St.  Louis. 
The  first  and  third  of  these  games  we  won  by  scores  of  6 
to  o  and  1 1  to  4,  but  the  second,  fourth,  fifth  and  sixth  we 
lost,  the  scores  standing  12  to  o,  8  to  5,  10  to  3  and  4  to  3 
respectively,  and  as  a  result  we  had  nothing  but  our  labor 
for  our  pains. 

We  were  beaten,  and  fairly  beaten,  but  had  some  of  the 
players  taken  as  good  care  of  themselves  prior  to  these 
games  as  they  were  in  the  habit  of  doing  when  the  League 
season  was  in  full  swim,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  there 
might  have  been  a  different  talc  to  tell. 

There  was  a  general  shaking  up  all  along  the  line  be- 
fore the  season  of  1887  opened.  The  Kansas  City  and  St. 
Louis  clubs,  neither  of  which  had  been  able  to  make  any 
money,  dropped  out,  their  places  being  taken  by  Pittsburg 
and  Indianapolis. 

The  sensation  of  the  year  was  the  sale  of  Mike  Kelly  to 
the  Boston  Club  by  the  Chicago  management  for  the  sum 
of  $10,000,  the  largest  sum  up  to  that  time  that  had  ever 
been  paid  for  a  ball  player,  and  Mike  himself  benefited  by 
the  transaction,  as  he  received  a  salary  nearly  double  that 
which  he  was  paid  when  he  wore  a  Chicago  uniform. 

The  Chicago  team  for  that  season  consisted  of  Mark 
Baldwin,  Clarkson  and  Van  Haltren,  pitchers;  Daly, 
Flint,  Darling  and  Hardie,  catchers;  Anson,  Pfeffer,  Burns 
and  Tebeau,  basemen;  M.  Sullivan,  Ryan,  Pettit,  Van 
Haltren  and  Darling,  fielders.  Pyle,  Sprague  and  Cor- 
coran, pitchers,  and  Craig,  a  catcher,  played  in  a  few 
games,  and  but  a  few  only.  . 

The  season,  taken  as  a  whole,  was  one  of  the  most 
successful  in  the  history  of  the  League  up  to  that  time, 
both  from  a  financial  and  a  playing  standpoint.  The  re- 


i38       A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

suit  of  the  pennant  race  was  a  great  disappointment  to  the 
Boston  Club  management,  who,  having  acquired  the  ser- 
vices of  "the  greatest  player  in  the  country,"  that  being 
the  way  they  advertised  Kelly,  evidently  thought  that  all 
they  had  to  do  was  to  reach  out  their  hands  for  the  cham- 
pionship emblem  and  take  it.  "One  swallow  does  not 
make  a  summer,"  however,  nor  one  ball  player  a  whole 
team,  as  the  Boston  Club  found  out  to  its  cost,  the  best 
that  it  could  do  being  to  finish  in  the  fifth  place. 

The  campaign  of  1887  opened  on  April  28th,  the  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  Clubs  leading  off  in  the  East  and 
Detroit  and  Indianapolis  Clubs  in  the  West.  At  the  end 
of  the  first  month's  play  Detroit  was  in  the' lead,  with  Bos- 
ton a  good  second,  New  York  third,  Philadelphia  fourth 
and  Chicago  fifth.  The  team  under  my  control  began  a 
fight  for  one  of  the  leading  positions  in  June,  and  when 
the  end  of  that  month  came  they  were  a  close  fourth,  De- 
troit, Boston  and  New  York  leading  them,  while  Philadel- 
phia, Pittsburg,  Washington  and  Indianapolis  followed 
in  the  order  named. 

The  boys  were  playing  good  ball  at  this  stage  of  the 
game  and  our  chances  for  the  pennant  had  a  decidedly 
rosy  look.  During  the  month -of  July  we  climbed  stead- 
ily toward  the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
month  we  were  in  second  place,  and  within  striking  dis- 
tance of  Detroit,  that  team  being  still  the  leader,  while 
Boston  had  fallen  back  to  the  third  and  New  York  to 
fourth  place.  These  positions  were  maintained  until  the 
last  week  of  August,  when  the  Chicago  and  Detroit  teams 
were  tied  in  the  matter  of  games  won.  At  this  time  it  was 
still  anybody's  race  so  far  as  the  two  leaders  were  con- 
cerned. 

The  middle  of  September  saw  a  change  in  the  condition 
of  affairs,  however,  Detroit  having  secured  a  winning  lead, 


JOIIX  CLABKSOX 


WHILE  FORTUNE  FROWNS  AND  SMILES.       139 

and  from  that  time  on  all  of  the  interest  centered  in  the 
contest  for  second  place  between  Chicago,  Philadelphia 
and  New  York.  By  the  end  of  September  New  York  was 
out  of  the  fight  so  far  as  second  place  was  concerned,  the 
battle  for  which  had  narrowed  down  to  Chicago  and  Phil- 
adelphia, which  finally  went  to  the  latter  after  a  hard 
struggle. 

The  Detroits  that  season  won  79  games  and  lost  45, 
the  Philadelphias  won  75  games  and  lost  48,  the  Chicagos 
won  71  games  and  lost  50,  Boston,  Pittsburg,  Washington 
and  Indianapolis  finishing  in  the  order  named. 

The  champions  of  that  year  also  succeeded  in  doing 
what  we  had  failed  to  accomplish,  that  is,  they  beat  the  St. 
Louis  Browns  by  one  game  in  the  series  for  the  world's  ^ 
championship  that  was  played  after  the  close  of  the  regular 
League  season. 

In  the  matter  of  the  batting  averages  for  that  year  I 
stood  second  on  the  list,  with  a  percentage  of  .421,  having^ 
taken  part  in  122  games,  while  Maul,  of  the  Pittsburg 
team,  who  led  the  list  with  .450,  had  only  taken  part  in 
sixteen  games,  these  figures  including  bases  on  balls  as 
base  hits. 

The  League  circuit  for  1888  remained  the  same  as  in 
1887,  and  all  of  the  clubs  made  money  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Detroit,  Washington  and  Indianapolis,  and  their 
losses  were  small. 

The  attendance  at  the  games  everywhere  was  some- 
thing enormous,  and  the  race  between  the  four  leaders  a 
hot  one  from  start  to  finish. 

Early  in  the  spring  the  Chicago  club  management 
pocketed  another  check  for  $10,000  for  the  release  of  a 
player,  the  one  to  join  the  Hub  forces  this  time  being 
John  Clarkson,  a  man  who  had  often  pitched  the  Chicago 
Club  to  victory,  and  a  player  that  I  personally  regretted  to 


140        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

part  with.  With  the  assistance  of  this  really  great  pitcher 
the  Boston  management  hoped  to  get  even  for  their  disap- 
pointment of  the  preceding  season  and  once  more  fly  the 
pennant  over  their  home  grounds,  to  which  it  had  for 
some  years  been  a  stranger. 

With  Clarkson  and  Kelly  out  of  the  way  we  were 
looked  upon  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  season  as  a  rather 
soft  mark  by  the  other  League  clubs,  but  that  they  reck- 
oned without  their  host  is  shown  by  the  records.  We  were 
in  it,  and  very  much  in  it,  from  start  to  finish,  finishing  in 
the  second  place,  the  championship  going  to  New  York, 
the  team  from  the  Eastern  metropolis  winning  84  games 
and  losing  47,  while  Chicago  won  77  games  and  lost  58, 
Philadelphia  came  third  on  the  list  with  69  games  won  and 
61  lost,  and  Boston  fourth  with  70  games  won  and  63 
lost,  Detroit,  Pittsburg,  Indianapolis  and  Washington  fol- 
lowing in  the  order  named. 

The  Chicago  team  that  season  consisted  of  Baldwin, 
Tener,  Krock  and  Van  Haltren,  pitchers;  Daly,  Flint, 
Farrell  and  Darling,  catchers;  Anson,  Pfeffer  and  Burns 
on  the  bases;  Williamson,  shortstop,  and  Sullivan,  Ryan, 
Pettit  and  Duffy  in  the  outfield. 

Among  the  men  signed,  and  who  were  given  a  trial, 
were  Hoover,  Sprague,  Brynon,  Clark,  Maine  and  Gum- 
bert. 

In  the  matter  of  batting  averages  I  again  led  the 
League  with  .343,  Beckley  of  Pittsburg  being  second  with 
.342,  a  difference  in  my  favor  of  only  a  single  point. 

A  long  time  before  this  season  was  over  I  became  in- 
terested financially  in  a  proposed  trip  to  be  made  by  the 
Chicago  Club  and  a  picked  team,  to  be  called  the  Ail- 
Americans,  to  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  A.  G.  Spalding, 
Leigh  S.  Lynch  and  one  or  two  others  being  associated  in 
the  venture.  The  management  of  this  trip  and  the  details 


WHILE  FORTUNE  FROWNS  AND   SMILES.       141 

thereof  were  left  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Spalding 
and  Lynch,  the  latter-named  gentleman  having  been  asso- 
ciated with  A.  M.  Palmer  in  the  management  of  the  Union 
Square  Theater  at  New  York,  and  having  passed  some 
time  in  Australia  in  connection  with  the  theatrical  busi- 
ness, had  a  wide  acquaintance  there.  When  the  subject 
was  first  broached,  it  is  safe  to  assert  that  there  was  not  a 
man  connected  with  the  enterprise  that  had  any  idea  that 
the  journey  would  be  lengthened  out  to  a  trip  around  the 
world,  but  such  proved  to  be  the  case. 

In  February  of  1888  Mr.  Lynch  departed  for  Australia 
in  order  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  there  for  the 
appearance  of  the  tourists.  Posters  of  the  most  attractive 
description  were  gotten  ready  for  the  trip,  and  long  before 
the  season  was  over  the  fact  that  we  were  going  became 
known  to  every  one  in  the  land  who  took  any  interest  in 
base-ball  whatever,  the  proposed  trip  even  then  exciting  a 
large  amount  of  interest.  Mr.  Lynch,  who  had  returned, 
had  awakened  considerable  interest  among  the  Austra- 
lians, and  long  before  the  actual  start  was  made  the  pros- 
pects, both  from  a  sight-seeing  and  money-making  stand- 
point seemed  to  be  most  alluring. 

One  would  naturally  have  thought  that  with  such  a 
chance  to  travel  in  strange  lands  before  them,  every  ball 
player  in  America  would  have  been  more  than  anxious  to 
make  the  trip,  but  such  was  not  the  case,  greatly  to  my  as- 
tonishment, and  to  the  astonishment  of  Mr.  Spalding,  upon 
whose  shoulders  devolved  the  duty  of  selecting  the  players 
who  should  represent  the  National  Game  in  the  Antipodes. 

Ten  players  of  the  Chicago  team  signed  to  go  at  once, 
these  being  Ned  Williamson,  Tom  Burns,  Tom  Daly, 
Mark  Baldwin,  Jimmy  Ryan,  Fred  Pfeffer,  John  Tener, 
Mark  Sullivan,  Bob  Pettit  and  myself,  but  the  getting  to- 
gether of  the  All-American  team  was  quite  a  difficult  mat-, 


142        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ter.  Many  of  the  players  who  had  at  first  signed  to  go 
backed  out  at  almost  the  last  moment,  among  them  being 
Mike  Kelly  of  the  Bostons  and  Mike  Tiernan  of  the  New 
Yorks.  The  following  team  to  represent  All- America  was 
finally  gotten  together:  John  M.  Ward,  shortstop  and 
captain;  Healy  and  Crane,  pitchers;  Earle,  catcher;  Car- 
roll, Manning  and  Wood  on  the  bases,  and  Fogerty,  Han- 
Ion  and  T.  Brown  in  the  outfield.  George  Wright  accom- 
panied the  party  to  coach  the  two  teams  in  their  cricket 
matches.  One  of  the  pleasantest  incidents  of  the  year 
1888  that  I  can  recall  to  mind  occurred  during  our  last  trip 
to  Washington.  Frank  Lawler,  who  was  them  a  member 
of  Congress  from  Chicago,  and  who  was  as  big-hearted 
and  wholesouled  a  fellow  as  ever  stood  in  shoe  leather  (he 
is  dead  now,  more's  the  pity),  learned  of  our  projected  trip 
and  procured  for  us  an  audience  with  President  Cleveland 
at  the  White  House,  where  we  met  with  a  most  cordial  re- 
ception, and  I  think  I  am  violating  no  confidence  when  I 
say  that  had  we  been  at  home  when  the  election  took  place 
in  November  following,  he  would  have  received  the  vote  of 
every  man  in  the  team,  though  I  am  afraid  this  would  not 
have  affected  the  result  to  any  appreciable  extent. 

When  I  was  introduced  to  him  as  the  captain  and  man- 
ager of  the  Chicago  Club  he  shook  hands  with  me  in  a 
most  cordial  fashion  and  remarked  that  he  had  often  heard 
of  me,  a  fact  that  did  not  seem  so  strange  to  me  as  it  might 
have  done  some  seventeen  years  earlier,  when  my  name 
had  never  been  printed  in  anything  besides  the  Marshall- 
town  paprs. 

The  impression  that  I  gained  of  President  Cleveland  at 
that  time  was  that  he  was  a  level-headed,  forceful  business 
man,  a  genial  companion,  and  a  man  that  having  once 
made  up  his  mind  to  do  a  thing  would  carry  out  his  inten- 
tions just  as  long  as  he  believed  that  he  was  right  in  so 


RECKPTJOX  BV  PKESIDEXT  CLEVELANI)  TO  THE  GHICAOOS 
AND  ALL-AMEHICAS,  1888 


I 


WHILE  FORTUNE  FROWNS  AND  SMILES.       143 

doing.  For  each  and  every  member  of  the  team  he  had  a 
cheerful  word  and  a  hearty  grip,  and  when  we  finally  took 
our  departure  he  wished  us  a  pleasant  trip  and  a  successful 
one. 

I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  take  Mrs.  Anson  with  me, 
and  so,  as  soon  as  the  playing  season  was  over,  we  began 
making  the  necessary  preparations  for  our  departure. 
These  did  not  take  long,  however. 

The  afternoon  of  October  2Oth  the  Chicago  and  Ail- 
American  teams  played  a  farewell  game  in  the  presence  of 
3,000  people  on  the  League  grounds  at  Chicago,  which 
was  won  by  the  Chicagos  by  a  score  of  1 1  to  6,  and  that 
night  we  were  off  for  what  proved  to  be  the  first  trip 
around  the  world  ever  made  by  American  ball  players,  a 
trip  that  will  ever  live  in  base-ball  annals  and  in  the  mem- 
ories of  those  Who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  make  it. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

FROM   CHICAGO  TO  DENVER. 

It  was  a  jolly  party  that  assembled  in  the  Union  Depot 
on  the  night  of  October  2Oth,  1888,  and  the  ball  players 
were  by  no  means  the  center  of  attraction,  as  there  were 
others  there  to  whom  even  the  ball  players,  took  off  their 
hats,  and  these  were  the  ladies,  as  Mrs.  Ed.  Williamson, 
the  wife  of  the  famous  ball  player,  and  Mrs.  H.  I.  Spald- 
ing,  the  stately  and  white-haired  mother  of  Mr.  Spalding, 
as  well  as  my  own  blue-eyed  wife,  had  determined  upon 
making  the  trip  that  few  people  have  the  opportunity  of 
making  under  circumstances  of  such  a  favorable  nature. 
In  addition  to  these  outsiders,  so  far  as  ball  playing  was 
concerned,  were  President  Spalding,  of  the  Chicago  Club ; 
Harry  Simpson,  of  the  Newark,  N.  J.,  team,  who  acted  as 
Mr.  Spalding's  assistant;  Newton  McMillan,  the  corre- 
spondent of  the  New  York  "Sun;"  Mr.  Goodfriend,  of  the 
Chicago  "Inter  Ocean;"  Harry  Palmer,  correspondent  of 
the  Philadelphia  "Sporting  Times"  and  New  York  "Her- 
ald," and  James  A.  Hart,  then  of  the  Milwaukee  Club,  but 
now  of  Chicago. 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  had  pro- 
vided for  our  accommodation  two  handsomely  furnished 
cars,  a  dining  and  a  sleeping  car,  and  in  these  we  were 
soon  perfectly  at  home.  It  was  just  seven  o'clock  when 
the  train  pulled  out  for  St.  Paul,  that  being  our  first  ob- 
jective point,  with  the  cheers  and  good  wishes  of  the  host 
of  friends  that  had  assembled  at  the  depot  to  see  us  off 
still  ringing  in  our  ears.  We  had  dinner  that  night  in  the 
dining  car  shortly  after  leaving  Chicago,  and  long  before 


FROM  CHICAGO  TO  DENVER.  145 

the  meal  was  over  the  tourists  had  become  a  veritable 
happy  family. 

As  we  sailed  along  through  the  gathering  darkness 
over  bridges  and  culverts  and  by  stations  that  seemed  like 
phantoms  in  the  dim  light  the  song  of  the  rail  became 
monotonous  in  our  ears,  and  we  turned  for  recreation  to 
that  solace  of  the  traveler,  cards,  with  which  every  one  in 
the  party  seemed  well  provided.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  rolling  of  the  chips  made  the  sleeper  resemble  a  gam- 
bling hall  more  than  anything  else,  and  the  cheering  and 
enthusiastic  crowds  that  greeted  us  at  every  stopping  place 
received  but  a  small  share  of  our  attention  at  our  hands. 
As  the  ladies  in  the  party  had  given  the  boys  permission 
to  smoke  where  and  when  they  pleased,  the  blue  veil  that 
hung  over  the  various  tables  was  soon  thick  enough  to  cut 
with  a  knife.  A  mandolin  and  guitar  in  the  party  added 
to  our  enjoyment,  and  it  was  not  until  the  midnight  hour 
had  come  and  gone  that  we  sought  our  couches. 

When  we  arrived  at  St.  Paul  on  Sunday  morning  we 
found  a  large  crowd  at  the  depot  to  greet  us.  A  game  had 
been  scheduled  for  that  afternoon,  St.  Paul  being  in  those 
days  a  wide-open  town,  and  Sunday  the  one  great  day  in 
the  week  so  far  as  base-ball  was  concerned. 

"The  frost  was  on  the  pumpkins"  and  the  air  so  chilly 
that  a  winter  overcoat  would  have  felt  much  more  com- 
fortable than  a  base-ball  uniform.  Nevertheless  it  would 
not  do  to  disappoint  the  people,  2,000  of  whom  had  as- 
sembled at  the  grounds  to  see  us  play. 

In  the  absence  of  Mike  Kelly,  who  had  faithfully  proni- 
^  ised  Mr.  Spalding  that  he  would  join  us  at  Denver,  and 
didn't,  Frank  Flint,  "Old  Silver,"  who  had  been  prevailed 
upon  to  accompany  the  party  as  far  as  Denver,  was  sent 
in  to  catch  for  the  All-Americans,  and  as  Kelly's  name 
was  on  the  score  card  it  was  some  time  before  the  crowd 


146        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

discovered  that  it  was  "Old  Silver"  and  not  the  "Ten 
Thousand  Dollar  Beauty"  that  was  doing  the  catching. 
Flint's  batjing  was  not  up  to  the  Kelly  standard,  however, 
and  they  soon  tumbled  to  the  fact  that  Flint  was  an  im- 
postor. At  the  end  of  the  sixth  inning,  and  with  the  score 
standing  at  9  to  3  in  favor  of  the  Chicagos,  the  game  was 
called  in  order  that  the  Chicago  Club  might  play  a  game 
with  the  St.  Pauls,  then  under  the  management  of  John 
S.  Barnes.  This  game  attracted  far  more  interest  than 
the  preceding  one,  owing  to  the  local  color  that  it  assumed, 
and  the  crowd  waxed  decidedly  enthusiastic  when  the 
game  was  called  at  the  end  of  the  seventh  inning  on  ac- 
count of  darkness,  with  the  score  standing  at  8  to  5  in  St. 
Paul's  favor. 

So  elated  was  Manager  Barnes  over  the  victory  of  his 
pets  that  he  at  once  challenged  me  for  another  game  with 
the  Chicagos,  to  be  played  at  Minneapolis  the  following 
day,  a  challenge  that  I  accepted  'without  the  least  hesita- 
tion. 

The  special  cars  in  which  we  journeyed  were  run  down 
to  Minneapolis  the  next  morning,  where  we  had  a  royal 
reception,  in  which  a  parade  in  a  dozen,  landaus  drawn 
by  horses  with  nodding  plumes  of  old  gold  and  new  gold 
blankets,  and  headed  by  a  band  of  twenty-one  pieces,  led 
by  a  drum-major  resplendent  in  scarlet  and  gold,  was  not 
the  least  of  the  attractions.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  day 
was  even  colder  than  the  one  that  we  had  encountered  at 
St.  Paul,  some  2,000  people  assembled  to  witness  the 
game.  Van  Haltren  pitched  an  excellent  game  for  the 
All-Americans  on  this  occasion,  while  Tener  was  freely 
hit  and  badly  supported,  the  result  being  that  we  were 
beaten  by  a  score  of  6  to  3,  but  four  innings  being  played. 
Then  followed  the  game  that  the  crowd  was  most  anxious 
to  see,  that  being  the  one  between  the  Chicagos  and  St. 


FROM  CHICAGO  TO  DENVER.  147 

Pauls.  For  the  St.  Pauls  Tuckerman  pitched  and  Billy 
Earle  caught,  while  I  sent  in  Mark  Baldwin  to  do  the 
twirling  for  the  Chicagos.  It  was  a  pretty  game,  and  as 
neither  side  scored  for  four  innings  the  excitement  ran 
high. 

In  the  fifth  inning  the  St.  Pauls  were  again  retired  with 
a  goose  egg  and  Pfeffer  crossed  the  home  plate  with  a 
winning  run  for  the  Chicagos.  It  was  a  great  game  for 
the  St.  Paul  Club  to  play,  and  Manager  Barnes  had  a  right 
to  be  proud  of  the  showing  they  had  made,  as  he  certainly 
must  have  been. 

There  was  but  little  time  for  sight-seeing  left  when  the 
gaime  was  over,  and  at  seven  o'clock  that  evening  we  were 
on  the  road  for  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  which  was  to  be  our 
next  stopping  point.  The  great  majority  of  us  retired 
early,  but  the  sleep  that  we  got  was  scarcely  worth  talking 
about,  as  Tom  Daly,  whose  propensity  for  practical  jokes 
was  unbounded,  kept  the  car  in  a  roar  of  laughter.  No 
one  was  exempt  that  could  be  reached,  and  as  a  result 
there  was  no  sleep  for  any  of  us. 

At  Cedar  Rapids,  where  we  arrived  Tuesday  morning, 
we  were  the  recipients  of  quite  an  ovation,  and  our  cars, 
which  had  been  switched  on  a  side-track  near  the  Union 
Depot,  attracted  as  much  attention  as  though  they  con- 
tained a  whole  menagerie  instead  of  a  few  traveling  ball 
players.  Special  trains  were  run  in  from  adjacent  towns, 
and  long  before  the  hour  set  for  the  game  the  town  was 
crowded  with  visitors.  The  day  was  a  beautiful  one  and 
the  crowd  that  assembled  at  the  grounds  would  have  done 
credit  to  a  League  city,  the  attendance  numbering  4,500. 
A  crowd  like  that  deserved  to  see  a  good  game,  and  that 
is  what  they  were  treated  to,  the  score  being  a  tie  in  the 
fifth  inning  and  again  in  the  eighth,  it  then  standing  at 
five  each.  In  the  ninth  inning  Ryan  crossed  the  plate  with 


148        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  winning  run  for  Chicago,  and  the  crowd  cheered  them- 
selves hoarse  over  the  result,  though  they  would  doubt- 
less have  cheered  just  as  long  and  hard  had  the  All-Ameri- 
can  team  been  the  victors. 

At  6:30  that  evening  we  left  Cedar  Rapids  for  Des 
Moines,  arriving  at  the  State  capital  the  next  morning. 
Thus  far  all  of  our  traveling  had  been  done  in  the  darkness, 
but  as  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  save  the  rolling 
prairies,  that  I  had  been  familiar  with  as  a  boy,  this  occa- 
sioned no  regret  so  far  as  I  was  concerned. 

At  Des  Moines  some  2,000  people  turned  out  to  wit- 
ness the  game,  which  proved  to  be  close  and  exciting.  At 
the  request  of  some  of  the  citizens  Hutchinson  and  Sugie, 
of  the  Des  Moines  Club,  were  allowed  to  fill  the  points  for 
the  All-Americans,  Baldwin  and  Ryan  doing  the  pitching 
for  Chicago.  The  local  men  proved  to  be  decidedly  good 
in  their  line,  and  as  a  result  the  score  at  the  end  of  the 
ninth  inning  stood  at  3  to  2  in  favor  of  the  All-Americans. 

On  across  the  prairies,  where  the  ripened  corn  stood  in 
stacks,  the  train  sped  to  Omaha,  where  we  arrived  the 
morning  of  October  25th,  and  we  were  met  with  another 
great  reception.  Here  Clarence  Duval  turned  up,  and 
thereby  hangs  a  story.  Clarence  was  a  little  darkey  that  I 
had  met  some  time  before  while  in  Philadelphia,  a  singer 
and  dancer  of  no  mean  ability,  and  a  little  coon  whose 
skill  in  handling  the  baton  would  have  put  to  the  blush 
many  a  bandmaster  of  national  reputation.  I  had  togged 
him  out  in  a  suit  of  navy  blue  with  brass  buttons,  at  my 
own  expense,  and  had  engaged  him  as  a  mascot.  He  was 
an  ungrateful  little  rascal,  however,  and  deserted  me  for 
Mile.  Jarbeau,  the  actress,  at  New  York,  stage  life  evi- 
dently holding  out  more  attractions  for  him  than  a  life  on 
the  diamond. 

Tom  Burns  smuggled  him  into  the  carriage  that  day, 


FROM  CHICAGO  TO  DENVER.  149 

tatterdemalion  that  he  was,  and  when  we  reached  the 
grounds  he  ordered  us  to  dress  ranks  with  all  the  assur- 
ance in  the  world,  and,  taking  his  place  in  front  of  the 
players  as  the  band  struck  up  a  march,  he  gave  such  an 
exhibition  as  made  the  real  drum  major  turn  green  with 
envy,  while  the  crowd  burst  into  a  roar  of  laughter  and 
cheered  him  to  the  echo. 

When,  later  in  the  day,  I  asked  him  where  he  had 
come  from,  he  replied  that  Miss  Jarbeau  had  given  him 
his  release  that  morning.  I  told  him  that  he  was  on  the 
black  list  and  that  we  had  no  use  for  deserters  in  our  busi- 
ness. 

"Spec's  you's  a'  right,  Cap'n,"  he  replied  and  then  he 
added,  with  a  woe-begone  expression  of  countenance  that 
would  have  brought  tears  of  pity  to  the  eyes  of  a  mule: 
"I'se  done  had  a  mighty  ha'd  time  of  et  since  I  left  all  you 
uns."  I  told  him  that  he  looked  like  it,  but  that  he  had  de- 
served it  all,  and  that  we  were  done  with  him,  and  this 
•nearly  broke  his  heart.  When  I  got  back  to  the  car  I 
found  the  little  "coon"  there,  and  ordered  him  out,  but 
the  boys  interceded  for  him,  raised  a  purse,  in  which  I 
chipped  in  my  share,  of  course,  and  I  finally  consented  that 
he  should  accompany  us  as>  far  as  San  Francisco,  and 
farther,  provided  that  he  behaved  himself. 

The  little  coon  did  not  prove  to  be  much  of  a  mascot 
for  Chicago  that  afternoon,  as  the  Ail-Americans  dropped 
to  Ryan's  slow  left-handed  delivery  after  the  fifth  inning, 
•he  having  been  a  puzzle  to  them  up  to  that  time,  and 
pounded  him  all  over  the  field,  they  finally  winning  by  a 
score  of  12  to  2.  The  heavy  batting  pleased  the  Omaha 
people,  however,  and  they  cheered  the  All-Americans 
again  and  again. 

That  night  we  were  off  for  Hastings,  Neb.,  where  we 
were  scheduled  to  play  the  next  day.  Arriving  there 


ISO        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Clarence  Duval  was  taken  out,  given  a  bath,  against  which 
he  fought  with  tooth  and  nail,  arrayed  in  a  light  checked 
traveling  suit  with  a  hat  to  match,  new  underwear  and 
linen,  patent  leather  shoes  and  a  cane.  When  he  marched 
onto  the  field  that  afternoon  he  was  the  observed  of  all 
observers,  and  attracted  so  much  attention  from  President 
Spalding,  who  had  been  absent  on  a  trip  to  Kansas  City, 
and  who  had  returned  just  in  time  to  see  his  performance, 
that  it  was  at  once  decided  to  take  him  to  Australia.  The  N 
contract  that  he  was  made  to  sign  was  an  ironclad  one, 
and  one  that  carried  such  horrible  penalties  with  it  in  case 
of  desertion  that  it  was  enough  to  scare  the  little  darkey 
almost  to  death.  When  I  looked  him.  over  that  night  on 
the  train  I  told  him  that  I  should  not  be  in  the  least  sur- 
prised were  he  again  to  desert  us  at  San  Francisco,  and 
especially  if  Miss  Jarbeau  should  run  across  him. 

"Den  dat's  jest  'case  you  doan'  know  me,"  he  retorted; 
"I  specs  dat  if  dat  'ooman  sees  me  now,"  and  here  he 
looked  himself  over  admiringly,  "she's  jes'  say  to  me,  'My 
gracious,  Clarence,  whar  you  been?  Come  right  along 
wid  me,  my  boy,  an'  doan'  let  me  lose  sight  ob  you  no 
more.'  I  know  she'd  just  say  dat." 

"What  yould  you  say  then?"  I  asked. 

"What  I  say?  Why,  I  jes'  say,  'Go  on,  white  'ooman,  I 
don't  know  you  now,  an'  I  nebber  did  know  you.  No,  sir, 
Mr.  Anson,  I'se  done  wid  actresses  de  res'  ob  my  nat-rel 
life,  you  heah  me." 

To  my  astonishment  he  kept  his  word,  remaining  with 
us  all  through  the  trip  and  returning  with  us  to  Chicago. 
Outside  of  his  dancing  and  his  power  of  mimicry  he  was, 
however,  a  "no  account  nigger,"  and  more  than  once  did 
I  wish  that  he  had  been  left  behind. 

Just  before  the  game  at  Hastings  began  a  section  of 
the  grand  stand,  some  twenty  feet  in  height,  gave  way, 


FROM  CHICAGO  TO  DENVER.  151 

but  as  no  one  was  killed,  and  as  there  were  3,000  people 
present,  many  of  whom  had  come  from  the  surrounding 
towns  to  witness  the  game,  the  accident  was  soon  lost 
sight  of.  The  game  resulted  in  a  victory  for  Chicago  by  a 
score  of  8  to  4.  Baldwin  pitched  for  the  Chicagos  and  Van 
Haltren  for  the  All- American  team. 

On  our  way  from  Hastings  to  Denver  that  night  we 
met  the  train  from  St.  Louis  at  Oxford,  Neb.,  and  were 
joined  by  Capt.  John  Ward  and  Ed  Crane  of  the  New 
York  team;  Capt.  Manning  of  the  Kansas  Citys  had  joined 
us  at  Hastings,  and  when  Billy  Earle  of  St.  Paul,  who  had 
been  telegraphed  for,  met  us  at  Denver,  the  party  was 
complete,  Hengle,  Long  and  Flint  leaving  us  at  that 
point  to  return  to  Chicago. 

The  early  morning  of  the  2/th  found  us  speeding  over 
the  plains  some  fifty  miles  east  of  Denver.  As  we  looked 
out  of  the  car  windows  while  at  breakfast  that  morning  we 
caught  glimpses  of  the  snow-capped  mountains  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  so  near  did  they  seem  to  be  in  the  rarefied  at- 
mosphere that  they  seemed  not  more  than  six  or  seven 
miles  away,  consequently  we  were  much  surprised  when 
informed  by  the  conductor  that  they  were  forty-eight  miles 
distant.  I  have  since  been  told  the  story  of  a  sleeping-car 
conductor  who  had  been  running  into  Denver  for  some 
time,  and  who  sat  in  the  dining-room  at  Brown's  Palace 
Hotel  one  morning  looking  over  toward  the  foothills,  re- 
marked to  the  steward  that  the  next  time  he  came  there  he 
intended  to  take  a  little  run  over  there  before  breakfast. 
Asked  how  far  he  thought  it  was  he  replied,  some  two  or 
three  miles,  and  was  astonished  when  informed  that  they 
were  twenty-two  miles  distant. 

We  found  Denver  a  really  beautiful  city  and  both  my 
wife  and  myself  were  astonished  by  the  handsome  build- 
ings that  were  to  be  seen  on  every  side  and  by  the  unmis- 


152        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

takable  signs  of  prosperity  that  surrounded  us.  The  parade 
to  the  grounds  that  afternoon  was  a  showy  one  and  we 
were  greeted  by  great  crowds  all  along  th«  line. 

The  game  was  witnessed  by  7,500  people,  who  recog- 
nized every  player  the  moment  he  appeared.  The  field 
was  a  bad  one,  and  this,  combined  with  the  rarefied  at- 
mosphere, to  which  the  players  were  not  accustomed, 
caused  both  teams  to  put  up  a  decidedly  poor  game,  as  is 
shown  by  the  score,  which  stood  at  16  to  12  in  favor  of 
the  Chicagos. 

The  next  day,  however,  in  the  presence  of  6,000  people, 
the  players  more  than  redeemed  themselves,  John  Ward 
making  his  first  appearance  with  the  Ail-Americans,  and 
playing  the  position  of  shortstop  in  a  masterly  fashion. 
The  fielding  on  both  sides  was  superb,  and  it  was  not  until 
two  extra  innings  had  been  played  that  the  victory  finally 
remained  with  the  All-Americans,  the  score  standing  at 
9  to  8.  The  feature  of  the  game  and  the  play  that  cap- 
tured the  crowd  was  Hanlon's  magnificent  running  catch 
of  Sullivan's  long  fly,  which  brought  the  crowd  to  its  feet 
and  resulted  in  a  storm  of  cheers  that  did  not  cease  until 
that  player  had  raised  his  cap  to  the  grand  stand  in  recog- 
nition of  the  ovation. 

Our  two  days'  stay  in  Denver  was  made  decidedly 
pleasant,  and  we  saw  as  much  of  the  city  as  possible,  al- 
though not  as  much  as  we  should  have  liked  to  have  seen 
had  we  had  more  time  at  our  disposal. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FROM  DENVER  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

Colorado  Springs,  the  fashionable  watering  place  of 
all  Colorado,  was  to  be  our  next  stopping  place.  Leaving 
Denver  on  the  night  of  October  2/th,  we  were  obliged  to 
change  from  the  broad-gauge  cars  in  which  we  had  been 
traveling,  into  narrow-gauge  cars,  in  which  we  journeyed 
as  far  as  Ogden,  and  they  seemed  for  a  time  cramped  and 
uncomfortable  as  compared  with  the  "Q."  outfit. 

We  soon  became  used  to  them,  however,  and  man- 
aged to  enjoy  ourselves  as  thoroughly  as  though  we  had 
no  end  of  room  in  which  to  turn  around  and  stretch  our- 
selves. 

I  have  neglected  to  say  that  the  old  gentleman,  or 
"Pa"  Anson,  as  the  boys  soon  began  to  call  him  in  order 
to  distinguish  him  from  myself,  had  joined  us  at  starting, 
and  the  fact  that  accommodations  for  poker  parties  were 
rather  cramped,  gave  him  a  chance  to  grumble,  that  he 
was  not  slow  to  take  advantage  of.  He  soon  became  a 
great  favorite  with  all  the  party  and  as  base-ball  and 
poker  had  always  been  his  favorite  amusements,  he  found 
himself  for  at  least  once  in  his  life  in  his  natural  element, 
it  being  one  of  his  theories  of  life  that  he  would  rather 
play  poker  and  lose  right  along  than  not  to  play  at  all. 
He  found  no  difficulty  in  that  crowd  in  getting  up  a 
poker  party  at  any  time,  and  was  consequently  happy, 
though  whether  he  won  or  lost,  and  how  much,  I  cannot 
say. 

There  was  a  large  crowd  at  the  Denver  depot  to  see 
us  off,  and  we  left  the  Colorado  metropolis  with  many 


IS4        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

regrets,  so  pleasant  had  been  our  visit  there.  The  day 
was  just  breaking  when  we  arrived  at  Colorado  Springs 
the  next  morning,  and  save  for  a  few  early  risers,  the  depot 
was  deserted.  At  the  depot  awaiting  our  arrival  were 
carriages  and  saddle  horses,  which  had  been  telegraphed 
for  from  Denver  in  order  that  we  might*  enjoy  a  flying 
visit  to  Manitou  and  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  before  play- 
ing the  afternoon  game. 

There  was  a  general  scramble  at  the  depot  for  a  choice 
of  steeds,  the  park  wagons,  three  in  number,  having  been 
reserved  for  the  use  of  the  ladies  and  such  members  of 
the  party  whose  education  in  the  riding  line  had  been  neg- 
lected. I  was  not  as  quick  as  I  might  have  been  and  had 
the  comfort  of  Mrs.  Anson  to  look  after  beside ;  as  a  re- 
sult there  fell  to  my  lot  a  cross-eyed  sorrel  that  had  evi- 
dently spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  chasing'  cattle 
among  the  mountains,  and  that  true  to  his  natural  pro- 
clivities gave  me  no  end  of  trouble  before  the  morning 
was  over.  The  sun  was  just  turning  the  top  of  Pike's 
Peak,  some  eighteen  miles  distant,  into  a  nugget  of  gold, 
when  we  left  the  depot,  but  so  plainly  could  we  see  the 
crevices  that  seamed  its  massive  sides  that  it  looked  not  to 
be  more  than  five  miles  distant.  .To  our  right  rose  the 
peaks  of  sandstone  that  form  the  gateway  to  the  Garden 
of  the  Gods,  and  below  us  ran  the  narrow  roadway 
through  the  valley  like  a  belt  of  silver. 

Manitou,  six  miles  distant,  was  reached  without  acci- 
dent, and  here  we  stopped  to  have  breakfast  at  the  Cliff 
House,  and  to  drink  of  the  clear  waters  of  the  Silver 
Springs  that  have  become  justly  famous  the  world  over. 
Breakfast  over  we  resumed  our  ride,  turning  off  into  a 
little  valley  a  mile  below  the  hotel  that  formed  the  rear 
entrance  to  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  The  sandstone 
formation  here  was  of  the  most  peculiar  character  and 


FROM  DENVER  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  155 

the  ladies  of  the  party  went  into  ecstasy  over  "Punch  and 
Judy,"  "The  Balanced  Rock,"  "The  Mushroom  Rock," 
"The  Duck,"  "The  Frog,"  "The  Lady  of  the  Garden," 
and  the  "Kissing-  Camels."  The  great  sandstone  rocks 
that  form  the  gateway  come  in  for  their  share  of  admira- 
tion and  I  think  we  could  still  have  found  something  to 
look  at  and  admire  had  we  remained  there  for  a  month 
instead  of  for  the  brief  time  that  was  at  our  disposal. 

That  one  morning's  experience  did  more  to  convince 
me  than  anything  else  that  there  is  no  use  for  the  Ameri- 
can to  travel  in  search  of  scenery,  as  he  has  some  of  the 
grandest  in  the  world  right  here  in  his  own  country. 

After  admiring  the  many  remarkable  things  that  were 
to  be  seen  there  we  made  on  through  the  gateway  down 
the  valley  and  then  to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  some  two 
miles  in  height.  Here  we  debouched  on  to  a  little  plateau, 
from  which  we  obtained  a  magnificent  view  of  Pike's 
Peak  crowned  with  its  eternal  snows;  Cheyenne  Moun- 
tains, looking  dark  and  sullen  by  contrast,  and  the  ranges 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  that  upraised  themselves  twenty- 
five  miles  away,  and  yet  seemed  but  a  few  miles  distant. 

That  cross-eyed  sorrel  of  mine  had  persisted  in  taking 
me  off  on  a  cattle  herding  exhibtion  not  long  after  we  had 
left  the  Springs,  and  at  Manitou  I  had  turned  him  over 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  Bob  Pettit,  who  had  more  ex- 
perience in  that  line  than  I  had,  and  in  whose  hands  he 
proved  to  be  a  most  tractable  animal — in  fact,  quite  the 
pick  of  the  bunch,  which  goes  to  show  that  things  are 
not  always  what  they  seem,  horses  and  gold  bricks  being 
a  good  deal  alike  in  this  respect.  Mark  Baldwin's  mus- 
tang proved  to  be  a  finished  waltzer,  and  after  the  saddle- 
girth  had  been  broken  and  Mark  had  been  deposited  at 
full  length  in  the  roadway,  he  turned  his  animal  over  to 
Sullivan,  who  soon  managed  to  become  his  master. 


156        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

It  was  a  morning  filled  with  trials  and  tribulations,  but 
we  finally  turned  up  at  Colorado  Springs  with  no  bones 
broken,  and  so  considered  that  we  were  in  luck.  The 
Denver  and  Rio  Grande  people  had  promised  to  hold  the 
train  an  hour  for  our  accommodation,  but  greatly  to  our 
surprise  word  came  to  us  right  in  the  middle  of  the  game 
that  we  had  but  fifteen  minutes  in  which  to  catch  the  train, 
and  so  we  were  obliged  to  cut  the  game  short  and  make 
tracks  for  the  depot. 

The  exhibition  that  we  put  up  in  the  presence  of  that 
crowd  of  1,200  people  at  Colorado  Springs  was  a  miser- 
able one,  the  rarefied  air  being  more  to  blame  for  it  than 
anything  else,  and  when  we  stopped  play  at  the  end  of  the 
sixth  inning  with  the  score  at  1 6  to  9  in  our  favor  I  could 
hardly  blame  the  crowd  for  jeering  at  us.  At  this  point 
Jim  Hart  came  very  near  to  being  left  behind,  he  having 
stopped  at  the  ground  to  adjust  the  matter  of  finances, 
and  had  he  not  made  a  sort  of  John  Gilpin  ride  of  it  he 
might  even  now  be  browsing  on  the  side  of  a  Colorado 
mountain,  and  if  he  were,  base-ball  would  have  been  none 
the  loser. 

I  am  very  much  afraid  that  the  residents  of  Colorado 
Springs  have  not  to  this  day  a  very  high  opinion  of  the 
Australian  base-ball  tourists,  but  if  they  are  any  sorer  than 
I  was  after  my  experience  with  that  cross-eyed  sorrel,  then 
I  am  sorry  for  them. 

The  trip  through  the  Grand  Canon  of  the  Arkansas 
that  we  entered  just  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  was  a 
never-to-be-forgotten  experience,  we  viewing  it  from  an 
observation  car  that  had  been  attached  to  the  rear  of  the 
train.  Through  great  walls  of  rock  that  towered  far 
above  the  rails  the  train  plunged,  twisting  and  turning 
like  some  gigantic  snake  in  its  death  agony.  Into  the 
Royal  Gorge  we  swung  over  a  suspended  bridge  that 


FROM  DENVER  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  157 

spanned  a  mountain  torrent,  and  that  seemed  scarcely 
stronger  than  a  spider's  web,  past  great  masses  of  rock 
that  were  piled  about  in  the  greatest  confusion,  and  that 
must  have  been  the  result  of  some  great  upheaval  of 
which  no  records  have  ever  come  down  to  us. 

We  stopped  for  supper  at  the  little  mountain  station 
of  Solida,  and  then  with  the  train  divided  into  two  sec- 
tions steamed  away  for  Marshall  Pass,  the  huge  rocks 
around  us  looking  like  grim  battlements  as  they  loomed 
up  in  the  gathering  darkness.  Up  and  still  up  we  climbed, 
the  train  running  at  times  over  chasms  that  seemed  bot- 
tomless, upon  slender  bridges  and  then  darting  through 
narrow  openings  in  the  rocks  that  were  but  just  wide 
enough  for  the  train  to  pass.  Reaching  the  summit  of 
the  pass,  10,858  feet  above  the  sea  level,  we  jumped  from 
the  coaches  as  the  train  came  to  a  standstill  and  found  our- 
selves standing  knee-deep  in  the  snow. 

In  the  brief  space  of  six  hours  we  had  passed  from  a 
land  of  sunshine  to  a  land  of  snow  and  ice,  and  the  transi- 
tion for  a  time  seemed  to  bewilder  us.  We  had  now 
climbed  the  back  bone  of  the  continent  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes afterward  we  were  racing  down  its  other  side,  past 
the  Black  Canon  of  the  Gunnison,  that  we  could  see  but 
dimly  in  the  darkness,  we  thundered,  and  it  was  long 
after  midnight  when,  weary  with  sight-seeing  and  the 
unusual  fatigue  of  the  day,  we  retired  to  our  berths. 
Breakfasting  the  next  morning  at  Green  River,  we  soon 
afterwards  entered  the  mountains  of  Utah,  that  seemed 
more  like  hills  of  mud  than  anything  else  after  viewing 
the  wonders  of  the  Rockies. 

On  the  night  of  October  3Oth  we  reached  Salt  Lake 
City,  the  stronghold  of  the  Mormon  faith,  and  one  of  the 
handsomest  and  cleanest  cities  that  the  far  West  can 
boast  of.  That  morning  we  took  in  the  tabernacle,  the 


158        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Great  Salt  Lake  and  other  sights  of  the  town,  returning 
to  the  Walker  House  in  time  for  dinner.  The  ball  ground 
there  was  a  fairly  good  one,  and  we  started  to  play  our 
first  game  in  the  presence  of  2,500  people.  In  the  first 
half  of  the  fifth  inning  it  started  to  rain,  and  how  it  did 
rain !  The  water  did  not  come  down  in  drops,  but  in 
bucketfuls.  The  game,  which  was  called  at  the  end  of 
the  fourth  inning  resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  Ail-Ameri- 
cans, they  winning  by  a  score  of  9  to  3.  All  night  long 
the  rain  fell,  and  as  it  was  anything  but  pleasant  under 
foot,  we  were  content,  that  is,  most  of  us,  to  remain  within 
the  friendly  shelter  of  the  hotels.  The  grounds  next  day 
were  still  in  bad  shape,  and  long  before  the  game  was 
over  we  were  covered  with  mud  from  head  to  heels.  The 
game  was  a  good  one  so  far  as  the  Ail-Americans  were 
concerned,  but  a  bad  one  on  the  part  of  the  Chicago 
players,  the  game  going  against  us  by  a  score  of  10  to  3. 

That  we  could  not  have  had  pleasant  weather  and  seen 
more  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  its  environs  is  a  matter  of 
regret  with  us  to  this  day.  The  evening  of  November  ist 
found  us  aboard  the  cars  and  off  for  'Frisco,  the  Paris  of 
America.  Arriving  at  Ogden  at  mdnight,  we  found  two 
special  sleepers  awaiting  us,  and  were  soon  once  more 
en  route. 

The  next  day  time  hung  somewhat  heavy  on  our  hands 
and  the  view  from  the  car  window  soon  became  monoton- 
ous. Dreary  wastes  of  sage  brush  greeted  us  on  every 
hand,  walled  in  by  the  mountains  that,  bare  of  verdure, 
raised  their  heads  above  the  horizon  some  thirty  miles 
away.  To  the  pioneers  who  crossed  those  arid  wastes  in 
search  of  the  new  El  Dorado,  belongs  all  honor  and  praise, 
but  how  they  ever  managed  to  live  and  to  reach  the  prom- 
ised land  is  indeed  a  mystery. 

The  morning  of  November  3d  found    us  away  up 


.FROM  DENVER  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO.  159 

among  the  mountains  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  range,  and 
here  the  scenery  was  a  magnificent  description,  the  great 
peaks  being  clothed  almost  to  their  very  summits  in  robes 
of  evergreen.  Down  toward  the  valleys  clad  in  their  suits 
of  emerald  green  we  rolled,  the  mountains  giving  away 
to  hills  and  the  hills  to  valleys  as  the  day  drew  on,  until 
we  finally  reached  Sacramento,  where  we  stopped  for 
breakfast.  Here  we  found  just  such  a  crowd  to  greet  us 
as  had  met  the  train  at  Denver,  the  base-ball  enthusiasts, 
who  had  been  notified  of  our  coming,  having  turned  out 
in  full  force.  Leaving  Sacramento  we  passed  through  a 
most  prosperous  country  dotted  with  orchards  and  vine- 
yards as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  until  we  finally  came 
to  a  standstill  at  the  little  station  of  Suison,  thirty  miles 
from  San  Francisco. 

Here  we  were  met  by  Mr.  Hart,  who,  in  company  with 
Frank  Lincoln,  the  humorist,  and  Fred  Carroll,  had  gone 
on  ahead  of  us  to  'Frisco  from  Salt  Lake  City,  and  who 
had  come  out  to  meet  us  accompanied  by  a  party  of  Pa- 
cific Coast  base-ball  managers,  railroad  men  and  repre- 
sentatives of  the  San  Francisco  press. 

A  telegram  from  E.  J.  Baldwin,  better  known  by  his 
soubriquet  of  "Lucky  Baldwin,"  had  been  received  by 
Mr.  Spalding  during  the  day,  welcoming  us  to  the  city 
and  to  the  Baldwin  Hotel,  and  apprising  us  that  carriages 
would  be  found  in  waiting  for  us  at  the  foot  of  Market 
street.  Landing  from  the  ferry  boats  that  carried  us 
across  the  bay  from  Oakland,  we  found  the  carriages  and 
proceeded  at  once  to  the  Baldwin  Hotel,  where  comfort- 
able quarters  had  been  provided  for  us.  I  had  been 
notified  by  Mr.  Hart  while  on  the  steamer,  as  were  a  half 
a  dozen  other  members  of  the  party,  to  get  into  a  dress 
suit  as  soon  as  possible,  and  this  I  did  with  the  help  of 
Mrs.  Anson,  shortly  after  our  arrival  at  the  hotel,  At 


160        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

6  o'clock  the  invited  members  were  escorted  by  members 
of  the  San  Francisco  Press  and  the  California  Base-ball 
League  to  Marchand's,  one  of  the  leading  restaurants  of 
the  city,  where  we  found  a  dainty  little  supper  awaiting  us, 
to  which  I  for  one  at  least  did  full  justice. 

After  supper  we  attended  a  performance  of  "The  Cor- 
sair" at  the  Baldwin  Theater,  two  proscenium  boxes  having 
been  reserved  for  the  members  of  the  two  teams,  all  of 
whom  were  in  full  dress,  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  we  were 
attracting  fully  as  much  attention,  if  not  more,  than  were 
the  actors. 

There  was  a  big  Republican  parade  the  night  that  we 
arrived  there  and  the  streets  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
hotel  were  literally  jammed  with  people,  while  the  cheer- 
ing and  the  noise  that  continued  long  after  the  bells  had 
proclaimed  the  hour  of  midnight  made  sleep  an  impossi- 
bility. Tired  as  we  were,  it  was  not  until  the  "wee  sma' 
hours"  had  begun  to  grow  longer  that  Mrs.  Anson  and  I 
retired,  and  even  then  the  noise  that  floated  up  to  our 
ears  from  the  crowds  below  kept  us  awake  for  some  time, 
and  that  night  in  my  dreams  I  still  fancied  that  I  was  on 
the  train  and  that  I  could  hear  the  surging  of  the  rails 
beneath  me.  Glad,  indeed,  was  I  the  next  morning  to 
wake  and  find  that  I  was  once  more  on  solid  ground. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TWO  WEEKS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

We  were  booked  for  a  stay  of  two  weeks  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  that  two  weeks  proved  to  be  one  continual 
round  of  pleasure  for  every  member  of  the  party.  The 
appearance  of  the  city  itself  was  somewhat  of  a  disap- 
pointment to  me,  and  I  soon  grew  somewhat  tired  of 
climbing  up  hill  only  to  climb  down  again.  The  really 
fine  buildings,  too,  were  few  and  far  between,  the  majority 
of  them  being  low  wooden  structures  that  looked  like 
veritable  fire-traps.  They  are  built  of  redwood,  however, 
and  this,  according  to  the  natives,  is  hard  to  burn.  The 
fact  that  the  towns  had  not  burned  down  yet  would  seem 
to  bear  out  the  truth  of  their  assertion,  though  the  Bald- 
win Hotel  was  built  of  the  same  material,  and  that  went 
up  in  flames  a  little  over  a  year  ago  in  such  a  hurry  that 
some  of  the  people  who  were  stopping  there  thought 
themselves  lucky  to  get  off  with  the  loss  of  their  ward- 
robes and  baggage,  while  others  who  were  not  so  lucky 
never  got  out  at  all. 

The  natural  surroundings  of  the  city  are,  however, 
decidedly  handsome,  and  I  doubt  if  there  is  a  handsomer 
sight  anywhere  than  San  Francisco  Bay,  a  bay  in  which 
all  of  the  navies  of  the  world  could  ride  at  anchor  and 
still  have  plenty  of  room  for  the  merchant  vessels  to  come 
and  go.  The  shores  of  this  bay  are  lined  with  beautiful 
little  surburban  towns  that  are  within  easy  reach  by  boat 
and  sail  from  San  Francisco,  and  it  is  in  these  towns  that 
a  large  proportion  of  the  people  doing  business  in  the  city 
reside.  The  people  are  most  hospitable  and  at  the  time  of 
A^our  visit  the  base-ball  foes  and  cranks,  both  in  the  same 


162        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

catagory,  were  as  thick  as  were  the  roses,  and  roses  in 
California  greet  you  at  every  turn,  not  the  hot-house  roses 
of  the  East,  that  are  devoid  of  all  perfume,  but  roses  that 
are  rich  with  fragrance  and  that  grow  in  great  clusters, 
clambering  about  the  doorways  of  the  rich  and  poor  alike, 
drooping  over  the  gateways .  and  making  bright  the 
hedges.  Flowers  were  to  be  seen  everywhere,  and  their 
cheapness  at  the  time  of  our  visit  was  both  the  wonder 
and  delight  of  the  ladies. 

The  day  after  our  arrival,  November  4th,  dawned 
bright  and  beautiful,  but  the  haggard  faces  and  the  sleep- 
laden  eyes  of  the  tourists  when  they  assembled  at  a  late 
hour  in  the  Baldwin  Hotel  rotunda  boded  ill  for  a  good 
exhibition  of  the  art  of  playing  base-ball  that  we  were  to 
give  that  day. 

My  forebodings  in  this  respect  proved  true.  The 
Height  grounds  were  crowded,  10,500  people  paying  ad- 
mission to  see  the  game,  and  great  crowds  lined  the  streets 
and  greeted  us  with  cheers  as  we  drove  in  carriages  to  the 
scene  of  action.  The  practice  work  on  both  sides  prior 
to  the  opening  of  the  game  was  of  a  most  encouraging 
character,  but  as  for  the  game  itself — well,  the  least  said 
the  better.  Tired  out  with  travel  and  the  late  hours  of  the 
night  before,  we  were  in  no  condition  to  do  ourselves 
justice.  We  were  over-anxious,  too,  to  put  up  a  great 
game,  and  this  also  told  against  us.  Baldwin  who  pitched 
for  us  had  no  control  of  the  ball,  and  the  stone  wall  infield 
of  the  Chicagos,  which  included  yours  truly,  was  way  off 
and  could  not  field  a  little  bit.  The  score,  All-American 
14  and  Chicago  4,  tells  the  story  of  the  game.  That  the 
crowd  was  disappointed  was  easy  to  see.  They  were 
good-natured  about  it,  however,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
they  did  not  feel  half  so  badly  as  we  did.  Our  reputation 
was  at  stake  and  theirs  was  not.  That  was  the  difference. 


TWO  WEEKS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  163 

Two  days  afterward  the  All-Americans  played  the 
Greenwood  and  Morans  on  the  same  grounds,  and  the 
3,000  people  who  had  assembled  to  witness  the  game  saw 
the  Ail-Americans  get  a  most  disgraceful  trouncing  at 
the  hands  of  the  local  team,  the  score  at  the  end  of  the 
game  standing  at  12  to  2.  It  was  my  misfortune  to  um- 
pire this  game,  and  I  have  often  been  accused  since  of  ,  . 
having  given  the  All-Americans  the  worst  of  the  de- 
cision. It  is  always  the  privilege  of  the  losers  to  kick  at 
the  umpire,  however,  and  I  have  even  been  known  to 
indulge  in  a  gentle  remonstrance  myself  when  I  thought 
the  circumstances  were  justifiable.  The  truth  of  the 
matter  is  that  it  was  the  old  story  of  late  hours  and  a 
lack  of  condition,  Crane  being  unsteady  and  the  support 
accorded  him  not  up  to  the  standard,  while  the  local  club 
played  a  good  game  throughout,  getting  their  hits  in 
where  they  were  needed  and  playing  a  really  strong  game 
in  the  field. 

Before  another  crowd  of  4,000  people,  on  November 
6th,  the  All-Americans  played  the  Pioneers,  another  local 
organization,  and  though  Ilealy  pitched  a  good  game  for 
the  visitors  they  were  beaten  this  time  by  a  score  of  9  to  4. 
Ward  did  not  take  part  in  the  game  on  this  occasion,  he 
having  taken  a  day  off  to  shoot  quail,  and  the  defeat  was 
largely  chargeable  to  the  costly  errors  divided  up  among 
Hanlon,  Crane,  Manning,  Von  Haltren,  Wood  and 
Fogarty. 

In  the  meantime  I  had  taken  the  Chicago  team  to 
Stockton,  where  on  the  same  grounds  as  the  All-Americans 
and  Pioneers  played  we  stacked  up  against  the  Stockton 
Club,  then  one  of  the  strongest  organizations  in  the 
Golden  State.  The  4,000  people  assembled  at  the  grounds 
there  saw  on  that  occasion  as  pretty  a  game  as  they  could 
wish  to  see,  the  fielding  on  both  sides  being  of  the  prettiest 


i<M        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

sort,  and  the  work  of  the  opposing  pitchers,  Tener  for 
Chicago  and  Daly  for  Stockton,  of  the  most  effective 
character.  At  the  end  of  the  ninth  inning  the  score  was 
tied  at  2  each,  and  the  darkness  coming  on  we  were 
obliged  to  let  it  go  at  that,  the  people  of  Stockton  being 
well  pleased  with  the  exhibition  that  they  had  been  treated 
to  by  both  teams,  and  especially  jubilant  over  the  fact  that 
their  own  boy  shad  been  able  to  tie  a  nine  of  our  calibre.  The 
next  day  the  Stockton  team  came  down  to  San  Fran- 
cisco to  measure  strength  with  the  All-Americans,  Baker 
and  Albright  being  their  battery  on  this  occasion,  as  op- 
posed to  Crane  and  Earle.  The  All-Americans,  smarting 
under  their  two  defeats  at  the  hands  of  the  local  team, 
simply  wiped  up  the  ground  with  the  Stockton  boys  on 
this  occasion,  pounding  Baker  all  over  the  field  and  run- 
ning up  a  score  of  16  as  against  a  single  for  their  oppon- 
ents. The  showing  made  by  the  visitors  on  that  occasion 
opened  the  eyes  of  the  Californian  ball-players  and  from 
that  time  on  both  the  Pioneers  and  the  Stocktons  fought 
shy  of  both  the  visiting  teams. 

On  the  afternoon  of  November  loth  we,  and  by  that 
I  mean  the  Chicago  team,  played  the  Haverlys  before 
5,000  spectators  and  defeated  them  after  a  pretty  contest 
by  a  score  of  6  to  i,  Baldwin  pitching  an  excellent  game 
for  the  Chicagos,  and  Incell,  who  was  at  that  time  the 
idol  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  a  good  game  for  the  local  team, 
though  his  support  was  weak. 

The  following  day  6,000  people  passed  through  the 
gates  at  the  Haight  street  grounds  to  witness  the  second 
game  between  Chicago  and  All-American  teams,  and 
though  this  was  marred  by  poor  work  here  and  there,  the 
fielding  was  of  such  a  brilliant  character,  especially  the 
work  of  Chicago's  stone  wall,  as  to  work  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  crowd  up  to  the  highest  pitch.  Tener  and  Yon 


TWO   WEEKS   IN    CALIFORNIA.  165 

Haltren  did  the  twirling  on  this  occasion  for  Chicago  and 
All-Americans  respectively,  and  both  of  them  were  at 
their  best.  The  Ail-Americans  showed  strongest  at  the 
bat,  however,  and  as  a  result  we  were  beaten  by  a  score  of 
9  to  6.  During  the  next  week  the  team  made  a  flying 
trip  to  Los  Angeles,'  where  two  games  were  played,  we 
being  white-washed  in  the  first  one  and  beaten  by  a  score 
of  7  to  4  in  the  second.  This  ended  our  ball-playing  in 
California,  for  though  it  had  been  the  intention  to  play  a 
farewell  game  prior  to  our  sailing  for  Australia,  a  steady 
rain  that  set  in  made  this  impossible. 

When  we  were  not  playing  ball  we  were  either  sight- 
seeing in  the  neighborhood  of  San  Francisco  or  else  being 
entertained  by  some  of  the  numerous  friends  that  we  made 
during  our  stay  in  "the  glorious  climate  of  California," 
the  first  supper  at  Marchand's  being  followed  by  a  host 
of  others,  and  dinner  parties,  banquets  and  theater  par- 
ties were  so  thickly  sandwiched  in  that  it  was  a  matter 
of  wonderment  that  we  were  ever  able  to  run  the  bases 
at  all. 

There  was  scarcely  a  single  place  of  interest  accessible 
to  the  city  that  we  did  not  visit,  from  the  Cliff  House, 
which  is  one  of  the  most  popular  resorts  that  San  Fran- 
cisco boasts  of,  its  spacious  grounds  and  verandas  being 
thronged  with  people  on  Sundays  and  holidays,  to  the 
Chinese  quarter,  a  portion  of  the  city  that  no  visitor  to 
the  Golden  State  should  miss  seeing,  even  if  he  has  to 
make  a  journey  of  one  hundred  miles  to  do  so. 

The  Chinese  quarter  of  San  Francisco  is  a  city  in  itself, 
and  one  in  which  the  contrasts  between  wealth  and  pov- 
erty is  even  more  marked  than  it  ever  was  in  the  Seven 
Dials  of  London. 

The  stores  of  the  well-to-do  Chinese  merchants  are 
filled  with  the  richest  of  silks,  the  rarest  of  teas  and  the 


i66        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

most  artistic  of  bric-a-brac,  the  carvings  in  ivory  and 
fancy  lacquer  work  being  especially  noticeable,  but  close 
to  them  in  the  narrow  streets  are  the  abodes  of  vice  and 
squalor,  and  squalor  of  the  sort  that  reeks  in  the  nostrils 
and  leaves  a  bad  taste  for  hours  afterward  in  the  mouths 
of  the  sight-seer.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  both  the  opium 
dens  and  the  gambling  houses  were  running  in  full  blast, 
and  this  in  spite  of  the  spasmodic  efforts  made  by  the 
police  to  close  them.  John  Chinaman  is  a  natural  born 
gambler,  and  to  obtain  admission  to  one  of  his  resorts  is 
a  more  difficult  matter  than  it  would  be  for  an  ordinary 
man  to  obtain  an  audience  with  the  Queen  of  England. 
He  does  his  gambling  behind  walls  of  steel  plate  and  be- 
hind doors  that,  banged  shut  as  they  are  at  the  slightest 
sign  of  danger,  would  have  to  be  battered  down  with 
sledges  or  blown  open  with  dynamite  before  one  could 
gain  admission,  and  by  that  time  the  inmates  would  have 
all  escaped  and  nothing  would  be  left  behind  to  show  the 
nature  of  the  business  carried  on. 

Crime  runs  rampant  in  this  section  of  the  town,  and 
when  a  Chinaman  is  murdered,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
the  slayer  escapes  punishment  at  the  hands  of  the  law, 
though  he  may  have  it  meted  out  to  him  in  some  horrible 
form  at  the  hands  of  the  dead  man's  friends  and  relatives. 

To  go  through  the  Chinese  quarters  by  daylight  is  a 
sight  well  worth  seeing,  but  to  go  through  there  with  a 
guide  after  the  night's  dark  shadows  have  fallen,  is  more 
than  that.  It  is  a  revelation.  These  guides  are  licensed 
by  the  city,  and  are  under  the  .protection  of  the  police. 

They  are  as  well  known  to  the  Chinamen  as  they  are  to 
the  officers  of  the  law,  and  the  visitor  is  always  safe  in 
following  wherever  they  may  lead. 

The  tenement  houses  in  the  poorer  sections  of  any 
great  city  are  a  disgrace  to  modern  civilization,  but  a 


TWO   WEEKS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  167 

Chinese  tenement  house  is  as  much  worse  than  any  of 
these  as  can  be  imagined.  In  one  section  of  the  Chinese 
quarter  at  San  Francisco  is  a  four-story  building  above 
ground,  with  a  double  basement  below,  one  being  under 
the  other,  and  with  an  open  court  extending  from  the 
lower  basement  clear  to  the  roof.  In  this  -building,  which 
is  jocularly  styled  by  the  guides,  "The  Palace  Hotel  of  the 
Chinese  quarter,"  and  in  which  a  hundred  Americans 
would  find  difficulty  in  existing,  over  a  thousand  China- 
men live,  sleep  and  eat,  all  of  the  cooking  being  done  on 
a  couple  of  giant  ranges  in  the  basement,  which  is  divided 
up  into  shops,  opium  dens  and  sleeping  quarters. 

In  these  shops  are  some  clever  artisans  in  brass  and 
ivory,  and  the  locks  that  are  turned  out  by  hand  by  some 
of  these  brass-workers,  and  made  to  a  great  extent  on  the 
same  principles  as  the  celebrated  locks  made  in  this  coun- 
try by  the  Yale  Company,  are  marvels  of  workmanship 
in  all  of  their  parts,  the  joints  being  as  neatly  filled  in  as 
though  turned  out  by  the  latest  improved  machinery,  the 
wonder  of  it  all  being  that  the  principles  upon  which  they 
were  made  have  been  known  to  the  Chinese  for  thousands 
of  years,  the  Yale  locks  being  apparently  nothing  but  a 
slight  improvement  on  the  original  John  Chinaman  ideas. 

In  the  opium  dens  one  sees  nothing  but  squalor  and 
misery.  A  visit  to  one  of  them  is  a  visit  to  them  all,  and 
one  visit  is  generally  enough  to  disgust  the  seeker  after 
strange  sensation,  the  acrid  smell  of  the  smoke  and  the 
noisome  stench  of  the  close  rooms  being  almost  unbear- 
able. 

The  Joss  Houses,  in  which  are  hideous  idols  before 
which  tapers  and  incense  are  constantly  burning,  and  the 
Chinese  theaters,  with  their  never-ending  performances, 
are  all  strange  sights  in  their  way,  and  sights  that  are 
well  worth  the  taking  in.  The  Chinese  quarter  is  a  blot 


i68        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

on  the  fair  name  of  San  Francisco,  however,  and  leaving 
it  one  wonders  how  and  why  it  has  ever  been  allowed  to 
grow  into  its  present  huge  proportions.  The  memories  of 
these  after-dark  trips  still  linger  with  me  even  now,  like 
the  shadow  of  some  dark  dream,  and  yet  I  am  glad  that 
I  made  them,  if  only  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  how  the 
other  half  of  the  world  manages  to  exist. 

In  company  with  Tom  Daly,  Bob  Pettit,  Harry  Pal- 
mer and  others  of  the  party  I  enjoyed  several  horseback 
rides  through  the  residence  and  suburban  portions  of  the 
city,  where  I  found  much  to  wonder  at  and  admire. 

During  our  stay  President  Spalding,  Captain  Ward, 
Captain  Hanlon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ed  Williamson,  Messrs. 
McMillan  and  Palmer,  and  Mrs.  Anson  and  myself  were 
handsomely  entertained  at  Oakland  by  Mr.  Waller  Wal- 
lace, of  the  California  "Spirit  of  the  Times,"  a  paper  now 
defunct,  and  the  glimpses  of  the  bay  and  city  that  we 
caught  at  that  time  made  the  day  a  most  pleasant  one,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  hospitality  that  greeted  us  on  every 
hand.  Messrs.  Spalding,  Ward,  McMillan,  Palmer  and 
myself  were  also  handsomely  entertained  by  the  Press 
Club,  and  also  by  the  Merchants'  Club  of  San  Francisco, 
an  organization  that  numbered 'among  its  members  at  that 
time  many  of  the  leading  business  men  of  San  P>ancisco 
and  vicinity. 

The  day  of  our  departure  for  Australia  had  been  finally 
fixed  for  November  iSth,  and  the  evening  before  Spald- 
ing, as  a  recognition  of  the  kindness  with  which  we  had 
been  treated  during  our  stay,  gave  a  farewell  banquet  to 
the  members  of  the  California  League  and  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Press  Club  at  the  Baldwin  Hotel,  covers  being  laid 
for  seventy-five  guests,  among  them  being  several  men 
of  prominence  in  the  social  and  business  world  of  the 
Pacific  Coast.  The  menu  card  for  that  occasion,  which 


•     TWO   WEEKS   IN   CALIFORNIA.  169 

is  circular  in  form  and  represents  a  base-ball  cover,  now 
lies  before  me,  the  idea  originating  in  the  fertile  brain 
of  Frank  Lincoln.  Under  the  heading  of  "score-card," 
on  the  inside,  is  the  magic  injunction,  'Tlay  Ball,"  with 
which  the  majority  of  us  who  sat  at  the  table  were  so 
familiar,  and  among  the  courses,  "Eastern  oysters  on  the 
home  run,"  "Green  turtle  a  la  Kangaroo,"  "Petit  pate  a 
la  Spalding,"  "Stewed  Terrapin,  a  la  Ward,"  "Frisco 
Turkey  a  la  Foul,"  together  with  other  dishes,  all  of  which 
had  some  allusion  either  to  base-ball  or  to  our  contem- 
plated Australian  trip. 

After  we  had  played  ball,  the  debris  cleared  away  and 
the  cigars  lighted,  there  followed  a  succession  of  im- 
promptu speech-making,  the  toasts  and  those  who  replied 
being  as  follows :  "Early  Californian  Ball-players/'  Judge 
Hunt  of  the  Superior  Court ;  "The  National  League 
Champions,  the  New  York  Base-ball  Club,"  ex-Senator 
James  F.  Grady,  of  New  York;  "The  San  Francisco 
Press,"  W.  N.  Hart,  of  the  San  Francisco  Press  Club ; 
"The  Good  Ship  Alameda,"  Capt.  Henry  G.  Morse ;  "A 
G.  Spalding  and  the  Australian  Trip,"  Samuel  F.  Short- 
ride  ;  "The  Chicago  Nine,"  yours  truly ;  "The  Ail-Ameri- 
cans," Capt.  John  M.  Ward  ;  "The  'Base-ball'  Cricketers," 
George  Wright.  In  closing  Spalding  thanked  the  press 
and  the  base-ball  people  of  the  coast  for  the  magnificent 
reception  that  we  had  received,  and  for  all  the  kindness 
which  had  been  showered  upon  us  since  our  arrival,  after 
which  we  bade  farewell  to  those  of  our  friends  that  we 
should  not  see  again  before  our  departure. 

That  night  all  was  bustle  and  confusion  about  the 
hotel.  With  an  ocean  journey  of  7,000  miles  before  us 
there  was  much  to  be  done,  and  it  was  again  late  before 
we  retired  to  dream  of  the  King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands 
and  the  Land  of  the  Kangaroo. 


i;o  A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Eleven  years  have  rolled  away  since  that  trip  to  San 
Francisco  was  made  and  many  of  the  friends  that  we  then 
met  with  and  that  helped  to  entertain  us  so  royally  have 
passed  over  the  Great  Divide  that  separate  the  known 
from  the  unknown,  but  their  memory  still  lingers  with 
us  and  will  as  long  as  life  shall  last. 

There  was  not  a  minute  of  the  time  that  was  spent  on 
the  coast  that  I  did  not  enjoy  myself.     I  found  the  Cali- 
fornians  a  warm-hearted,  genial  and  impulsive  people,  in 
whose  make-up  and  habits  of  life  there  still  live  the  char- 
acteristics of  these  early  pioneers  who  settled  there  in 
"The  days  of  old,  the  days  of  gold, 
The  days  of  '49." 

and  to  whom  money  came  easily  and  went  the  same  way. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS. 

"We  sail  the  ocean  blue, 

Our  saucy  ship's  a  beauty. 
We're  sailors  good  and  true, 

And  attentive  to  our  duty." 

So  sang  the  jolly  mariners  on  the  good  ship  Pinafore, 
and  so  might  have  sung  the  members  of  the  Chicago  and 
Ail-American  base-ball  teams  as  they  sailed  out  through 
the  Golden  Gate  and  into  the  blue  waters  of  the  Pacific  on 
the  afternoon  of  November  18,  1888.  Only  at  that  time 
we  were  not  in  the  least  sure  as  to  whether  the  Alameda 
was  a  beauty  or  not,  pleasant  as  she  looked  to  the  eye,  and 
we  had  a  very  reasonable  doubt  in  our  minds  as  to  whether 
we  were  sailors  "good  and  true."  There  was  a  long  ocean 
voyage  before  us,  and  the  few  of  us  that  were  inclined  to 
sing  refrained  from  doing  so  lest  it  might  be  thought  that, 
like  the  boy  in  the  wood,  we  were  making  a  great  noise  in 
order  to  keep  our  courage  up.  We  were  one  day  late  in 
leaving  San  Francisco,  it  having  been  originally  planned 
to  leave  here  on  Saturday,  November  I7th,  and  this  delay 
of  one  day  served  to  cut  short  our  visit  at  Honolulu.  The 
morning  of  our  departure  had  dawned  gray  and  sullen  and 
rainy,  but  toward  noon  the  clouds  broke  away  and  by  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  hour  set  for  our  departure,  the 
day  had  become  a  fairly  pleasant  one. 

At  the  wharf  in  San  Francisco,  a  great  crowd  had  as- 
sembled to  wish  us  bon  voyage,  conspicuous  among  them 
being  my  paternal  ancestor,  who  would  have  liked  well 
enough  to  make  the  entire  trip,  and  who  would  doubtless 


172        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

have  done  so  could  he  have  spared  the  necessary  time  from. 
his  business  at  Marshalltown.  Here,  too,  we  bade  farewell 
to  Jim  Hart,  Van  Haltren  and  others  of  the  party  who  had 
accompanied  us  on  our  trip  across  the  country,  and  who 
were  now  either  going  to  return  to  their  homes  or  spend 
the  winter  in  San  Francisco.  Hardly  had  we  left  the  nar- 
row entrance  to  the  harbor,  known  as  the  Golden  Gate, 
and  entered  the  deep  blue  waters  of  the  Pacific  before  a 
heavy  fog  came  down  upon  the  surface  of  the  deep,  shut- 
ting out  from  our  gaze  the  land  that  we  were  fast  leaving, 
and  that  we  were  not  again  destined  to  see  for  many 
months.  The  steamer  was  now  rising  and  falling  on  the 
long  swells  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  but  so  gently  as  to  be 
scarcely  perceptible,  except  to  those  who  were  predisposed 
to  seasickness,  and  to  whom  the  prospects  of  a  long  voy- 
age were  anything  but  pleasant.  I  am  a  fairly  good  sailor 
myself,  and,  though  I  have  been  seasick  at  times,  this 
swell  that  we  now  encountered  bothered  me  not  in  the 
least.  Some  ten  miles  from  the  harbor  entrancet  the 
steamer  stopped  to  let  the  pilot  off,  and  with  his  departure 
the  last  link  that  bound  us  to  America  was  broken. 

Our  party  on  board  the  steamer  numbered  thirty-five 
people,  and  besides  these  there  were  some  twenty-five 
other  passengers,  among  them  being  Prof.  Wm.  Miller, 
the  wrestler,  whose  name  and  fame  are  well  known  to  ath- 
letes the  world  over,  and  who  in  company  with  his  wife 
was  bound  for  Australia.  Sir  Jas.  Willoughby,  an  effem- 
inate-looking Englishman  of  the  dude  variety,  whose 
weakness  for  cigarettes  and  champagne  soon  became 
known  to  us,  and  who  was  doing  a  bit  of  a  tour  for  his  own 
pleasure;  Major  General  Strange,  of  the  English  army,  a 
tall,  awkward-looking  man,  with  eagle  eyes,  gray  beard 
and  a  bronzed  complexion,  who  had  for  years  been  quar- 
tered in  India,  and  who  had  taken  part  in  the  Sepoy  re- 


WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS.  173 

bellion,  some  of  the  incidents  of  which  he  was  never  tired 
of  relating;  Frank  Marion,  his  pretty  wife  and  bright-eyed 
baby,  the  parents  being  a  pair  of  light  comedians,  whose 
home  was  in  the  United  States  and  who  were  going  to 
Australia  for  the  purpose  of  fillling  an  engagement  at  Sid-  - 
ney,  and  to  whose  ability  as  musicians  and  skill  in  hand- 
ling the  guitar  and  banjo  we  were  indebted  for  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure  before  reaching  our  destination ,  Colonel 
J.  M.  House  and  a  Mr.  Turner,  both  from  Chicago,  where 
they  did  business  at  the  stock  yards,  and  who  were  hale 
and  hearty  fellows,  a  little  beyond  the  meridian  of  life,  and 
who  were  making  the  Australian  trip  for  the  purpose  of 
business  and  pleasure;  and  last  but  not  least  Prof.  Barthol-  " 
omew,  an  aeronaut,  who  hailed  from  the  wilds  of  Michigan 
and  talked  in  a  peculiar  dialect  of  his  own,  and  who  joined 
our  party  for  exhibition  purposes  at  San  Francisco,  and 
proved  to  be  a  constant  source  of  amusement  to  us  all. 

We  could  not  have  had  a  more  delightful  trip  than 
the  one  from  San  Francisco  to  Hololulu  had  the  weather 
been  made  expressly  to  our  order,  the  sea  being  at  all 
times  so  smooth  that  one  might  almost  have  made  the  en- 
tire trip  in  a  racing  shell,  and  that  without  shipping  water 
enough  to  do  any  damage.  It  was  blue  above  and  blue 
below,  the  sky  being  without  a  cloud  and  the  water  with- 
out so  much  as  even  a  gentle  ripple,  save  at  the  bow  of  the 
boat  where  the  water  parted  to  let  us  through,  and  at  the 
stern,  where  it  was  churned  into  masses  of  foam  by  the 
revolving  screw  of  the  steamer.  But  if  the  days  were 
beautiful  the  nights  were  simply  grand,  and  the  ladies  were 
to  be  found  on  deck  until  a  late  hour  watching  the  reflec- 
tions of  the  moon  and  the  stars  upon  the  water  and  enjoy- 
ing the  balmy  salt  breezes  that  came  pure  and  fresh  from 
the  caves  of  old  Ocean. 

The  second  afternoon  out  of  San  Francisco  the  pas- 


174        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

sengers  were  suddenly  startled  by  the  clanging  of  a  bell 
and  the  mad  rush  on  deck  of  a  lot  of  half-clad  seamen,  who 
seemed  to  come  from  all  sorts  of  unexpected  places,  and 
who,  springing  to  the  top  of  the  cabins  and  boiler  rooms 
began  quickly  to  unreel  long  lines  of  hose  and  attach 
them  to  the  ship  hydrants,  while  a  score  or  more  of  sailors 
stood  by  the  life  buoys  and  the  long  lines  of  water  buckets 
that  lined  the  deck.  That  the  ship  was  on  fire  was  the 
thought  that  naturally  came  to  the  minds  of  many  of  us, 
and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  pale  cheeks  were  here 
and  there  to  be  seen,  for  I  can  conceive  of  nothing  in  my 
mind  that  could  be  more  horrible  than  a  fire  at  sea.  The 
alarm  proved  a  false  one,  however,  it  being  simply  the 
daily  fire  practice  of  the  ship's  crew,  in  which  we  after- 
wards took  considerable  interest. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  we  were  steaming  along  the 
beaten  paths  of  navigation  it  was  not  until  our  fifth  day 
that  we  encountered  another  ship,  and  then  it  wras  about 
eleven  o'clock  at  night,  and  after  the  majority  of  the  pas- 
sengers had  "sought  the  seclusion  that  a  cabin  grants,"  to 
again  quote  from  Pinafore.  Suddenly,  as  we  plowed  the 
waters,  the  scene  was  brilliantly  illumninated  by  a  power- 
ful calcium  light  on  top  of 'the  wheel-house,  and  by  its 
glare  we  saw  not  far  distant  a  steamer  that  we  afterward 
ascertained  to  be  the  one  bound  from  Honolulu  to  San 
Francisco.  She  had  left  San  Francisco  for  the  islands  be- 
fore the  Presidential  election  had  taken  place,  and  as  the 
Hawaiian  Islands  were  not  connected  by  cable  with  the 
United  States,  its  passengers  were  ignorant  of  the  result. 
It  had  been  arranged,  however,  that  a  single  rocket  was  to 
be  sent  up  from  the  Alameda  in  case  of  Harrison's  election, 
and  two  in  case  of  his  defeat.  As  Harrison  had  been 
elected  only  a  single  rocket  from  our  steamer  cleft  the 
blue,  leaving  behind  it  a  trail  of  fiery  sparks,  and  this  was 


WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS.  17.5 

answered  by  a  shower  of  rockets  from  the  "Australia," 
that  being  the  name  of  the  sister  ship  that  we  had  met, 
after  which  her  lights  grew  dimmer  and  dimmer  until  they 
were  finally  lost  to  sight  below  the  horizon. 

With  music,  cards  and  games  of  chance  of  every  kind 
and  variety  the  days  and  nights  passed  pleasantly  enough 
on  board  ship,  and  if  there  was  anything  that  we  had  not 
bet  upon  before  the  ship  arrived  at  Honolulu  it  was  simply 
because  it  had  been  overlooked  in  some  careless  manner^ 
by  the  tourists.  When  it  came  to  making  up  a  poker 
party  the  old  gentleman  was  greatly  missed,  as  "Pa  An- 
son"  had  never  been  found  wanting  when  there  was  a  card 
party  on  hand  and  a  chance  to  wager  his  chips. 

Before  leaving  San  Francisco  Mr.  Spalding  had  met 
the  Liverpool,  England,  agent  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  Railroad,  a  Mr.  S.  A.  Perry,  and  as  a  result  of  a 
long  conversation  it  was  agreed  upon  that  the  latter  should 
visit  such  European  cities  as  the  tourists  might  desire  to 
play  ball  in,  and  cable  the  result  of  his  investigations  to 
Australia.  In  case  he  found  the  indications  were  favorable 
to  our  doing  a  good  business  in  Great  Britain,  where  we 
were  again  desirous  of  giving  exhibitions,  it  had  been 
about  decided  by  Mr.  Spalding  and  myself  that  we  should 
continue  on  around  the  world  instead  of  returning  directly 
home  from  Australia,  as  we  had  first  intended.  The  pos- 
sibility of  a  change  in  our  plans  we  had,  however,  kept 
to  ourselves,  the  newspaper  correspondents  only  being 
taken  into  our  confidence.  The  matter  was  allowed  to  leak 
out,  however,  during  the  voyage  to  Honolulu  and  the  pro- 
posed trip  was  greeted  with  great  enthusiasm1  by  the  ball 
players,  who  looked  forward  to  it  with  the  most  pleasant 
anticipations,  and  who  talked  of  but  little  else  until  the 
details  were  finally  agreed  upon  at  Melbourne  and  the 


176        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

proposed  trip  became  a  reality  instead  of  a  mere  "castle  in 
the  air." 

The  details  of  this  trip  had  already  been  made  public 
in  the  United  States  the  week  after  our  departure  from  San 
Francisco,  so  that  the  people  at  home  were  aware  of  what 
might  occur  even  before  the  ball  players  themselves  had 
had  a  chance  to  realize  that  they  were  to  become  globe- 
trotters. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  we  had  left  San  Francisco  a  day 
late  we  were  a  day  late  in  arriving  at  the  capital  of  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  where  we  had  been  scheduled  to  play  a 
game  on  Saturday,  November  24th,  but  where,  owing  to 
an  •  unfortunate  combination  of  circumstances,  we  were 
fated  not  to  play  at  all  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  every  prep- 
aration for  our  doing  so  had  been  made  and  that  King  and 
court  were  more  than  anxious  to  see  the  American  ath- 
letes in  action.  The  nightfall  of  Saturday  found  us  still 
plowing  the  blue  waters  of  the  Pacific  150  miles  from  the 
islands,  and  as  we  sat  on  deck  in  the  moonlight  we  could 
picture  in  fancy  the  despair  of  our  advance  agent,  Mr. 
Simpson,  who  had  gone  on  ahead  of  us  from  San  Fran- 
cisco and  who  was  still  in  ignorance  of  the  cause  of  our 
detention. 

It  was  just  as  the  day  began  to  break  on  the  morning  of 
Sunday,  November  25th,  that  the  cry  of  "Land  ho!"  from 
the  lookout  on  the  bridge  echoed  over  the  steamer's  decks, 
and  it  was  but  a  few  minutes  afterward  when  the  members 
of  our  party  had  assembled  next  the  rail  to  gaze  at  what 
was  then  but  a  faint  blur  upon  the  distant  horizon.  An 
hour  later  the  green  verdure  of  the  islands  and  the  rugged 
peaks  of  the  mountains  that  loomed  up  against  the  rosy 
tint  of  the  changing  sky  were  plainly  discernible,  as  were 
the  white  buildings  of  the  city  of  Honolulu  and  the  little 
fleet  of  shipping  that  was  anchored  in  its  bays.  The  sight 


WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS.  177 

was  a  beautiful  one,  and  one  upon  which  we  gazed  with 
delight  as  the  steamer  sailed  in  past  Diamond  Head  and 
slowed  down  in  the  still  waters  of  the  bay  upon  whose 
shores  Honolulu  is  located. 

Nearing  the  shore  we  were  met  by  a  ship's  boat  con- 
taining Mr.  Geoffrey,  the  steamship  company's  resident 
agent;  Harry  Simpson,  our  advance  guard;  Mr.  F.  M. 
Whitney  and  Mr.  Geo.  N.  Smith,  the  latter  a  cousin  of 
Mr.  Spalding,  then  residing  in  Honolulu,  together  with  a 
party  of  natives  bearing  baskets  that  were  filled  with 
wreaths  of  flowers  called  "Leis,"  with  which  they  pro- 
ceeded to  decorate  each  member  of  our  party  as  a  token  of 
welcome  and  good  will.  As  the  steamer  cables  were  made 
fast  and  we  were  drawn  slowly  to  our  berth  at  the  dock  we 
looked  down  from  our  perch  on  the  rail  at  a  crowd  of  fully 
2,000  people  that  assembled  there  to  bid  us  welcome,  the 
King's  band,  "The  Royal  Hawaiian,"  with  dark  com- 
plexions and  uniforms  of  white  duck,  occupying  a  con- 
spicuous place  and  playing  for  our  benefit  such  familiar 
tunes  as  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  "Yankee  Doodle," 
and  "The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me,"  each  and  every  one  of 
them  bringing  out  an  answering  cheer  from  the  Ala- 
meda's  passengers. 

The  morning  was  a  bright  and  beautiful  one  and  the 
mountains  touched  with  the  gold  of  the  sunrise,  the  plan- 
tations -lying  green  and  quiet  along  the  shores,  and  the 
rapidly-growing  crowd  upon  the  dock,  all  combined  to 
make  the  picture  beautiful,  and  one  that  will  never  be  for- 
gotten. 

The  officers  of  the  U.  S.  Cruiser  "Alert,"  which  lay  not 
far  distant,  had  given  us  a  hearty  cheer  as  we  passed,  while 
the  cheers  that  greeted  us  from  the  dock  were  almost  in- 
cessant and  told  us  in  an  unmistakable  manner  that  we 
Were  indeed  welcome  to  the  "Paradise  of  the  Pacific." 


178        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Looking  down  from  the  steamer  deck  one  saw  people 
of  almost  ever}'  clime,  the  dark  complexioned,  straight- 
haired  and  intelligent-looking  natives  being  in  the  major- 
ity, their  white  suits  and  dark  faces  adding  greatly  to-  the 
color  of  the  scene.  Pretty  girls,  too,  were  very  much  in 
evidence,  and  the  eyes  of  many  of  our  party  strayed  in  their 
direction,  especially  those  of  the  unmarried  men,  which 
variety  composed  the  majority  of  our  party. 

Business  in  Honolulu  the  day  before  had  been  entirely 
suspended  in  expectation  of  our  arrival,  and  great  was  the 
disappointment  when  the  day  passed  without  the  steamer 
being  sighted.  It  was  then  thought  that  we  would  not  put 
in  an  appearance  before  Monday,  and  so,  when  the  word 
went  around  on  Sunday  morning  that  the  "Alameda"  was 
coming  in,  the  entire  city  was  taken  by  surprise  and  every- 
thing was  bustle  and  confusion. 

King  Kalakuau  had  set  up  a  great  portion  of  the  night 
awaiting  our  coming,  and  so  disappointed  was  he  when  we 
failed  to  put  in  an  appearance  that  he  accumulated  an  un- 
comfortable load,  and  this  he  was  engaged  in  sleeping  off 
when  he  was  awakened  by  his  courtiers  and  informed  of 
our  arrival. 

Shortly  after  we  had  shaken  hands  with  the  members 
of  the  reception  committee  and  the  steamer  had  been  made 
fast  to  the  dock  we  entered  the  carriages  that  had  been 
provided  for  us  and  were  driven  to  the  Royal  Hawaiian 
Hotel,  passing  by  the  palace  of  King  Kalakuau  on  the 
way.  The  streets  were  in  themselves  a  novelty,  being  lined 
by  stately  palms,  cocoanuts  and  bananas,  laden  with  fruits 
and  nuts,  while  there  were  flowers  everywhere.  The  hotel, 
which  stood  in  the  center  of  beautifully  laid  out  grounds, 
seemed  like  some  palatial  residence,  and  we  were  no 
sooner  seated  in  the  spacious  dining-room,  with  its  open 
windows  extending  from  floor  to  ceiling,  than  the  Royal 


WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS.  179 

Band  began  a  concert  in  the  music-stand  beneath  the  win- 
dows. 

This  band  was  certainly  a  magnificent  one,  and  one 
that  has  but  few  equals  in  the  world,  or  had  at  that  time,  it 
being  then  under  the  leadership  of  Bandmaster  Berger,  a 
musician  of  the  first  class. 

At  breakfast  that  morning  we  were  served  for  the  first 
time  with  the  native  dish  of  "Poi,"  a  pink-colored  mush 
that,  to  be  appreciated,  must  be  eaten  in  the  native  man- 
ner, the  people  to  the  manner  born  plunging  a  forefinger 
into  the  dish,  giving  it  a  peculiar  twist  that  causes  it  to 
cling,  and  then  depositing  it  between  the  lips,  where  the 
"Poi"  remains  and  the  finger  is  again  ready  to  seek  the 
dish.  In  eating  in  such  a  fashion  Frank  Flint  would  have 
had  away  the  best  of  it,  and,  as  it  was,  I  noticed  both 
then  and  afterward  that  men  like  Williamson,  Ward  and 
others,  who  boasted  of  a  base-ball  finger,  managed  to  get 
away  with  something  more  than  their  share  of  the  delicacy. 

On  the  balconies  after  breakfast  we  again  listened  to 
the  sweet  strains  of  the  "Aloha  Oe,"  the  welcome  song  of 
the  native  Islanders,  with  which  we  had  been  greeted  on 
our  arrival  at  the  docks. 

As  we  stood  on  the  balconies  taking  in  the  beautiful 
sights  by  which  we  were  surrounded,  we  were  informed 
that  his  majesty,  "the  King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands,"  as 
some  members  of  the  party  irreverently  referred  to  him, 
would  be  pleased  to  receive  us  at  eleven  o'clock  at  the  pal- 
ace. An  invitation  from  a  King  is  equivalent  to  a  com- 
mand, and  so  we  at  once  made  ready  for  the  reception. 
When  the  appointed  hour  arrived  Clarence  Duval,  clad 
in  the  full  regalia  of  a  drum  major,  took  his  place  at  the 
head  of  the  Royal  Band,  which  had  formed  in  front  of  the 
hotel,  and  behind  the  music,  headed  by  United  States 
Minister  Morrill  and  Mr.  Spalding,  were  the  members  of 


i8o        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  two  teams  in  double  file,  the  ladies  following  in  car- 
riages. In  this  order  the  procession  marched  to  the  pal- 
ace, where  the  King  and  his  cabinet  were  a.waiting  our 
arrival. 

The  grounds  surrounding  the  palace  were  beautiful,  in- 
deed, and  as  we  reached  the  massive  portico  at  the  en- 
trance the  band  formed  on  one  side  as,  with  hats  off,  we 
filed  up  the  steps,  being  met  on  the  landing  by  members 
of  the  King's  Cabinet,  and  by  attendants,  who  directed 
us  to  the  blue  room,  where  we  deposited  our  hats  and 
canes.  We  were  then  requested  to  follow  Minister  Mor- 
rill,  who  took  Mr.  Spalding's  arm  and  led  the  way  across 
a  great  hall  hung  with  pictures  of  the  Island's  dead-and- 
gone  rulers,  and  into  the  throne  room,  the  latter  an  im- 
posing apartment  large  enough  for  several  hundred 
couples  to  dance  in,  where  the  King,  arrayed  in  citizen's 
clothes,  stood  before  his  throne  with  a  Gentleman  of  Hon- 
or in  court  costume  on  either  side.  Minister  Morrill  in- 
troduced Mr.  Spalding  to  the  King,  and  he  in  turn  intro- 
duced the  other  members  of  our  party  as  they  filed  in  by 
him,  be  howing  to  each  of  the  party  as  the  name  was  men- 
tioned. After  the  reception  was  over  we  wrote  our  names 
on  the  court  register,  and  then,  after  being  shown  through 
the  palace,  were  escorted  back  to  the  hotel  by  the  band. 

King  Kalakuau  was  by  no  means  a  bad-looking  fellow, 
being  tall  and  somewhat  portly,  with  the  usual  dark  com- 
plexion, dark  eyes  and  white  teeth,  which  were  plainly  vis- 
ible when  he  smiled,  that  distinguished  all  of  the  Kanaka 
race.    Somehow,  and  for  no  apparent  reason,  there  came 
to  my  mind  as  I  looked  at  him  the  lines  of  that  old  song: 
"Hokey,  pokey,  winky  wum, 
How  do  you  like  your  murphys  done? 
Sometimes  hot  and  sometimes  cold, 
King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands," 


WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS.  181 

and  I  tried  hard  to  fancy  what  might  have  happened  had 
we  landed  on  those  same  islands  several  centuries  before. 

Sunday  amusements  of  all  kinds  being  prohibited  by 
an  old  Hawaiian  law,  a  relic  of  the  old  missionary  days, 
made  an  exhibition  by  the  members  of  the  two  teams  an 
impossibility,  although  the  members  of  the  Reception 
Committee,  backed  by  many  of  the  native  Islanders,  peti- 
tioned that  we  should  do  so,  offering  to  bear  any  and  all  of 
the  expenses  incurred  by  us  should  any  trouble  be  forth- 
coming. Couriers  bearing  petitions  to  the  same  effect 
were  also  sent  around  the  city,  and  soon  over  a  thousand 
names  to  these  had  been  obtained.  The  risk  was  too  great 
a  one  to  be  taken,  however,  as  in  case  anything  did  happen 
we  were  almost  certain  to  miss  our  boat  and  be  detained 
in  Honolulu  for  a  longer  period  of  time  than  we  could  af- 
ford to  spend  there.  Our  refusal  to  defy  the  law  and  play 
ball  anyhow  was  a  great  disappointment  both  to  the 
American  contingent  and  to  the  natives,  they  having  been 
looking  forward  to  the  game  for  weeks  with  most  pleasant 
anticipations.  They  took  their  disappointment  good-na- 
turedly, however,  and  proceeded  to  make  our  stay  among 
them  as  pleasant  as  possible.  The  most  of  our  time  was 
devoted  to  sight-seeing,  some  of  the  party  going  in  one 
direction  and  some  in  the  other. 

In  company  with  several  others,  Mrs.  Anson  and  my- 
self drove  out  to  the  Pali,  viewing  the  magnificent  scenery 
to  be  found  there  from  the  plateau,  where,  according  to 
the  tales  of  the  natives,  it  rains  every  day  in  the  year  be- 
tween certain  hours.  I  was  not  there  long  enough  to 
swear  to  the  truth  of  the  story,  but  as  it  rained  the  one 
day  that  we  were  on  hand  I  am  willing  to  assume  that  it 
rained  the  other  three  hundred  and  sixty-four,  and  let  it 
go  at  that.  We  then  drove  through  many  of  the  city's 
most  beautiful  avenues,  past  the  Royal  mausoleum,  where 


182        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

sleep  the  former  Kings  and  Queens  of  Hawaii,  from  Kam- 
ehameha  to  the  Princess  Like  Like,  who  was  the  last  of 
those  that  had  been  interred  there  at  the  time  of  our  visit. 
The  parks  and  roadways  of  Honolulu  are  of  rare  beauty, 
and  many  of  the  principal  residences  and  public  buildings 
of  a  kind  that  would  do  credit  to  any  country  in  the  world. 
At  the  residence  of  the  Hon.  A.  S.  Claghorn,  where  we 
stopped  for  a  few  minutes,  we  were  introduced  to  the  Prin- 
cess Kaiulani,  a  really  beautiful  Hawaiian  girl,  and  one 
who  was  the  possessor  of  rare  accomplishments  and  of  a 
most  winning  manner.  We  also  paid  a  visit  to  the  resi- 
dence of  one  Hon.  John  H.  Cummins,  one  of  the  Hawaiian 
sugar  kings,  where  we  were  entartained  in  a  most  hand- 
some manner.  The  time  spent  in  driving  around  passed 
all  too  quickly,  and,  reaching  the  hotel,  we  began  to  pre- 
pare for  the  grand  Luau,  or  native  feast,  that  was  to  be 
given  in  our  honor  by  King  Kalakuau  and  Messrs.  Sam- 
uel Parker,  John  Ena  and  George  Beckley,  and  which 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  novel  and  delightful  features 
of  our  trip. 

This  feast  was  given  in  the  Queen's  grounds,  in  the 
center  of  which  was  placed  her  private  residence.  As  we 
drove  past  the  King's  palace  and  through  an  avenue  lined 
by  towering  palms  and  came  unexpectedly  upon  the  bril- 
liantly illuminated  grounds,  with  their  magnificent  groves 
of  banana,  date,  cocroanut,  royal  palms  and  other  trees  and 
plants  of  a  tropical  nature,  the  scene  was  a  never  to  be 
forgotten  one.  The  spacious  enclosure  was  literally  ablaze 
with  light.  Japanese  lanterns  of  all  colors,  flaming  torches 
of  oil  gleaming  close  together  among  the  foliage. 

As  the  uniformed  officers  at  the  gates  made  way  for  us 
we  entered  the  grounds.  Minister  Morrill,  Mr.  Spalding, 
Capt.  Morse  of  the  "Alameda,"  and  the  ladies  leading  the 
way  and  walking  toward  a  great  tree  near  the  center  of 


WE  VISIT  THE  HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS.  183 

the  grounds,  beneath  which  stood  the  King,  the  Hon. 
John  Cummins,  and  the  members  of  the  King's  Cabinet. 
At  the  birth  of  each  member  of  the  Royal  family,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  a  tree  was  planted  upon  royal  ground,  and 
as  this  tree  flourishes  or  decays  it  is  supposed  to  fore- 
shadow the  future  of  the  child  for  whom  it  was  planted. 
King  Kalakuau  on  this  occasion  stood  beneath  his  own 
birth-tree,  planted  some  fifty  years  before,  which  at  that 
time  gave  no  indication  of  the  fate  that  a  few  years  later 
was  to  overtake  him  in  a  strange  land.  Greeting  each  of 
his  guests  cordially  he  bade  all  make  ourselves  thoroughly 
at  home,  a  thing  that  we  proceeded  at  once  to  do  without 
further  ceremony,  wandering  about  the  grounds  and  see- 
ing whatever  was  to  be  seen. 

An  hour  after  our  arrival  the  King,  offering  his  arm  to 
Mrs.  Spalding,  led  the  way  toward  the  grove  where  the 
banquet  was  to  be  served,  he  being  followed  by  H.  R.  H. 
Lilino  Kalani,  the  King's  sister,  Prince  Kawanonakoa, 
Mr.  Spalding,  Capt.  Morse  and  the  rest  of  the  party.  The 
tables  were  laid  upon  blocks  elevated  not  more  than  six 
inches  from  the  ground,  in  the  shape  of  a  letter  U,  and 
upon  each  side  lay  long  strips  of  matting,  upon  which  we 
sat  cross-legged,  like  Turks,  while  shapely  Kanaka  girls 
in  flowing  robes  of  white  stood  over  us  moving  fans  of 
gorgeous  colors.  Poi  was  given  to  us  in  huge  calabashes, 
while  upon  the  big  platters  that  were  set  before  us  and 
incased  in  the  long,  coarse-fibred  leaves  in  which  they  had 
been  baked,  were  portions  of  beef,  pork,  veal,  fish,  chick- 
ens and  other  viands  usual  to  a  banquet  in  our  own  land. 
Bands  of  native  boys  with  stringed  instruments  played 
continuously  during  the  feast,  making  music  of  a  pecu- 
liar character,  that  rose  and  fell  as  the  busy  hum  of  con- 
versation and  mingled  with  the  joyous  laughter  of  the  men 
and  maidens  that  were  gathered  about  the  table. 


184        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

At  last  silence  was  requested,  and  as  the  noise  died 
away  the  King's  Attorney  General,  speaking  for  his  majes- 
ty, expressed  the  pleasure  that  the  Hawaiian  ruler  felt  in 
entertaining  such  a  representative  body  of  Americans  in 
his  own  islands.  To  this  speech  President  Spalding  re- 
sponded in  well-chosen  words,  thanking  both  the  King 
and  the  residents  of  Honolulu  for  the  hospitality  shown 
us,  after  which,  at  the  King's  request,  Lincoln  entertained 
the  guests  with  his  satire  on  after-dinner  speeches,  his 
"A  B  C"  orations,  and  his  mixing  of  a  soda  cocktail,  all  of 
which  provoked  roars  of  laughter.  After  the  banquet  the 
King  and  the  members  of  his  court  and  family  held  a 
levee  beneath  his  birth-tree,  where,  just  before  nine 
o'clock,  we  all  filed  by  to  bid  him  farewell,  Clarence  Duval 
having  danced  for  him  in  the  meantime  to  "the  patting  of 
hands  by  Burns,  Pfeffer,  Ryan  and  Williamson,  a  per- 
formance that  amused  his  majesty  greatly,  a  ten-dollar 
gold  piece  being  the  reward  that  he  gave  to  the  little  coon 
for  his  performance. 

At  the  outskirts  of  the  grounds  we  paused  to  give  three 
cheers  for  King  Kalakuau,  three  more  for  our  Honolulu 
friends,  and  three  more  for  the  ladies,  after  which  we  were 
driven  to  the  hotel  and  thence  to  the  steamer,  which  was 
to  sail  at  ten  o'clock.  At  the  dock  another  great  crowd 
had  assembled  to  see  us  off,  and  as  we  swung  out  to  sea 
there  came  to  our  ears  the  sweet  strains  of  the  "Aloha" 
song,  from  the  members  of  the  Royal  Band,  growing 
fainter  and  fainter  as  the  distance  between  the  steamer  and 
the  shore  increased,  until  at  last  it  died  away  altogether 
as  we  rounded  the  healdands,  and  it  was  heard  no  more. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FROM   HONOLULU  TO  AUSTRALIA. 

The  majority  of  our  party,  and  among  them  Mrs. 
Anson  and  myself,  remained  upon  the  deck  that  evening 
chatting  of  the  many  beautiful  things  that  we  had  seen 
and  gazing  in  the  direction  of  the  fast-vanishing  islands 
until  they  were  at  last  lost  to  sight  behind  the  mystic  vail 
of  the  moonlight,  and  then  we  sought  our  stateroom  to 
dream  of  the  wonderful  sights  that  were  yet  to  come. 
There  was  now  an  ocean  trip  of  3,900  miles  before  us, 
before  we  should  set  foot  on  shore  at  New  Zealand,  and 
with  never  a  stop  between  save  a  brief  wait  for  the  mail  at 
the  Samoan  Islands.  We  were  all  pretty  fair  sailors  by 
this  time,  having  become  used  to  the  motion  of  the  vessel, 
and  so  the  long  voyage  had  for  us  no  terror,  though  we 
could  not  help  but  hope  that  the  sea  would  remain  as 
smooth  as  it  had  been  up  to  that  time,  and  that  we  should 
encounter  no  storms  before  reaching  our  destination. 

How  to  keep  the  members  of  the  two  teams  in  any- 
thing like  good  condition  for  playing  had  been  a  problem 
with  me  for  several  days  and  one  that  I  had  spent  some 
time  in  studying  over  during  the  first  week  of  our  voy- 
age. The  boys  were  all  getting  restless  for  lack  of  active 
exercise,  and  it  was  plain  to  me  that  something  would 
have  to  be  done  or  they  would  be  in  no  condition  when 
Australia  was  reached  to  do  themselves  or  the  country 
that  they  represented  justice. 

"See  here,  George,"  I  said  to  Wright  the  afternoon 
after  we  had  left  Honolulu,  as  we  were  sitting  beside  the 
steamer  rail  and  looking  across  the  blue  expanse  of 


186        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

waters,  "this  sort  of  a  life  will  never  do  for  American  ball- 
players who  expect  to  exploit  the  beauties  of  the  game 
in  foreign  lands.  We  shall  be  as  stiff  as  old  women  and 
as  fat  as  a  lot  of  aldermen  by  the  time  we  reach  Aus- 
tralia unless  we  take  exercise  of  some  kind  during  the 
voyage.  Can't  we  manage  to  get  some  cricket  practice 
in  some  way?" 

George  thought  we  could  do  so,  and  a  little  later  we 
held  an  interview  with  Capt.  Morse,  who  was  one  of  the 
best  fellows  that  I  ever  sailed  with.  The  result  was  on  the 
following  morning  half  a  dozen  sailors  were  set  to  work  to 
roof  over  and  wall  in  with  canvas  the  rear  end  of  the 
quarter  deck  promenade,  upon  the  larboard  side  of  the 
ship,  which  being  done  prevented  the  balls  from  going 
into  the  sea.  This,  when  completed,  gave  us  an  enclosed 
cricket  alley  of  about  forty  feet  long,  eight  feet  wide  and 
ten  feet  high.  The  wickets  were  set  in  the  extreme  end 
of  this  alley,  the  bowler  facing  the  openjng  of  the  tent, 
twenty  feet  beyond  it,  so  he  had  plenty  of  room  to  swing 
his  arm  and  ample  distance  in  which  to  break  the  ball  in 
spite  of  the  smooth  decks  and  the  rolling  of  the  ship.  A 
fifty-foot  stretch  of  cocoa  matting  that  Mr.  Wright  had 
thoughtfully  provided  gave  a  surface  upon  which  to  bowl 
almost  as  good  as  genuine  turf,  and  each  day  from  that 
time  on  until  the  voyage  was  over  several  hours  were 
put  in  by  the  boys  at  practice,  the  exercise  proving  to  be 
just  what  was  needed,  the  members  of  both  teams,  thanks 
to  this,  reaching  Australia  in  good  playing  condition. 
After  our  cricket  alley  had  been  built  the  time  did  not 
hang  as  heavily  on  our  hands  as  before,  and  between 
practice  at  the  English  national  game,  cards,  music,  con- 
versation and  reading,  the  days  glided  by  both  swiftly  and 
pleasantly.  The  weather  became  very  warm  soon  after 
we  left  Honolulu  and  many  of  the  boys  preferred  sleeping. 


FROM   HONOLULU  TO  AUSTRALIA.  187 

in  the  steamer  chairs  upon  the  deck  rather  than  in  the 
close  staterooms  that  had  been  allotted  to  them.  The 
decks  at  this  time  presented  some  queer  sights,  and  the 
practical  jokers  in  the  party  managed  to  extract  a  lot  of 
fun  at  the  expense  of  the  sleepers.  At  5  130  in  the  morn- 
ingtheslumbererswereawakenedbythe  sailors  who  started 
in  to  wash  down  the  decks,  when  they  would  retire  to  their 
staterooms,  doff  their  pajamas  and  return  en  natural  to 
the  vicinity  to  the  smoker,  where  there  were  two  per- 
forated nozzles,  and  get  their  salt  water  baths.  A  sponge- 
off  in  fresh  water  followed  and  then  a  cup  of  black  coffee 
and  a  soda  cracker  that  was  provided  by  the  steward,  and 
that  stayed  their  stomachs  until  the  welcome  sound  of 
the  gong  called  us  to  breakfast. 

We  crossed  the  Equator  some  time  between  i  and  2 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  December  ist,  and  the  occasion 
was  celebrated  by  a  musicale  in  the  cabin  under  the  super- 
vision of  Frank  Lincoln,  during  the  progress  of  which 
everybody  who  could  help  entertain  in  the  least  was 
pressed  into  service.  A  thrilling  account  of  his  own 
experiences  during  the  Sepoy  mutiny  in  India  and  his 
adventures  during  the  celebrated  siege  of  Lucknow,  told 
by  Gen.  Strange,  proved  most  interesting.  Later  on  at 
the  bow  of  the  ship  the  whole  party  assembled  and  whiled 
the  time  away  with  song  and  story  until  Capt.  Morse 
came  himself  to  inform  us  that  we  had  crossed  the  line  and 
were  now  safe  on  the  Southern  Seas.  I  did  not  see  the 
line  nor  did  I  even  feel  the  bottom  of  the  steamer  scrape 
it  as  she  went  over,  but  it  may  be  that  owing  to  the  dark- 
ness and  the  music  I  noticed  neither  of  these  things. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  December  2d  it  began  blow- 
ing hard  and  by  the  time  the  noon  hour  had  arrived  the 
steamer  was  rolling  about  like  a  bass-wood  log  in  a  moun- 
tain torrent.  There  were  some  familiar  faces  missing 


:88  A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

from  the  tables  at  meal  time  that  day  and  the  stewards 
who  waited  upon  those  whose  stomachs  were  still  in  eat- 
ing order  worked  under  difficulties,  it  being  always  a 
question  of  where  they  would  bring  up  when  they  entered 
the  cabin  door.  All  that  day 

It  was  rough,  mighty  rough, 

But  the  boys  they  stood  by, 
And  they  ran  on  a  bluff 
On  the  grub  on  the  sly, 

while  the  sick  ones  that  lay  in  their  staterooms  were 
hoping  and  praying  they'd  die. 

That  night  there  was  no  comfort  to  be  had  on  deck, 
which  was  wet  and  slippery,  so  a  mock  trial  was  held  in  the 
cabin  that  afforded  considerable  amusement,  General 
Strange  acting  as  the  presiding  judge  and  Sir  James 
Willoughby  as  the  prisoner  at  the  bar.  Charges  had  been 
preferred  to  the  effect  that  Sir  James  was  not  a  peer  of 
the  realm  as  he  had  represented  himself,  and  that  he  was 
carrying  concealed  weapons  in  violation  of  the  ship's  law. 
John  Ward  acted  as  counsel  for  the  defendant,  Col. 
House  as  prosecuting  attorney,  and  Jimmy  Forgarty  as 
court  crier.  The  witnesses  were  all  sworn  not  to  tell  the 
truth,  and  anything  but  the  truth,  and  as  a  result  there 
were  such  wrhoppers  told  as  would  have  made  the  original 
Annanias  turn  green  with  envy.  Thanks  to  the  eloquence 
of  John  Ward,  however,  Sir  James  was  acquitted  with  all 
honor,  but  that  trial  was  one  of  the  most  amusing  inci- 
dents of  the  voyage. 

The  spell  of  heavy  weather  lasted  but  a  few  hours,  after 
which  time  the  wind  died  away,  the  waves  calmed  down 
and  the  sun  shone  as  brilliantly  as  ever.  On  the  night  of 
December  3oth  and  while  the  weather  still  left  much  to  be 
desired,  we  sighted  the  Northernmost  Island  of  the  Sa«- 
moan  group,  which  are  famous  by  reason  of  the  destruc- 


FROM  HONOLULU  TO  AUSTRALIA.  189 

tion  of  a  fleet  of  United  States  cruisers  anchored  in  one  of 
the  harbors  by  a  tornado,  a  native  insurrection  that 
threatened  to  bring  about  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Germany,  and  as  the  home  and  burial  place  of  Robert 
Louis  Stevenson,  the  famous  writer.  Ed  Crane  and 
several  others  of  the  party  and  myself  were  sitting  on 
deck  and  under  the  shelter  of  an  awning  watching  for  a 
glimpse  of  the  land  that  we  all  knew  was  not  far  away, 
when  a  little  after  n  o'clock  we  ran  suddenly  under  the 
lee  of  a  mountainous  ridge  of  land  that  loomed  up  like 
a  huge  shadow  in  the  uncertain  light,  and  almost  imme- 
diately found  ourselves  in  smooth  water. 

Walking  toward  the  bow  of  the  boat  we  reached  there 
just  as  a  green  signal  light  was  flashed  from  the  bridge. 
Before  us  lay  the  land,  and  as  we  watched,  a  light  twinkled 
on  the  shore  nearly  five  miles  away  in  answer  to  our 
signal.  Slowly  we  steamed  toward  it,  the  signal  lights 
flashing  their  messages  at  short  intervals  through  the 
darkness  until  we  reached  the  harbor,  where  we  lay  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  land  until  a  sloop  and  a  dory  reached 
us  with  the  mail  and  passengers  for  Auckland.  Of  both 
the  land  and  the  natives  we  had  but  a  glimpse,  one  of  the 
latter,  a  red-headed  and  stalwart  specimen  of  his  race, 
clambering  to  the  steamer's  deck  in  order  to  get  a  receipt 
for  the  mail  and  a  glassful  of  gin,  both  of  which  were 
given  him  by  the  purser.  The  former  he  stowed  away 
somewhere  in  his  scanty  clothing  and  the  latter  he  gulped 
down  as  though  it  were  water,  after  which  he  swung  him- 
self over  the  rail  and  disappeared  from  sight  in  the  dark- 
ness. A  few  moments  later  we  had  left  Samoan  Islands 
behind  us  and  were  again  tossing  on  the  foam-topped 
waves.  Samoa  was  left  not  far  behind,  however,  when 
the  weather  turned  colder  and  before  many  hours  had 
passed  we  were  all  glad  to  change  our  clothing  of  a  trop- 


190        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ical  weight  for  garments  that  were  much  heavier,  and  to 
seek  comfortable  places  in  the  cabin  at  night  rather  than 
the  open  deck.  Even  the  cricket  practice  had  begun  to 
get  monotonous,  and  we  were  all  looking  forward  with 
pleasure  to  the  time  when  we  might  once  more  feel  the 
solid  land  beneath  our  feet. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  delight  therefore  that  we  heard 
early  on  the  morning  of  December  9th  that  we  were 
within  sight  of  our  destination  and  that  we  should  be 
on  shore,  barring  accident,  by  the  noon  hour.  Standing 
on  deck  long  before  it  was  time  for  breakfast,  we  feasted 
our  eyes  on  the  green  hills  that  were  in  plain  sight,  and 
then  fell  to  wondering  what  sort  of  a  welcome  awaited  us 
in  the  New  Zealand  seaport  that  we  were  rapidly  nearing. 

While  at  the  breakfast  table  that  morning  Capt.  Morse 
was  presented  by  Gen.  Strange,  on  behalf  of  the  passen- 
gers, with  a  purse  of  $200  as  a  testimonial  to  his  skill, 
kindness  and  uniform  courtesy.  The  big  Captain  was 
taken  by  surprise,  but  he  acknowledged  the  gift  in  a 
brief  and  manly  speech  that  brought  out  a  round  of  ap- 
plause from  the  listeners. 

The  harbor  at  Auckland  is  reached  by  means  of  a  wind- 
ing passage  walled  in  by  hills  of  volcanic  origin,  and  the 
bay  itself  is  second  only  to  that  of  Sydney  in  beauty,  the 
sides  of  the  high  hills  that  wall  it  in  being  dotted  here 
and  there  by  pretty  residences  of  white  stone,  surrounded 
by  broad  porticos  and  handsomely  arranged  grounds. 
The  town  was  as  quiet  as  a  country  funeral  and  this  we 
marveled  at  until  we  were  informed  that  we  had  lost  a 
day  from  our  calendar  and  that  instead  of  being  Saturday 
as  we  had  thought,  it  was  Sunday.  Leigh  Lynch,  who 
had  been  detained  at  Sydney,  had  sent  his  cousin,  Will 
Lynch,  to  meet  us  and  as  the  steamer  was  made  fast  to 
the  dock  he  came  on  board  with  a  bouquet  of  flowers  for 


FROM  HONOLULU  TO  AUSTRALIA.  191 

the  different  members  of  the  party.  Several  newspaper 
men,  who  followed  him  shortly  afterward,  expressed  their 
regret  that  we  had  not  arrived  the  day  before,  as  then  we 
could  have  played  to  some  eight  or  ten  thousand  people. 
We  had  expected  to  remain  in  Auckland  but  a  few  hours 
and  were  therefore  agreeably  surprised  when  Capt.  Morse 
informed  us  that  the  Alameda  would  remain  there  to  coal 
until  5  o'clock  the  next  afternoon. 

After  a  good  dinner  at  the  Imperial  Hotel,  Mrs.  Anson 
and  myself,  accompanied  by  others  of  the  party,  drove 
about  Auckland  and  its  environs  and  though  a  drizzling 
rain  was  falling  we  found  much  to  admire  and  to  wonder 
at  in  the  vicinity  of  that  New  Zealand  seaport.  Soon  after 
sundown  the  skies  cleared  and  that  evening  we  enjoyed 
ourselves  in  strolling  about  the  streets,  being  determined 
to  make  the  most  of  the  short  time  on  shore  that  was 
allotted  to  us. 

The  next  day  dawned  bright  and  beautiful,  and,  after 
paying  a  visit  to  the  City  Hall,  where  we  received  a  warm 
welcome  from  Mayor  Devore,  we  proceeded  to  get  into 
our  base-ball  uniforms  and  prepare  for  the  game  that  was 
to  take  place  that  afternoon. 

During  the  noon  hour  the  local  band  came  marching 
down  the  principal  street  to  the  dock,  and  shortly  after- 
ward it  started  at  the  head  of  a  procession  of  carriages 
containing  the  ball  players  and  two  tally-hos  containing 
the  passengers  of  the  Alameda,  who  attended  the  game 
as  our  guests.  The  enclosure  in  which  we  played  that 
day  was  as  handsome  as  any  that  we  saw  in  New  Zealand, 
the  grounds  being  as  level  as  a  billiard  table  and  the  turf 
as  smooth  and  soft  as  velvet.  The  game  was  one  that  was 
remarkable  on  both  sides  for  its  heavy  batting,  the  ball 
rolling  away  over  the  smooth  surface  of  the  outfield  in  a 
way  that  almost  broke  the  hearts  of  the  fielders  and  at  the 


IQ2        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

same  time  gave  them  more  exercise  than  they  had  had  for 
weeks.  The  4,500  people  that  witnessed  the  contest  waxed 
enthusiastic  over  the  heavy  batting  of  the  visitors  from  the 
"States"  and  also  over  the  splendid  fielding.  Baldwin  was 
in  the  box  for  us  in  this  game  and  pitched  great  ball,  Crane 
doing  the  twirling  for  the  All-Americas.  The  Chicagos 
proved  to  be  the  winners  and  the  score,  22  to  13,  shows  the 
cannonading  done  on  both  sides.  This  was  a  good  game 
for  both  teams  to  play  when  the  fact  is  taken  into  consid- 
eration that  the  players  still  had  their  sea  legs  on  and  sim- 
ply shows  the  good  condition  that  the  cricket  practice  on 
board  the  ship  had  kept  them  in. 

When  the  "Alameda"  left  the  dock  at  Auckland  that 
afternoon,  a  crowd  of  at  least  2,000  people  had  assembled 
to  see  us  off.  With  Sydney  1,243  miles  distant  we  still 
had  quite  a  voyage  before  us.  That  night  we  skirted  the 
coast  until  after  the  darkness  had  fallen  and  watched  the 
green  hills  that  seemed  to  rise  abruptly  from  the  water's 
edge.  When  the  morning  came  and  we  once  more  sought 
the  deck  there  was  no  land  in  sight  and  nothing  to  be  seen 
save  the  watery  waste  of  the  ocean  that  stretched  away  to 
the  horizon  on  every  side.  We  had  a  rough  voyage  from 
Auckland  and  were  glad  enough  when,  on  the  afternoon 
of  December  I4th,  we  sighted  the  Australian  coast.  At 
five  o'clock  that  evening,  after  a  hearty  dinner,  we  again 
assembled  on  the  deck  to  watch  the  headlands  that  grew 
each  moment  more  and  more  distinct,  and  soon  afterward 
a  tugboat  came  to  meet  us,  bringing  the  pilot  and  Mana- 
ger Leigh  Lynch,  the  latter  notifying  us  as  soon  as  he 
could  gain  the  deck  of  the  great  reception  that  was  await- 
ing us  at  Sydney. 

The  harbor  at  Syndey  is  a  delight  to  the  eye,  and  as 
we  steamed  through  the  Heads  with  the  white-winged 
gulls  circling  around  our  masts  and  the  dolphins  playing 


FROM  HONOLULU  TO  AUSTRALIA.  193 

about  our  bow,  we  drank  in  the  beautiful  sight  with  greedy 
eyes.  Several  steamers  laden  with  gentlemen  and  ladies, 
and  with  bands  of  music  playing  our  national  airs,  steamed 
down  the  harbor  to  meet  us,  and  long  ere  we  reached  the 
quay  we  were  surrounded  by  a  fleet  of  small  craft  gayly 
decked  in  colors  and  carrying  crowds  of  cheering  and  ker- 
chief-waving people.  Our  national  colors  were  to  be  seen 
everywhere,  even  the  lighthouse  on  the  point  being  draped 
from  top  to  bottom  in  clouds  of  red,  white  and  blue  bunt- 
ing. The  Stars  and  Stripes  greeted  the  eye  on  every  hand, 
and,  let  me  say  right  here,  that  there  is  no  place  where  the 
flag  of  our  country  appears  so  handsome  to  the  eyes  of  an 
American  as  when  it  greets  him  in  some  foreign  harbor. 
The  storm  of  cheeis  that  greeted  us  from  the  throats  of  the 
enthusiastic  Sydneyites  we  answered  as  best  .we  could, 
and  the  strain  upon  our  vocal  organs  was  something  ter- 
rific. Viewed  from  the  steamer's  deck  the  city  of  Sydney 
and  the  beautiful  harbor,  surrounded  by  the  high  hills  and 
bold  headlands,  presented  a  most  entrancing  picture. 
Clear  down  to  the  water's  edge  extend  beautifully-kept 
private  grounds  and  public  parks,  and  these,  with  grandly 
built  residences  of  white  stone,  with  tower-capped  walls 
and  turrets  that  stand  among  the  trees  upon  the  hillside, 
glistening  in  the  sunshine,  made  the  whole  picture  seem 
like  a  scene  from  fairyland.  At  the  quay  there  was  another 
crowd  of  cheering  people,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  we 
made  our  way  to  the  four-horse  tally-ho  coaches  and  to  the 
Oxford  Hotel,  where  quarters  had  been  arranged  for  us. 

The  entrance  to  the  Oxford  Hotel,  as  well  as  the  din- 
ing-room, was  handsomely  decorated  in  red,  white  and 
blue,  evergreens  and  colored  lanterns,  and,  after  receiving 
a  brief  greeting  from  U.  S.  Consul  Griffin,  we  retired  to 
our  rooms  to  prepare  for  the  formal  welcome  to  Australia 
that  was  to  be  given  to  us  that  night  at  the  Royal  Theater. 


194  A  BALL  PLAYER'S  'CAREER. 

We  were  to  spend  some  little  time  in  Australia,  and 
that  we  had  fallen  among  friends  was  evident  at  once  from 
the  reception  that  had  been  accorded  us.  It  was  a  relief 
to  know  that  our  voyage  was  at  least  over  for  a  time  and 
to  feel  the  solid  land  once  more  beneath  our  feet,  though 
we  parted  with  Capt.  Morse  with  regret,  he  having  en- 
deared himself  to  us  all  by  the  uniform  kindness  and  cour- 
tesy that  he  had  shown  our  party  on  the  long  ocean  trip. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

WITH  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

That  night  after  the  gentlemen  of  the  party  had  donned 
their  dress  suits  and  the  ladies  their  best  bibs  and  tuckers, 
we  repaired  in  a  body  to  the  Royal  Theater,  where  a  large 
and  fashionable  audience  had  assembled  to  bid  us  wel- 
come. The  theater,  presided  over  at  that  time  by  Jimmy 
Williamson,  an  American,  was  handsomely  decorated  for 
the  occasion  with  American  flags,  and  as  we  took  our 
places  in  the  private  boxes  and  in  the  section  of  the  dress 
circle  reserved  for  us,  we  were  greeted  with  round  after 
round  of  applause. 

After  the  closing  act  of  "Struck  Oil,"  in  which  both 
Mr.  Williamson  and  his  wife  appeared,  our  entire  party 
passed  through  the  box  circle  to  the  stage,  upon1  which  we 
were  arranged  in  a  semi-circle  facing  the  audience,  which 
cheered  us  heartily  as  the  curtain  rose. 

Just  as  the  curtain  went  up  a  kid  in  the  gallery,  who 
must  have  been  an  American,  who  at  some  time  in  his 
career  had  seen  me  play,  and  to  whom  my  face  and  form 
were  familiar,  cocked  his  head  over  the  rail  and  shouted 
in  tones  that  could  be  heard  all  over  the  theater,  "  'Rah 
for  Baby  Anson,"  a  salutation  that  came  so  unexpectedly 
that  it  almost  took  my  breath  away  and  that  caused  both 
audience  and  players  to  laugh  heartily.  Mr.  Daniel  O'Con- 
nor, a  member  of  the  Australian.  Parliament,  then  intro- 
duced us  to  the  audience  in  a  brief  address  that  was  full  of 
kind  allusions  to  the  country  that  we  came  from  and  eulo- 
gistic of  our  fame  as  ball  players,  he  referring  particularly 
to  our  pluck  in  coming  so  far  without  any  guarantee 


ig6        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

against  financial  loss  or  artistic  failure  except  our  own 
confidence  in  the  beauties  of  our  National  Game  and  in  the 
•sport-loving  spirit  of  the  Australian  people.  He  tendered 
us  a  hearty  welcome  on-  behalf  of  the  Colonies,  and  be- 
spoke for  us  a  generous  patronage  on  behalf  of  the  lovers 
of  square  sports,  both  in  Sydney  and  elsewhere. 

To  this  address  Mr.  Spalding  responded  for  the  Ameri- 
can ball  players  in  happy  fashion,  his  remarks  being  greet- 
ed with  generous  applause  on  the  part  of  the  audience, 
after  which  we  returned  to  our  seats  to  witness  an  after- 
piece illustrating  in  farcical  style  the  evils  of  Chinese  im- 
migration, and  then,  returning  to  the  hotel,  we  were  in- 
troduced to  many  of  the  leading  business  men  of  the  city, 
remaining  up  until  a  late  hour. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  again  assem- 
bled in  the  office  of  the  Oxford  for  the  purpose  of  making 
a  formal  call  upon  Mayor  Harris  at  the  City  Hall,  and  as 
we  drove  through  the  principal  streets  to  our  destination 
we  were  greeted  all  along  the  line  by  cheering  and  enthu- 
siastic crowds.  We  were  received  in  the  Council  Cham- 
ber of  the  City  Hall  by  the  Mayor,  who  was  dressed  in 
his  official  robe  of  .purple  and  ermine,  and  who  escorted  us 
across  the  hall  to  his  chamber,  where  an  elaborate  lunch 
awaited  us,  and  the  champagne  corks  were  soon  popping 
in  lively  fashion.  The  Mayor's,  speech  of  welcome  was 
what  we  Americans  call  a  "dandy,"  and  I  wish  right  now 
that  I  had  a  copy  of  it  in  order  that  I  might  reproduce  it 
for  the  benefit  of  my  readers.  He  stated  among  other 
things  that,  while  he  did  not  understand  the  game  of  base- 
ball thoroughly  himself,  yet  he  thought  well  enough  of  it  to 
predict  that  in  time  Australia  would  have  a  league  of  her 
own,  the  professionals  of  which  would  be  able  to  hold  their 
own  with  the  professionals  of  the  United  States.  He  then 
tendered  us  the  freedom  of  the  city  during  our  stay,  and 


WITH  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES.      19? 

bade  us  make  ourselves  at  home.  This  address  was  re- 
sponded to  in  our  behalf  by  U.  S.  Consul  Griffin,  after 
which  his  Honor  again  arose  to  remark  that  so  long  as 
America  treated  Australia  with  the  kindness  and  consid- 
eration that  they  had  in  the  past,  the  Australians  would  do 
their  best  to  make  it  pleasant  for  their  American  cousins 
while  they  were  on  Australian  soil. 

"My  reason  for  believing  that  our  athletes  will  emulate 
your  ball  players,"  concluded  the  Mayor,  "are  manifold. 
In  the  first  place,  v/e  have  adopted  your  American  ideas 
of  trading,  and  we  have  managed  to  scrape  up  material 
enough  to  beat  youi  best  oarsman,"  here  his  Honor  turned 
toward  Ned  Hanlan,  the  ex-champion  sculler,  who  had 
quietly  entered  the  room  and  taken  a  seat  near  Mr.  Spald- 
ing,  the  reference  securing  a  cheer  for  the  modest  little  ath- 
lete from  the  members  of  our  party,  "and,"  continued  the 
Mayor,  after  the  applause  had  subsided,  "if  all  Americans 
will  yield  the  palm  with  as  good  grace  as  Mr.  Hanlan  has 
done,  we  will  entertain  as  high  an  opinion  of  them  as  we 
now  do  of  Mr.  Hanlan."  After  responses  to  the  Mayor's 
address  had  been  made  by  Messrs.  Spalding  and  Lynch, 
and  a  dozen  or  more  toasts  proposed  and  drunk,  we  gave 
the  Mayor  of  Sydney  three  cheers  and  a  tiger  and  returned 
to  our  hotel,  feeling  certain  that  if  all  Australians  were  like 
the  ones  we  had  met  thus  far,  a  good  time  in  Australia 
was  assured  to  us. 

We  played  our  first  game  in  Australia  that  afternoon 
upon  the  grounds  of  the  Sydney  Cricket  Association,  and 
it  is  but  fair  to  say  that  we  had  nothing  in  the  United 
States  at  that  time,  nor  have  we  now,  that  will  compare 
with  them  either  for  beauty  or  convenience.  The  playing 
field,  with  its  covering  of  green  turf,  was  as  level  as  a  floor 
and  was  surrounded  by  sloping  lawns  that  were  bright 
with  flowering  shrubs,  while  the  club  houses  were  models 


ig8        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

of  their  kind.  The  great  annual  foot-races  at  Botany  that 
afternoon,  and  the  horse-races  elsewhere  proved  to  be 
strong  rival  attractions,  but  in  spite  of  them,  and  of  the 
threatening  weather,  5,500  people  had  assembled  to  see 
how  the  American  National  Game  was  played.  Fortu- 
nately the  members  of  both  teams  were  on  their  mettle, 
and  the  result  was  a  game  full  of  exciting  features  from 
start  to  finish,  the  pitching  of  Tener  for  the  Chicagos  and 
Healy  for  the  All- Americas  being  of  the  gilt-edged  order, 
while  the  fielding  and  base-running  of  both  teams  was  up 
to  the  mark.  At  the  end  of  the  first  inning  the  game  was 
a  tie,  each  team  having  scored  four  runs,  and  it  so  re- 
mained until  the  ninth  inning,  when  the  All-Americas 
sent  a  man  across  the  plate  and  scored  the  winning  run  in 
what  proved  to  be  one  of  the  hardest  fought  games  of  the 
entire  trip.  At  the  end  of  the  sixth  inning  there  was  an 
interval  of  fifteen  minutes,  and  during  that  time  we  were 
received  at  the  Association  Club  House  by  Lord  Carring- 
ton,  who  was  at  that  time  Governor  of  New  South  Wales, 
and  who  gave  us  a  warm  welcome  to  the  Colonies  and 
wished  us  every  success  in  introducing  the  game  in  Aus- 
tralia. After  Mr.  Spalding  had  thanked  Lord  Carrington 
for  his  good  wishes  on  behalf  of  the  players,  and  we  had 
cheered  everybody  from  Lord  and  Lady  Carrington  to 
Queen  Victoria,  we  returned  to  finish  the  game,  being 
heartily  cheered  by  the  crowds  as  we  again  took  up  our 
positions  on  the  diamond.  That  exhibition  gave  the  game 
quite  an  impetus  in  Australia,  where  it  is  now  quite  popu- 
lar, thanks,  I  believe,  to  the  visit  of  the  American  ball 
players. 

The  ride  back  from  the  grounds  was  an  enjoyable  one 
and  after  dinner  there  was  a  general  exodus  from  the  hotel 
on  the  part  of  the  tourists,  who  were  determined  to  see 
everything  that  there  was  to  be  seen  and. to  let  no  oppor- 


WITH  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES.      199 

tunity  in  that  line  escape  them.  Just  how  Mrs.  Anson  and 
myself  passed  the  evening  I  have  forgotten,  but  that  we 
passed  it  pleasantly  I  am  certain,  for  how  could  it  be  other- 
wise in  a  place  where  everyone  had  combined  apparently 
to  make  our  visit  a  pleasant  one,  and  where  nothing  was 
left  undone  that  could  add  to  our  comfort  and  pleasure. 

The  following  day,  .Sunday,  was  bright  and  beautiful, 
and  in  parties  we  drove  over  the  city  and  its  suburbs,  go- 
ing, among  other  places,  to  Coogee  Bay,  the  fashionable 
watering  resort  of  the  Sydney  people,  and  a  beautiful 
place,  too,  it  is.  Sydney  Bay  was  in  itself  a  sight  well 
worth  seeing,  when  viewed  from  the  surrounding  hills,  and 
the  "Point,"  from  which  a  magnificent  view  is  to  be  ob- 
tained, impressed  one  with  its  rugged  grandeur.  Many  of 
the  residences  of  Sydney  are  extremely  handsome  and 
picturesque,  and  Mrs.  Anson  and  I  picked  out  more  than 
one  during  the  day's  outing  that  we  should  like  to  have 
owned,  that  is,  providing  that  we  could  have  moved  both 
the  house  and  its  surroundings  back  to  Chicago. 

The  next  morning  the  Chicago  and  All-America  teams 
played  their  first  game  of  cricket  on  the  Sydney  grounds, 
Messrs.  Spalding,  Wright,  Earl  and  George  Wade  doing 
the  greater  part  of  the  bowling,  and  this  game  resulted  in 
a  victory  for  the  All-Americas  by  a  score  of  67  to  33.  I 
had  been  bragging  considerably  during  the  trip  in  regard 
to  my  abilities  as  a  cricketer,  and  was  therefore  greatly 
chagrined  when  I  struck  at  the  first  ball  that  was  bowled  to 
me  and  went  out  on  a  little  pop-up  fly  to  Fogarty.  This 
caused  the  boys  to  guy  me  unmercifully,  but  I  consoled 
myself  with  the  reflection  that  they  had  to  guy  somebody, 
and  if  it  were  not  me  then  somebody  else  would  have  to 
be  the  sufferer. 

That  second  afternoon  we  played  our  second  game  of 
ball  in  Sydney,  in  the  presence  of  some  3,000  people,  the 


200        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

batteries  being  Baldwin  and  myself  for  the  Chicagos  and 
Healy  and  Earl  for  the  All-Americas.  It  was  another 
pretty  exhibition  on  the  part  of  both  teams,  the  All-Ameri- 
cas finally  winning  by  a  score  of  7  to  5. 

We  played  our  first  game  with  the  Australian  Cricket- 
ers the  next  day,  and,  though  we  played  seventeen  men 
against  their  eleven,  we  were  ignominiously  beaten,  the 
Americans  making  87  runs  while  the  Australians  ran  their 
score  up  to  115,  for  only  six  wickets,  the  game,  which  had 
begun  at  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  being  called  at 
four  p.  m.,  to  allow  of  another  game  of  base-ball,  which 
resulted  at  the  end  of  five  innings  in  another  victory  for 
the  All-Americas  by  a  score  of  6  to  2,  both  teams  being 
too  tired  to  do  themselves  justice.  The  cricket  game  was 
the  last  of  its  kind  that  we  played  in  Australia,  and  I  am 
confident  now  that  had  we  been  as  strong  in  bowling  as  in 
fielding  we  would  have  beaten  the  Australians  at  their 
own  game,  though  our  batting  on  this  occasion  was  also 
decidedly  on  the  weak  side. 

That  night  we  attended  a  banquet  tendered  us  by  the 
citizens  of  Sydney,  at  the  Town  Hall.  Two  hundred 
plates  were  laid  in  the  reception  hall  of  the  big  building, 
the  columns,  dome,  and  windows  of  which  were  almost 
hidden  by  the  English  and  American  flags  with  which  they 
were  draped.  The  marble  floor  was  covered  with  soft 
carpets  and  great  banks  of  cut  flowers  and  rare  plants 
were  arranged  on  every  side,  while  at  the  end  of  the  hall 
a  raised  platform  had  been  built  upon  which  a  musical 
and  literary  entertainment  was  given  after  the  banquet. 
That  banquet  at  Sydney  was  certainly  a  memorable  affair, 
and  one  that  overshadowed  in  magnificence  all  that  had 
gone  before.  The  toasts,  which  included  "The  Queen," 
"The  President,"  "The  Governor,"  "Our  Guests,"  "The 
Ladies,"  "The  Press,"  and  "The  Chairman,"  were  re- 


WITH  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES.      201 

sponded  to  by  U.  S.  Consul  Griffin,  Daniel  O'Connor,  M. 
P.,  John  M.  Ward,  Leigh  Lynch,  Newton  McMillan,  E. 
G.  Allen  of  the  Sydney  Star,  and  others,  after  which  fol- 
lowed a  musicale  in  which  some  of  the  best  amateur  and 
professional  talent  in  Sydney  took  part,  the  cornet  solos  of 
Mrs.  Leigh  Lynch  being  the  bright  particular  feature  of 
the  entertainment.  Mrs.  Lynch,  who  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  Berger  Family  of  Bell  Ringers,  is  a  most 
accomplished  musician,  and  one  that  afterwards  helped  us 
to  while  away  many  an  hour  when  time  would  otherwise 
have  hung  heavily  on  our  hands. 

The  next  afternoon  we  were  to  depart  for  Melbourne, 
and  as  we  had  nothing  else  to  do  we  spent  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  in  strolling  about  the  streets  and  in  bidding 
farewell  to  the  many  friends  that  we  had  made  in  Sydney. 
With  button-hole  badges  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  red, 
white  and  blue  bands  on  the  soft  straw  hats  that  we  wore, 
it  was  an  easy  matter  for  the  Australians  to  distinguish  us 
wherever  we  went.  At  the  Grosvenor  Hotel  we  all  as- 
sembled about  an  hour  before  departure,  at  tjie  invitation 
of  the  Hon.  Daniel  O'Connor,  to  bid  farewell  to  himself 
and  to  other  prominent  representatives  of  New  South 
Wales.  Here  we  were  handsomely  entertained,  and  when 
we  left  to  take  our  seats  in  the  special  train  that  had  been 
prepared,  it  was  with  cheers  that  fairly  shook  the  rafters. 
My  memories  of  Sydney  are  all  pleasant  ones,  and  it  was 
with  sincere  feelings  of  regret  that  I  left  the  many  friends 
that  I  had  made  while  there. 

The  coaches  in  which  we  journeyed  to  Melbourne  were 
built  in  the  English  style,  with  compartments,  and  are  not 
nearly  so  comfortable  as  the  sleeping  and  drawing-room 
cars  to  be  found  in  America,  and  had  the  old  gentleman 
been  with  us  I  am  afraid  he  would  have  kicked  loud  and 
long  over  the  poker  playing  facilities  that  they  afforded. 


202        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

The  road  itself  is  excellently  built,  however,  and  the  coun- 
try through  which  it  runs  rich,  fertile  and  well  wooded. 
It  was  a  little  after  nightfall  when  we  got  supper  at  a  small 
way  station,  after  which  we  proceeded  to  rest  as  best  be 
could.  At  5:30  in  the  morning  we  were  routed  out  on 
the  borders  of  the  Colony  to  have  our  baggage  examined 
by  the  custom  house  authorities,  which  caused  Mrs.  An- 
son  and  myself  but  little  annoyance,  as  we  had  left  all  our 
dynamite  at  home  on  the  piano.  At  6  o'clock  we  were 
again  on  the  way  and  at  eleven  o'clock  that  morning  we 
pulled  into  the  station  on  Spencer  street  in  Melbourne, 
where  quite  a  crowd  was  waiting  to  greet  us. 

The  Reception  Committee,  made  up  of  American  resi*- 
dents  of  Melbourne  and  members  of  the  Victorian  Cricket 
Association,  met  us  with  four-in-hand  drags  appropriately 
trimmed  with  the  American  colors,  and  as  we  entered  them 
and  drove  up  Collins  street  we  felt  that  we  were  the  ob- 
served of  all  observers.  At  the  Town  Hall  we  were  re- 
ceived by  Mayor  Benjamin  and  the  members  of  the  City 
Council,  and  here  a  crowd  of  several  thousand  people  had 
assembled  to  bid  us  welcome,  which  they  did  in  the  hearty 
fashion  of  the  Australian  people,  who  are  as  warm-hearted 
and  as  hospitable  a  class  as  any  people  that  I  ever  met.  In 
the  audience  hall  up  stairs,  was  a  great  pipe  organ,  and 
there  we  were  treated  to  some  beautiful  music  by  the  town 
organist,  Mr.  David  Lee.  The  rendering  of  "Home,  Sweet 
Home,"  carried  us  back  again  to  the  land  that  we  had  left, 
and  as  the  strains  of  "God  Save  the  Queen"  rang  through 
the  hall  we  stood  with  uncovered  heads  until  the  music 
died  away  along  the  lofty  corridors.  In  the  Mayor's  pri- 
vate room  a  generous  lunch  was  awaiting  us,  and  among 
those  present  to  receive  us  were  the  Hon.  Mr.  Choppin, 
Consul  General  of  the  United  States  at  the  Melbourne 
Exposition;  Mr.  Smyth,  Acting  Consul;  the  Hon.  J.  B. 


WITH  OUR  FRIENDS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES.      203 

Patterson,  D.  Gaunson,  and  Messrs.  Smith  and  Pierce,  to- 
gether with  a  large  delegation  of  the  lovers  of  outdoor 
sports,  including  cricketers  and  base-ball  players.  The 
Mayor's  speech  of  welcome  was  a  plain  and  hearty  one, 
and  was  followed  by  addresses  of  welcome  by  the  Hon. 
Mr.  Smith,  of  the  Victoria  Cricket  Association;  Acting 
United  States  Consul  Smyth  and  Mr.  S.  P.  Lord,  the  lat- 
ter being  introduced  as  "an  old  Colonist,  who  came  from 
America  in  1853,"  and  a  "base-bailer."  Mr.  Spalding  fol- 
lowed in  a  brief  speech,  expressing  our  appreciation  of  the 
cordial  welcome  that  had  been  accorded  us  and  hoping 
that  the  Victorians  would  take  as  kindly  to  the  game  itself 
as  they  had  to  its  exponents,  after  which  Captain  Ward 
and  myself  were  called  upon  to  say  something,  which  we 
did  to  the  best  of  our  ability,  though  I  somehow  have  never 
managed  to  acquire  fame  in  the  speech-making  line,  and 
would  rather  play  ball  at  any  time  than  make  even  a  few 
remarks,  that  is,  unless  I  could  talk  to  an  umpire. 

Brief  addresses  by  Mayor  Wardell,  Town  Clerk  Fitz- 
gibbon  and  Mr.  David  Scott  followed,  after  which  we  were 
driven  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  where  we  found  most  com- 
fortable quarters  and  a  good  dinner  awaiting  us. 

This  hotel  was  in  close  proximity  to  the  exposition 
buildings,  the  Treasury' building,  the  Parliament  building 
and  the  Fitzroy  Gardens,  and  was  convenient  to  a  great 
many  of  the  objects  and  places  of  interest  with  which  Mel- 
bourne abounds.  One  feature  of  the  hotel,  and  one  that 
greatly  pleased  the  majority  of  our  tourists,  was  the  fact 
that  a  number  of  pretty  colonial  girls  were  employed  in 
nearly  every  department,  they  waiting  on  the  table  and 
taking  the  place  of  the  bellboys,  in  fact,  doing  everything 
except  to  fill  the  positions  of  porter  and  baggage-smasher. 

That  evening,  at  the  invitation  of  Manager  Musgrove, 
a  partner  of  Mr.  Williamson  of  the  Royal  Theater,  in  Syd- 


204        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ney,  we  occupied  a  full  section  of  the  dress  circle  in  the 
Princess  Theater,  where  we  witnessed  a  splendid  produc- 
tion of  "The  Princess  Ida,"  by  an  English  company.  At 
the  end  of  the  third  act  we  were  called  out  to  drink  the 
health  of  Mr.  Musgrove,  who  informed  us  that  the  doors 
of  his  theater  were  open  to  us  at  all  times. 

It  was  after  midnight  when  we  returned  to  the  hotel, 
and  so  tired  were  we  that  we  were  glad  to  go  at  once  to 
our  rooms  without  stopping  for  the  customary  chat  in  the 
office  or  corridors,  knowing  that  we  had  yet  to  make  our 
first  appearance  as  ball  players  before  a  Melbourne  crowd, 
and  must  rest  up  if  we  wished  to  make  even  a  creditable 
showing. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

BASEBALL  PLAYING  AND  SIGHTSEEING  IN  AUSTRALIA. 

We  played  our  first  game  at  Melbourne  on  Saturday, 
December  22d,  the  second  day  after  our  arrival  from  Syd- 
ney, and  in  the  presence  of  one  of  the  largest  crowds  that 
ever  assembled  at  the  Melbourne  Oval,  the  handsomest 
of  their  kind  in  Australia.  The  surroundings  were  of  the 
most  beautiful  character  and  the  day  itself  as  perfoct  as 
any  one  could  have  desired  for  base-ball  purposes.  The 
lawn  in  front  of  the  Club  House  was  thronged  with  ladies 
in  light  attire,  and  the  many-hued  sunshades  that  they  car- 
ried gave  to  it  the  appearance  of  an  animated  flower  gar- 
den. The  Club  House  balconies  were  crowded  and  even 
the  roof  had  been  pre-empted  by  the  ladies  and  their  es- 
corts as  a  coign  of  vantage  from  which  to  view  the  srame. 
The  grand  stand  was  filled  to  overflowing  and  the  crowd 
that  overflowed  from  it  encircled  the  field,  extending  from 
the  grand  stand  clear  around  to  the  Club  House  grounds. 
The  scene  was  indeed  an  inspiring  one,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  that  a  good  exhibition  of  the  beauties  of  the 
game  were  given  under  such  circumstances.  The  base- 
running  was  of  the  most  daring  character,  the  fielding 
sharp  on  the  part  of  both  teams,  and  the  batting  heavy. 
Baldwin  and  Crane  were  both  at  their  best  and  pitched  in 
superb  style,  while  the  exhibition  of  base-running  that 
was  given  by  some  of  the  boys  brought  the  onlookers 
fairly  to  their  feet  and  they  cheered  themselves  hoarse  in 
their  excitement. 

Up  to  the  seventh  inning  the  score  was  a  tie,  but  we 
managed  to  get  a  man  across  the  plate  in  the  seventh  in- 


206        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ning,  as  a  result  of  Burns'  three-bagger,  and  Baldwin's 
single,  and  another  in  the  eighth,  the  result  of  a  single  by 
Sullivan  and  a  long  right-field  hit  for  three  bases  by  my- 
self, and  that  I  foolishly  tried  to  make  a  home  run  on, 
being  put  out  at  the  plate  by  Brown's  magnificent  throw 
from  the  field.  The  game  finally  resulted  in  a  victory  for 
Chicago  by  a  score  of  5  to  3,  and  leaving  the  field  we  con- 
gratulated ourselves  on  the  fact  that  both  at  Sydney  and 
Melbourne  we  had  played  first-class  ball. 

Supper  parties  and  banquets  were  now  becoming 
every-day  occurrences  with  us,  and  that  night  we  were 
handsomely  entertained  by  an  English  actor  of  note,  Mr. 
Charles  Warner,  who  was  at  that  time  touring  the  col- 
onies, the  place  selected  for  the  entertainment  being  the 
Maison  Dore,  the  swell  restaurant  of  Melbourne.  Here 
we  spent  a  very  pleasant  evening  until  it  was  again  time  to 
retire. 

The  next  morning,  in  the  big  reading  room  of  the 
hotel,  the  boys  were  given  some  information  by  Mr.  Spald- 
ing  that  I  was  already  acquainted  with,  viz.,  that  we  should 
continue  our  trip  around  the  world,  returning  home  by  the 
way  of  Egypt,  the  Mediterranean  and  Continental  Eu- 
rope. In  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  was  Sunday  morning,  this 
announcement  was  greeted  with  a  burst  of  applause  by  the 
players,  many  of  whom,  even  in  their  wildest  dreamings, 
had  never  thought  that  such  a  trip  would  be  possible  for 
them. 

After  giving  the  players  some  good  advice  regarding 
their  habits  and  physical  health,  Mr.  Spalding  stated  that 
he  wished  to  land  every  member  of  the  party  in  New  York 
sound  and  well  and  with  only  pleasant  recollections  of  the 
tour,  and  that  he  hoped  that  all  would'  co-operate  with  him 
to  that  end.  That  morning  the  proposed  trip  was  about 
the  only  subject  of  conversation  among  the  members  of 


BALL  PLAYING  IN  AUSTRALIA.  207 

the  party,  and  pleasant  indeed  were  the  anticipations  of 
one  and  all  concerning  it. 

There  was  scarcely  a  spot  of  interest  in  or  about  Mel- 
bourne that  we  did  not  visit,  the  weather  being  delightful, 
while  so  constantly  were  we  being  entertained  that  there 
was  scarcely  an  evening  that  our  dress  suits  were  given  a 
chance  to  rest.  It  was  the  day  before  Christmas — not  the 
night  before — that  we  played  our  second  game  of  base-ball 
in  Melbourne,  and  the  crowd,  while  not  so  large  as  that 
which  witnessed  the  first  game,  was  still  of  goodly  propor- 
tions, some  6,000  people  passing  through  the  gates.  Ryan 
pitched  for  the  Chicagos  and  Healy  and  Crane  for  the  All- 
Americas  on  this  occasion,  and  all  three  of  them  were 
pounded  in  a  lively  fashion,  there  being  a  perfect  fusillade 
of  base  hits  on  both  sides,  and  the  hard  hitting  seemed  to 
the  liking  of  the  spectators,  who  cheered  every  drive  to  the 
outfield  frantically.  In  spite  of  the  hard  hitting  the  game 
was  closely  contested,  the  All-Americas  finally  bearing 
off  the  honors  by  a  score  of  15  to  13.  Following  the  game 
Prof.  Bartholomew  gave  his  first  balloon  ascension  and 
parachute  drop  in  Australia,  a  performance  that  was  new 
to  the  Australians,  and  that  they  watched  with  almost 
breathless  interest. 

Christmas  day  in  Melbourne  the  weather  was  terrifi- 
cally hot  and  the  lightest  sort  of  summer  attire  even  was 
uncomfortable.  It  seemed  strange  to  us  to  think  that  at 
home  on  that  same  day  there  was  probably  snow  on  the 
ground  and  an  icy  wind  blowing.  Christmas  in  a  hot 
country  somehow  does  not  seem  like  Christmas  at  all,  an 
opinion  that  was  shared  by  both  Mrs.  Anson  and  myself. 
That  afternoon  at  three  o'clock  we  departed  for  Adelaide, 
where  we  were  scheduled  to  play  three  games,  and  this 
time  we  were  delighted  to  find  that  "Mann  boudoir  cars" 


208        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

had  been  provided  for  us  instead  of  English  compartment 
coaches. 

We  missed  the  ladies  on  the  trip,  they  having  been  left 
at  Melbourne  because  of  the  heat,  as  had  Ed  Crane,  with 
whom  the  hot  weather  did  not  seem  to  agree.  At  Ballarat, 
about  four  hours'  distance  from  Melbourne,  where  we 
were  scheduled  to  play  a  game  on  our  return,  we  found  a 
reception  committee  at  the  depot  to  meet  us,  together  with 
a  number  of  ladies.  The  country  through  which  we  jour- 
newed  that  afternoon  was  fairly  attractive,  but  thinly  settled 
and  literally  overrun  with  that  pest  of  the  Australian 
farmer,  the  rabbits,  which,  like  good  race-horses,  seemed 
to  come  in  all  shapes,  color  and  size.  The  country  swarmed 
with  them  and  for  the  first  time  we  began  to  realize  what 
an  immense  damage  they  were  capable  of  doing  to  the 
growing  crops  in  that  section. 

It  was  about  half-past  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning 
when  we  reached  Adelaide,  and  so  hot  that  a  Fourth  of 
July  day  in  St.  Louis  would  have  seemed  like  Arctic 
weather  by  comparison.  At  the  depot  we  found  United 
States  Consul  Murphy  and  a  committee  of  citizens  in 
waiting,  and  were  at  once  driven  to  the  City  Hall,  where 
Mayor  Shaw  made  us  welcome  to  the  city.  The  usual 
spread  and  speeches  followed,  after  which  we  were  driven 
to  the  hotel.  That  afternoon  we  played  our  first  game  on 
the  Adelaide  Oval,  which  was  the  equal  of  either  the  Syd- 
ney or  Melbourne  grounds,  so  far  as  the  actual  playing 
grounds  were  concerned,  though  far  inferior  to  them  in 
buildings  and  natural  surroundings.  Owing  to  the  in- 
tense heat  and  the  fact  that  it  was  the  opening  day  of  the 
great  race  meeting  at  'Melbourne  there  were  only  about 
2,000  people  present,  and  they  witnessed  a  game  remark- 
able for  its  heavy  batting,  both  Tener  and  Healy  being 


BALL   PLAYING   IN   AUSTRALIA.  209 

severely  punished.  The  game  went  to  the  credit  of  the 
All-Americas  by  a  score  of  19  to  14. 

That  night  our  party  occupied  the  Governor's  box  in 
the  Royal  Theater,  where  we  attracted  far  more  attention 
than  did  the  play,  the  house  being  a  crowded  one. 

The  next  morning  we  were  the  guests  of  Mayor  Shaw, 
who  took  us  for  a  drive  in  a  big  four-horse  drag,  and  this 
proved  a  delightful  experience  to  us  all,  the  Sea  Beach 
road,  over  which  we  drove,  being  cool  and  comfortable. 
Ten  miles  out  we  stopped  at  the  wine  yard  of  Thomas 
Hardy  &  Sons,  who  were  at  that  time  the  most  extensive 
grape  and  fruit  raisers  hi  Australia.  Here  we  were  showrn 
over  the  immense  wine  yards  and  wine  cellar,  after  which 
we  drove  to  Henley  Beach,  returning  in  time  for  the  game 
that  afternoon. 

At  this  second  game  the  attendance  was  somewhat  bet- 
ter than  the  first,  and  with  Baldwin  pitching  for  Chicago 
and  Healy  and  Ward  for  All-America,  we  managed  to 
turn  the  tables  on  our  conquerors  of  the  day  before  and 
win  by  a  score  of  12  to  9. 

The  next  day  was  a  holiday,  and  of  these  the  Austra- 
lians have  many,  it  being  the  fifty-second  anniversary  of 
South  Australia's  existence  as  a  colony,  and  as  we  were  to 
leave  in  the  afternoon  we  played  our  farewell  game  in  the 
morning,  play  being  called  at  ten  o'clock.  With  Ryan  in 
the  box  for  Chicago  and  Simpson  for  All-America  we  won 
the  easiest  sort  of  a  game  by  a  score  of  n  to  4,  having 
Sir  William  Robinson,  Governor  of  the  Colony,  for  a  spec- 
tator during  the  last  four  innings.  After  the  game  he 
came  out  on  the  grounds  and  shook  hands  with  us  all, 
complimenting  us  in  a  nice  little  speech  on  the  skill  that 
we  had  shown  and  expressing  his  own  liking  for  the  game 
that  he  had  that  morning  seen  for  the  first  time. 

That  afternoon  we  left  for  Ballarat,  the  great  gold- 


2io        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

mining  center  of  Australia,  and  at  one  time  famous  as  the 
home  of  the  bushrangers  who  for  years  terrorized  that 
section  of  the  country. 

It  was  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  we  arrived 
there,  and  we  were  just  climbing  into  the  drag  that  was 
awaiting  us  when  some  one  missed  Tom  Daly.  After  a 
search  he  was  found  fast  asleep  in  one  of  the  compartments 
of  the  car,  and  being  awakened  was  released  by  an  oblig- 
ing guard,  looking  a  bit  the  worse  for  wear.  In  the  early 
gray  of  the  dawning  we  reached  Craig's  Hotel,  where 
lunch  had  been  arranged  for  us,  after  partaking  which  we 
were  driven  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  the  roadway  wind- 
ing along  the  shores  of  a  beautiful  lake.  The  gardens 
were  well  worth  a  visit,  and  after  spending  a  brief  half 
hour  in  admiring  the  flowers  and  statuary,  we  were  driven 
back  to  the  hotel  for  breakfast,  stopping  on  the  way  for  a 
plunge  in  the  great  Ballarat  Swimming  Aquarium.  After 
breakfast  we  were  driven  to  the  Barton  Gold  Mines,  sit- 
uated on  the  edge  of  the  town,  going  down  to  a  depth  of 
1 1,000  feet  after  we  had  attired  ourselves  in  overalls,  slouch 
hats  and  other  nondescript  disguises.  From  the  mine  we 
were  driven  to  the  Town  Hall,  of  West  Ballarat,  Ballarat 
being  divided  int6  two  municipalities,  West  and  East, 
where  we  met  with  the  usual  Australian  welcome  at  the 
hands  of  Mayor  Macdonald,  thence  to  East  Ballarat,  where 
Mayor  Ellsworth  did  the  honors,  the  latter  afterwards  ac- 
companying us  on  a  visit  to  the  Ballarat  Orphan  Asylum, 
where  an  invitation  was  given  to  the  youngsters  to  the 
number  of  200  to  witness  the  game  that  afternoon,  and 
that  they  were  all  on  hand  is  a  certainty. 

The  crowd  that  attended  the  game  was  4,500  strong, 
and  they  saw  the  All-Americas  win  a  rather  easy  game  by 
a  score  of  n  to  7,  the  boys  being  too  nearly  tired  out  to 
play  good  ball,  The  ascent  and  fall  of  Professor  Bartholo- 


BALL  PLAYING  IN   AUSTRALIA.  211 

mew  was,  however,  the  sensation  of  the  day,  the  parachute 
failing  to  sustain  his  weight  in  that  high  altitude,  and  as  a  re- 
sult he  came  down  with  great  speed,  and,  striking  a  cornice 
of  a  building  in  the  business  district,  was  laid  up  for  a 
month,  it  being  a  lucky  thing  for  him  that  he  was  not  killed 
outright.  At  seven  o'clock  that  night  we  left  for  Mel- 
bourne, arriving  there  some  four  hours  later  in  an  all  but 
used  up  condition. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  our  whole  party  started  for  a 
drive  of  twenty-five  miles  over  the  mountains  in  a  big 
four-horse  drag,  we  being  the  guests  for  that  day  of  Mr. 
J.  K.  Downer,  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Melbourne.  Through 
a  rolling  and  well-settled  country  we  bowled  along  until 
we  reached  the  foot-hills,  that  were  green  and  well-wood- 
ed, the  clear  notes  of  Mrs.  Leigh  Lynch's  cornet  every 
now  and  then  waking  the  echoes.  After  three  hours'  ride 
we  reached  Fern  Glen,  the  residence  of  a  Mr.  Bruce,  a 
friend  of  the  gentleman  whose  guests  we  were,  and  to 
whose  broad  veranda  we  were  soon  made  welcome.  The 
scenery  here  was  beautiful,  the  house  itself  being  situated 
in  a  rift  of  the  mountains  and  surrounded  by  giant  trees 
on  every  side,  the  grounds  about  being  possessed  of  great 
natural  beauty.  After  enjoying  a  splendid  lunch  provided 
for  the  occasion  at  Melbourne,  and  sent  out  ahead  by 
wagon,  we  strolled  through  the  beautiful  glen,  with  its 
great  ferns  that  arched  the  pathway,  and  the  roots  of  which 
were  watered  by  a  little  mountain  stream. 

After  an  extempore  entertainment  we  again  climbed 
to  our  seats  in  the  drag  and  were  driven  back  to  Mel- 
bourne, stopping  en  route  at  the  stock  farm  of  J.  H.  Miller, 
who  had  gone  into  the  business  of  breeding  American  trot- 
ters, and  who  again  persisted  in  wining  and  dining  us  be- 
fore he  would  let  us  go.  "The  Travelers'  Rest,"  "The 
Golden  Swan,"  "The  Bull's  Head  Inn,"  and  other  resorts 


212        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

of  a  like  kind  were  stopped  at  on  our  way  back,  and  it  was 
eleven  o'clock  at  night  when  we  were  finally  set  down 
at  the  doors  of  the  Grand  Hotel,  having  spent  one  of  the 
most  enjoyable  days  since  our  arrival  in  Melbourne. 

A  great  day's  program  of  sport  had  been  prepared  for 
Monday,  the  last  day  of  the  year,  in  which  cricket,  base- 
ball and  foot-ball  were  all  to  have  had  an  inning.  The 
weather,  however,  interfered  with  the  base-ball  and  cricket 
part  of  the  program.  The  foot-ball  game  between  the 
Carleton  and  St.  Kilda  foot-ball  teams  proved  to  be  a  most 
interesting  contest,  however,  and  one  that  w«  were  glad  to 
have  the  opportunity  of  witnessing,  a  heavy  shower  driv- 
ing us  back  to  the  hotel  before  we  could  indulge  in  either 
base-ball  or  cricket. 

Two  games  were  scheduled  for  New  Year's  day,  but 
only  one  of  these  was  played  and  that  in  the  morning,  the 
attendance  being  2,500,  and  the  Chicagos  winning  by  a 
score  of  14  to  7,  Tener  pitching  for  us  and  Healy  for  the 
All-Americas.  That  same  day  there  were  4,000  people  at 
the  races  and  probably  as  many  more  at  the  various  cricket 
matches  and  athletic  games  going  on  in  the  city  and  vi- 
cinity, so  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  Melbourne  was  a  de- 
cidedly sporty  place,  and  that  we  had  pretty  hard  competi- 
tion to  go  up  against,  even  for  New  Year's  day.  After 
luncheon  at  the  cricket  grounds  we  were  treated  to  an 
exhibition  of  rope-skipping  and  boomerang  throwing  by 
a  lot  of  aborigines  that  was  little  short  of  wonderful,  and 
that  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  The  natives  could 
make  these  curved  pieces  of  wood  do  all  kinds  of  seem- 
ingly impossible  things,  while  for  us  they  would  simply 
do  nothing,  but  I  expect  that  with  a  set  of  billiard  balls 
several  of  our  party  could  have  made  them  look  as  much 
like  monkeys  as  they  did  us  with  their  boomerangs. 

We  were  booked  to  sail  from  Port  Melbourne  for  Cey- 


BALL  PLAYING  IN  AUSTRALIA.  213 

Ion  on  Monday,  June  7th,  and  Saturday  afternoon  we 
played  our  farewell  game  in  the  Victoria  capital  before  a 
crowd  that  tested  the  capacity  of  the  grounds,  the  gate 
count  showing  that  11,000  people  had  paid  their  way  into 
the  enclosure.  The  program  for  the  afternoon  was  a 
varied  one,  a  two-inning  game  between  the  Australian 
Cricketers  and  the  All-America  team  being  the  starter, 
and  in  this  the  American  players  easily  demonstrated  their 
superiority.  Next  came  a  game  of  foot-ball  between  the 
Port  Melbourne  and  Carleton  teams  that  was  played  under 
a  modification  of  the  old  Rugby  rules,  and  that  proved 
close  and  exciting.  A  four-inning  game  between  Chicago 
and  All-America  followed,  Baldwin  and  Daly  and  Crane 
and  Earle  being  the  batteries,  and  it  is  safe  to  assert  that 
a  prettier  exhibition  of  base-running  and  fielding  was 
never  witnessed  in  Australia  than  the  one  given  on  that 
occasion.  With  not  a  fielding  error  on  either  side  my 
boys  won  by  a  score  of  5  to  o,  Pettit  finally  ending  the 
game  with  a  splendid  running  catch  of  Earle's  long  fly  to 
right  field,  a  performance  that  the  spectators  cheered  again 
and  again. 

An  exhibition  of  long  distance  throwing  followed, 
Crane,  Williamson  and  Pfeffer  attempting  to  beat  the 
Australian  record  of  126  yards  3  inches,  for  throwing  a 
five  and  one-half  ounce  cricket  ball,  and  this  feat  Crane 
accomplished,  he  sending  the  ball  128  yards  io£  inches,  a 
performance  that  the  crowd  appreciated. 

At  three  o'clock  on  Monday  afternoon,  having  said 
farewrell  to  all  of  our  friends  in  Melbourne,  we  took  the 
train  for  Port  Melbourne,  seven  miles  distant,  and  were 
soon  assigned  to  our  staterooms  on  board  of  the  "Salier," 
which  was  to  begin  her  voyage  the  next  morning. 

The  scene  about  the  dock  where  the  "Salier"  lay  that 
afternoon  was  an  impressive  one,  the  Turks  and  Hindoos, 


214        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

with  their  dark  skins,  red  turbans  and  bright  costumes,  the 
circling  seabirds  with  their  peculiar  cries,  and  the  many 
craft  of  various  kinds  that  moved  hither  and  thither  over 
the  blue  waters,  all  combining  to  make  a  picture  that  once 
seen  can  never  be  forgotten. 

We  left  Australia  with  many  genuine  regrets.  In  the 
matter  of  hospitality  that  country  easily  stands  at  the  head 
of  the  list  of  all  of  those  that  we  visited,  and  if  we  could 
have  shot  a  kangaroo  or  two  before  our  departure  and 
run  up  against  a  party  of  bushrangers,  black-bearded  and 
daring,  even  though  they  had  managed  to  relieve  us  of  a 
few  of  our  valuables,  we  should  have  been  made  happy, 
but  alas!  the  bushrangers,  like  the  bad  men  of  our  own 
glorious  West,  had  been  wiped  out  by  the  march  of  civ- 
ilization, and  even  the  kangaroo  had  taken  to  the  woods 
when  he  heard  that  we  were  coming,  so  we  bore  our  disap- 
pointment as  best  we  could,  trusting  for  better  luck  in  case 
we  should  ever  be  so  fortunate  as  to  again  visit  Her  Majes- 
ty's Australian  Colonies. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

AFLOAT   ON  THE   INDIAN   SEA. 

The  "Salier,"  which  was  one  of  the  German  Lloyd  line 
of  steamers,  sailed  from  Port  Melbourne  at  daybreak  on 
the  morning  of  January  8th,  1889,  and  before  many  of  us 
had  put  in  our  appearance  on  deck,  although  we  were 
awakened  long  before  by  the  cries  of  the  sailors  and  the 
usual  noise  and  bustle  that  precedes  the  departure  of  a 
steamer  from  her  dock  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Long 
before  we  had  left  Port  Melbourne  out  of  sight,  however, 
we  had  assembled  at  the  rail  to  wave  our  last  adieus  to  the 
many  friends  who  had  come  down  from  Melbourne  to  see 
us  off.  The  "Salier"  was  a  delightful  vessel  and  one  that 
was  most  comfortably  equipped,  as  are  all  of  the  vessels 
of  this  line,  and  the  quarter  deck,  with  its  open-windowed 
smoking  and  card-rooms,  soon  became  the  chosen  lounging 
place  of  the  boys  by  day  and  the  sleeping  place  of  many  of 
them  by  night,  they  preferring  to  don  pajamas  and  sleep 
in  the  easy  steamer  chairs  rather  than  to  seek  the  seclusion 
of  the  staterooms,  which,  as  a  rule,  were  hot  and  sultry. 
Captain  Tallenhorst,  who  commanded  the  "Salier,"  was  a 
fine  fellow,  and  both  he  and  his  officers  were  inclined  to  do 
pleasant  one,  and  a  pleasant  one  indeed  it  proved. 

In  the  steerage  we  carried  a  mixed  lot  of  emigrants 
from  all  sections  of  the  world,  among  them  being  China- 
men, Hindoos,  Turks,  Cingalese,  Italians  and  Germans, 
and  to  walk  through  their  quarters  and  listen  to  the 
strange  languages  that  they  spoke  was  to  get  a  very  good 
idea  of  the  confusion  that  must  have  reigned  when  the 


216        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

building  of  the  tower  of  Babel  was  in  progress,  and  gave 
us  at  the  same  time  a  chance  to  study  some  of  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  a  people  that  were  strange  to  us. 

The  meals  that  were  served  on  board  the  "Salier"  were 
an  improvement  on  those  of  the  "Alameda,"  though  we 
had  found  no  fault  with  those  given  us  on  the  latter,  but 
there  was  one  drawback  to  our  enjoyment  of  them,  how- 
ever, and  that  was  that  the  waiters  spoke  nothing  but  Ger- 
man, and  consequently  those  of  us  who  were  unfamiliar 
with  the  language  had  some  difficulty  in  making  ourselves 
understood,  our  efforts  to  make  known  our  wants  by  the 
sign  language  often  resulting  in  ludicrous  blunders.  Fred 
Ffeffer  was  right  at  home,  however,  and  as  a  result  he  man- 
aged to  get  the  best  there  was  going,  the  waiters  evidently 
mistaking  him  for  nothing  less  than  a  German  Count, 
judging  from  the  alacrity  with  which  they  flew  about  to 
execute  his  orders.  We  had  been  out  but  a  few  short 
hours  before  we  began  to  miss  Frank  Lincoln,  whose 
never-failing  fund  of  humor  had  helped  to  while  away 
many  an  hour  and  who  had  bid  us  farewell  at  Melbourne, 
having  decided  to  remain  for  some  little  time  in.  Australia. 
Among  our  fellow-passengers  in  the  cabin  were  a  couple 
of  civil  engineers  from  England,  who  had  been  making  a 
tour  of  Australia,  and  very  pleasant  companions  they 
proved  to  be;  a  Melbourne  lady  who  was  taking  her  two 
little  daughters  to  Germany  to  be  educated;  and  last  but 
not  least  in  his  own  estimation,  if  not  in  that  of  others,  a 
Mr.  Theophilus  Green,  a  loud-mouthed,  bald-headed,  red- 
faced  and  portly  gentleman  of  middle  age,  who,  according 
to  his  own  story,  was  possessed  of  unlimited  funds,  a  de- 
sire to  travel,  and  an  inclination  to  pass  himself  off  wher- 
ever he  might  happen  to  be  as  a  representative  American, 
God  save  the  mark !  Mr.  Green  journeyed  with  our  party 
as  far  as  Suez,  and  when  he  left  us  the  long-drawn  sigh  of 


AFLOAT  ON  THE  INDIAN  SEA.  217 

relief  that  went  up  from  all  hands  was  like  unto  the  rushing 
sound  that  is  caused  by  the  passage  of  a  hurricane  over  the 
surface  of  the  waters. 

Among  the  second  cabin  passengers  were  two  stalwart 
Australians  who  were  bound  for  Zanzibar,  Africa,  and 
who  meant  to  penetrate  into  the  interior  of  that  wild  coun- 
try in  search  of  big  game.  They  were  well  equipped  with 
firearms,  of  the  most  improved  designs,  and  unlimited 
quantities  of  ammunition,  and  had  the  appearance  of  men 
who  were  perfectly  capable  of  taking  care  of  themselves 
in  any  country,  no  odds  how  wild  and  uncivilized  it  might 
be.  They  accompanied  us  as  far  as  Aden,  where  they  left 
us,  taking  with  them  our  best  wishes  for  their  success  and 
safe  return. 

The  second  night  after  leaving  Port  Melbourne  we 
stopped  at  Port  Adelaide,  a  little  seaport  seven  miles  dis- 
tant from  Adelaide,  where  we  remained  until  two  o'clock 
the  next  afternoon  to  take  on  a  cargo  of  Australian  wool. 
This  was  a  hot  town,  at  least  to  look  at,  the  streets  being 
dusty  and  devoid  of  shade  trees  of  any  kind,  and  the  build- 
ings of  a  low  and  inferior  description.  We  had  consid- 
erable sport  while  laying  there  fishing  from  the  rail  of  the 
steamer  and  watching  a  big  shark  that  came  nosing  around 
the  stern  of  the  boat  in  search  of  food.  After  he  swam 
away  for  some  distance  some  of  the  boys  amused  them- 
selves by  shooting  at  him  with  their  revolvers,  but  if  they 
succeeded  in  hitting  him,  of  which  I  have  my  doubts,  his 
sharkship  gave  no  sign  of  being  in  trouble  and  pursued 
the  even  tenor  of  his  way  until  he  was  lost  to  sight. 

For  days  after  we  left  Port  Adelaide  the  weather  was 
of  the  most  disagreeable  variety,  the  sky  being  overcast 
by  clouds  of  a  leaden  hue  while  the  huge  waves  were  lashed 
into  foam  by  the  wind,  and  this>,  together  with  a  heavy 
ground  swell,  gave  to  the  steamer  a  most  uncomfortable 


2i8        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

motion.  This  sort  of  affair  was  too  much  for  my  wife,  and 
also  for  the  other  ladies  in  the  party,  with  the  exception  of 
Mrs.  Williamson,  who  proved  to  be  a  good  sailor,  and 
they  remained  in  their  staterooms.  I  had  thought  that  I, 
too,  was  an  immune,  not  having  been  sick  since  we  left 
San  Francisco,  but  the  motion  of  the  boat  proved  to  be 
too  much  even  for  me,  and  I  was  forced  to  pay  common 
tribute  to  Neptune  that  the  King  of  the  Seas  is  wont  to 
exact  from  most  land-lubbers.  Tener  and  Fred  Pfeffer 
were  about  the  only  ball  players  that  escaped,  and  that 
Pfeffer  did  so  I  shall  always  insist  was  due  to  the  fact  that 
he  could  speak  German  and  so  got  all  the  good  things  to 
eat  that  he  wanted,  while  the  rest  of  us,  not  toeing  so  for- 
tunate, were  obliged  to  put  up  with  what  we  could  get. 
Even  Daly  and  Fogarty  were  obliged  to  keep  qniet  for  a 
time,  and  this  was  something  of  a  relief  to  the  more  sober 
members  of  the  party.  One  afternoon  after  the  last-named 
gentleman  had  begun  to  feel  a  little  better  he  called  to  a 
passing  waiter  and  asked  for  a  cheese  sandwich.  The 
Dutchman,  doubtless  thinking  that  he  was  doing  that  ir- 
repressible a  favor,  brought  up  a  big  plate  of  sauerkraut 
and  steamed  bolognas,  and  the  effect  of  this  on  the  weak 
stomachs  of  those  who  happened  to  be  in  that  vicinity  can 
be  better  imagined  than  described.  If  John  Tener  had 
not  happened  along  and  grabbed  that  waiter  by  the  scruff 
of  the  neck  and  the  slack  of  his  pants,  hustling  him  out  of 
sight,  there  is  no  telling  what  might  have  happened,  but 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  murder  might  have  been  done. 
After  we  had  left  the  Australian  Bight  behind  us  and 
entered  the  Indian  Ocean  the  seas  calmed  down  and  the 
weather,  which  prior  to  that  time  had  been  cool  and  un- 
comfortable, became  warm  and  pleasant.  The  ladies  were 
again  enabled  to  join  us  on  deck  and  with  music,  cards, 
books  and  conversation  the  time  passed  pleasantly  enough. 


AFLOAT  ON  THE  INDIAN  SEA.  219 

The  steerage  passengers  were  to  us  a  never-ending 
source  of  amusement  and  interest,  as  we  watched  them 
working  in  their  various  ways  and  listened  to  their 
strange  and  uncomprehensible  gibberish.  An  old  Hindoo 
one  day  raffled  off  a  richly-embroidered  silk  pillow  at  a 
shilling  a  chance,  and  this,  with  my  usual  good  luck.  I 
won  and  turned  over  to  Mrs.  Anson  for  safe  keeping. 

The  Hindoos  and  Mohammedans  on  board  would  eat 
nothing  that  they  did  not  cook  themselves,  even  killed  a 
sheep  every  few  days,  when  it  became  necessary,  and  car- 
rying their  own  supply  of  saucepans  and  other  cooking 
utensils.  One  of  the  Hindoos,  a  merchant  of  Calcutta, 
who  had  been  ill  from  the  time  that  the  steamer  left  Port 
Adelaide,  died  when  our  voyage  was  about  half  over.  His 
body  was  sewn  up  in  a  piece  of  canvas  with  a  bar  of  lead 
at  the  foot  and  laid  away  in  his  bunk.  It  was  in  vain  that 
we  asked  when  he  was  to  be  buried,  as>  we  could  get  no 
satisfactory  answer  to  our  queries,  but  the  next  night, 
when  the  starlight  lay  like  a  silver  mantle  on  the  face  of  the 
waters,  the  steamer  stopped  for  a  moment,  a  splash  fol- 
lowed, and  the  body  of  the  Hindoo  sank  down  into  the 
dark  waters,  and  in  a  few  days  the  episode  had  been  for- 
gotten. Such  is  life. 

Clarence  Duval,  our  colored  mascot,  had  been  appre- 
ciated on  the  "Alameda"  at  his  true  value,  but  on  the  "Sa- 
lier"  for  a  time  the  waiters  seemed  to  regard  him  as  an  In- 
dian Prince,  even  going  so  far  as  to  quarrel  as  to  whom 
should  wait  on  him.  A  word  from  Mr.  Spalding  whispered 
in  the  ear  of  the  captain  worked  a  change  in  his  standing, 
however,  and  he  was  set  to  work  during  the  meal  hours 
pulling  the  punka  rope  which  kept  the  big  fans  in  motion, 
an  occupation  that  he  seemed  to  regard  as  being  beneath 
his  dignity,  though  his  protests  fell  on  deaf  ears. 

One  hot  afternoon  a  mock  trial  wa&  held  in  the  smok- 


220        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ing-room,  with  Fogarty  as  the  presiding  Judge,  and  then 
and  there  a  decree  was  passed  to  the  effect  that,  "in  view 
of  the  excessively  warm  weather  and  through  considera- 
tion for  the  comfort  and  peace  of  our  entire  party,  Clar- 
ence Duval,  our  chocolate-colored  mascot,  must  take  a 
bath." 

Now,  if  there  was  any  one  thing  more  than  another  that 
our  mascot  detested  it  was  a  bath,  and  the  moment  that  the 
court's  decree  was  pronounced  he  fled  to  the  darkest 
depths  of  the  steerage  in  hopes  of  escaping  the  ordeal,  but 
in  vain,  for  he  was  dragged  out  of  his  hiding  place  by  Pet- 
tit,  Baldwin  and  Daly,  who,  in  spite  of  his  cries  for  mercy, 
thrust  him  beneath  a  salt  water  shower  and  held  him  there 
until  the  tank  was  emptied.  A  madder  little  coon  than 
he  was  when  released  it  would  be  difficult  to  find,  and 
arming  himself  with  a  base-ball  bat  he  swore  that  he  would 
kill  his  tormentors,  and  might  have  done  so  had  not  a 
close  watch  been  kept  over  him  until  his  temper  had 
burned  itself  out  and  he  had  become  amenable  to  reason. 

The  afternoon  of  January  22d,  as  we  were  lounging 
about  the  deck,  John  Ward,  glancing  up  from  the  pages  of 
a  book  that  he  was  engaged  in  reading,  happened  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  a  sail  ahead,  and  announcing  the  fact,  there 
was  a  rush  made  by  all  hands  to  the  steamer's  rail  in  order 
to  get  a  good  view  of  the  welcome  sight,  for  a  strange  sail 
at  sea  is  always  a  welcome  sight  to  the  voyager.  She  was 
under  a  cloud  of  canvas  and,  as  we  drew  near,  with  the  aid 
of  a  glass,  we  made  out  her  name,  "San  Scofield,  Bruns- 
wick, Me."  A  moment  later  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were 
thrown  to  the  breeze  from  her  masthead  and  the  cheers 
that  went  up  from  our  decks  could  have  been  heard  two 
miles  away.  If  there  were  tears  in  the  eyes  of  some  of 
the  members  of  our  party  as  they  saw  the  old  flag  gleam- 
ing in  the  sunlight  and  thought  of  God's  country  at  that 


AFLOAT  ON  THE  INDIAN  SEA.  221 

time  so  far  away,  the  display  of  emotion  did  them  no  dis- 
credit. 

We  were  all  astonished  one  morning  by  a  performance 
on  the  part  of  ©ur  mascot  that  was  not  down  on  the  bills, 
and  that  might  have  resulted  in  his  becoming  food  for  the 
sharks  with  which  the  Indian  Ocean  abounds  had  he  not 
played  in  the  very  best  of  luck. 

The  performance  of  Professor  Bartholomew  had  fired 
the  "coon"  with  a  desire  to  emulate  his  example,  and  he 
had  made  a  wager  with  one  of  the  boys  that,  using  an 
umbrella  for  a  parachute,  he  could  jump  from  the  rigging 
some  thirty  feet  above  the  deck  and  land  safely  on  the 
awning.  It  was  late  one  afternoon  when  half  a  dozen  of 
the  party  were  sitting  beneath  its  shade  that  a  dark  shadow 
passed  over  them  followed  by  a  dull  thud  on  the  canvas 
that  made  it  sag  for  a  foot  or  more,  and  a  wild  scream  of 
terror  followed.  Climbing  up  the  rope  ladder  to  where 
they  could  overlook  the  awning,  the  boys  found  the  mascot 
crawling  on  his  hands  and  knees  toward  the  rigging  and 
dragging  behind  him  an  umbrella  in  a  badly  damaged  con- 
dition. When  Fogarty  asked  him  what  he  was  doing,  he 
replied,  after  a  long  interval  of  silence,  "Just  been  a  prac- 
ticing'' after  which  he  informed  them  that  had  he  landed, 
all  right  he  should  have  attempted  to  win  his  bet  the  next 
morning.  One  experience  of  this  kind  was  enough  for 
him,  however,  and  though  the  boys  begged  him  to  give 
them  another  exhibition  of  his  skill  in  making  the  para- 
chute leap,  nothing  could  induce  him  to  do  so. 

"Craps,"  a  game  introduced  by  the  mascot,  soon  be- 
came more  popular  in  the  card-room  than  even  poker,  and 
the  rattle  of  the  bones  and  the  cries  of  "Come,  seben,  come 
eleben,  what's  de  mattah  wid  you  dice,"  and  other  kindred 
remarks  natural  to  the  game  coming  from  the  lips  of  the 
chocolate-colored  coon  were  to  be  heard  at  all  hours. 


222        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

The  nights  during  this  portion  of  our  trip  were  espe- 
cially fine,  and  we  enjoyed  them  immensely  sitting  on  deck 
until  the  "wee  sma'  hours"  watching  the  starlight  that 
turned  the  surface  of  the  water  into  a  great  field  of  glis- 
tening diamonds,  and  the  silvery  wake  of  the  ship,  that 
stretched  away  out  into  the  ocean  like  a  track  of  moon- 
beams, growing  dimmer  and  dimmer  until  it  was  lost  in  the 
darkness  that  lay  beyond. 

It  was  just  as  the  sun  peeped  above  the  distant  horizon 
on  the  morning  of  January  25th  that  w€  first  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  shores  of  Elephant  Island,  lying  just  off  the 
coast  of  Ceylon,  and  at  ten  o'clock  the  shores  of  the  island 
of  Ceylon  itself  were  full  in  sight.  As  we  drew  nearer  the 
narrow-bodied  proas,  the  boats  of  the  natives,  paddled  by 
dark-skinned  boatmen  innocent  of  clothing  came  crowd- 
ing about  the  steamer  in  great  numbers,  while  the  white- 
winged  gulls  hung  above  the  vessel  in  clouds,  darting  so 
near  to  us  at  times  that  we  could  almost  touch  them  with 
our  hands.  Past  Point  de  Galle,  with  its  crumbling  walls 
of  white  cement,  that  made  them  appear  as  if  they  had  but 
recently  been  whitewashed,  we  steamed  until  we  came 
in  sight  of  Columbo,  and  stopped  at  the  entrance  of  the 
breakwater  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  harbor  master.  That 
gentleman  was  apparently  in  no  very  great  hurry  and  the 
hour  and  a  half  that  we  laid  there  awaiting  his  pleasure 
we  spent  in  looking  at  the  great  stone  breakwater  and  the 
city  that  lies  upon  the  open  coast,  the  harbor  being  an  ar- 
tificial and  not  a  natural  one.  It  was  after  four  o'clock 
when  the  harbor  master's  boat,  manned  by  half-clad  Cin- 
galese, came  alongside,  and  a  short  time  afterwards  we 
steamed  to  a  place  inside  the  breakwater  and  dropped  our 
anchors. 

In  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  the  steamer  was 
surrounded  by  boats  of  all  shapes,  sizes  and  colors,  manned 


AFLOAT  ON  THE  INDIAN   SEA.  223 

by  Malays,  Cingalese  and  Hindoos,  clad  in  all  the  colors 
of  the  rainbow,  and  all  talking  and  yelling  at  the  same 
time.  Four  little  Cingalese  boys,  the  oldest  of  which 
could  not  have  been  more  than  twelve  of  age,  and  who 
paddled  a  bamboo  canoe  around-  with  barrel  staves,  at- 
tracted the  most  of  our  attention.  They  could  swim  and 
dive  like  otters,  and  shillings  and  sinpences  cast  into  the 
water  they  brought  up  from  the  bottom,  catching  it  in 
many  instances  before  it  had  found  a  resting  place  on  the 
sands.  "Frow  it,"  they  would  shout,  and  scarcely  had 
the  shining  piece  of  silver  struck  the  water  before  they 
were  after  it,  disappearing  from  sight  and  then  coming 
up  with  the  coveted  coin  secure  in  their  possession.  The 
decks  were  soon  swarming  with  hotel  runners,  money- 
changers, and  tradesmen  of  various  sorts.  As  yet  we 
were  uncertain  as  to  our  destination,  and  depending  upon 
word  that  was  to  have  been  left  here  by  our  advance  agent, 
Will  Lynch. 

A  drenching  rain  was  falling  when  Messrs.  Spalding 
and  Leigh  Lynch  went  ashore  in  search  of  news,  and 
when  Mr.  Spauding  came  back  an  hour  later  he  had  heard 
nothing  but  had  arranged  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
party  at  the  Grand  Oriental  Hotel,  and  we  were  soon  on 
our  way  to  the  landing  place  in  steam  launches  provided 
for  the  purpose,  still  uncertain,  however,  as  to  whether  we 
were  to  go  on  in  the  "Salier"  or  not. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

FROM   CEYLON  TO  EGYPT. 

We  landed  in  Colombo  on  the  steps  of  a  pagoda-like 
structure  containing  the  Custom  House,  and  passing 
through  found  ourselves  on  a  broad  avenue  that  led  direct 
to  the  Grand  Oriental  Hotel,  said  by  travelers  to  be  the 
finest  south  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  in  their  opinion  I 
can  certainly  concur,  as  we  found  it  to  be  everything  that 
could  be  desired  so  far  as  our  limited  experience  went. 
The  rooms  were  large  and  carpetless,  with  latticed  win- 
dows and  high  ceilings  and  the  immense  dining-rooms 
opened  on  broad  stone  porticos  with  massive  columns  and 
surrounding  galleries,  on  which  were  Turkish  divans  for 
the  comfort  of  the  guests.  The  dark-skinned  native  ser- 
vants, with  their  picturesque,  flowing  garments  and  tor- 
toise-shell combs,  gave  to  the  whole  an  oriental  air  that  up 
to  that  time  we  had  read  about  but  never  seen.  We  were 
fanned  by  great  swinging  punkas  during  the  dinner  hour, 
the  meal  being  an  excellent  one,  after  which  we  went  out 
to  see  the  town,  the  Indian  shops  under  the  hotel  coming 
in  that  night  for  the  largest  share  of  our  attention.  First, 
because  they  were  easy  to  reach,  and,  second,  because  of 
the  really  handsome  stock  of  articles  of  Indian  manufac- 
ture that  they  contained.  Carvings  in  ebony  and  ivory, 
in  the  most  beautiful  designs,  inlaid  work  of  all  descrip- 
tions, shawls  that  a  queen  might  envy,  together  with  em- 
broidered articles  of  rare  beauty,  delicate  tapestry  and 
quaint  and  curious  figures  of  all  kinds,  were  for  sale  there 
and  at  prices  that  were  not  more  than  one-third  or  one- 
fourth  what  the  same  articles  could  be  purchased  for  at 


FROM  CEYLON  TO  EGYPT.  225 

home,  though  the  price  that  was  at  first  asked  for  them  by 
these  shopkeepers  would  be  at  least  three  or  four  times 
what  they  expected  to  get. 

The  jinricksha,  which  answers  the  same  purpose  as  the 
hansom  cab  in  Chicago  or  New  York,  and  which  is  a  much 
lighter  and  smaller  vehicle,  being  drawn  by  a  Cingalese 
who  trots  along  between  the  shafts  as  though  it  were  a 
pleasure  instead  of  a  business,  is  about  the  only  sort  of  a 
vehicle  known  to  the  natives  of  Colombo,  and  a  ride  in 
one  of  them  is  by  no  means  an  unpleasant  experience,  as 
you  are  certain  of  one  'thing,  and  that  is  that  your  horse 
will  not  shy  with  you  and  run  away,  no  matter  what 
strange  objects  he  may  encounter.  They  are  so  gentle, 
too,  that  a  lady  can  drive  them  and  will  stand  anywhere 
without  hitching.  These  are  great  advantages,  and  yet, 
after  all,  I  think  that  I  should  prefer  to  hold  the  ribbons 
over  a  good  horse,  and  I  am  sure  that  Mrs.  Anson  is  of 
the  same  opinion.  The  jinriksha,  with  its  human  motor, 
must,  it  struck  me  the  first  time  that  I  saw  them,  be  a  de- 
cided obstacle  to  courtship,  for  what  young  fellow  would 
care  to  take  his  best  girl  out  riding  behind  a  horse  that 
could  understand  everything  that  was  said  and  done,  and 
tell  the  groom  all  about  it  when  he  returned  to  the  barn. 
I  shouldn't  have  liked  to  do  so,  when  I  was  courting  my 
wife,  and  I  don't  believe  that  she  would  have  cared  to  ride 
after  that  kind  of  a  horse. 

Visiting  the  American  Consul  that  evening  Mr.  Spald- 
ing  was  informed  that  on  account  of  the  steamship  and 
railroad  connections,  and  also  because  of  the  unhealthy 
condition  of  Calcutta,  it  would  be  impossible  for  our  party 
to  make  a  tour  of  India,  and  therefore  that  part  of  the  trip 
was  given  up,  greatly  to  our  regret,  as  we  had  looked  for- 
ward to  it  with  the  most  pleasant  anticipations.  This 
disappointment  was  general  among  the  members  of  the 


226        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

party,  but  as  it  could  not  be  helped  we  determined  to  make 
the  best  of  it. 

Arrangements  were  made  that  evening,  however,  to 
hold  the  "Salier,"  which  was  to  have  left  at  daybreak  the 
next  morning,  until  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  order 
that  we  might  play  a  game  of  base-ball  before  our  depar- 
ture. 

The  sun  was  up  but  a  trifle  earlier  that  we  were  the 
next  morning,  as  we  wished  to  see  all  of  Ceylon  and  the 
Cingalese  that  was  possible  in  the  limited  time  at  our  dis- 
posal. The  Hotel  balconies  in  the  early  morning  were 
fairly  given  over  to  the  crows,  great  big  birds  of  a  leaden 
color  that  circle  around  you  in  the  most  impudent  manner 
and  are  as  hard  to  get  rid  of  as  the  beggars,  which  follow 
you  about  the  streets  in  swarms  and  annoy  you  with  their 
cries  of  "bachsheesh,  bachsheesh,"  until  you  long  even 
for  the  sight  of  a  policeman  to  whom  you  might  confide 
your  troubles.  Colombo  is  not  a  prepossessing  city  to  the 
eye  of  the  traveler,  the  buildings  being  of  an  ancient  style 
of  architecture  and  built  more  for  comfort  than  for  show, 
but  the  market  places  and  bazaars  are  well  worth  a  visit. 

There  is  a  beautiful  beach  drive  that  extends  from  the 
military  barracks  along  the  shores  of  the  ocean  for  miles, 
and  this  is  the  fashionable  drive  of  all  Colombo,  though  it 
was  all  but  deserted  in  the  early  morning  hours.  The 
Buddhist  temples,  and  there  were  several  of  them  in  Co- 
lombo, we  were  obliged  to  inspect  from  the  outside,  no  ad- 
mittance to  European  visitors  being  the  rule,  but  the 
strange  gods  that  peered  down  at  us  from  the  walls  gave 
us  a  very  good  idea  of  what  might  be  found  inside  and 
served,  at  least,  to  take  the  edge  off  of  our  curiosity. 

An  invitation  having  been  tendered  us  that  morning  at 
the  office  of  the  U.  S.  Consul  to  visit  the  corvette  "Essex," 
Captain  Jewell  commanding,  then  lying  in  the  harbor,  we 


FROM  CEYLON  TO  EGYPT.  227 

repaired  at  one  o'clock  to  the  wharf,  where  gigs,  manned 
by  the  ship's  crew,  awaited  us  and  we  were  soon  on  board,  • 
where  we  were  entertained  by  officers  and  crew  in  a  hand- 
some manner.  The  rendering  of  "America"  by  Mrs.  Leigh 
Lynch  on  the  cornet  brought  out  an  enthusiastic  round  of 
applause,  while  Clarence  Duval  captured  the  hearts  of 
the  seamen  by  doing  for  them  a  plantation  breakdown  hi 
his  best  style.  Captain  Jewell  kindly  sent  us  aboard  the 
"Salier"  in  the  ship's  gigs,  which  waited  for  us  until  we 
had  donned  our  uniforms,  and  then  took  us  to  the  shore. 

The  procession  out  to  the  Colombo  Cricket  Grounds, 
where  the  game  was  played,  was  indeed  a  novelty,  and  the 
crowds  of  Cingalese  that  surrounded  us  as  we  left  the 
hotel  and  looked  on  in  open-eyed  wonder  were  by  no 
means  the  least  impressive  part  of  the  circus.  There  were 
no  drags  and  carriages  on  this  occasion  and  no  gayly- 
caparisoned  horses  with  nodding  plumes,  but  in  their 
places  were  heavy-wheeled  carts  drawn  by  humpbacked 
little  'bullocks  and  jinrickshas  drawn  by  bare-legged  Cin- 
galese. About  these  swarmed  the  natives  in  their  rainbow 
attire,  the  whole  scene  being  one  of  the  kaleidoscope  kind. 

At  the  grounds  4,500  people  had  assembled,  the  offi- 
cers and  crew  of  the  "Essex"  being  on  hand  as  well  as  a 
crowd  of  English  residents  and  native  Cingalese.  We 
played  but  five  innings,  the  result  being  a  tie,  three  runs  for 
each  team,  a  good  game  under  the  best  of  circumstances, 
and  one  that  apparently  pleased  everybody,  the  natives 
going  wild  over  the  batting  and  making  desperate  efforts 
to  get  out  of  the  way  whenever  a  ball  happened  to  do  in 
their  direction.  The  journey  back  to  the  hotel  was  an- 
other circus  parade,  and  one  that  Barnum,  with  all  his  ef- 
forts, never  was  able  to  equal.  From  the  hotel  we  went 
directly  to  the  wharf,  where  the  steam-launch  was  in  wait- 
ing, and  with  a  cheer  from  the  crew  of  the  "Essex"  ringing 


228        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

in  our  ears  we  started  for  the  steamer.  As  the  "Salier" 
started  again  on  her  voyage  we  climbed  into  the  rigging 
and  lined  up  along  the  rail,  cheering  the  crew  of  the  "Es- 
sex" until  the  white  forms  of  the  men  that  lined  her  rig- 
ging were  lost  to  sight. 

The  voyage  from  Ceylon  to  Egypt  over  the  Arabian 
sea  and  the  Gulf  of  Aden  was  a  most  enjoyable  one,  both 
sea  and  sky  being  deeply,  darkly  and  beautifully  blue,  with 
not  so  much  as  a  cloud  or  a  ripple  to  mar  the  beauty  of 
either,  and  so  beautiful  were  the  nights  that  it  was  a  rare 
thing  for  any  member  of  the  party  to  retire  until  long 
after  the  ship's  bells  had  proclaimed  the  hour  of  midnight. 

The  second  morning  after  we  had  left  the  Island  of 
Ceylon  behind  us  we  were  all  made  the  victims  of  a  cruel 
practical  joke,  of  which  Lynch  and  Fogarty  were  the 
authors,  and  for  which  lynching  would  hardly  have  been  a 
sufficient  punishment.  It  was  in  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning  and  while  we  were  still  "dreaming  the  happy 
hours  away,"  that  the  loud  report  of  a  cannon  shook  the 
steamer  from  stem  to  stern,  this  being  folio-wed  by  cries  of 

"Pirates,  pirates;  my  God,  boys,  the  Chinese  pirates 
are  upon  us!" 

The  report  of  another  gun  followed,  and  then  a  scene 
of  confusion  such  as  had  never  before  been  witnessed  out- 
side of  a  lunatic  asylum.  Tener,  who  was  the  treasurer  of 
the  party,  grabbed  his  money-bags  and  locked  himself  in  his 
stateroom.  Ed  Hanlon  rushed  into  the  cabin  with  his 
trousers  in  one  hand  and  his  valise  in  the  other,  and  they 
say  that  I  filled  my  mouth  with  Mrs.  Anson's  diamonds, 
grabbed  a  base-ball  bat  and  stood  guard  at  the  doorway, 
ordering  my  wife  to  crawl  under  the  bunk,  but  that  state- 
ment is  a  libel  and  one  that  I  have  been  waiting  for  years 
to  deny.  I  only  got  up  to  see  what  a  Chinese  pirate  looked 
like,  that's  all.  It  was  a  scared  lot  of  ball  players  that  as- 


FROM  CEYLON  TO  EGYPT.  229 

sembled  in  the  cabin  that  morning,  however,  and  the  cloud 
of  smoke  that  came  rolling  down  the  stairway  only  tended 
to  make  matters  worse.  Finally  we  caught  sight  of  Fo~ 
garty  galloping  around  the  saloon  tables  and  yelling  like  a 
Comanche  Indian.  We  began  then  to  suspect  that  he 
was  at  the  bottom  of  the  trouble,  and  when  he  burst  into 
roars  of  laughter  we  were  certain  of  it.  It  afterwards  de- 
veloped that  the  "Salier's"  guns  had  been  simply  firing  a 
salute  in  honor  of  the  birthday  of  the  German  Emperor, 
and  that  Fogarty  and  Lynch  had  taken  advantage  of  the 
opportunity  to  raise  the  cry  of  pirates  and  scare  as  many  of 
us  nearly  to  death  as  possible.  I  would  have  been  willing, 
myself,  that  morning  to  have  been  one  of  a  party  to  help 
hang  Fogarty  at  the  yardarm,  and  some  of  the  victims 
were  so  mad  that  they  were  not  seen  to  smile  for  a  week. 

It  was  during  this  voyage,  too,  that  Mark  Baldwin,  the 
big  pitcher  of  the  Chicagos,  had  an  adventure  with  a  big 
Indian  monkey  that  the  engineer  of  the  steamer  had  pur- 
chased in  Ceylon  that  might  have  proved  serious.  This 
monkey  was  a  big,  powerful  brute,  and  as  ugly-looking  a 
specimen  of  his  family  as  I  ever  set  my  eyes  on.  He  was 
generally  fastened  by  means  of  a  strap  around  his  waist 
and  a  rope  some  five  or  six  feet  long,  in  the  engine-room, 
but  one  morning  Mark,  without  the  engineer's  knowl- 
edge, unfastened  him  and  took  him  on  deck.  The  sight 
of  the  ocean  and  his  strange  surroundings  frightened  him 
badly,  and  after  Mark  pulled  him  about  the  deck  a  while 
he  took  him  down  stairs  and  treated  him  to  beer  and  pret- 
zels, then  brought  him  back  to  the  deck  and  gave  him 
some  more  exercise.  Becoming  tired  of  the  sport  at  last 
Mark  took  him  back  to  the  engine-room.  The  iron  grat- 
ing around  the  first  cylinder  enabled  the  monkey  to  get 
his  head  on  a  level  with  Mark's  as  he  descended  the  stair 
and  Mr.  Monk  flew  at  his  throat  with  a  shriek  of  rage. 


230        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Mark  luckily  had  his  eye  on  the  brute  and  protected  his 
throat,  but  fell  backwards  with  the  animal  on-  top  of  him, 
receiving  a  painful  bite  on  the  leg.  The  monkey  then 
bounded  over  to  his  corner,  where  he  glared  at  Mark,  his 
grey  whiskers  standing  out  stiff  with  rage.  After  satisfy- 
ing himself  as  to  the  extent'of  his  injuries,  the  big  pitcher 
again  went  for  the  monk,  but  the  latter  jumped  from  the 
grating  to  the  piston-rod  of  the  engine,  and  at  every  revo- 
lution of  the  screw  he  would  go  down  into  the  hold  and 
then  come  up  again,  shaking  his  fist  at  Mark  at  every  as- 
cent, and  chattering  like  a  magpie.  This  sight  was  so 
comical  that  the  big  pitcher  roared  with  laughter,  and 
though  he  laid  for  a  chance  to  get  even  with  Mr.  Monk 
the  rest  the  voyage  the  latter  was  never  to  be  caught  nap- 
ping, and  kept  himself  out  of  danger. 

Into  the  waters  of  the  Arabian  Sea,  blue  as  indigo,  we 
steamed  on  the  morning  of  February  ist,  and  soon  after 
daybreak  the  next  morning  the  volcanic  group  of  islands 
off  the  African  coast  were  in  plain  sight  from  the  steam- 
er's deck.  Two  hours  later  we  passed  the  great  headland 
of  Guardafui,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Africa,  a  sentinel 
of  rock  that  guards  the  coast  and  that  rises  from  the  waves 
that  are  lashed  to  foam  about  its  base  in  solitary  gran- 
deur. The  following  afternoon  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
Arabian  coast,  some  forty  miles  distant,  and  later  the  great 
rocky  bluffs  that  protect  Aden  from  the  gulf  winds  were 
plainly  discernible.  It  was  nearly  supper  time  when  we 
landed  and  we  had  but  barely  time  for  a  glance  through 
the  shops  and  bazaars,  when  we  were  again  compelled  to 
board  the  steamer,  which  left  at  nine  o'clock  for  Suez. 

The  next  morning  the  sound  of  a  gong  beaten  on  the 
steamer's  deck  aroused  us  from  our  slumbers,  and  inquir- 
ing the  wherefore  we  were  informed  that  we  were  ap- 
proaching the  straits  of  Bal-el-Mandeb,  the  entrance  to 


FROM  CEYLON  TO  EGYPT.  231 

the  Red  Sea.  This  brought  all  of  our  party  on  deck  to 
greet  the  sunrise,  and  as  we  passed  between  the  rock^ 
bound  coast  of  Arabia  on  the  right  and  the  Island  of  Perin 
on  the  left  we  could  hear  the  roar  of  the  breakers  and  dis- 
cern the  yellow  and  faint  light  of  the  beacons  that  were 
still  burning  on  the  shore.  That  morning  at  10  o'clock 
we  steamed  by  the  white  walls  and  gleaming  towers  of  the 
City  of  Mocha,  that  lay  far  away  on  the  Arabian  coast, 
looking  like  some  fairy  city  in  the  dim  distance.  The 
weather  as  we  steamed  along  over  the  surface  of  the  Red 
Sea  was  not  as  hot  as  we  had  expected  to  find  it,  and  yet 
it  was  plenty  warm  enough  for  comfort,  and  it  was  with 
mingled  feelings  of  sorrow  and  joy  that  we  entered  the 
harbor  of  Suez  on  the  morning  of  February  7th  and  drew 
slowly  toward  the  little  city  of  the  same  name  that  lay  at 
the  end  of  the  great  canal,  the  building  of  which  has  tended 
to  change  the  business  of  the  continents.  The  huge  bluffs 
of  the  Egyptian  coast  stood  out  in  bold  relief  in  the  clear 
air  of  the  morning,  while  from  the  shores  opposite  the 
sands  of  the  great  desert  stretched  away  as  far  as<  the  eye 
could  reach.  Among  the  larger  vessels  that  lay  in  the 
harbor  were  an  English  troop-ship  and  an  Italian  man-of- 
war,  and  as  we  dropped  anchor  we  were  at  once  sur- 
rounded by  a  fleet  of  smaller  craft  After  bidding  good-by 
to  Captain  Talenhorst  and  his  officers,  and  seeing  that  our 
baggage  was  loaded  on  the  lighters  we  were  transferred 
to  the  decks  of  a  little  steamer  that  was  to  take  us  to  the 
docks  of  Suez,  some  two  miles  distant.  Hardly  had  we  set 
our  feet  on  the  shores  of  Egypt  before  we  were  besieged 
by  swarms  of  Arabian  and  Egyptian  donkey-boys  in  loose- 
fitting  robes,  black,  white  and  blue,  driving  before  them 
troops  of  long-eared  donkeys,  with  gayly-caparisofted 
and  queer-looking  saddles  and  bridles,  and  mounting  to 
our  seats  as  quickly  as  possible  be  tfotted  off  to  the  rail- 


232        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

road  station,  some  four  or  five  miles  distant,  and  took  our 
places  in  the  train  that  was  to  bear  us  to  Cairo.  Suez,  the 
little  that  we  saw  of  it,  impressed  us  as  being  about  the 
dirtiest  place  on  God's  green  footstool,  and  the  few  Euro- 
peans that  are  obliged  to  live  there  have  my  profound  sym- 
pathy, and  deserve  it. 

Through  the  village,  with  its  dirty  streets  lined  by  huts 
of  mud  and  past  little  villages  of  the  same  squalid  char- 
acter, the  train  sped.  Then  across  the  arid  desert  region 
that  extends  northward  from  Suez  to  Ismalia,  running 
parallel  with  the  canal  for  a  distance  of  thirty-five  miles, 
and  leaving  the  desert  we  entered  the  rich  valley  of  the 
Nile,  where  the  vegetation  was  most  luxuriant.  Groves  of 
palm  and  acacias  dotted  the  fields  and  flocks  of  sheep  and 
goats  were  to  be  seen  along  the  roadways  of  the  irrigating 
canals  that  appeared  to  overspread  the  valley  like  a  net. 
Camels  plodding  along  beneath  their  heavy  burden  and 
water  buffalos  standing  knee-deep  in  the  clover  were  not 
uncommon  sights  at  every  station,  while  the  train  was  sur- 
rounded by  motley  crowds  of  Bedouins,  Arabs  and  Egyp- 
tions,  the  women  being  veiled  to  the  eyes,  a  fact  for  which 
we  probably  had  reason  to  be  devoutedly  grateful,  if  we 
but  knew  it,  as  there  was  nothing  in  their  shapeless  figures 
to  indicate  any  hidden  beauty. 

Just  as  dusk  we  pulled  into  a  little  station  some  twenty 
miles  from  Cairo,  and  here  Ryan  started  a  panic  among 
the  natives  by  dressing  Clarence  Duval  up  in  his  drum- 
major  suit  of  scarlet  and  gold  lace,  with  a  catcher's  mask, 
over  his  face  and  a  rope  fastened  around  his  waist,  and 
turning  him  loose  among  the  crowd  that  surrounded  the 
carriages.  To  the  minds  of  the  unsophisticated  natices 
the  mascot  appeared  some  gigantic  ape  that  his  keeper 
could  with  difficulty  control,  and  both  men  and  women  fell 
over  each  other  in  their  hurry  to  get  out  of  his  way.  It 


FROM  CEYLON  TO  EGYPT.  233 

was  after  dark  when  we  arrived  at  Cairo  where,  as  we 
alighted  from  the  train,  we  were  beset  by  an  army  of  Egyp- 
tians, and  we  were  obliged  to  literally  fight  our  way  to  the 
carriages  that  were  in  waiting  and  that  were  to  take  us 
to  the  Hotel  d'Orient,  where  rooms  had  already  been  se- 
cured for  us,  and  where  an  excellent  dinner  was  awaiting 
our  arrival. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

IN  THE  SHADOW  OF  THE   PYRAMIDS. 

The  Hotel  cTOrient,  while  not  as  fashionable  as  Shep- 
ard's  or  the  Grand  New,  was  a  most  comfortable  house 
and  set  one  of  the  best  tables  of  the  many  that  we  encoun- 
tered on  the  trip.  It  faced  a  big  circular  open  space  from 
which  half  a  score  of  thoroughfares  diverged  like  the 
spokes  of  a  wheel,  and  was  accessible  from  all  parts  of  the 
city.  In  the  big  public  garden  opposite  one  of  the  Khe- 
dive's bands  was  playing  at  the  time  of  our  arrival,  and  on 
every  hand  were  to  been  the  open  doors  of  cafes,  bazars, 
gambling  hells  and  places  of  amusement,  while  the  jargon 
of  many  tongues  that  surrounded  us  made  confusion  worse 
confounded.  We  were  too  tired  the  first  night  of  our  ar- 
rival to  attempt  much  in  the  sight-seeing  line,  and  con- 
tented ourselves  with  a  quiet  stroll  about  the  streets  ra- 
diating from  the  circle,  and  a  peep  into  some  of  the  bazars 
and  gambling  houses,  gambling,  then,  as  I  presume  it  is 
at  the  present  time,  being  conducted  on  the  wide-open 
plan,  and  roulette  wheels  being  operated  within  full  view 
of  the  crowded  streets.  There  is  nothing  that  is  known 
to  any  other  city  in  the  world  that  cannot  be  found  in  Cairo, 
and  there  are  representatives  of  every  nation  in  the  world 
to  -be  found  among  its  denizens.  Seen  in  the  gloom  of  the 
evening,  its  towers  and  minarets  showing  in  the  moon- 
light, its  streets  pervaded  with  the  dull  red  glow  of  the 
lights  that  gleam  in  the  adjacent  bazars  and  cabarets,  and 
with  its  white-walled  buildings  towering  in  the  darkness, 
Cairo  looks  like  a  scene  from  the  Arabian  Nights,  but 
viewed  by  daylight  the  picture  is  not  so  entrancing,  for  the 
semi-darkness  serves  to  hide  from  the  eye  of  the  traveler 


THE  AMERICAN  BASE  BALI-  Touitisrs  AT  THE  SPHINX.  1HM8 


IN  THE  SHADOW  OF  THE  PYRAMIDS.          235 

the  squalor  and  filth  that  the  sunlight  reveals  and  that  is 
part  and  parcel  of  all  oriental  cities  and  towns. 

As  no  arrangements  had  been  made  for  a  game  the  day 
following  our  arrival,  the  members  of  our  party  were  at 
liberty  to  suit  themselves  in  the  matter  of  amusement,  and 
the  majority  of  them  overworked  the  patient  little  donkeys 
before  nightfall.  I  am  in  a  position  to  testify  that  I  met 
many  a  little  animal  that  afternoon  bestrode  by  a  long- 
legged  ball  player  who  looked  better  able  to  carry  the 
donkey  than  the  donkey  did  to  carry  him,  but  for  all  that 
both  boys  and  donkeys  seemed  to  be  enjoying  them- 
selves. In  company  with  Mrs.  Anson  and  others  of  the 
party  the  day  was  spent  in  sight-seeing,  we  taking  car- 
riages and  driving  through  the  Turkish,  Moorish,  Alge- 
rian and  Greek  quarters  of  the  town  and  over  narrow 
streets  paved  with  cobblestones  and  walled  in  by  high 
buildings,  with  overhanging  balconies,  where  the  warm 
rays  of  the  sun  never  penetrated.  The  rich  tapestries  and 
works  of  art  to  be  found  in  all  of  these  bazars  were  the 
delight  and  the  despair  of  the  ladies,  who  would  have  need- 
ed all  the  wealth  of  India  to  have  purchased  one-half  of 
the  beautiful  things  that  they  so  much  admired.  We  then 
drove  over  the  bridge  that  spans  the  Nile  to  the  Khedive's 
gardens,  the  roadway  being  lined  with  magnificent  equip- 
ages of  all  kinds,  for  this  is  the  fashionable  drive  of  Cairo 
and  one  of  the  sights  of  the  place,  the  gorgeous  liveries  of 
the  coachmen  and  outriders,  the  gaily-caparisoned  and 
magnificent  horses  and  the  beautiful  toilettes  of  the  ladies 
all  combined  to  make  a  picture  that  entranced  the  senses. 
One  of  the  Khedive's  palaces,  and,  by  the  way,  he  has  half 
a  dozen  of  them  in  Cairo,  is  situated  at  the  far  end  of  these 
gardens,  which  are  finer  than  any  of  our  parks  at  home, 
and  their  palaces  being  built  in  the  Egyptian  style  of  ar- 
chitecture, are  a  delight  to  the  eye. 


236        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

The  day  passed  all  too  quickly,  and  when  night  came 
and  we  returned  to  the  hotel,  we  had  not  seen  half  as  much 
as  we  wished. 

That  evening  after  dinner,  wishing  to  see  how  Cairo 
looked  by  gaslight,  Mrs.  Anson  and  I  drove  out  in  search 
of  a  theater,  which  I  naturally  thought  it  would  be  no  very 
difficult  matter  to  find,  though  which  of  the  many  we 
wished  to  go  to  we  had  not  made  up  our  minds.  The 
driver,  unfortunately,  could  not  understand  a  word  of  En- 
glish, that  being  the  trouble  with  half  of  the  beggars  one 
encounters  in  a  strange  land,  and  so  as  we  drove  down 
by  the  Grand  Hotel  and  French  Opera  House  and  came  to 
a  palatial-looking  building,  with  brilliantly  lighted 
grounds  and  colored  awnings  extending  down  to  the  side- 
walk, and  looking  the  sort  of  a  place  that  we  were  in  search 
of,  I  stopped  the  carriage  and  tried  to  find  out  from  the 
driver  as  best  I  could  wThat  sort  of  a  theater  it  was.  His 
answer  sounded  very  much  like  circus,  and  I  thought  that 
it  would  just  about  fill  the  bill  that  evening,  as  far  as  Mrs. 
Anson  and  I  were  concerned.  Helping  my  wife  to  alight 
we  passed  under  the  awning  and  by  liveried  servants  that 
stood  in  the  doorway,  the  music  of  many  bands  coming 
to  our  ears  and  the  scent  of  a  perfumed  fountain  whose 
spray  we  could  see,  to  our  nostrils. 

"This  is  a  pretty  swell  sort  of  a  circus,  isn't  it?"  I  said 
to  my  wife,  who  nodded  her  head  in  reply. 

Through  the  open  door  we  could  catch  glimpses  of 
large  parties  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  in  full  dress,  but  it 
had  never  occurred  to  me  that  it  could  be  anything  but 
what  I  had  understood  the  driver  to  say  it  was,  a  circus, 
and  I  began  to  look  around  for  a  ticket  office  in  order  that 
I  might  purchase  the  necessary  pasteboards.  At  last,  run- 
ning up  against  a  dark-complexioned  and  distinguished- 


IN   THE  SHADOW   OF  THE   PYRAMIDS.          237 

looking  man  in  full  uniform,  I  asked  him  if  he  could  tell 
us  where  the  tickets  could  be  bought. 

"Tickets!  What  tickets?"  he  asked,  in  very  good  En- 
glish, but  in  a  rather  surprised  tone. 

"Why,  the  tickets  to  the  circus  here,"  I  answered,  ner- 
vously, for  I  began  to  fear  that  I  had  make  a  mistake. 

"There  is  no  circus  here,  my  friend,"  said  the  stranger, 
as  he  turned  away  his  head  to  hide  a  smile,  "this  ;s  my 
private  residence.  I  am  Commander-in»-chief  of  the  Egyp- 
tian Army,  and  am  simply  entertaining  a  few  friends  here 
tonight.  I  would  be  much  pleased  if  you  would  remain 
and— 

"Don't  say  a  word,  sir,"  I  replied,  feeling  cheaper  than 
I  had  ever  felt  in  my  life,  "it  is  my  mistake  and  I  hope  you 
will  excuse  me,"  and  bowing  myself  out  as  best  I  could 
we  drove  back  to  the  hotel,  where  Mrs.  Anson,  who  had 
been  laughing  at  me  all  the  way  back,  had  of  course  to  tell 
the  story,  the  result  being  that  I  was  guyed  about  my  ex- 
perience "at  the  circus"  for  some  days  and  weeks  after 
Cairo  had  become  only  a  memory.  That  evening  in  the 
office  of  the  hotel  the  following  bulletin  was  posted: 

"Base-ball  at  the  Pyramids.  The  Chicago  and  All- 
America  teams,  comprising  the  Spalding  base-ball  party, 
will  please  report  in  the  hotel  office,  in  uniform,  promptly 
at  ten  o'clock  to-morrow  morning.  We  shall  leave  the 
hotel  at  that  hour,  camels  having  been  provided  for  the 
All-Americas  and  donkeys  for  the  Chicago  players,  with 
carriages  for  the  balance  of  the  party.  The  Pyramids  will 
be  inspected,  the  Sphinx  visited,  and  a  game  played  upon 
the  desert  near  by,  beginning  at  2  o'clock." 

The  next  morning  at  half-past  nine  the  court  of  the 
Hotel  d'Orient  held  what  it  had  never  held  before,  and 
what  in  all  probability  it  will  never  hold  again,  twenty  of 
the  best-known  exponents  of  the  National  Game  that 
America  could  boast  of  having  congregated  there  in  uni- 


238        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

form  and  in  readiness  to  play  ball  in  the  presence  of  the 
countless  ages  that  look  down  from  the  summits  of  the 
Pyramids  and  the  imprint  of  whose  fingers  is  seen  in  the 
seamed  and  scarred  face  of  the  Sphinx.  In  front  of  the 
hotel  lay  a  dozen  long-necked  camels,  saddled  and  bridled, 
and  contentedly  chewing  their  cuds,  while  about  them 
stood  as  many  more  of  the  patient  little  donkeys  that  be- 
came so  familiar  to  so  many  of  the  visitors  to  the  Streets 
of  Cairo  during  the  World's  Fair  days  at  Chicago.  The 
dragoman  in  charge  had  provided  all  the  donkeys  neces- 
sary for  the  occasion,  but  other  donkey  boys  managed  to 
get  mixed  up  in  a  general  melee,  and  when  the  boys  had 
mounted  the  wrong  donkeys  and  went  to  get  on  the  right 
ones  a  row  followed  that  would  have  put  a  Donny  brook 
Fair  melee  to  shame,  the  disappointed  donkey  boys  biting 
and  scratching  their  more  fortunate  competitors  and  the 
policemen  laying  about  them  with  their  bamboo  staffs. 
At  last  we  were  all  in  the  saddle,  the  All-America  team 
being  mounted  on  the  camels  and  the  Chicago  boys  on  the 
donkeys  and  with  the  ball  players  leading  the  way  and 
the  carriages  following  we  moved  through  the  streets  of 
Cairo,  past  the  residence  of  the  American  Minister,  where 
we  cheered  the  old  flag  that  floated  over  his  quarters, 
thence  over  the  bridge  of  the  Nile  and  down  through  the 
Khedive's  gardens1,  the  "ships  of  the  desert"  lurching 
along  with  their  loads  like  vessels  in  an  ocean  storm,  and 
the  donkeys  requiring  an  amount  of  coaxing  and  per- 
suasion that  proved  to  be  a  severe  tax  upon  the  patience 
of  their  riders.  4 

The  road  leading  to  the  Pyramids  was  a  beautiful  one 
running  beneath  an  avenue  arched  with  acacias  until  it 
reached  the  lowlands  of  the  river  across  which  it  winds 
until  it  arrives  at  the  edge  of  the  desert  upon  which  these 
great  monuments  of  the  kings  and  queens  dead  and  gone 


IN   THE  SHADOW   OF  THE   PYRAMIDS.          239 

for  centuries  are  built.  Half  way  to  our  destination  an  in- 
terchange of  camels  and  donkeys  was  made  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  two  teams,  an  exchange  that,  so  far  as  the  Chi- 
cagos  were  concerned,  was  for  the  worse  and  not  for  the 
better.  At  two  o'clock  we  arrived  at  our  destination  and 
partook  of  the  lunch  that  had  been  prepared  for  us  in  the 
little  brick  cottage  that  stood  at  the  foot  of  old  Cheops. 
After  lunch  we  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of 
Bedouins  and  Arabs  numbering  some  two  hundred,  who 
besought  us  to  purchase  musty  coins  and  copper  images 
that  were  said  to  have  been  found  in  the  interior  of  the 
huge  piles  of  stone  that  surrounded  us,  and  more  per- 
sistent beggars  than  they  proved  to  be  it  has  never  been 
my  misfortune  to  run  against.  After  visiting  the  big 
Pyramids  and  the  Sphinx,  and  having  our  pictures  taken 
in  connection  with  these  wonders  of  the  world,  we  passed 
down  to  the  hard  sands  of  the  desert,  where  a  diamond 
had  been  laid  out,  and  where,  in  the  presence  of  fully  a 
thousand  people,  many  tourists  coming  to  Cairo  having 
been  attracted  to  the  scene  by  the  announcements  made 
that  we  were  to  play  there,  we  began  the  first  and  only 
game  of  ball  that  the  great  sentinels  of  the  desert  ever 
looked  down  upon.  This  game  was  played  under  difficul- 
ties, as  when  the  ball  was  thrown  or  batted  into  the  crowd 
the  Arabs  would  pounce  upon  it  and  examine  it  as  though 
it  were  one  of  the  greatest  of  curiosities,  and  it  was  only 
after  a  row  that  we  could  again  get  it  in  our  possession. 

On  this  occasion  Tener  and  Baldwin  both  pitched  for 
Chicagos  before  the  five  innings  were  over,  and  Healy  and 
Crane  for  the  All-Americas.  Both  sides  were  exceed- 
ingly anxious  to  win  this  game,  but  fortune  favored  the 
All-Americas  and  we  were  beaten  10  to  6,  for  which  I  apol- 
ogized to  the  Sphinx  on  behalf  of  my  team  after  the  game 
was  over.  To  this  she  turned  a  deaf  ear  and  a  stony  glance 


24o        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

was  her  only  answer.  After  the  game  we  returned  to  the 
Pyramid,,  and  the  Sphinx,  looking  them  over  more  at  our 
leisure  and  trying  to  fathom  the  mystery  of  how  they  were 
built  that  has  been  a  puzzle  for  so  many  ages. 

It  was  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  when  we  returned 
to  Cairo,  well  satisfied  with  our  sight-seeing  experience, 
but  a  little  disappointed  to  think  that  the  only  ball  game 
that  had  ever  been  played  in  the  shadow  of  the  Pyramids 
had  not  been  placed  to  the  credit  of  Chicago. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  the  next  day  and  night  but 
to  stroll  about  Cairo,  as  the  Khedive,  before  whom  we  had 
offered  to  play,  was  out  at  his  Nile  palace,  and  to  have  vis- 
ited him  there  and  given  an  exhibition,  as  he  invited  us  to 
do,  would  have  taken  more  time  than  we  had  at  our  dis- 
posal. The  Mosques  of  Sultan  Hassan  and  of  Mohammed 
AH  were  visited  by  many  of  us  during  the  day.  They  stood 
upon  the  highest  point  of  the  city,  and  though  the  former 
is  fast  crumbling  to  ruins,  the  latter,  which  is  the  place 
where  the  Khedive  worships,  is  fairly  well  preserved.  From 
the  citadel,  which  is  garrisoned  by  English  soldiers,  we  ob- 
tained an  excellent  bird's-eye  view  of  Cairo,  the  broad  sur- 
face of  the  Nile  and  the  Pyramids  of  Cairo  and  Sakarah, 
the  latter  of  which  are  twenty  miles  distant 

I  believe  that  had  we  remained  in  Cairo  for  a  year  we 
could  still  have  found  something  to  interest  and  amuse  us, 
though  I  should  hardly  fancy  having  to  remain  there  for 
a  life-time,  as  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Orient  are 
not  to  my  liking.  The  line  of  demarcation  between  the 
rich  and  the  poor  is  too  strongly  drawn  and  the  beggars 
much  too  numerous  to  suit  my  fancy,  and  yet  while  there 
both  my  wife  and  myself  enjoyed  ourselves  most  thor- 
oughly, and  the  recollections  that  we  now  entertain  of  it 
are  most  pleasant. 

Our  departuie  from  Cairo  was  made  on  the  morning 


IN   THE   SHADOW   OF  THE   PYRAMIDS.          241 

of  February  nth.  Ismalia,  a  little  city  on  the  banks  of 
the  Suez  Canal,  about  half  way  between  Suez  and  Port 
Said,  being  our  destination,  and  here  we  arrived  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  at  five  o'clock  boarded  the  little  steamer 
that  was  to  take  us  to  Port  Said,  where  we  were  to  catch 
the  steamer  across  the  Mediterranean,  to  the  little  Italian 
town  of  Brindisi. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

UNDER  THE   BLUE   SKIES  OF  ITALY. 

The  night  we  left  Ismalia  and  started  for  Port  Said,  the 
port  of  entrance  at  the  northernmost  end  of  the  Suez 
Canal,  was  a  glorious  one,  the  full  moon  shining  down 
upon  the  waters  and  turning  to  silver  the  sands  of  the  vast 
desert  that  stretched  away  to  the  horizon  on  either  side. 
This  canal  through  which  we  had  passed  had  a  mean  depth 
of  27  feet  and  varies  from  250  to  350  feet  in  width,  its 
length  from  sea  to  sea  being  87  miles.  The  banks  on  both 
sides  were  barren  of  verdure  and  there  was  but  little  to  be 
seen  save  the  Canal  itself,  which  is  an  enduring  monument 
to  the  brains  of  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps.  Every  now  and 
then  our  little  steamer  passed  some  leviathan  of  the  deep 
bound  for  Suez,  and  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  music  of  our 
mandolins  and  guitars  and  of  Mrs.  Lynch's  cornet  would 
bring  the  passengers  on  board  of  them  to  the  steamer's  rail 
as  we  sped  by  them  in  the  moonlight.  Shortly  after  ten 
o'clock  the  lights  -of  Port  Said  came  in  sight  and  at  half- 
past  ten  we  were  climbing  up  the  sides  of  the  "Stettin," 
where  we  found  a  fine  lot  of  officers  and  a  good  dinner 
awaiting  our  arrival. 

An  hour  later  we  were  on  our  way  across  the  Mediter- 
ranean. The  voyage  was  the  roughest  we  had  yet  had,  and 
as  the  majority  of  the  party  were  so  seasick  as  to  be  con- 
fined to  their  staterooms,  there  was  very  little  pleasure  to 
be  found,  the  ship  rolling  about  so  that  her  screw  was 
more  than  half  the  time  out  of  the  water.  The  mountains 
of  Crete  and  Candia,  with  their  snowy  caps,  were  the  only 
signs  of  land  to  be  seen  until  we  arrived  in  sight  of  Brin- 


UNDER  THE  BLUE  SKIES  OF  ITALY.          243 

disi,  which  we  reached  twelve  hours  later  than  we  should 
have  done  had  it  not  been  for  the  rough  weather  that  we 
encountered.  Here  we  received  the  first  mail  that  we  had 
had  since  we  left  home,  and  as  there  were  letters  from  our 
daughters  in  the  bag  we  were  more  than  happy. 

At  Brindisi  we  were  obliged  to  remain  over  night,  hav- 
ing missed  the  day  train  for  Naples,  but  the  storm  that  that 
evening  swept  the  coast  confined  us  to  the  hotel,  where 
the  big  wood  fires  that  blazed  in  the  grates,  both  in  the 
office  and  in  our  sleeping  apartments,  made  things  most 
comfortable.  At  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  left  for 
Naples,  where  we  arrived  that  evening,  our  journey  taking 
us  through  the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque  portion  of 
Southern  Italy,  a  country  rich  in  vineyards,  valleys,  wood- 
ed mountains  and  beggars,  being  excelled  in  the  latter 
respect  only  by  the  lands  of  the  Orient. 

The  most  of  our  baggage  had  already  gone  on  the 
steamer  to  Southampton,  and  so  when  we  got  to  the  shores 
of  the  Bay  of  Naples  we  had  but  little  for  the  Custom 
House  Inspectors  to  inspect.  I  had  my  bat  bag  with  me, 
however,  and  as  I  entered  the  station  a  funny-looking  little 
old  man  in  gold  lace  insisted  that  the  bag  was  above  the 
regulation  weight  and  that  I  should  register  it  and  pay  the 
extra  fare.  I  kicked  harder  than  I  had  ever  kicked  to  any 
umpire  at  home  in  my  life,  bat  to  no  avail,  for  I  was  com- 
pelled to  settle.  As  we  came  within  sight  of  the  Bay  of 
Naples  we  were  all  on  the  lookout  for  Mount  Vesuvius, 
which  Fogarty  was  the  first  to  sight,  and  to  which  he  called 
our  attention.  Green  and  gray  it  loomed  up  in  the  dis- 
tance, its  summit  surrounded  by  a  crimson  halo  and  its 
crater  every  few  seconds  belching  out  flames  and  lava. 
Arriving  at  the  station  we  were  met  by  Messrs.  Spalding 
and  Lynch,  who  had  come  on  from  Brindisi  one  train  in 
advance  of  us,  and  here  Martin  Sullivan,  who  had  playfully 


244        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

filched  the  horn  of  a  guard  while  en  route,  was  taken  into 
custody  by  half  a  score  of  gendarmes.  It  took  the  services 
of  three  interpreters  and  some  fifteen  minutes  of  time  to 
straighten  this  affair  out,  after  which  we  proceeded  to  the 
Hotel  Vesuve,  where  we  were  to  put  up  during  our  stay 
in  Naples.  That  night  we  were  too  tired  for  sightseeing 
and  contented  ourselves  with  gazing  from  the  windows  at 
the  beautiful  Bay  of  Naples,  which  lay  flashing  beneath  us 
in  the  moonlight. 

As  no  arrangements  had  been  made  to  play  a  game 
until  the  fourth  day  after  our  arrival  we  had  ample  time  for 
sightseeing,  and  this  we  turned  to  the  best  account.  The 
view  from  the  balconies  of  the  hotel  was  in  itself  a  grand 
one,  and  one  of  which  we  never  tired.  Vesuvius,  with  its 
smoke-crowned  summit,  was  in  plain  sight,  while  the  view 
of  the  bay  and  the  beautiful  islands  of  Capri  and  Ischia, 
that  lay  directly  in  front  of  the  hotel,  presented  as  pretty 
and  enticing  a  picture  as  could  be  found  anywhere.  That 
afternoon  we  drove  all  about  old  Naples,  visiting  many 
of  the  quaint  and  handsome  old  cathedrals  and  palaces, 
and  that  night  we  went  to  hear  "Lucretia  Borgia,"  at  the 
San  Carlos,  which  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  theaters 
to  be  found  in  all  Europe.  The  next  day  we  spent  among 
the  ruins  of  Pompeii  and,  though  a  third  of  the  original 
city  at  the  time  of  our  visit  still  lay  buried  beneath  the 
ashes  and  lava,  we  were  enabled  to  obtain  a  pretty  fair 
idea  of  what  the  whole  city  was  like,  and  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  unfortunate  people  who  had  been  over- 
whelmed by  the  eruption.  Many  of  the  most  interesting 
relics  found  are  now  in  the  National  Museum  at  Naples, 
among  them  being  the  casts  of  bodies  that  were  taken 
from  the  ashes.  The  museums  and  cathedrals  at  Naples 
are  rich  in  relics  and  you  might  spend  days  in  looking  at 
them  and  still  not  see  half  of  what  is  to  be  shown. 


UNDER  THE  BLUE  SKIES  OF   ITALY.       •  245 

My  wife  and  I  were  both  anxious  to  make  the  ascent 
of  Vesuvius,  but  the  dangers  incurred  by  some  of  the  other 
members  of  the  party  who  had  attempted  the  feat  deterred 
us  from  making  the  attempt. 

Our  first  game  of  ball  in  Naples  and  the  first  of  our 
trip  on  European  soil  was  played  in  the  Campo  de  Mart, 
or  "Field  of  Mars,"  February  iQth.  We  left  the  hotel  in 
carriages  and  drove  out  by  the  way  of  the  Via  Roma  to 
the  grounds.  The  day  before  United  States  Consul  Cam- 
phausen,  who  treated  us  all  through  our  stay  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  courtesy,  had  issued  invitations  to 
the  various  members  of  the  different  diplomatic  corps  in 
Naples,  and  also  to  many  of  the  principal  citizens,  so  that 
there  was  a  crowd  of  about  3,000  people  on  the  grounds, 
and  among  them  quite  a  sprinkling  of  foreign  diplomats 
and  fashionable  people.  The  game  began  with  Baldwin 
and  Daly  and  Healy  and  Earl  in  the  points,  but  it  had 
hardly  gotten  under  way  before  the  crowd  swarmed  onto 
the  playing  grounds  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  fielding  well- 
nigh  impracticable,  and  batting  dangerous.  The  police 
seemed  powerless  to  restrain  the  people  and  the  bad  Italian 
of  A.  G.  Spalding  had,  seemingly,  no  effect,  in  spite  of  the 
coaching  given  him  by  Minister  Camphausen-.  Then  we 
tried  to  clear  the  field  ourselves,  and,  though  we  would 
succeed  for  a  time,  it  would  soon  be  as  bad  as  ever,  the 
fact  that  an  Italian  was  laid  out  senseless  by  a  ball  from 
Carroll's  bat  not  seeming  to  deter  them  in  the  least.  For 
three  innings  neither  side  scored,  and  in  the  fourth  each 
got  a  man  across  the  plate,  but  in  the  fifth  the  All-Amer- 
icas increased  their  score  by  seven  runs,  and  the  crowd, 
evidently  thinking  that  the  game  was  over,  swarmed  across 
the  field  like  an  army  of  Kansas  grasshoppers,  and  Ward, 
ordering  his  men  into  their  positions,  claimed  the  game  of 
Tener,  who  was  umpiring,  which  the  latter  gave  him  by  a 


246        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

technical  score  of  9  to  o,  the  score  books  showing  8  to  2. 
That  night  was  our  last  in  Naples,  and  by  invitation  of  the 
American  Minister  we  occupied  boxes  at  the  San  Carlos 
Theater,  which  was  packed  from  pit  to  dome  by  the  wealth 
and  fashion  of  Naples. 

We  were  to  have  taken  our  departure  for  Rome  at  8:30 
the  next  morning,  but  owing  to  a  mistake  that  was  made 
by  the  commissionaire,  to  whom  the  getting  of  the  tickets 
had  been  left,  we  were  compelled  to  wait  until  the  after- 
noon at  three,  Mr.  Spalding  and  his  mother  going  on 
without  us.  Leaving  Clarence  Duval  to  watch  over  the 
baggage  piled  up  in  a  corner  of  the  waiting-room  we  spent 
the  time  in  driving  about  the  city,  and  in  paying  a  farewell 
visit  to  the  Naples  Museum,  in  which  is  contained  some  of 
the  finest  marbles,  bronzes  and  paintings  to  be  found  on 
the  continent,  the  Farnese  Bull  and  the  Farnese  Hercules 
in  marble  being  famous  the  world  over.  Three  o'clock 
found  us  again  at  the  depot  and  this  time  the  tickets  being 
on  hand  we  boarded  the  train  and  were  soon  whirling 
along  through  the  rural  districts  of  Italy  on  our  way  to 
"Rome  that  sat  upon  her  seven  hills 
And  ruled  the  world." 

This  trip  was  uneventful,  and  even  the  irrepressibles  of 
the  party  managed  to  keep  out  of  mischief,  the  experience 
of  Martin  Sullivan  having  taught  them  that  the  Italians 
did  not  know  how  to  take  a  joke.  At  nine  o'clock  we 
reached  the  Eternal  City,  our  party  dividing  at  the  sta- 
tion, the  Chicagos  going  to  the  Hotel  de  Alamagne  and 
the  All-Americas  to  the  Hotel  de  Capital,  this  action  be- 
ing necessary  because  of  the  fact  that  Rome  was  at  that 
time  crammed  with  tourists  and  accommodations  for  such 
a  large  party  as  ours  were  hard  to  find. 

When  Messrs.  Spalding  and  Lynch  called  upon  Judge 
Stallo  of  Cincinnati  the  next  morning,  he  then  being  the 


UNDER  THE  BLUE  SKIES  OF  ITALY.         247 

American  Minister  at  Rome,  they  were  given  the  cold 
shoulder  for  the  first  time  during  the  trip,  that  gentleman 
declaring  that  he  had  never  taken  the  slightest  interest  in 
athletics,  and  that  he  did  not  propose  to  lend  the  use  of 
his  name  for  mercenary  purposes.  There  being  no_  in- 
closed grounds  in  Rome  this  action  of  Jude  Stallo's  was 
in  the  nature  of  a  gratuitous  insult,  and  was  looked  upon 
as  such  by  the  members  of  our  party.  Mr.  Charles  Dough- 
erty, the  Secretary  of  the  American  Legation  at  Rome, 
proved,  however,  to  be  an  American  of  a  different  kind, 
and  one  that  devoted  to  us  much  of  his  time  and  attention. 
Who  that  has  ever  been  to  Rome  can  ever  forget  it? 
I  cannot,  and  I  look  upon  the  time  that  I  put  in  there  sight- 
seeing as  most  pleasantly  and  profitably  spent.  The  stu- 
pendous church  of  St.  Peter's,  with  its  chapels  and  gal- 
leries, being  in  itself  an  imposing  object  lesson.  Its  glories 
have  already  been  inadequately  described  by  some  of  the 
most  famous  of  literary  men,  and  where  they  have  failed  it 
would  be  folly  for  a  mere  ball  player  to  make  the  attempt. 
In  St.  Peter's  we  spent  almost  an  entire  day,  and  leaving 
it  we  felt  that  there  was  still  more  to  be  seen.  The  second 
day  we  visited  the  palace  of  the  Caesars,  the  Catacombs, 
the  ruins  of  the  Forum,  and  the  Coliseum,  within  whose 
tottering  walls  the  mighty  athletes  of  an  olden  day  battled 
for  mastery.  We  drove  far  out  on  the  Appian  Way,  that 
had  at  one  time  echoed  the  tread  of  Rome's  victorious  le- 
gions, until  we  stopped  at  the  tomb  of  St.  Cecelia.  The 
glories  of  ancient  Rome  have  departed  but  the  ruins  of 
that  glory  still  remain  to  challenge  the  wonder  and  admira- 
tion of  the  traveler.  Rome  is  not  composed  entirely  of 
massive  ruins  in  these  latter  days,  as  some  people  seem  to 
imagine.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  a  city  of  wealth  and  mag- 
nificence, and  if  "you  do  as  the  Romans  do"  you  are  cer- 


248        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

tain  to  enjoy  yourself,  for  the  Romans  do  about  the  same 
things  as  other  people. 

The  Corso,  which  is  the  fashionable  drive  and  prome- 
nade of  the  residents,  had  a  great  attraction  for  us  all,  and 
between  three  and  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoons  the  scene 
presented  was  a  brilliant  one,  it  being  at  that  time  throng- 
ed with  handsome  equipages  and  handsomer  women,  while 
the  shop  windows  are  pictures  in  themselves.  The  street 
itself  in  a  narrow  one,  being  barely  wide  enough  for  two 
vehicles  to  pass  each  other,  and  yet  over  its  pavements 
there  is  a  constantly  flowing  tide  of  people  such  as  Fifth 
Avenue  in  New  York,  State  Street  in  Chicago,  Rotten 
Row  in  London,  or  even  the  Champs  Elysee  in  Paris  can- 
not equal. 

On  the  afternoon  of  February  22d,  in  answer  to  an  in- 
vitation extended  to  the  party  through  President  Spald- 
ing,  by  Dr.  O'Connell,  Director  of  the  American  College 
at  Rome,  we  called  at  that  institution  in  a  body  and  were 
soon  chatting  with  the  students,  some  seventy-five  in  num- 
ber, who  came  from  a  score  of  different  cities  in  our  own 
country. 

They  were  a  fine,  manly  lot,  and  just  as  fond  of  base- 
ball, which  they  informed  us  that  they  often  played,  as 
though  they  were  not  studying  for  the  priesthood.  Meet- 
ing them  reminded  me  of  my  old  school  days  at  Notre 
Dame,  and  of  the  many  games  that  I  had  taken  part  in 
while  there  when  the  old  gentleman  was  still  busily  en- 
gaged in  trying  to  make  something  out  of  me,  and  I  was 
just  as  busily  engaged  in  blocking  his  little  game.  After 
a  pleasant  chat  Clarence  Duval  gave  them  an  exhibition 
of  dancing  and  baton  swinging  that  amused  them  greatly, 
and  then  we  adjourned  to  one  of  the  class-rooms,  where 
we  listened  to  brief  addresses  by  Bishop  McQuade  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  who  was  then  in  Rome  on  a  visit;  Bishr- 


UNDER  THE  BLUE  SKIES  OF  ITALY.         249 

op  Payne  of  Virginia,  and  Dr.  O'Connell,  to  all  of  which 
A.  G.  responded,  after  which  we  took  our  departure,  but 
not  before  the  students  had  all  promised  to  witness  the 
game  of  the  next  day. 

This  game  was  played  on  the  private  grounds  of  the 
Prince  Borghese,  which  are  thrown  open  to  the  public  be- 
tween the  hours  of  three  and  five  on  Tuesday,  Saturday 
and  Sunday  of  each  week,  and  a  prettier  place  for  a  dia- 
mond that  the  portion  of  it  upon  which  we  played,  and 
which  was  known  as  the  Piazza,  de  Sienna,  could  not  be 
imagined.  Under  the  great  trees  that  crowned  the  grassy 
terraces  about  the  glade  that  afternoon  assembled  a  crowd 
such  as  few  ball  players  had  ever  played  before,  among 
the  notables  present  being  King  Humbert  of  Italy,  the 
Prince  of  Naples,  Prince  Borghese  and  family,  Count 
Ferran,  Princess  Castel  del  Fino,  Count  Gionatti,  Senora 
Crispi,  wife  of  the  Prime  Minister,  and  her  daughter, 
Charles  Dougherty  and  ladies,  the  class  of  the  American 
College  at  Rome,  members  of  the  various  diplomatic 
corps,  tourists  and  others. 

We  were  greeted  by  three  rousing  cheers  and  a  tiger 
from  the  American  College  boys  and  then,  after  fifteen 
minutes  of  fast  practice,  we  began  the  first  professional 
ball  game  ever  played  in  Rome,  a  game  that  both  teams 
were  most  anxious  to  win.  Crane  and  Earle  and  Tener 
and  Daly  were  in  the  points.  The  game  was  a  remark- 
able one  throughout,  the  fielding  on  both  sides  being  gilt- 
edged,  and  the  score  a  tie  at  the  end  of  the  second  inning, 
each  side  having  two  runs.  Double  plays,  clean  hitting 
and  sharp  fielding  marked  the  next  few  innings,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  seventh  inning  Burns  crossed  the  plate 
with  the  winning  run  for  the  Chicagos,  the  score  standing 
at  3  to  2.  After  this  we  played  an  exhibition  game  of  two 
innings,  that  was  marked  by  fast  work  throughout,  and 


A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

heartily  cheered  as  we  lifted  OUT  caps  and  left  the 
grounds. 

Shortly  after  the  noon  hour  the  next  day,  which  was 
Sunday,  we  started  for  Florence,  the  day  being  a  cold  and 
cheerless  one,  arriving  there  at  8:30  and  finding  quarters 
at  the  Hotel  de  Europe,  not  a  stone's  throw  from  the 
right  bank  of  the  Arno.  It  was  too  chilly  for  any  gas-light 
trips  that  evening,  and  we  retired  early,  but  the  next 
morning  after  an  early  breakfast  we  started  in  to  make 
the  most  of  the  little  time  that  we  had  at  our  disposal,  and 
before  the  time  set  for  play  that  afternoon  we  had  taken 
flying  peeps  at  the  beautiful  Cathedral  of  St.  Maria,  the 
home  and  studio  of  Michael  Angelo,  the  palace  of  the 
Medicis  and  the  Pitti  and  Uffizi  galleries,  both  of  which 
are  rich  in  paintings,  the  works  of  the  great  masters. 

We  played  that  afternoon  upon  the  Cascine  or  race- 
course of  Florence,  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  surroundings 
and  in  the  presence  of  a  crowd  that  was  small  but  select, 
royalty  having  several  representatives  on  the  grounds. 
The  game  was  a  hotly-contested  one  throughout,  Healy 
and  Carroll  and  Baldwin  and  myself  being  the  batteries, 
and  was  finally  won  by  the  All-Americas,  the  score  stand- 
ing at  7  to  4  in  their  favor. 

It  was  five  o'clock  and  raining  when  we  left  Florence 
the  next  morning.  We  had  landed  in  Italy  in  a  rain  storm 
and  we  left  the  land  of  sunshine  and  soft  skies  under  the 
same  unpleasant  conditions. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

OUR  VISIT  TO  LA  BELLE  FRANCE. 

It  was  some  days  after  we  left  the  beautiful  city  of 
Florence,  with  its  wealth  of  statuary  and  paintings,  before 
we  again  donned  our  uniforms,  the  lack  of  grounds  upon 
which  we  could  play  being  the  reason  for  our  enforced 
idleness.  The  day  we  left  Florence  we  crossed  over  the 
border  and  that  night  found  us  on  French  soil,  and  in 
the  land  of  the  "parlevooers."  The  ride  from  Florence 
to  Nice,  which  latter  city  was  our  objective  point,  was  one 
long  dream  of  delight,  the  road  running  for  nearly  the 
entire  distance  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  and 
along  the  edge  of  high  cliffs,  at  whose  rocky  bases  waves 
were  breaking  into  spray  that,  catching  the  gleam  of  the 
sunlight,  reflected  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  Now  and 
then  the  train  plunged  into  the  darkness  of  a  tunnel,  where 
all  was  blackness,  but  as  it  emerged  again  the  sunlight  be- 
came all  the  brighter  by  comparison.  As  we  passed 
through  Pisa,  a  few  hours  out  from  Florence,  we  caught 
an  excellent  view  of  the  famous  leaning  tower,  with  the 
appearance  of  which  every  schoolboy  has  been  made  fa- 
miliar by  the  pictures  in  his  geography.  At  Genoa  the 
train  stopped  for  luncheon  and  there  Pfeffer's  appetite 
proved  to  be  too  much  for  him,  and  as  he  couldn't  speak 
Italian  he  lingered  so  long  at  the  table  as  to  get  left,  com- 
ing on  in  the  next  train  a  few  hours  afterwards,  and  get- 
ting guyed  unmercifully  regarding  his  tremendous  ca- 
pacity for  storing  away  food. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  we  passed  through  the 
little  city  of  Diana  Maria,  that  four  years  before  had  been 


252        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  in  which  some  four  hundred 
people  were  killed  or  severely  injured.  It  was  a  desolate 
enough  looking  place  as  viewed  from  the  car  windows, 
the  broken  walls  that  seemed  ready  to  tumble  at  the 
slightest  touch,  and  the  bare  rafters  all  bearing  witness 
to  the  terrible  shaking  up  that  the  city  had  received.  Leav- 
ing Diana  Maria  we  passed  through  some  beautiful  moun- 
tain scenery,  the  little  villages  that  clustered  in  the  valleys 
looking  from  our  point  of  view  like  a  collection  of  bird- 
houses.  It  was  nearly  dark  when  we  reached  San  Remo, 
where  the  late  Emperor  of  Germany  had  lain  during  his 
last  illness,  and  quite  so  when  we  left  it  and  entered  the 
station  of  Vingt  Mille,  on  the  French  border,  and  some 
twenty  miles  from  our  destination. 

Here  Crane's  monkey  was  the  cause  of  our  getting  into 
trouble,  a  couple  of  Italians,  who  had  taken  offense  at  the 
free-and-easy  ways  of  Fogarty,  Crane  and  Carroll,  who 
occupied  the  same  apartment  with  them,  informing  the 
guard  that  the  New-Yorker  had  the  little  animal  in  his 
pocket,  the  fare  for  which  was  immediately  demanded  and 
refused. 

At  Vingt  Mille,  after  the  customs  authorities  had  ex- 
amined our  baggage,  and  we  were  about  to  take  the  train 
again,  we  were  stopped  and  informed  that  we  would  not 
be  allowed  to  proceed  until  the  monkey's  fare  had  been 
paid.  It  was  some  time  before  we  ascertained  the  real 
cause  of  our  detention,  none  of  us  being  able  to  speak  Ital- 
ian, and  when  we  finally  learned  the  train  had  gone  on 
without  us.  Seventeen  francs  were  paid  for  the  monk's 
ride  in  Crane's  pocket,  and  we  thought  the  episode  set- 
tled, but  later  on  the  official  came  back,  stating  that  a 
mistake  had  been  made  and  that  the  monk's  fare  was  nine 
francs  more,  but  this  Crane  positively  refused  to  pay  until 
we  were  again  surrounded  by  a  cordon  of  soldiers,  when 


OUR  VISIT  TO   LA   BELLE  FRANCE.  253 

he  "anted  up,"  but  most  unwillingly.  It  was  an  imposi- 
tion, doubtless,  but  they  had  the  might  on  their  side  and 
that  settled  the  business.  After  that  the  gentleman  (?) 
who  had  acted  as  interpreter,  doubtless  thinking  that 
Americans  were  "soft  marks,"  put  in  a  claim  of  twenty 
francs  for  services,  but  this  he  did  not  get,  though  he 
came  very  close  to  receiving  the  toe  of  a  boot  in  its  stead. 

After  once  more  getting  started*  we  sped  past  the  gam- 
bling palaces  of  Monte  Carlo  and  Monaco,  that  loomed  up 
close  behind  us  in  the  darkness,  and,  arriving  at  Nice, 
finally  secured  quarters  in  the  Interlachen  Hotel,  the  city 
being  crowded  with  strangers  who  had  come  from  all  parts 
of  the  world  to  view  the  "Battle  of  Flowers,"  that  was  to 
take  place  on  the  morrow.  It  rained  all  that  night  and 
all  the  next  day,  and  as  a  result  the  carnival  had  to  be 
postponed,  and  the  floral  decorations  presented  a  some- 
what woe-begone  and  bedraggled  appearance.  It  had 
been  our  intention  to  play  a  game  here,  but  to  our  aston- 
ishment and  the  disappointment  of  several  hundred  Amer- 
icans then  in  Nice,  the  project  had  to  be  abandoned' for  the 
reason  that  there  was  not  a  ground  or  anything  that  even 
remotely  resembled  one,  within  the  city  limits. 

The  rain  that  had  caused  the  postponement  of  the  car- 
nival did  not  prevent  us  from  leaving  the  'hotel,  however, 
and  the  entire  party  put  in  the  day  visiting  the  great  gam- 
bling halls  of  Monte  Carlo,  which  are  to-day  as  famous 
on  this  side  of  the  water  as  they  are  on  the  continent,  and 
where  the  passion  for  gambling  has  ruined  more  people 
of  both  sexes  than  all  of  the  other  gambling  hells  of  the 
world  combined.  A  more  beautiful  spot  than  Monte 
Carlo  it  would  be  hard  to  imagine,  the  interior  of  the  great 
gambling  hall  being  handsomer  than  that  of  any  theater 
or  opera  house  that  we  had  seen,  and  furnished  in  the  most 
gorgeous  manner.  The  work  of  the  landscape  gardener 


254        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

can  here  be  seen  at  its  best,  no  expense  having  been  spared 
to  make  the  grounds  that  surrounded  the  building  de- 
voted to  games  of  chance  the  handsomest  in  the  world. 
In  its  great  halls  one  sees  every  sort  and  variety  of  people. 
Lords  and  Ladies,  Princes  and  Princesses,  Dukes  and 
Duchesses,  gamblers  and  courtesans,  all  find  place  at  the 
table  where  the  monotonous  voices  of  the  croupiers  and 
the  clinking  of  the  little  ivory  ball  are  about  the  only 
sounds  that  break  the  silence. 

The  majority  of  the  members  of  our  party  tried  their 
luck  at  the  tables,  as  does  everybody  that  goes  to  Monte 
Carlo,  no  matter  how  strongly  they  may  condemn  the  prac- 
tice when  at  home,  and  some  of  us  were  lucky  enough  to 
carry  off  some  of  the  bank's  money,  Mr.  Spalding,  Mrs. 
Anson  and  myself  among  the  number.  There  is  as  much 
of  a  fascination  in  watching  the  faces  of  the  players  around 
the  tables  as  there  is  in  following  the  chances  of  the  game, 
and  the  regular  habitues  of  the  place  can  be  spotted  almost 
at  the  first  glance.  One  day  at  Monte  Carlo  was  quite 
enough  for  us,  and  we  were  glad  to  get  back  to  Nice  and 
out  of  the  way  of  temptation. 

The  second  day  after  we  arrived  at  Nice  the  flower 
festival  took  place,  and  luckily  the  weather  was  almost 
perfect.  All  the  morning  for  a  distance  of  some  twenty 
blocks  the  Avenue  des  Anglaise,  where  the  battle  of  flow- 
ers is  annually  held,  the  decorators  had  been  busy  prepar- 
ing for  the  event,  and  by  afternoon  decked  in  flowers  and 
gaily-colored  ribbons,  bunting  and  flags,  the  scene  that  it 
presented  was  a  brilliant  one.  By  three  o'clock  it  was 
crowded  with  elegant  equipages  filled  with  men,  women 
and  flowers,  the  two  former  pelting  each  other  with  blos- 
soms to  their  heart's  content,  the  spectators  in  the  adja- 
cent windows  and  on  the  sidewalks  taking  part  in  the 
mimic  war.  Conspicuous  in  the  party  was  the  Prince  of 


OUR  VISIT  TO   LA   BELLE   FRANCE.  255 

Wales  and  his  friends,  among  which  were  several  of  our 
fair  countrywomen,  the  whole  party  distributing  their 
flowers  right  and  left  with  reckless  prodigality.  The  num- 
ber of  handsome  women,  the  splendid  street  decorations, 
and  the  abundance  of  flowers  that  were  scattered  about  in 
lavish  profusion  made  a  brilliant  picture  and  one  that  it 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  tourists  journey  from  all  parts 
of  the  continent  to  witness. 

The  next  morning  we  were  off  for  Paris,  stopping  over 
at  Lyons  for  the  night,  where  there  was  snow  on  the 
ground,  the  weather  being  cold  and  disagreeable,  and  it 
was  not  until  Saturday  that  we  arrived  in  "La  Belle  Paris," 
the  Mecca  of  all  Americans  who  have  money  to  spend  and 
who  desire  to  spend  it,  and  the  fame  of  whose  magnificent 
boulevards,  parks,  palaces,  squares  and  monuments  has 
not  extended  half  as  far  as  has  the  fame  of  its  Latin  Quar- 
tier,  with  its  gay  student  life,  its  masked  balls,  with  their 
wild  abandon,  its  theaters  made  famous  by  the  great  Ra- 
chael,  Sara  Bernhardt  and  others,  and  its  gardens,  where 
high  kickers  are  in  their  glory.  All  of  these  were  to  be 
seen  and  all  of  these  we  saw,  that  is,  all  of  them  that  we 
could  see  in  the  short  week  that  was  allotted  to  us,  it  be- 
ing a  week  of  late  hours  and  wild  dissipation  so  far  as  my 
wife  and  myself  were  concerned,  we  rarely  retiring  until 
long  after  the  hour  of  midnight.  Our  days  were  spent  in 
driving  about  the  city  and  its  environs,  and  in  viewing  the 
various  places  of  interest  that  were  to  be  seen,  from  the 
magnificent  galleries  filled  with  the  rarest  of  paintings 
and  statuary  to  the  dark  and  gloomy  Bastile,  while  our 
nights  were  devoted  to  the  theater  and  balls,  and  at  both 
of  these  we  enjoyed  ourselves  thoroughly. 

In  Paris  we  met  a  great  many  members  of  the  Ameri- 
can colony  from  whom  we  received  much  courtesy  and 
attention,  and  to  whom  I  should  like  to  have  a  chance  of 


256        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

returning  the  many  kindnesses  that  were  showered  upon 
us  during  the  time  that  we  remained  in  the  French  capital. 

As  a  business  man  the  Parisian  is  not  a  decided  suc- 
cess when  viewed  from  the  American  standpoint,  but  as  a 
butterfly  in  pursuit  of  pleasure  he  cannot  be  beaten.  He 
is  polite  and  courteous  at  all  times,  however,  but  is  not  to 
be  trusted  when  making  a  trade,  he  having  learned  to 
look  upon  all  Americans  with  money  as  his  natural  and 
legitimate  prey,  and  so  is  prepared  to  take  the  advantage 
of  you  and  yours  whenever  the  opportunity  is  given  him. 

It  was  not  until  the  afternoon  of  March  8th  that  we 
were  given  a  chance  to  show  the  Parisians  how  the  Na- 
tional Game  of  America  is  played,  and  then  we  put  up  a 
fairly  good  exhibition,  both  teams  being  more  than  anx- 
ious to  win,  and  playing  in  a  most  spirited  fashion.  This 
game  was  played  at  the  Pare  Aristotique,  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Seine,  just  opposite  the  Exposition  Build- 
ings, and  within  plain  sight  of  the  great  Eiffel  Tower,  it 
being  walled  in  by  gardens  and  big  city  residences.  The 
game  was  made  memorable  by  the  large  number  of  Amer- 
icans that  were  present  and  by  the  distinguished  people 
before  whom  it  was  played.  Among  these  were  General 
Brugere  and  Captain  Chamin,  representing  President 
Carnot  of  the  French  Republic,  who  sent  a  letter  regret- 
ting that  his  official  duties  prevented  him  from  seeing  the 
game;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wililam  Joy,  of  the  American  Lega- 
tion; Miss  McLane,  daughter  of  the  American  Minister 
at  Paris;  Miss  Urquhart,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  James  Browrn 
Potter,  the  actress;  Consul  General  Rathbone,  and  a  host 
of  others  prominent  in  diplomatic,  social  and  theatrical 
circles.  It  was  in  the  second  inning  of  the  game  that  the 
famous  "stone  wall"  infield  of  the  Chicagos  was  broken 
up  through  an  injury  received  by  Ed  Williamson,  from  the 
effects  of  which  he  never  fully  recovered.  He  had  taken 


OUR  VISIT  TO  LA  BELLE  FRANCE.  257 

his  base  on  balls  in  the  second  inning  and  was  trying  to 
steal  second  when  he  tripped  and  fell,  tearing  his  knee  cap 
on  the  sharp  sand  and  gravel  of  which  the  playing  surface 
was  composed.  He  was  taken  by  his  wife,  who  was 
among  the  spectators,  to  his  hotel,  and  it  was  thought  that 
a  few  days  of  rest  would  see  him  all  right  again,  but  such 
did  not  prove  to  be  the  case,  as  he  was  still  confined  to  his 
room  in  London  when  we  sailed  for  home*  and  it  was  until 
late  in  the  season  of  1889  that  he  was  again  able  to  report 
for  duty.  This  necessitated  Baldwin's  going  to  first  while 
Ryan  took  Williamson's  place  at  short  and1  weakened  our 
team  very  materially,  as  Williamson  was  always  a  tower 
of  strength  to  us.  We  were  very  decidedly  off,  too,  in  our 
batting,  and  it  was  not  until  the  sixth  inning  that  a  home 
run  by  Ryan  and  a  two-bagger  by  Pettit,  and  a  passed  ball 
enabled  us  to  put  two  men  over  the  plate.  These  were  all 
the  runs  we  got,  however,  and  at  the  end  of  the  second 
inning,  when  game  was  called,  the  score  stood  at  6  to  2 
in  All- Americas'  favor. 

How  the  members  of  either  game  were  enabled  to  play 
as  good  ball  as  they  did,  not  only  in  Paris  but  in  other 
cities  that  we  visited  after  the  inactivity  of  steamer  life, 
the  late  hours,  and  the  continual  round  of  high  living  that 
they  indulged  in,  is  a  mystery,  and  one  that  is  past  my 
fathoming,  and  yet  the  ball  that  they  put  up  on  many  of 
these  occasions  that  I  have  spoken  of  was  ball  of  the  cham- 
pionship kind  and  the  sort  that  would  have  won  even  in 
League  company. 

At  half-past  eight  o'clock  we  left  Paris  for  our  trip 
across  the  English  Channel,  taking  the  long  route  from 
Dieppe  to  New  Haven,  and  if  we  all  wished  ourselves  dead 
and  buried  a  hundred  times  before  reaching  the  latter 
port  we  can  hardly  be  blamed,  as  a  worse  night  for  mak- 
ing the  trip  could  not  well  have  been  chosen.  It  was  one 


258        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  train  from  Paris  bearing 
the  members  of  our  party  arrived  at  Dieppe,  and  the  wind 
at  that  time  was  blowing  a  gale  Down  the  dock  in  the 
face  of  this  we  marched  and  aboard  the  little  side-wheel 
steamer  "Normande,"  where  our  quarters  were  much  too 
cramped  for  comfort.  A  few  minutes  later  the  lines  were 
cast  off  and  the  steamer  was  tossing  about  like  a  cork 
on  the  face  of  the  waters,  now  up  and  now  down,  and 
seemingly  trying  at  times  to  turn  a  somersault,  a  feat  that 
luckily  for  us  she  did  not  succeed  in  accomplishing,  else 
this  story  might  never  have  been  written.  There  was  no 
doing  on  deck,  even  had  we  been  capable  of  making  an 
effort  to  do  so,  which  we  were  not,  as  we  could  hear  the 
large  waves  that  swept  over  the  vessel  strike  the  planking 
with  a  heavy  thud  that  shook  the  steamer  from  stem  to 
stern,  and  then  go  rushing  away  into  the  scuppers. 

Up  and  down,  down  and  up,  all  night  long,  and  if  we 
had  never  prayed  to  be  set  ashore  before  we  did  on  that 
occasion,  but  as  helpless  as  logs  we  lay  in  our  staterooms, 
not  much  caring  whether  the  next  plunge  made  by  the 
ship  was  to  be  the  last  or  not.  I  had  had  slight  attacks  of 
seasickness  before,  but  on  this  occasion  I  was  good  and 
seasick,  and  Mrs.  Anson  was,  if  such  a  thing  were  possi- 
ble, even  in  a  worse  condition  than  I  was.  At  about  three 
in  the  morning  we  heard  the  noise  of  a  heavy  shock  fol- 
lowed by  the  crashing  of  timbers  and  the  shouts  of  sailors 
that  sounded  but  faintly  above  the  roar  of  the  tempest, 
and  the  next  morning  discovered  that  a  huge  wave  had 
carried  away  the  bridge,  the  lookout  fortunately  managing 
to  escape  being  carried  away  with  the  wreck.  The  experi- 
ence of  that  awful  night  is  one  never  to  be  forgotten,  a 
night  that,  according  to  the  captain,  was  the  worst  that  he 
had  ever  witnessed  during  his  thirty  years  of  experience, 
and  it  was  with  feelings  of  great  relief  that  we  dropped 


OUR  VISIT  TO   LA  BELLE   FRANCE.  259 

anchor  in  the  harbor  of  New  Haven  the  next  morning, 
where  the  sun  shone  brightly  and  the  sea  was  compara- 
tively quiet. 

We  were  a  pretty  seedy-looking  lot  when  we  boarded 
the  train  for  London,  where  we  debarked  at  the  Victoria 
Station  about  half-past  nine  o'clock,  still  looking  much 
the  worse  for  wear  and  like  a  collection-  of  invalids  than  a 
party  of  representative  ball  players.  Getting  into  car- 
riages we  were  at  once  driven  through  the  city  to  Hoi- 
burn,  where  quarters  at  the  First  Avenue  Hotel  had  been 
provided,  and  Where  we  were  only  too  glad  to  rest  for  a 
time  and  recover  from  the  awful  shaking  up  that  the  En- 
glish Channel  had  given  us;  a  shaking  up  that  it  took 
Mrs.  Anson  some  time  to  recover  from,  as  it  also  did  the 
other  ladies  of  the  party. 

We  had  expected  to  play  our  first  game  of  ball  in  En- 
gland on  the  day  of  our  arrival,  but  the  game  had  been 
called  off  before  we  got  there  because  of  the  storm,  the 
grounds  being  flooded.  It  was  a  lucky  thing  for  us  that 
such  was  the  case,  as  there  was  not  one  of  the  party  who 
could  have  hit  a  balloon  after  the  experience  of  the  night 
before,  or  who  could  have  gone  around  the  bases  at  a  gait 
that  would  have  been  any  faster  than  a  walk. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND  AND  IRELAND. 

The  first  thing  that  impresses  the  stranger  in  London 
is  the  immensity  of  the  city,  and  the  great  crowds  that  con- 
tinually throng  the  streets  night  and  day,  for  London 
never  sleeps. 

The  first  day  after  our  arrival  I  noted  numerous 
changes  that  had  taken  place  in  various  quarters  since  my 
visit  of  fifteen  years  before,  during  which  time  the  city 
seemed  to  have  grown  and  spread  out  in  every  direction. 
The  hotel  where  we  were  quartered  was  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  Strand,  one  of  London's  greatest  and  busiest 
thoroughfares,  and  here  the  crowds  were  at  all  times  of  the 
most  enormous  proportions,  the  absence  of  street  cars 
and  the  presence  of  hundreds  of  hansom  cabs  and  big 
double-decked  tramways  running  in  every  direction  being 
especially  noticeable.  The  weather  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  was  cold,  foggy  and  disagreeable,  and  as  a  result  our 
sight-seeing  experiences  were  somewhat  curtailed  and 
not  as  pleasant  as  they  might  have  been. 

The  date  of  our  first  appearance  on  English  soil  was 
March  I2th,  and  prior  to  the  game  on  that  occasion  we 
were  given  a  reception  and  luncheon  in  the  Club  House  of 
the  Surrey  County  Cricket  Club  at  Kensington  Oval, 
which  is  the  personal  property  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and 
one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  many  cricket  grounds  that 
are  to  be  found  within  the  vicinity  of  the  world's  greatest 
metropolis.  The  committee  appointed  to  receive  the  play- 
ers on  this  occasion  embraced  among  others  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort,  Earl  of  Landsborough,  Earl  of  Coventry,  Earl 


THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND.    261 

of  Sheffield,  Earl  of  Chesborough,  Lord  Oxenbridge,  Lord 
Littleton,  Lord  Hawke,  Sir  Reginald  Hanson,  Bart.,  Sir 
W.  T.  Webster,  Attorney  General,  the  Lord1  Mayor,  Amer- 
ican Consul  General,  American  Charde  d1' Affairs,  and  Dr. 
W.  D.  Grace,  the  world-famous  cricket  player,  with  whom 
I  had  become  well  acquainted  during  the  trip  of  1874.  It 
had  rained  that  morning  and  when  we  left  the  hotel  in 
drags  for  the  grounds  the  streets  of  London  were  envel- 
oped in  a  fog  so  thick  that  one  could  almost  cut  it  with  a 
knife,  while  the  prospects  of  a  ball  game  seemed  to  the 
most  of  us  exceedingly  dubious.  Arriving  at  the  Club 
House  we  were  presented  to  the  different  members  of  the 
reception  committee,  who,  in  spite  of  the  high-sounding 
titles  that  they  bore,  were  a  most  affable  lot  of  men,  and  to 
many  of  the  most  prominent  club  members,  all  of  whom 
gave  us  a  warm  welcome  and  made  us  feel  thoroughly  at 
home.  Lord  Oxenbridge,  a  fine  specimen  of  the  English 
nobility,  acted  as  chairman  of  the  assemblage,  and  after 
luncheon  proposed  the  toasts  of  "The  Queen"  and  "The 
President  of  the  United  States," 'both  of  which  were  drank 
with  enthusiasm.  Lord  Lewisham  then,  proposed  "The 
American  Ball  Teams,"  to  which  Mr.  Spalding  responded, 
this  being  followed  by  the  health  of  the  chairman,  pro- 
posed by  the  Hon.  Henry  White,  United  States  Charge 
d' Affaires,  after  which  we  made  our  way  through  the 
crowds  that  thronged  the  reception  rooms  and  corridors 
to  the  dressing  rooms,  where  we  donned  our  uniforms  and 
put  ourselves  in  readiness  to  play  ball.  When  we  marched 
out  on  the  grounds  we  were  somewhat  surprised  at  the 
size  of  the  crowd  that  greeted  us,  some  8,000  people  hav- 
ing assembled  to  witness  the  game,  and  this  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  it  was  still  foggy  and  the  grounds  soft,  black  and 
sticky.  To  play  good  ball  under  such  circumstances  was 
all  but  impossible,  and  yet  I  have  taken  part  in  lots  of 


262       A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

championship  games  at  home  that  were  worse  played  than 
this  one. 

Healy  and  Baldwin  did  the  twirling,  and  both  pitched 
good  ball,  while  the  fielding  of  both  teams  was  nothing 
short  of  remarkable  when  the  fact  is  taken  into  consid- 
eration that  a  ball  fifty  feet  in  the  air  could  not  be  seen  at 
all.  Just  at  the  end  of  the  first  half  of  the  third  inning  we 
noticed  something  of  a  commotion  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Club  House  and  when,  in  a  few  moments  afterwards,  the 
well-known  face  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  appeared  at  the 
window,  we  assembled  at  the  home  plate  and  gave  three 
hearty  cheers  for  His  Highness,  this  action  on  our  parts 
bringing  out  a  storm  of  applause  from  the  stand.  At  the 
close  of  the  fifth  inning  we  accompanied  Manager  Lynch 
to  the  Club  House  at  the  Prince's  request,  where  we  were 
introduced  to  the  future  King  of  England  by  President 
Spalding,  he  shaking  hands  with  each  of  us  in  a  most  cor- 
dial manner,  calling  many  of  us  by  name  and  chatting 
with  us  in  a  most  off-hand  and  friendly  way.  As  we  left 
he  bowed  to  each  of  us  pleasantly  and  then  took  a  seat  by 
the  window  to  witness  the  balance  of  the  game,  which  re- 
sulted at  the  end  of  nine  innings  in  a  score  of  7  to  4  in  Chi- 
cago's favor.  The  London  papers  the  next  morning  de- 
voted a  great  deal  of  space  to  the  game,  but  the  majority 
of  the  Englishmen  .who  had  witnessed  it  said  that  they 
thought  cricket  its  superior,  and  among  them  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  which  was  hardly  to  be  wondered  at,  and  which 
confirmed  me  in  the  opinion  that  I  had  formed  on  my  first 
visit,  viz.,  that  base-ball  would  never  become  a  popular 
English  sport,  an  opinion  that  since  then  has  proved  to  be 
correct. 

Accompanied  by  the  United  States  Charge  d' Affaires 
the  next  morning  we  drove  to  the  Parliament  Buildings, 
where  we  were  admitted  and  shown  through  by  the  Sec- 


THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND.    263 

retary  to  the  Chairman  of  the  House  of  Commons,  an 
honor  rarely  accorded  to  visitors  and  one  that  we  greatly 
appreciated. 

From  the  great  hall  where  Charles  the  First  and  War- 
ren Hastings  were  tried  and  which  had  been  badly 
wrecked  by  the  explosion  of  a  dynamite  bomb  two  years 
before,  we  passed  into  the  Crypt  and  Committee  rooms, 
and  thence  through  the  magnificent  corridors  decorated 
with  paintings,  each  of  which  cost  thousands  of  pounds. 
The  House  of  Lords  was  next  visited,  the  Woolsack  and 
Queen's  Seat,  and  the  seats  of  the  various  members  being 
pointed  out  to  us  by  the  Secretary.  From  the  House  of 
Lords  we  passed  into  the  House  of  Commons,  where  Sir 
William  Harcourt  was  speaking  upon  "The  Treatment 
of  Political  Prisoners  in  Ireland,"  and  where  several  fa- 
mous personages  were  pointed  out  to  us,  though  much  to 
our  regret  we  missed  seeing  Mr.  Gladstone,  who  was  ex- 
pected to  enter  every  moment,  but  who  did  not  appear  up 
to  the  time  of  our  leaving  for  Westminster  Abbey,  where 
we  had  just  time  to  glance  about  us  before  driving  to 
Lord's  Cricket  Grounds,  where  we  were  to  play  that  after- 
noon, and  where  we  were  greeted  by  a  crowd  of  7,000 
people.  These  grounds,  which  are  particularly  fine,  we 
found  that  afternoon  in  excellent  condition  and  as  a  result 
we  played  a  great  game  and  one  that  evidently  pleased 
the  spectators,  the  batting  being  heavy,  the  fielding  sharp 
and  quick  and  the  base  running  fast  and  brilliant.  Errors 
at  the  last  moment  by  Baldwin  and  myself  gave  the  All- 
Americas  this  game,  they  winndng  by  a  single  run,  the 
score  standing  7  to  6. 

That  evening,  at  the  invitation  of  Henry  Irving,  now 
Sir  Henry,  and  Miss  Ellen  Terry,  we  occupied  boxes  at 
the  Lyceum  Theater,  being  invited  back  of  the  scenes  be- 
tween the  acts  to  enjoy  a  glass  of  wine  and  to  receive  the 


264        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

well  wishes  of  our  host  and  hostess,  who  still  stand  at  the 
head  of  their  profession. 

The  day  following,  which  was  March  I4th,  we  played 
upon  the  Crystal  Palace  Grounds,  which  are  located  at 
Sydenham,  one  of  the  most  popular  residence  districts  of 
the  great  city  and  within  plain  sight  of  the  magnificent 
Palace  of  Crystal,  that  is  one  of  the  many  famous  places 
of  interest  with  which  London  abounds.  Here  another 
large  and  enthusiastic  crowd  of  6,000  people  greeted  us, 
and  there  was  more  cheering  and  excitement  than  we  had 
yet  heard  since  our  arrival  in  England.  It  was  another 
pretty  and  close  game,  in  which  the  All-Americas  carried 
off  the  honors  by  a  score  of  5  to  2,  the  batting,  fielding 
and  base  running  of  both  teams  being  again  above  the 
average. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  left  London  for 
Bristol,  the  home  of  the  famous  cricketers,  Dr.  W.  G.  and 
Mr.  E.  M.  Grace,  whose  exploits  in  the  batting  line  have 
made  them  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  the  English  Na- 
tional Game.  Our  journey  to  Bristol  was  a  delightful  one 
and  when  we  arrived  there  at  noon  we  were  met  by  a  com- 
mittee composed  of  the  Duke  of  Beaufort,  Dr.  Grace  and 
the  officials  of  the  Gloucester  County  Cricket  Club,  and 
driven  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  where  introductions  were  in 
order.  The  Duke  of  Beaufort  was  certainly 
"A  fine  old  English  gentleman," 

and  one  who,  in  spite  of  his  sixty  years,  was  greatly  inter- 
ested in  athletic  sports.  After  a  good  dinner,  over  which 
His  Grace  presided  and,  after  the  usual  toasts  had  been 
proposed  and  drank,  we  were  driven  to  the  Gloucester 
Cricket  Grounds,  which  had  but  just  been  completed,  at  a 
cost  of  some  twelve  thousand  pounds,  and  which  were  as 
pretty  and  well-equipped  as  any  grounds  in  England.  The 
clay  was  a  beautiful  one  and  the  grounds  in  splendid  condi- 


THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND.    265 

tion,  but  for  all  that  the  game  lacked  the  snap  and  go  that 
had  characterized  the  games  in  London,  the  Chicagos 
winning  'by  a  score  of  10  to  3.  After  the  game  the  Chi- 
cago team  took  the  field  and  Ryan  and  Crane  pitched 
while  the  Grace  brothers  and  other  cricketers  tried  their 
hand  at  batting,  but  were  unable  to  do  anything  with  the 
swift  delivery  of  the  Americans,  and  it  was  not  until  they 
had  slowed  down  that  they  managed  to  land  on  the  ball, 
Dr.  Grace  making  the  only  safe  hit  of  the  day. 

That  night  found  us  back  in  London,  where  the  next 
afternoon  we  played  our  farewell  game  in  the  great  me- 
tropolis on  the  grounds  of  the  Essex  County  Club  at  Lay- 
ton,  before  a  crowd  that  numbered  8,000  people,  Crane 
and  Earle  and  Baldwin  and  Daly  being  the  batteries.  This 
game  was  full  of  hard  hitting  and,  though  the  score,  12  to 
6  in  favor  of  Chicago,  would  not  have  pleased  an  American 
crowd,  it  tickled  the  English  people  immensely,  the  Lon- 
don press  of  the  next  morning  declaring  it  to  be  the  best 
game  that  we  had  yet  played  in  England.  A  throwing 
contest  had  been  arranged  to  take  place  after  the  game 
between  Crane  and  Conner,  an  Australian  cricketer,  but 
the  Latter  backed  out  at  the  last  moment  and  Crane  merely 
gave  an  exhibition,  throwing  a  cricket  ball  1 10  yards  and 
a  base  ball  120  yards  and  5  inches.  That  evening  we  were 
banqueted  by  stockholders  of  the  Niagara  Panorama  Com- 
pany, and  among  the  guests  was  the  Duke  of  Beaufort, 
who  "dropped  in,"  as  he  put  it,  "to  spend  the  evening  with 
this  fine  lot  of  fellows  from  America." 

When  we  left  London  the  next  morning  it  was  in  a 
special  train  provided  by  the  London  and  Northwestern 
Railway  Company,  consisting  of  nine  cars,  two  of  which 
were  dining  saloons,  two  smoking  and  reception  cars,  and 
the  balance  sleepers,  each  of  the  latter  being  made  to  ac- 
commodate from  six  to  eight  persons  comfortably.  The 


266        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

exterior  of  the  train  was  exceedingly  handsome,  the  body- 
color  being  white  enamel  with  trimmings  of  gold  and  seal 
brown  and  the  Royal  Arms  in  gold  and  scarlet  on  the  car- 
riage doors,  while  upon  each  side  of  the  coaches  was  the 
inscription  in  brown  letters,  "The  American  Base-Ball 
Clubs."  The  interior  of  the  train  was  equally  as  hand- 
some, and  even  royalty  itself  could  not  been  better  pro- 
vided. Some  500  people  were  on  hand  to  see  us  off  and 
we  pulled  out  of  London  with  the  cheers  of  our  friends 
ringing  in  our  ears.  The  run  to  Birmingham  occupied 
but  three  hours,  and  arriving  there  we  were  escorted  to 
the  Colonnade  Hotel  by  a  delegation  from  the  Warwick- 
shire County  Cricket  Club,  where  the  usual  reception  was 
accorded  us.  Then,  after  going  to  the  Queen's  Hotel  for 
luncheon,  we  were  driven  to  the  handsomely  located  and 
prettily  equipped  grounds  of  the  club,  where,  in  spite  of 
the  threatening  weather,  3,000  people  had  assembled. 

This  game  was  one  that  would  have  delighted  an 
American  crowd,  game  being  called  at  the  end  of  the  tenth 
inning  on  account  of  darkness  with  the  score  a  tie,  each 
team  having  four  runs  to  its  credit,  Baldwin  and  Healy 
both  pitching  in  fine  style.  That  evening  we  were  the 
guests  of  honor  at  the  Prince  of  Wales  Theater,  returning 
after  the  play  was  over  to  our  sleeping  apartments  on 
the  train. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  left  for  Sheffield, 
the  great  cutlery  manufacturing  town  of  England,  our 
route  leading  through  the  beautiful  hills  of  Yorkshire. 
Here  we  were  the  guests  of  the  Yorkshire  County  Cricket 
Club,  and  after  luncheon  at  the  Royal  Victoria  were  driven 
to  the  Bramhall  Lane  grounds,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
famous  of  England's  many  athletic  parks,  where  we  were 
greeted  by  a  crowd  that  was  even  larger  than  the  one  be- 
fore which  we  had  played  at  Birmingham.  It  was  raining 


THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND.    267 

hard  when  we  began  play  but  we  kept  on  for  four  innings, 
after  which  the  rain  came  down  so  fast  and  the  ground  be- 
came so  muddy  that  we  were  compelled  to  quit.  We 
waited  about  for  an  hour  in  hopes  that  the  rain  might 
cease,  but  as  it  did  not  we  finally  went  back  to  our  quar- 
ters. At  the  invitation  of  Miss  Kate  Vaughan  we  spent 
the  evening  at  the  Royal  Theater,  where,  as  usual,  we  at- 
tracted fully  as  much  attention  as  the  play. 

Snow  was  falling  in  great  feathery  flakes  when  we  left 
Sheffield  the  next  morning  and  started  for  Bradford,  and 
though  we  discovered  an  improvement  in  the  weather 
when  we  reached  our  distination  we  found  the  grounds  of 
the  Bradford  Foot-ball  and  Cricket  Club  in  a  condition 
that  was  utterly  unfit  for  base-ball  playing  purposes.  To 
make  matters  worse  it  began  to  rain  while  we  were  getting 
into  our  uniforms  and  a  chilly  wind  swept  across  the  en- 
closure. Four  thousand  people  braved  the  inclement 
weather  to  see  us  play,  however,  and  the  members'  stand 
presented  a  funny  appearance  crowded  with  ladies  in 
waterproofs  and  mackintoshes,  while  the  rows  of  black 
umbrellas  that  surrounded  the  field  made  it  look  like  a 
forest  of  toadstools.  It  looked  like  sheer  folly  to  attempt 
to  play  under  such  circumstances,  but  at  the  entreaties  of 
the  Cricket  Club's  Secretary,  who  said  that  a  game  of  three 
innings  would  satisfy  the  crowd,  we  started  in  and  we  gave 
a  good  exhibition,  too,  but  the  state  of  our  uniforms  after 
it  was  over  can  be  better  imagined  than  described. 

We  arrived  at  Glasgow  the  next  morning  in  time  for 
breakfast,  having  been  whirled  across  the  borders  of  Scot- 
land in  the  night,  and  when  we  awoke  we  found  the  train 
surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  curious  sightseers.  After 
luncheon  we  started  for  the  West  of  Scotland  Cricket 
Club  grounds,  wearing  overcoats  over  our  uniforms,  the 
air  being  decidedly  chilly.  It  was  fairly  good  playing 


268    *     A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

weather  after  we  once  got  warmed  up,  and  the  3,000  spec- 
tators saw  a  good  game,  lasting  seven  innings,  and  also 
saw  the  All-Americas  win  by  a  score  of  8  to  4.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Osmond  Tearle  were  that  night  playing  "King  Lear" 
at  the  Grand  Theater,  and  entertained  us  very  handsomely. 
On  this  trip  thus  far  we  had  had  but  little  opportunity  for 
sight-seeing  save  the  passing  glimpses  of  scenery  that  we 
could  obtain  from  the  flying  train  and  in  the  carriage  rides 
to  and  from  the  grounds  upon  which  we  played. 

The  next  morning  found  us  in  Manchester,  we  having 
left  Glasgow  at  midnight,  and  at  Manchester,  the  day  be- 
ing a  pleasant  one,  we  had  some  little  opportunity  of  look- 
ing about.  What  we  saw  of  the  town  impressed  us  most 
favorably,  the  streets  being  wide  and  clean,  and  the  build- 
ings being  of  a  good  character.  The  Old  Trafford  grounds 
on  which  we  played  that  afternoon  were  beautifully  sit- 
uated and,  in  point  of  natural  surroundings  and  equip- 
ments, held  their  own  with  the  best  in  England.  Through 
the  gates  3,500  people  passed,  and  they  were  treated  to  a 
rattling  exhibition  of  "base-ball  as  she  is  played,"  the 
score  being  twice  tied,  and  finally  won  by  the  All-Americas 
by  a  score  of  7  to  6,  Tener  and  Healy  doing  the  twirling. 
That  evening  we  were  banqueted  at  the  rooms  of  the  An- 
glo-French Club  by  Mr.  Raymond  Eddy,  who  was  then 
acting  as  the  European  representative  of  the  Chicago 
house  of  John  V.  Farweil  &  Co.,  he  being  assisted  in  en- 
tertaining us  by  Major  Hale,  United  States  Consul  at 
Manchester.  This  proved  to  be  a  most  pleasant  occasion, 
and  the  kindness  shown  us  by  both  Mr.  Eddy  and  Major 
Hale  still  remains  a  pleasant  memory. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  were  at  Liver- 
pool, where  I  met  many  of  the  friends  that  I  had  made 
on  my  previous  visit,  and  where  we  were  to  play  our  last 
game  on  English  soil.  We  were  driven  to  the  Colice 


THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND.    269 

Athletic  Grounds  that  afternoon  in  a  coach  with  seats  for 
twenty-eight  persons,  and  arriving  at  the  grounds  we 
found  a  big  crowd  already  inside  and  a  perfect  jam  at  the 
gates,  the  big  carriage  entrance  finally  giving  way  and 
letting  in  some  five  hundred  or  more  people  before  the 
rush  could  be  stopped  by  the  police.  As  the  paid  admis- 
sions after  the  game  showed  an  attendance  of  6,500,  it  is 
fair  to  assume  that  there  were  at  least  7,000  people  on  the 
grounds.  Five  innings  of  base-ball  were  played  and  the 
score  was  a  tie,  each  team  scoring  but  three,  only  one  hit 
being  made  off  Baldwin  and  four  off  Crane. 

A  game  of  "rounders"  between  a  team  from  the 
Rounders'  Association  of  Liverpool  and  an  American 
eleven  with  Baldwin  and  Earl  as  the  battery,  and  with 
Tener,  Wood,  Fogarty,  Brown,  Hanlon,  Pfeffer,  Man- 
ning, Sullivan  and  myself  in  the  field  was>  played.  The 
bases  in  this  game  instead  of  being  bags  are  iron  stakes 
about  three  feet  high,  the  ball  the  size  of  a  tennis  ball,  and 
the  batting  is  done  with  one  hand  and  with  a  bat  that  re- 
sembles a  butter-paddle  in  shape  and  size.  A  base-runner 
has  to  be  retired  by  being  struck  with  the  ball,  and  not 
touched  with  it,  and  the  batter  must  run  the  first  time  he 
strikes  at  the  ball,  whether  he  hits  it  or  not.  Of  course  the 
Rounders'  Association  team  beat  us,  the  score  being  16 
to  14,  but  when  they  came  to  play  us  two  innings  at  our 
game  afterwards  the  score  stood  at  18  to  o  in  our  favor, 
the  crowd  standing  in  a  drenching  rain  to  witness  the  fun. 

At  nine  o'clock  that  night  we  took  the  train  for  Fleet- 
wood,  on  the  shores  of  the  Irish  Channel,  and  at  eleven 
we  were  on  board  of  the  little  steamer  "Princess  of  Wales" 
and  bound  for  Ireland.  Unlike  our  experience  in  the  En- 
glish Channel,  this  trip  proved  to  be  most  delightful  and  we 
arrived  in  Belfast  in  the  pink  of  condition  for  anything 
that  might  turn  up.  It  was  Sunday  morning  and  as  we 


270        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

drove  up  to  the  Imperial  Hotel  on  Royal  Avenue  the 
streets  were  as  quiet  as  a  country  church  yard.  Towards 
evening,  however,  Royal  Avenue  began  to  take  on  a  gala 
appearance,  conspicuous  among  the  promenaders  being 
the  Scotch  Highland  Troops,  whose  bright  costumes  lent 
color  to  the  scene.  About  nine  o'clock  it  began  to  rain 
again  and  it  was  still  raining  when  we  retired  for  the  night. 
The  next  morning  was  full  of  sunshine  and  showers,  but 
towards  noon  it  cleared  up  and  after  luncheon  we  were  off 
in  drags  for  the  North  of  Ireland  Cricket  Club  Grounds, 
where  we  put  up  another  great  game  and  one  where  a 
crowd  of  3,000  people,  among  which  pretty  Irish  girls 
without  number  were  to  be  seen,  were  the  spectators.  At 
the  end  of  the  eighth  inning  the  score  stood  8  to  7  in  our 
favor,  but  in  the  ninth  singles  by  Wood  and  Healy  and 
a  corking  three-bagger  to  left  field  by  Earle  sent  two  men 
across  the  place  and  gave  the  victory  to  All- America  by  a 
score  of  9  to  8.  A  banquet  at  the  Club  House  that  even- 
ing, over  which  the  Mayor  of  Belfast  presided,  kept  us 
out  till  a  late  hour,  and  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morn- 
ing we  were  off  for  Dublin  City, 

"Where  the  boys  are  all  so  gay 
And  the  girls  are  all  so  pretty," 

according  to  the  words  of  an  old  song.  The  porter  who 
woke  us  up  that  morning  must  have  been  a  relative  of  Mr. 
Dooley,  of  the  Archer  road,  if  one  might  judge  from  the 
rich  brogue  with  which  he  announced  the  hour  of  "  'Arf 
pawst  foive,  wud  he  be  gittin'  oop,  sur?  It's  'arf  pawst 
foive." 

Between  Belfast  and  Dublin  we  passed  through  a  beau- 
tiful section  of  the  country,  catching  now  and  then  among 
the  trees  glimpses  of  old  ivy-grown  castles  and  whirling 
by  farms  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  At  Dublin,  where 
we  arrived  at  eleven  o'clock,  we  were  met  by  United  States 


THROUGH  ENGLAND,  SCOTLAND,  IRELAND.    271 

Consul  McCaskill  and  others  and  driven  to  Morrison's 
Hotel.  This  was  a  day  off  and  many  of  the  boys  who  had 
relatives  in  Ireland  within  reaching  distance  took  advan- 
tage of  the  fact  to  pay  them  a  visit.  Mrs.  Anson  and  I 
spent  the  day  in  driving  about  the  city  visiting  Phoenix 
Park  and  other  places  of  interest,  and  that  evening  we  at- 
tended the  "Gaiety  Theater,"  where  a  laughable  comedy 
called  "Arabian  Nights"  was  being  played. 

The  next  day  we  played  our  last  game  in  a  foreign 
land,  the  weather  being  all  that  could  be  desired  for  the 
purpose.  Prior  to  the  game,  however,  we  called  at  the 
Mansion  House  and  were  received  by  the  Lord  Mayor  of 
Dublin,  who  gave  us  a  genuine  Irish  welcome. 

Our  drive  to  the  Landsdown  Road  Grounds  took  us 
through  many  of  the  best  parts  of  the  city,  which  is  beau- 
tiful, and  can  boast  of  as  many  handsome  women  as  any 
place  of  its  size  in  the  world. 

The  game  that  we  played  that  afternoon  was  one  of  the 
best  of  the  entire  trip,  from  an  American  base-ball  critic's 
point  of  view,  though  the  score  was  too  small  to  suit  a 
people  educated  up  to  the  big  scores  that  are  generally 
reached  in  cricket  matches.  Baldwin  and  Crane  were  both 
on  their  mettle  and  the  fielding  being  of  the  sharpest  kind 
safe  hits  were  few  and  far  between.  Up  to  the  ninth  in- 
ning Chicago  led  by  two  runs,  but  here  Earle's  three-bag- 
ger, Hanlon's  base  on  balls,  Burns'  fumble  of  Brown's  hit 
and  Carroll's  double  settled  our  chances,  the  All- Americas 
winning  by  a  score  of  4  to  3. 

This  game  made  a  total  of  twenty-eight  that  we  had- 
played  since  leaving  San  Francisco,  of  which  the  All- 
Americas  had  won  fourteen  and  the  Chicagos  eleven, 
three  being  a  tie,  and  had  it  not  been,  for  the  accident  in 
Paris  that  deprived  us  of  Williamson's  services,   I  am 


272        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

pretty  certain  that  a  majority  of  the  games  would  have 
been  placed  to  Chicago's  credit. 

In  the  evening  we  left  for  Cork  over  the  Southern 
Railway  in  three  handsomely-appointed  coaches  decorated 
with  American  flags  and  bearing  the  inscription  "Reserved 
for  the  American  Base-Ball  Party."  We  arrived  at  two 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  being  at  once  driven  to  the  Vic- 
toria Hotel.  The  same  day  we  visited  Blarney  Castle, 
driving  out  and  back  in  the  jaunting  cars  for  which  Ire- 
land is  famous,  and,  though  I  kissed  the  blarney  stone, 
I  found  after  my  return  home  that  I  could  not  argue  my 
beliefs  into  an  umpire  any  better  than  before.  That  night 
we  left  the  quaint  city  of  Cork  behind  and,  after  a  beau- 
tiful ride  of  eleven,  miles  by  train,  found  ourselves  stand- 
ing on  the  docks  at  Queenstown,  where  a  tender  was  in 
waiting  to  convey  us  to  the  White  Star  steamer  that 
awaited  us  in  the  offing. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"  HOME,  SWEET  HOME." 

Our  voyage  back  to  "God's  country,"  by  which  term 
of  endearment  the  American  traveling-  abroad  often  refers 
to  the  United  States,  was  by  no  means  a  pleasant  one,  as 
we  encountered  heavy  weather  from  the  start,  the  "Adri- 
atic" running  into  a  storm  immediately  after  leaving 
Queenstown  that  lasted  for  two  days  and  two  nights,  dur- 
ing which  time  we  made  but  slow  progress,  and  as  a  result 
there  were  a  good  many  vacant  seats  at  the  table  when 
mealtimes  came.  A  storm  at  sea  is  always  an  inspiring 
sight,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  those  of  us  who  were  lucky 
enough  to  have  our  sealegs  on  to  watch  the  big  ship  bury 
her  nose  in  the  mountainous  waves,  scattering  the  spray 
in  great  clouds  and  then  rising  again  as  buoyantly  as  the 
proverbial  cork.  The  decks  were  not  a  pleasant  point  of 
vantage,  however,  even  for  the  most  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  nature,  as  a  big  wave  would  now  and  then  break  over 
the  forward  part  of  the  vessel,  drenching  everything  and 
everybody  within  reach  and  making  the  decks  as  slippery 
as  a  well-waxed  ballroom. 

I  had  quit  smoking  some  time  before  starting  on  this 
trip  and  was  therefore  deprived  of  blowing  a  cloud  with 
which  to  drive  dull  care  away  during  the  tedious  days  that 
followed.  Like  the  rest  of  the  party,  too,  once  started  I 
was  impatient  to  reach  home  again,  and  for  that  reason  the 
slow  progress  that  we  made  the  first  few  days  was  not 
greatly  to  my  liking.  The  weather  moderated  at  the  end 
of  forty-eight  hours,  and  though  the  waves  still  wore  their 
night-caps  and  were  too  playful  to  go  to  bed,  they  occa- 


274        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

sioned  us  but  little  annoyance  and  we  bowled  along  over 
the  Atlantic  in  merry  fashion,  killing  time  by  spinning 
yarns,  playing  poker  and  taking  a  turn  at  the  roulette 
wheel  which  Fred  Carroll  had  purchased  at  Nice  to  re- 
mind him  of  his  experience  at  Monte  Carlo. 

At  a  very  early  hour  on  Saturday  morning,  April  6, 
we  were  off  Fire  Island,  and  sunrise  found  us  opposite 
quarantine. 

Our  base-ball  friends  in  New  York,  who  had  been 
looking  for  us  for  three  days,  had  been  early  apprised  that 
the  "Adriatic"  had  arrived  off  Sandy  Hook,  and,  boarding 
the  little  steamer  "Starin"  and  the  tug  "George  Wood," 
they  came  down  the  bay,  two  hundred  strong,  to  meet  us. 
With  the  aid  of  "a  leedle  Sherman  pand,"  steam  whistles 
and  lusty  throats  they  made  noise  enough  to  bring  us  all 
on  deck  in  a  hurry.  As  the  distance  between  the  vessels 
grew  shorter  we  could  distinguish  among  others  the  faces 
of  Marcus  Meyer,  W.  W.  Kelly,  John  W.  Russel,  Digby 
Bell,  DeWolf  Hopper,  Col.  W.  T.  Coleman  and  many 
others,  not  least  among  them  being  my  old  father,  who 
had  come  on  from  Marshalltown  to  be  among  the  first  to 
welcome  myself  and  my  wife  back  to  America,  and  who, 
as  soon  as  the  "Starin"  was  made  fast,  climbed  on  deck 
and  gave  us  both  a  hug  that  would  have  done  credit  to  the 
muscular  energy  of  a  grizzly  bear,  but  who  was  no  happier 
to  see  us  than  we  Were  to  see  him  and  to  learn  that  all  was 
well  with  our  dear  ones.  I'm  not  sure  but  the  next  thing 
that  he  did  was  to  propose  a  game  of  poker  to  some  of  the 
boys,  but  if  he  did  not  it  was  simply  because  there  was  too 
much  excitement  going  on.  That  evening  we  were  the 
guests  of  Col.  McCaull  at  Palmer's  Theater,  where  De- 
Wolf  Hopper,  Digby  Bell  and  other  prominent  comic 
opera  stars  were  playing  in  "The  May  Queen."  The  boxes 
that  we  occupied  that  night  were  handsomely  decorated 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  275 

with  flags  and  bunting,  while  from  the  proscenium  arch 
hung  an  emblem  of  all  nations,  a  gilt  eagle  and  shield 
with  crossed  bats  and  a  pair  of  catcher's  gloves  and  a 
catcher's  mask. 

Every  allusion  to  the  trip  and  to  the  members  of  the 
teams  brought  out  the  applause,  and  by  and  by  the  crowd 
began  to  call  for  speeches  from  Ward  and  myself,  but 
Ward  wouldn't,  and  I  couldn't,  and  so  the  comedians  on 
the  stage  were  left  to  do  all  of  the  entertaining. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  was  spent  quietly  in  visiting 
among  our  friends,  and  Monday  we  played  the  first  game 
after  our  return  on  the  Brooklyn  grounds.  The  day  was 
damp  and  cold  and  for  that  reason  the  crowd  was  com- 
paratively a  small  one,  there  being  only  4,000  people  on 
hand  to  give  us  a  welcome,  but  these  made  up  in  noise 
what  they  lacked  in  numbers  and  yelled  themselves  hoarse 
as  we  marched  onto  the  grounds.  Once  again,  after  a  hard- 
fought  contest,  we  were  beaten  by  a  single  run,  All-Amer- 
ica 7,  Chicago  6  being  the  score. 

At  night  we  were  given  a  banquet  at  Delmonico's  by 
the  New  York  admirers  of  the  game,  and  it  was  a  notable 
gathering  of  distinguished  men  that  assembled  there  to 
do  us  honor,  among  them  being  A.  G.  Mills,  ex-Presi- 
dent of  the  National  League,  who  acted  as  Chairman, 
Hon.  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  Hon.  Daniel  Dougherty,  Hen- 
ry E.  Howland,  W.  H.  McElroy,  U.  S.  Consul;  G.  W. 
Griffin,  who  was  representing  the  United  States  at  Sydney 
when  we  were  there;  Mayor  Chapin,  of  Brooklyn;  Mayor 
Cleveland,  of  Jersey  City;  Erastus  Wyman,  Samuel  L. 
Clemens  ("Mark  Twain"),  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Twitchell, 
of  Hartford,  Conn.;  while  scattered  about  the  hall  at 
various  tables  were  seated  representatives  of  different 
college  classes,  members  of  the  New  York  Stock  Ex- 
change, the  president  and  prominent  members  of  the  New 


276        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

York  Athletic  Club,  and  other  crack  athletic  organiza- 
tions of  New  York  and  vicinity,  while  in  the  gallery  the 
ladies  had  been  seated  presumably  for  the  purpose  of  see- 
ing that  we  neither  ate  nor  drank  too  much  during  the  fes- 
tivities. • 

Mr.  Mills  in  his  address  reminded  his  hearers  of  the  oc- 
casion that  had  brought  them  together  and  pronounced  a 
glowing  eulogy  upon  the  game  and  its  beauties  and  upon 
the  players  that  had  journeyed  around  the  world  to  intro- 
duce it  in  foreign  climes,  and  then  called  upon  Mayor 
Cleveland  of  New  Jersey,  whose  witty  remarks  excited 
constant  laughter,  and  who  wound  up  by  welcoming  us 
home  in  the  name  of  the  20,000  residents  of  the  little  city 
across  the  river.  Mayor  Alfred  Chapin  of  Brooklyn  fol- 
lowed in  a  brief  and  laughter-provoking  address,  after 
which  Chauncey  M.  Depew  arose  amid  enthusiastic  cheer- 
ing and  spoke  as  follows: 

"Representing,  as  I  do,  probably  more  than  any  other 
human  being,  the  whole  of  the  American  people  who  were 
deprived,  by  a  convention  that  did  not  understand  its  duty, 
of  putting  me  where  I  belong;  and  representing,  as  I  do, 
by  birth  and  opportunity,  all  the  nationalities  on  the  globe, 
I  feel  that  I  have  been  properly  selected  to  give  you  the 
welcome  of  the  world.  I  am  just  now  arranging  and  pre- 
paring a  Centennial  oration  which  I  hope  may,  and  fear 
may  not,  meet  all-  the  possibilities  of  the  3Oth  of  April  in 
presenting  the  majesty  of  that  which  created  the  govern- 
ment which  we  boast  of  and  the  land  and  country  of  which 
we  are  proud,  but  I  feel  that  that  oration  is  of  no  import- 
ance compared  with  the  event  of  this  evening.  Washing- 
ton never  saw  a  base-ball  game;  Madison  wrote  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  and  died  without  seeing 
one;  Jefferson  was  the  author  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, and  yet  his  monument  has  no  tribute  of  this 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  277 

kind  upon  it.  Hamilton,  the  most  marvelous  and  creative 
genius,  made  constitutions,  built  up  systems  and  created 
institutions,  and  yet  never  witnessed  a  base-ball  game.  I 
feel  as  I  stand  here  that  all  the  men  that  have  ever  lived 
and  achieved  success  in  this  world  have  died  in  vain.  I  am 
competent  to  pay  that  tribute,  because  I  never  played  a 
game  in  my  life,  and  I  never  saw  it  but  once,  and  then  did 
not  understand  it.  A  philosopher  whom  I  always  read 
with  interest,  because  his  abstractions  sometimes  approach 
the  truth,  wrote  an  article  of  some  acumen  several  years 
ago,  in  which  he  said  that  you  could  mark  the  march  of 
civilization  and  rise  of  liberty  and  its  decadence  by  the  in- 
terest which  the  nations  took  in  pugilism.  The  nations 
of  the  earth  which  submit  to  the  most  grinding  of  despot- 
isms have  no  pugilists.  The  nations  of  Europe  which 
have  never  risen  in  their  boasted  establishments  to  a  full 
comprehension  of  republicanism,  have  no  pugilists.  While 
Ireland  and  the  Irish  people,  who  can  never  be  crushed, 
who  have  poetry,  song  and  eloquence  that  belong  to 
genius,  have  the  most  remarkable  pugilists.  England, 
which  has  a  literature  which  is  the  only  classic  of  to-day, 
which  has  an  aristocracy  and  a  form  of  government  which 
is  nearly  democratic,  has  remarkable  pugilists,  and  when 
you  reach  the  seal  of  culture  in  America — Boston — you 
find  the  prince  of  pugilists.  Now,  that  philosopher  was 
right  in  the  general  principle,  but  wrong  in  the  game.  Civ- 
ilization is  marked,  and  has  been  in  all  ages,  by  an  interest 
in  the  manly  arts." 

In  conclusion  Mr.  Depew  eulogized  the  returning 
tourists  and  ended  with  a  brilliant  panegyric  in  favor  of 
the  National  Game. 

In  responding  to  the  toast,  "The  Influence  of  the  Man- 
ly Sports,"  the  Hon.  Daniel  Dougherty  made  a  brilliant 
address  in  favor  of  outdoor  games,  after  which  President 


278        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Spalding  paid  a  compliment  to  the  excellent  conduct  and 
ball-playing  abilities  of  the  two  teams,  and  Captain 
Ward  and  myself  made  the  briefest  of  remarks.  Chair- 
man Mills  then  introduced  "Mark  Twain,"  speaking  of 
him  as  a  native  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  which  brought 
out  the  following  address: 

"Though  not  a  native,  as  intimated  by  the  chairman, 
I  have  visited  the  Sandwich  Islands,  that  peaceful  land, 
that  beautiful  land,  that  far-off  home  of  profound  repose 
and  soft  indolence,  and  dreamy  solitude,  where  life  is  one 
long  slumberous  Sabbath,  the  climate  one  long,  delicious 
summer  day,  and  the  good  that  die  experience  no  change, 
for  they  but  fall  asleep  in  one  heaven  and  wake  up  in  an- 
other. And  these  boys  have  played  base-ball  there ;  base- 
ball, which  is  the  very  symbol,  the  outward  and  visible  ex- 
pression of  the  drive  and  push  and  rush  and  struggle  of 
the  raging,  tearing,  booming  nineteenth  century.  One 
cannot  realize  it,  the  place  and  the  fact  are  so  incongru- 
ous; it  is  like  interrupting  a  funeral  with  a  circus.  Why, 
there's  no  legitimate  point  of  contact,  no  possible  kinship 
between  base-ball  and  the  Sandwich  Islands;  base-ball  is 
all  fact,  the  Islands  are  all  sentiment.  In  base-ball  you've 
got  to  do  everything  just  right,  or  you  don't  get  there;  in 
the  Islands  you've  got  to  do  everything  all  wrong,  or  you 
can't  stay  there.  You  do  it  wrong  to  get  it  right,  for  if 
you  do  it  right  you  get  it  wrong;  there  isn't  any  way  to  get 
it  right  but  to  do  i't  wrong,  and  the  wronger  you  do  it  the 
righter  it  is. 

"The  natives  illustrate  this  every  day.  They  never 
mount  a  horse  from  the  larboard  side,  they  always  mount 
him  from  the  starboard;  on  the  other  hand,  they  never 
milk  a  cow  on  the  starboard  side,  they  always  milk  her  on 
the  larboard;  it's  why  you  see  so  many  short  people  there, 
they've  got  their  heads  kicked  off.  When  they  meet  on 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  279 

the  road  they  don't  turn  to  the  right,  they  turn  to  the  left. 
And  so,  from  always  doing  everything  wrong  end  first,  it 
makes  them  left-handed  and  cross-eyed;  they  are  all  so. 
In  those  Islands,  the  cats  haven't  any  tails  and  the  snakes 
haven't  any  teeth;  and,  what  is  still  more  irregular,  the 
man  that  loses  a  game  gets  the  pot.  As  to  dress,  the 
women  all  wear  a  single  garment,  but  the  men  don't.  No, 
the  men  don't  wear  anything  at  all;  they  hate  display; 
when  they  wear  a  smile  they  think  they  are  overdressed. 
Speaking  of  birds,  the  only  bird  there  that  has  ornamental 
feathers  has  only  two,  just  only  enough  to  squeeze  through 
with,  and  they  are  under  its  wings  instead  of  on  top  of  its 
head,  where,  of  course,  they  ought  to  be  to  do  any  good. 
"The  natives'  language  is  soft  and  liquid  and  flexible, 
and  in  every  way  efficient  and  satisfactory  till  you  get 
mad;  then,  there  you  are;  there  isn't  anything  in  it  to 
swear  with.  Good  judges  all  say  it  is  the  best  Sunday  lan- 
guage there  is;  but  then  all  the  other  six  days  of  the  week 
it  just  hangs  idle  on  your  hands;  it  isn't  any  good  for  busi- 
ness, and  you  can't  work  a  telephone  with  it.  Many  a 
time  the  attention  of  the  missionaries  has  been  called  to 
this  defect,  and  they  are  always  promising  they  are  going 
to  fix  it;  but  no,  they  go  fooling  along  and  fooling  along, 
and  nothing  is  done.  Speaking  of  education,  everybody 
there  is  educated,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest;  in  fact, 
it  is  the  only  country  in  the  world  where  education  is  ac- 
tually universal.  And  yet  every  now  and  then  you  run 
across  instances  of  ignorance  that  are  simply  revolting, 
simply  revolting  to  the  human  race.  Think  of  it,  there 
the  ten  takes  the  ace.  But  let  us  not  dwell  on  such  things. 
They  make  a  person  ashamed.  Well,  the  missionaries  are 
always  going  to  fix  that,  but  they  put  it  off,  and  put  it  off, 
and  put  it  off,  and  so  that  nation  is  going  to  keep  on  going 


280        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

down,  and  down,  until  some  day  you  will  see  a  pair  of 
jacks  beat  a  straight  flush. 

"Well,  it  is  refreshment  to  the  jaded,  water  to  the 
thirsty,  to  look  upon  men  who  have  so  lately  breathed  the 
soft  air  of  these  Isles  of  the  Blest,  and  had  before  their 
eyes  the  inextinguishable  vision  of  their  beauty.  No  alien 
land  in  all  the  world  has  any  deep,  strong  charm  for  me 
but  that  one;  no  other  land  could  so  longingly  and  be- 
seechingly tempt  me,  sleeping  and  waking,  through  half 
a  life-time,  as  that  one  has  done.  Other  things  leave  me, 
but  that  abides;  other  things  change,  but  that  remains  the 
same.  For  me,  its  balmy  airs  are  always  blowing,  its 
summer  seas  flashing  in  the  sun,  the  pulsing  of  its  surfbeat 
is  in  my  ears.  I  can  see  its  garlanded  crags,  its  leaping 
cascades,  its  plumy  palms  drowsing  by  the  shore,  its  re- 
mote summits  floating  like  islands  above  the  cloud  rack. 
I  can  hear  the  spirits  of  its  woodland  solitudes,  I  can  hear 
the  splash  of  its  brooks;  in  my  nostrils  still  lives  the  breath 
of  the  flowers  that  perished  twenty  years  ago.  And  these 
world  wanderers  that  sit  before  me  here  have  lately  looked 
upon  these  things,  and  with  eyes  of  the  flesh,  not  the  un- 
satisfying vision  of  the  spirit.  I  envy  them  that." 

"Mark  Twain"  may  have  been  better  than  he  was 
that  night,  but  if  so  I  should  like  some  one  to  mention 
the  time  and  place.  To  be  sure  he  make  a  mistake  in  tak- 
ing it  for  granted  that  we  had  played  ball  there,  but  then 
it  was  not  our  fault  that  we  had  not.  It  was  all  the  fault 
of  the  horrid  blue  laws  that  prevented  us  from  making  an 
honest  dollar. 

Digby  Bell  and  DeWolf  Hopper  gave  recitations  in  re- 
sponse to  the  loud  demand  made  for  them,  and  it  was  not 
until  long  after  midnight  that  an  adjournment  was  finally 
made. 

The  next  day  we  played  our  second  game  in  Brooklyn 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  281 

before  a  crowd  of  3,500,  and  gave  a  rather  uninteresting 
exhibition,  the  Chicagos  taking  the  lead  at  the  start  and 
holding  it  to  the  finish,  the  All-Americas  supporting 
Crane  in  a  very  slipshod  manner.  That  same  evening  we 
left  for  Baltimore,  where  6,000  people  gave  us  a  hearty 
welcome  when  we  appeared  the  next  afternoon  on  the  As- 
sociation grounds.  Here  we  put  up  a  good  game,  the 
Chicagos  winning  by  a  score  of  5  to  2. 

We  arrived  in  Philadelphia  the  next  morning  at  eleven 
o'clock  and  found  a  committee  composed  of  the  officers 
of  the  Philadelphia  clubs  and  representatives  of  the  Phila- 
delphia papers  at  the  depot  awaiting  our  arrival.  Enter- 
ing carriages  we  were  driven  down  Chestnut  Street  to  the 
South  Side  Ferry,  where  we  took  the  'boat  for  Gloucester 
and  were  given  a  planked-shad  dinner  at  Thompson's. 
Returning  we  were  driven  directly  to  the  grounds  of  the 
Athletic  Club,  where  the  Athletics  and  Bostons  were  play- 
ing an  exhibition  game.  When  our  party  filed  into  the 
grounds  at  the  end  of  the  third  inning  play  was  suspended 
and  as  the  band  played  "Home  Again"  we  were  given  a 
great  ovation.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  game,  which  we 
witnessed  from  a  section  of  the  grand  stand  that  had  been 
reserved  for  us,  we  went  to  the  Continental  Hotel,  and 
then,  after  we  had  donned  evening  dress,  we  were  escorted 
to  the  Hotel  Bellevue,  where  we  had  been  tenderd  a  ban- 
quet by  the  Philadelphia  "Sporting  Life."  The  banquet 
hall  on  this  occasion  was  beautifully  decorated,  and  as  we 
entered  the  band  played,  "The  Day  I  Played  Base-ball." 
Frank  C.  Richter  occupied  the  chairman's  seat,  others  at 
the  same  table  being  A.  G.  Spalding,  Col.  A.  K.  McClure, 
of  the  "Philadelphia  Times;"  Col.  M.  R.  Muckle,  of  the 
"Ledger;"  John  I.  Rogers,  Harry  Wright,  A.  G.  Reach, 
Capt.  John  M.  Ward,  C.  H.  Byrne  of  the  Brooklyn  Club, 
President  W.  M.  Smith  of  the  City  Council,  Thomas 


282        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Dando,  President  of  the  "Sporting  Life"  company,  and 
myself.  There  were  over  three  hundred  guests  in  all  and  it 
was  late  before  the  speechmaking  began.  After  brief 
welcoming  addresses  -by  Chairman  Richter,  Mr.  Dando 
and  President  Smith,  there  were  loud  calls  for  Mr.  Spald- 
ing,  Who  gave  a  brief  outline  of  our  experiences  in  for- 
eign lands.  Captain  Ward  and  myself  responded  in  be- 
half of  our  respective  teams  and  I  took  occasion  to  pay  the 
boys  all  a  compliment  that  I  thought  that  they  had  de- 
served, because  each  and  every  member  had  behaved  him- 
self as  a  gentleman.  Speeches  by  Colonel  Rogers  and  C. 
H.  Byrne  followed,  after  which  came  a  glowing  tribute 
to  the  National  Game  from  the  lips  of  Col.  McClure,  fol- 
lowed by  an  interesting  sketch  of  the  game  and  its  growth 
in  popular  favor  by  Henry  Chadwick,  who  has  the  history 
of  the  game  from  its  first  inception  down  to  the  present 
time  at  his  finger-ends.  A.  J.  Reach,  Harry  Wright,  Tim 
Murnane,  Leigh  Lynch  and  the  irrespressible  Fogarty  all 
took  their  turn  at  amusing  the  party  and  again  it  was  a 
late  hour,  or  rather  an  early  one,  when  we  returned  to  our 
quarters.  The  next  afternoon  we  were  accorded  a  recep- 
tion by  Mayor  Fitler  in  his  office,  who,  in  shaking  hands 
with  the  tourists,  gave  us  all  the  heartiest  sort  of  a  wel- 
come. That  afternoon  we  played  on  the  grounds  of  the 
Philadelphia^,  to  a  crowd  of  4,000  people,  the  weather 
being  threatening.  This  proved  to  be  a  close  and  exciting 
contest,  Chicago,  winning  by  a  score  of  6  to  4,  Tener  and 
Healy  both  being  in  fine  shape. 

The  next  day  found  us  in  Boston  where  we  played  to 
4,000  people,  and  where  the  contest  proved  to  be  a  one- 
sided affair,  a  brilliant  double  play  by  Duffy,  Tener  and 
myself  and  a  quick  double  play  by  Manning  and  W  ise  be- 
ing the  redeeming  features.  It  was  something  of  a  picnic 
for  All-Americas,  as  they  won  by  a  score  of  10  to  3.  The 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  283 

following  evening  we  started  on  our  trip  to  Chicago,  stop- 
ping at  Washington  en  route. 

Here  we  were  notified  of  President  Harrison's'  wish  to 
receive  the  party  and,  visiting  the  White  House,  we  were 
introduced  to  Benjamin  Harrison,  whose  reception  was 
about  as  warm  as  that  of  an  icicle,  and  who  succeeded  in 
making  us  all  feel  exceedingly  uncomfortable.  That  af- 
ternoon 3,000  people  saw  us  wipe  up  the  ground  with  the 
All-Americas,  upon  whom  the  President's  reception  had 
had  a  bad  effect,  as  the  score,  18  to  6,  indicates. 

The  next  day  we  played  at  Pittsburg  to  a  crowd  of  the 
same  size,  the  score  being  a  tie,  each  team  having  made 
three  runs  at  the  end  of  the  ninth  inning,  and  the  day  fol- 
lowing at  Cleveland  4,500  saw  us  win  by  a  score  of  7  to  4. 
At  Indianapolis  the  All- Americas  took  their  revenge,  how- 
ever, beating  us  in  the  presence  of  2,000  people  by  a  score 
of  9  to  5. 

Friday  noon  we  left  the  Hoosier  capital  for  Chicago 
in  a  special  car  over  the  Monon  route,  and  at  Hammond, 
where  we  had  already  gotten  into  dress  suits,  we  were  met 
by  a  crowd  of  Chicagoans,  who  told  us  that  Chicago  was 
prepared  to  give  us  the  greatest  reception  that  we  had  yet 
had,  a  fact  that  proved  to  be  only  too  true.  The  crowd  at 
the  depot  was  a  howling,  yelling  mob,  and  as  we  entered 
our  carriages  and  the  procession  moved  up  Wabash  Ave- 
nue and  across  Harmon  Court  to  Michigan  Avenue,  amid 
the  'bursting  of  rockets,  the  glare  of  calcium  lights  and 
Roman  candles,  we  felt  that  we  were  indeed  at  home 
again.  It  seemed  as  if  every  amateur  base-ball  club  in  the 
city  had  turned  out  on  this  occasion  and  as  they  passed  us 
in  review  the  gay  uniforms  and  colored  lights  made  the 
scene  a  very  pretty  one.  At  the  Palmer  House  the  crowd 
was  fully  as  large  as  that  which  had  greeted  us  at  the  depot, 
the  reception  committee  embracing  Judge  H.  M.  Shep- 


284        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

ard,  Judge  H.  N.  Hibbard,  Potter  Palmer,  John  R.  Walsh, 
Frederic  Ullman,  L.  G.  Fisher,  D.  K.  Hill,  C.  L.  Wil- 
loughby,  C.  E.  Rollins,  F.  M.  Lester,  J.  B.  Kitchen,  J.  B. 
Knight,  M.  A.  Fields,  Dr.  Hathaway,  L.  M.  Hamburger, 
Louis  Manasse  and  C.  F.  Gunther. 

The  banquet  given  in  our  honor  that  night  was  a  most 
elegant  affair,  among  those  seated  at  the  speaker's  table 
being  Mayor  D^Witt  C.  Cregier,  Hon.  Carter  H.  Harri- 
son, Rev.  Dr.  Thomas,  James  W.  Scott,  President  of  the 
Chicago  Press  Club,  A.  G.  Spalding,  George  W.  Driggs 
and  many  others.  It  was  after  ten  o'clock  when  Mayor 
Cregier  called  the  banqueters  to  order  and  made  his  speech 
of  welcome,  to  which  Mr.  Spalding  replied.  The  Rev.  Dr. 
Thomas  responded  to  the  toast  of  "Base-ball  as  a  National 
Amusement,"  and  myself  to  "His  Royal  Highness  the 
Prince  of  Wales,"  but  the  boys  kept  up  such  a  constant 
cheering  while  I  was  on  my  feet  that  I  am  afraid  that  they 
did  not  appreciate  all  the  good  things  that  I  said  in  re- 
gard to  England's  future  ruler.  "The  National  Value  of 
Athletics"  brought  out  a  stirring  address  from  Major 
Henry  Turner,  and  John  M.  Ward  expressed  himself 
most  happily  on  "The  World  As  I  Found  It."  Ex-Mayor 
Carter  H.  Harrison  responded  to  the  toast,  "My  Own 
Experience,"  and  compared  in  humorous  fashion  his  own 
trip  around  the  world  with  the  one  that  we  had  just  com- 
pleted. After  other  toasts  .responded  to  by  various  mem- 
bers of  the  party,  we  adjourned.  The  next  afternoon  we 
played  the  last  game  of  the  trip  at  the  West  Side  Park  and 
were  beaten  by  a  score  of  22  to  9,  the  All-Americas  falling 
upon  Baldwin  and  batting  him  all  over  the  grounds. 

The  next  day  the  tourists  went  their  several  ways  and 
so  ended  a  tour  such  as  had  never  before  been  planned 
and  that  cost  me  in  round  figures  about  $1,500,  that  being 
my  share  of  the  losses  incurred  in  advertising  the  sporting 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  285 

goods  business  of  the    Spaldings,    their   business    being 
greatly  benefited  by  the  tour,  and  how  they  repaid  me  af- 
XAMierwards — well — that's  another  story. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  BROTHERHOOD. 

The  playing  strength  of  the  League  teams  of 
was  remarkably  even;  that  is  to  say,  on  paper.  Detroit 
had  dropped  out  and  Cleveland  had  taken  its  place  in  the 
ranks,  four  of  the  old  Detroit  players  going  to  Boston, 
one  to  Philadelphia,  three  to  Pittsburg,  and  the  balance 
to  Cleveland.  The  Boston  Club  had  been  the  greatest 
gainer  by  the  deal,  however,  and  the  majority  of  the  "fans" 
looked  for  it  to  carry  off  the  pennant.  Once  more  the  un>- 
expected  happened,  however,  and,  though  it  took  the 
games  of  the  very  last  day  of  the  season  to  settle  the 
standing  of  the  first  six  clubs,  the  pennant  finally  went  to 
New  York  for  the  second  time,  they  winning  83  games 
and  losing  43,  while  Boston  came  next  with  the  same 
number  of  games  won  and  45  lost,  and  Chicago  stood 
third  with  65  games  won  and  65  lost,  Philadelphia,  Pitts- 
burg,  Cleveland,  Indianapolis  and  Washington  follow- 
ing in  the  order  named. 

The  Chicago  team  of  that  year  consisted  of  Tener, 
Dwyer,  Hutchinson  and  Gumbert,  pitchers;  Farrell,  Dar- 
ling, Sommers  and  Flint,  catchers;  Pfeffer,  Burns,  Bas- 
tian,  Williamson  and  myself  in  the  infield;  and  Van  Hal- 
tren,  Ryan  and'  Duffy,  outfielders.  I  was  the  manager 
and  captain.  It  was  not  until  late  in  the  season  that  Will- 
iamson recovered  sufficiently  from  the  injury  that  he  had 
received  at  Paris  to  join  us,  and  his  absence  hurt  our 
chances  very  materially,  as  the  old  "stone  wall"  infield 
was  left  in  a  crippled  condition. 

That  fall  the  Brotherhood  Revolt,  that  robbed  the 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  BROTHERHOOD.    287 

League  of  many  of  its  best  players,  took  place,  and  though 
the  reasons  for  this  have  been  variously  stated,  yet  I  am 
of  the  opinion  that  it  could  be  all  summed  up  by  the  one 
word,  "greed,"  for  that  was  certainly  the  corner  stone  of 
the  entire  structure.  It  has  also  been  said  that  the  plan 
of  the  Brotherhood  was  perfected  by  the  ringleaders  there- 
in during  the  around-the-world  trip,  and  it  may  be  that 
this  is  true,  but  if  such  was  the  case  the  whole  affair  was 
kept  remarkably  quiet,  for  it  was  not  until  away  late  in 
the  season  that  I  was  aware  of  the  intended  secession  of 
the  players,  I  then  being  approached  by  John  M.  Ward 
with  a  proposal  to  join  them,  a  proposal  that  I  declined 
with  thanks,  giving  as  my  reason  that  the  League  had 
always  treated  me  fairly  and  honestly  up  to  that  time,  and 
that  such  being  the  case  I  could  see  no  reason  why  I 
should  leave  them  in  an  underhand  manner.  The  truth 
of  the  matter  is,  that  I  felt  bound  in  honor  to  stand  by  my 
friends,  even  if  I  sank  with  them,  and  at  that  time  the 
skies  did  look  remarkably  dark  and  it  was  a  question1  in 
my  mind  as  to  what  would  be  the  outcome.  The  fact  that 
the  majority  of  the  League  clubs  had  the  season  before 
made  a  great  deal  of  money  excited  the  cupidity  of  certain 
capitalists,  and  they,  finding  the  players  dissatisfied  over 
some  minor  grievances,  incited  them  to  revolt,  hoping  to 
use  them  as  catspaws  with  which  to  pull  the  financial 
chestnuts  out  of  the  fire. 

The  Brotherhood  was  a  secret  organization,  and  one 
that  was  originally  formed  by  the  promoters  with  the  ob- 
ject of  protecting  the  ball  players  in  their  rights,  and  not 
for  the  purpose  of  disrupting  the  old  League  and  forming 
a  new  one  in  opposition,  as  it  afterwards  attempted  to  do. 
It  first  made  itself  felt  in  the  fall  of  1887,  when  it  com- 
pelled the  League  to  draw  up  a  new  form  of  contract,  in 
which  the  rights  of  the  players  were  better  understood 


288        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

than  under  the  form  that  had  previously  been  used.  When 
the  new  contract  was  adopted  the  full  amount  of  each 
player's  salary  could  not  be  written  therein,  because  of 
the  National  Agreement,  which  contained  a  $2,000  salary 
limit  clause,  and  as  the  American  Association  Clubs  would 
not  allow  this  to  be  stricken  out  the  players. were  greatly 
displeased,  they  having  to  sign  contracts  at  $2,000,  and 
make  outside  contracts  for  all  compensation  over  that 
amount  that  they  received.  Threats  as  to  what  the  Broth- 
erhood would  do  were  freely  made  at  that  time,  but  noth- 
ing came  of  them.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  1888,  the 
Indianapolis,  Pittsburg  and  Washington  Clubs  demanded 
of  the  League  a  scheme  that  would  limit  players'  salaries, 
which  had  grown  to  enormous  proportions,  and  the  result 
was  that  a  classification  rule,  which  divided  the  players 
into  five  classes,  as  follows:  Class  A,  to  receive  $2,500; 
Class  B,  $2,250;  Class  C,  $2,000;  Class  D,  $1,750,  and 
Class  E,  $1,500,  it  being  agreed  among  the  clubs,  how- 
ever, that  this  classification  should  not  apply  to  players 
with  whom  they  then  had  agreements,  or  to  players  with 
whom  they  should  make  agreements,  or  to  whom  they 
felt  under  moral  obligations  to  do  so,  previous  to  Decem- 
ber 1 5th,  1888,  and  it  was  also  provided  that  the  players 
then  absent  on  the  world's  trip  should  be  accorded  two 
weeks  after  their  return  in  which  to  arrange  matters  be- 
fore they  should  be  subject  to  classification. 

We  were  abroad  at  that  time,  but  the  players  at  home 
remonstrated  strongly  against  the  classification,  claiming 
that  in  a  few  years  it  would  have  a  tendency  to  lower  the 
salaries  very  materially,  but  the  absence  of  John  M.  Ward, 
who  was  the  Brotherhood  leader,  prevented  any  official 
action  by  the  organization.  When  Mr.  Ward  reached 
home  again  contracts  had  been  signed  and  nothing  could 
be  done,  though  it  is  now  known  that  he  favored  a  strike 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  BROTHERHOOD.    289 

at  that  time,  but  was  out-voted  by  the  cooled-headed 
members  of  the  order.  In  the  meantime  the  New  Yorks 
•had  agreed  to  release  the  Brotherhood  leader  to  Wash- 
ington for  the  sum  of  $12,000,  the  largest  sum  ever  of- 
fered for  the  release  of  a  player,  but  Ward's  flat-footed  re- 
fusal to  play  in  the  National  Capital  team  caused  the  deal 
to  fall  through. 

In  the  meantime  the  discontented  players  had  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  present  their  grievances  to  the 
League,  and  President  Young  appointed  a  League  com- 
mittee to  hear  the  players,  of  which  committee  A.  G. 
Spalding  was  chairman,  but  when  an  immediate  hearing 
was  asked  for  by  Mr.  Ward,  Mr.  Spalding  declined  to 
meet  the  Brotherhood  players  until  fall.  This,  accord- 
ing to  the  players'  story,  was  the  last  straw  that  broke  the 
camel's  back,  and  from  that  time  on  they  began,  but  with 
the  greatest  secrecy,  to  arrange  their  plans  for  secession. 

Having  ascertained  what  was  going  on  in  the  mean- 
time, I  used  what  influence  I  possessed  in  trying  to  dis- 
suade such  of  my  players  as  was  possible  from  taking  what 
I  then  regarded  as  a  foolish  step,  and  though  I  managed 
to  find  some  of  them  that  would  listen  to  me  there  were 
others  who  would  not,  Pfeffer,  Tener  and  Williamson  be- 
ing among  the  number,  though  they  made  no  move 
openly  looking  toward  desertion  until  after  the  playing 
season  was  over. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  November,  1899,  tne  Brother- 
hood met  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  and  threw  off  the 
mask,  issuing  the  following  address  to  the  public: 

"At  last  the  Brotherhood  of  base-ball  players  feels  at  liberty 
to  make  known  its  intentions  and  defend  itself  against  the  asper- 
sions and  misrepresentations  which  for  weeks  it  has  been  forced  to 
suffer  in  silence.  It  is  no  longer  a  secret  that  the  players  of  the 
League  have  determined  to  play  next  season  under  different 
management,  but  for  reasons  which  will,  we  think,  be  understood, 


ago        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

it  was  deemed  advisable  to  make  no  announcement  of  this  inten- 
tion until  the  close  of  the  present  season.  But  now  that  the  strug- 
gle for  the  various  penants  is  over,  and  the  terms  of  our  contracts 
expired,  there  is  no  longer  reason  for  withholding  it.  In  taking 
this  step  we  feel  that  we  owe  it  to  the  public  and  to  ourselves  to 
explain  briefly  some  of  the  reasons  by  which  we  have  been  moved. 
There  was  a  time  when  the  League  stood  for  integrity  and  fair 
•dealing;  to-day  it  stands  for  dollars  and  cents.  Once  it  looked  to 
the  elevation  of  the  game  and  an  honest  exhibition  of  the  sport. 
To-day  its  eyes  are  upon  the  turnstile.  Men  have  come  into  the 
business  for  no  other  motive  than  to  exploit  it  for  every  dollar  in 
sight.  Measures  originally  intended  for  the  good  of  the  game 
have  been  turned  into  instruments  for  wrong.  The  reserve  rule 
and  the  provisions  of  the  national  agreement  gave  the  managers 
unlimited  power,  and  they  have  not  hesitated  to  use  this  in  the 
most  arbitrary  and  mercenary  way. 

"Players  have  been  bought,  sold  and  exchanged,  as  though 
they  were  sheep,  instead  of  American  citizens.  Reservation  be- 
came with  them  another  name  for  property-rights  in  the  player. 
By  a  combination  among  themselves,  stronger  than  the  strongest 
trusts,  they  were  able  to  enforce  the  most  arbitrary  measures, 
and  the  player  had  either  to  submit  or  get  out  of  the  profession, 
in  which  he  had  spent  years  in  attaining  proficiency.  Even  the 
disbandment  and  retirement  of  a  club  did  not  free  the  players 
from  the  octopus  clutch,  for  they  were  then  peddled  around  to 
the  highest  bidder. 

"That  the  players  sometimes  profited  by  the  sale  has  nothing 
to  do  with  the  case,  but  only  proves  the  injustice  of  the  previous 
restraint.  Two  years  ago  we  met  the  League  and  attempted  to 
remedy  some  of  these  evils,  but  through  what  had  been  called 
League  'diplomacy'  we  completely  failed.  Unwilling  longer  to 
submit  to  such  treatment,  we  made  a  strong  effort  last  spring  to 
reach  an  understanding  with  the  League.  To  our  application  for 
a  hearing  they  replied  'that  the  matter  was  not  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  warrant  a  meeting,'  and  suggested  that  it  be  put  off 
until  fall.  Our  committee  replied  that  the  players  felt  that  the 
League  had  broken  faith  with  them;  that  while  the  results  might 
be  of  little  importance  to  the  managers,  they  were  of  great  im- 
portance to  the  players;  that  if  the  League  would  not  concede 
what  was  fair  we  would  adopt  other  measures  to  protect  ourselves; 
that  if  postponed  until  fall  we  would  be  separated  and  at  the 
mercy  of  the  League,  and  that,  as  the  only  course  left  us  required 
time  and  labor  to  develop,  we  must  therefore  insist  upon  an  im- 
mediate conference.  Then  upon  their  final  refusal  to  meet  us,  we 
began  organizing  for  ourselves,  and  are  in  shape  to  go  ahead  next 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  BROTHERHOOD.   291 

year  under  new  management  and  new  auspices.  We  believe  it  is 
possible  to  conduct  our  National  game  upon  lines  which  will  not 
infringe  upon  individual  and  natural  rights.  We  ask  to  be  judged 
solely  by  our  work,  and  believing  that  the  game  can  be  played 
more  fairly  and  its  business  conducted  more  intelligently  under  a 
plan  which  excludes  everything  arbitrary  and  un-American,  we 
look  forward  with  confidence  to  the  support  of  the  public  and 
the  future  of  the  National  game. 

(Signed) 
THE  NATIONAL  BROTHERHOOD  OF  BALL  PLAYERS. 

The  Players'  League,  as  finally  organized,  embraced 
the  cities  of  Boston,  Brooklyn,  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia, in  the  East,  and  Buffalo,  Chicago,  Cleveland  and 
Pittsburg  in  the  West.  According  to  the  articles  under 
which  this  league  was  formed  its  government  rested  in  a 
central  board  composed  of  its  president,  and  two  directors, 
one  a  player  and  one  a  capitalist  from  each  club. 

Any  player  who  was  dissatisfied  with  his  location  could 
apply  to  the  board  to  be  transferred  without  the  payment 
of  anything  to  the  club  losing  his  services.  All  contracts 
were  to  be  made  for  three  years  and  no  player  could  be  re- 
leased until  after  the  first  year  had  expired,  and  not  then 
if  he  had  kept  his  agreements  and  was  still  able  and  willing 
to  play  good  ball.  Severe  penalties  were  provided  for 
drunkenness  and  crookedness,  and  all  profits  from  ground 
privileges,  such  as  refreshments,  score-cards,  cigars,  etc., 
belonged  to  each  individual  club.  It  was  also  provided 
that  all  players  were  to  have  the  same  salaries  that  they 
had  had  in  1889,  save  such  as  had  been  cut  down  by  the 
classification  system,  and  they  were  to  be  paid  the  same 
salaries  as  in  1888,  the  same  to  be  increased  at  the  option 
of  the  club  engaging  them. 

This  on  paper  looked  to  be  a  great  scheme,  but  what 
it  lacked  was  business  brains  in  its  management,  and  as  a 
result  its  career  was  a  short  and  stormy  one,  it  being  war 
to  the  knife  and  the  knife  to  the  hilt  between  the  two  great 


2$>  A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

rival  organizations.  After  four  courts  had  decided  that 
the  players  had  a  right  to  leave  the  National  League, 
each  of  the  clubs  located  in  the  Players'  League  signed  a 
compact  to  play  with  that  organization  for  ten  years.  The 
National  League  then  formed  a  schedule  of  playing  dates 
that  conflicted  with  the  Players'  League  all  through  the 
season  of  1890,  this  action  throwing  both  clubs  and  public 
into  confusion,  the  latter  becoming  so  disgusted  over  the 
war  of  the  rival  factions  as  to  stay  away  from  the  games 
altogether.  At  the  end  of  the  season  the  Players'  League 
bought  the  Cincinnati  Club,  and  as  the  Pittsburg  Club 
was  all  but  defunct,  this  left  the  National  League  with  but 
six  clubs. 

At  the  close  of  the  championship  season  a  conference 
was  held  and  plans  agreed  upon  for  ending  the  war,  which 
had  been  financially  disastrous  to  both  parties.  Commit- 
tees were  appointed  by  both  Leagues  and  by  the  Ameri- 
can Association  having  this  end  in  view,  but  the  Players' 
League,  at  a  special  meeting  added  three  professional 
players  to  its  committee,  and  the  National  League  re- 
fused to  join  in  the  conference.  Secret  meetings  between 
the  capitalists  of  the  Players'  League  and  the  National 
League  were  held,  with  the  result  that  the  rival  clubs  in 
New  York,  Pittsburg  and  Chicago  were  consolidated,  this 
causing  the  disruption  of  the  Brotherhood. 

Looked  at  from  a  financial  standpoint  the  contrast 
between  the  seasons  of  1889  and  1890  was  a  great  one. 
The  year  1889  was  the  most  successful  that  the  League 
had  ever  known,  and  the  money  fairly  poured  in  at  the 
gate.  The  year  1890,  on  the  contrary,  was  one  of  the  most 
disastrous  that  the  League  had  ever  known,  and  on  many 
occasions  the  clubs  found  themselves  playing  to  almost 
empty  benches. 

The  defection  of  Tener,  Williamson,  Ryan,  Pfeffer  and 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  BROTHERHOOD.   293 

others  left  me  with  a  comparatively  green  team  on  my 
hands,  when  the  season  of  1890  opened,  but  long  before 
the  season  came  to  a  close  constant  practice  had  made  it 
one  of  the  best  teams  in  the  League,  as  it  proved  by  fin- 
ishing in  the  second  place.  Few  people,  however,  appre- 
ciate the  amount  of  work  that  was  necessary  to  attain 
that  result.  It  was  hard  work  and  plenty  of  it,  and  though 
some  of  the  players  objected  to  the  amount  of  practice 
forced  upon  them,  and  the  strict  discipline  that  was  en- 
forced, yet  they  had  to  put  up  with  it,  as  that  was  the  only 
manner  in  which  the  necessary  playing  strength  could  be 
developed.  I  myself  worked  just  as  hard  as  they  did.  If 
we  took  a  three-mile  run,  I  was  at  their  head  setting  the 
pace  for  them.  I  have  never  asked  the  men  under  my 
control  to  do  anything  that  I  was  not  willing  to  do  myself, 
because  it  was  just  as  necessary  for  me  to  be  in  good  con*- 
dition  as  it  was  for  them. 

The  Chicagos  of  1890  were  made  up  as  follows:  Hutch- 
inson,  Luby  and  Stein,  pitchers;  Nagle  and  Kittridge, 
catchers;  Anson,  first  base;  Glenalvin,  second  base; 
Burns,  third  base;  Cooney,  shortstop;  Carroll,  left  field; 
Andrews,  right  field;  and  O'Brien,  Earle  and  Foster  sub- 
stitutes. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  I  had  but  one  of  the  "old  re- 
liables" left,  that  being  Burns,  who  had  refused  to  affiliate 
with  the  Brotherhood,  and  who  was  to  receive  his  reward 
later  on  at  the  hands  of  the  Chicago  Club  management. 
The  rest  of  the  team  was  composed  of  a  lot  of  half-broken 
"colts,"  many  of  whom  were  newcomers  in  the  League, 
and  with  a  reputation  yet  to  make,  Hutchinson,  Cooney 
and  Wilmot  being  the  pick  of  the  bunch. 

There  was  never  a  time  during  this  season  that  we 
were  worse  than  fifth,  and  on  several  occasions  we  were 
right  up  in  the  front  rank.  W'hen  October  arrived  we 


294        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

were  in  the  third  place,  but  during  the  short  season  that 
followed  we  passed  Philadelphia  and  took  second  position. 
Brooklyn  carried  off  the  pennant  with  a  total  of  86  games 
won  and  43  lost,  while  Chicago  had  83  games  won  and 
53  lost,  Philadelphia  being  third  with  78  games  won  and 
53  lost,  while  Cincinnati,  Boston,  New  York,  Cleveland 
and  Pittsburg  followed  in  that  order. 

This  was  an  achievement  to  be  proud  of,  and  with  the 
downfall  of  the  Brotherhood  and  the  consolidation  of  some 
of  the  leading  clubs  I  naturally  thought  that  the  Chi- 
cago team  would  be  strengthened  very  materially,  but 
such  was  not  the  case.  I  did  not  even  get  my  old  players 
back,  those  of  them  that  continued  in  the  profession  being 
scattered  far  and  wide  among  the  other  League  clubs, 
while  others  retired  from  the  arena  altogether.  As  a  re- 
sult it  was  a  constant  hustle  on  my  part  to  secure  new 
players,  and  I  think  I  may  easily  say  that  the  hardest  years 
of  my  managerial  experience  were  those  that  followed  the 
revolt  of  the  Brotherhood,  continuing  until  my  retire- 
ment from  the  Chicago  Club  at  the  close  of  1897,  at  which 
time  I  was  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  shares  of 
the  club's  stock,  which  from  the  time  of  Mr.  Hart's  con- 
nection with  it  has  been  worthless  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, and  simply  because 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

MY   LAST  YEARS   ON   THE   BALL   FIELD. 

The  season  of  1891  proved  to  be  almost  as  disastrous, 
when  viewed  from  a  financial  standpoint,  as  was  the  sea- 
sons of  1890,  owing  to  the  war  for  the  possession  of  good 
players  that  broke  out  between  the  National  League  and 
the  American  Association,  that  was  caused  by  a  refusal  on 
the  part  of  the  last-named  organization  to  stick  to  the 
terms  of  the  National  Agreement,  the  result  being  the 
boosting  of  players'  salaries  away  up  into  fancy  figures. 

This  state  of  affairs  proved  to  be  exceedingly  costly  for 
all  concerned,  as  really  good  players  were  at  that  time  ex- 
ceedingly scarce  and  the  demand  for  them  constantly 
growing. 

The  Chicago  team  for  that  season  was  again  to  a  very 
great  extent  an  experimental  one,  made  up  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  season  of  the  following  named  players :  Luby, 
Gumbert  and  Hutchinson,  pitchers;  Schriver  and  Kitt- 
ridge,  catchers;  Anson,  first  base;  Pfeffer,  second  base; 
Burns,  third  base;  Dahlen,  shortstop;  Wilmot,  Ryan  and 
Carroll,  outfielders;  Cooney,  substitute. 

This  proved  to  be  a  strong  organization  and  one  that 
would  have  landed  the  pennant  'had  it  not  been  for  the 
fact  that  the  jealousy  of  the  old  players  in  the  East  en- 
gendered by  the  Brotherhood  revolt  would  not  allow  a 
team  of  youngsters,  many  of  whom  were  newcomers  in 
the  League  to  carry  off  the  honors,  and  a  conspiracy  was 
entered  into  whereby  New  York  lost  enough  games  to 
Boston  to  give  the  Beaneaters  the  pennant  and  to  rele- 
gate us  at  the  very  last  moment  into  the  second  place. 


2g6        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

We  had  made  a  whirlwind  fight  for  the  honors,  how- 
ever, and  though  we  lost  no  fault  could  be  laid  either  at  my 
door  or  at  the  doors  of  the  players,  as  we  had  the  pen- 
nant won  had  it  not  been  for  the  games  that  were  dropped 
by  the  "Giants"  to  the  Boston  Club,  in  order  that  the 
honors  might  not  be  carried  off  by  a  colt  team. 

Hutchinson,  upon  whom  the  most  of  the  pitching  work 
devolved,  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  business.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Yale,  a  gentleman  and  a  player  who  used  his 
head  as  well  as  his  hands  when  in  the  box.  Gumbert  and 
Luby  were  both  fair,  and  the  latter,  had  it  not  been  for 
strong  drink,  might  have  made  for  himself  a  much  greater 
reputation  than  he  did.  Dahlen  at  short  was  a  tower  of 
strength  to  the  team,  being  as  agile  as  a  cat,  a  sure  catch 
and  an  exceptionally  strong  batter,  while  the  rest  of  the 
infield  and  the  entire  outfield  was  away  above  the  average 
in  playing  strength. 

The  race  in  1891  was  one  of  the  closest  in  the  history 
of  the  League.  Opening  the  season  in  the  third  place  we 
never  occupied  a  lower  position,  but  on  the  contrary,  out 
of  the  twenty-four  weeks  that  the  season  lasted  he  held 
the  first  place  in  the  race  for  all  of  fifteen  weeks  and 
should  have  finished  at  the  top  of  the  column  had  it  not 
been  for  the  reasons  already  given,  and  which  were  largely 
commented  on  at  the  time  by  lovers  of  the  game  through- 
out the  country,  and  the  newspapers  from  one  end  of  the 
United  States  to  the  other. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  closing  week  of  the  season's 
campaign  Chicago  was  in  the  van  by  a  percentage  of  vic- 
tories of  .628  to  Bostons  .615,  which  was  apparently  a  win- 
ning lead  and  which  would  have  been  had  not  the  New 
York  organization  made  a  present  of  its  closing  games  to 
the  Boston  Club  for  the  express  purpose  of  throwing  us 
down  and  keeping  the  pennant  in  the  East.  As  it  was, 


MY  LAST  YEARS  ON  THE  BALL  FIELD.        297 

however,  we  finished  head  and  head  with  the  leaders,  New 
York  being  third,  Philadelphia  fourth,  Cleveland  fifth, 
Brooklyn  sixth,  Cincinnati  seventh,  and  Pittsburg  eighth. 

As  an  excuse  for  the  queer  showing  made  by  the 
"Giants"  in  these  Boston  games  it  has  been  alleged  that 
the  team  was  in  poor  condition  when  it  left  the  metropolis 
for  the  Hub  to  play  this  closing  series,  and  that  its  true 
condition  was  kept  a  secret  by  the  management,  one  writer 
going  so  far  as  to  say  that  Manager  Ewing's  brother  John 
was  at  that  time  disabled  by  a  sprained  ankle,  while  Rusie 
was  suffering  from  a  bruised  leg,  and  also  that  Whistler 
had  been  playing  at  first  base  so  well  that  Ewing  thought 
he  could  afford  to  give  Conner  a  day  or  two  off,  all  of 
which  may  have  been  true,  though  I  am  free  to  confess 
right  now  that  I  do  not  believe  it. 

In  February,  1892,  the  American'  Association  became 
a  thing  of  the  past,  four  of  its  leading  clubs'  joining  the 
National  League,  which  now  embraced  twelve  cities  in- 
stead of  eight,  the  circuit  taking  in  Boston,  Brooklyn, 
Louisville,  Pittsburg,  Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  Washington,  Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  Bal- 
timore. 

The  Chicago  team  for  that  season  consisted  of  A. 
Gumbert,  Hutchinson,  Luby,  Miller,  Hollister  and 
Meekin,  pitchers;  Kittridge  and  Schriver,  catchers;  An- 
son,  first  base;  Canavan  and  Decker,  second  base;  Dahlen 
and  Parrott,  third  base;  Dahlen  and  Cooney,  shortstop; 
Ryan,  Dugan,  Wilmot  and  Decker  in  the  outfield.  The 
majority  of  these  were  green  players,  as  compared  with 
the  seasoned  material  of  which  some  of  the  other  League 
clubs  boasted,  and  it  was  only  by  switching  them  about 
from  one  position  to  another  that  it  was  possible  to  tell 
where  they  best  fitted. 

Although  I  had  signed  six  pitchers  at  the  beginning 


298        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

of  the  season,  there  were  but  three  of  them  that  fulfilled 
my  expectations,  viz.,  Gumbert,  Hutchinson  and  Luby, 
and  of  these  three  Hutchinson  did  the  lion's  share  of  the 
work,  pitching  in  no  less  than  seventy  of  the  one  hundred 
and  fifty-six  games  that  we  played.  The  team  was  not  an 
evenly  balanced  one,  however,  and  though  it  boasted  of 
some  individuals  that  were  away  above  the  average  yet  it 
lacked  the  ability  and  practice  to  play  as  a  team  and  con- 
sequently finished  the  season  in  seventh  place,  Boston  again 
carrying  off  the  pennant  with  102  games  won  and  48  lost, 
while  Cleveland  came  second  with  93  won  and  56  lost, 
Brooklyn  being  third,  Philadelphia  fourth,  Cincinnati 
fifth,  Pittsburg  sixth,  Chicago  seventh,  New  York  eighth, 
Louisville  ninth,  Washington  tenth,  St.  Louis  eleventh 
and  Baltimore  last. 

I  remember  one  rather  queer  incident  that  occurred 
during  that  season,  and  while  we  were  playing  in  Boston. 
Henry  E.  Dixey,  the  actor,  who  was  then  playing  a  sum- 
mer engagement  at  the  "Hub,"  had  driven  out  to  the 
grounds  as  usual  in  his  buckboard,  with  his  pet  bull  ter- 
rier "Dago"  in  the  seat  beside  him,  Dixey  always  re- 
tained a  seat  in  his  rig  and  took  up  his  place  right  back  of 
the  left  field.  Dixie  had  not  been  on  the  ground  more 
than  twenty  minutes  when  Dahlen  swiped  the  ball  for  a 
three-bagger.  It  was  one  of  those  long,  low,  hard  drives, 
and  sailed  about  ten  feet  over  the  left  fielder's  head  and  in 
a  direct  line  for  Dixey.  He  couldn't  have  gotten  out  of  the 
way  had  he  tried,  but  the  fact  was  that  he  didn't  see  it  com- 
ing, and  the  first  he  knew  of  it  was  when  he  heard  a  sharp 
yelp  at  his  side  and  saw  poor  "Dago"  tumbling  off  his  seat 
between  the  wheels. 

The  dog  was  dead  when  picked  up,  the  ball  having 
broken  his  neck.  Between  the  yellow  buckboard,  the  dead 
canine,  the  frightened  horses  and  Dixey's  excitement  the 


MY  LAST  YEARS  ON  THE  BALL  FIELD.        299 

whole  field  was  in  an  uproar  and  it  was  fully  ten  minutes 
before  we  could  get  down  to  playing  again,  but  Dahlen, 
the  cause  of  it  all,  didn't  even  see  the  affair  and  scored  on 
the  death  of  "Dago,"  his  being  the  only  genuine  case  of 
making  a  dog-gone  run  that  has  ever  come  under  my  ob- 
servation. 

Some  time  during  the  winter  of  1892, 1  added  "big  Bill 
Lange,"  who  has  since  become  one  of  the  stars  of  the 
League,  and  Irwin  to  my  string  of  fielders,  and  cast  about 
to  strengthen  the  pitching  department  of  the  team  as 
much  as  possible,  Gumbert  and  Luby  having  been  re- 
leased. Having  this  object  in  view  no  less  than  eleven 
twirlers  were  signed,  of  whom  all  but  four  proved  com- 
parative failures,  Hutchinson,  McGill  arid  Mauck  having 
to  do  the  greater  part  of  the  work  in  the  box,  the  other 
eight  men,  Shaw,  Donnelly,  Clausen,  Abbey,  Griffith,  Mc- 
Ginnins,  Hughey  and  F.  Parrott  being  called  on  but  occa- 
sionally. Of  this  lot  Griffith  was  the  most  promising  and 
he  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  a  star  of  the  first  magni- 
tude. 

With  these  exceptions  the  team  was  about  the  same 
as  that  of  the  season  before,  and  that  it  proved  to  be  as 
great  a  disappointment  to  me  as  it  did  to  the  ball-loving 
public,  I  am  now  free  to  confess.  It  was  a  team  of  great 
promises  and  poor  performances,  and  no  one  could  pos- 
sibly have  felt  more  disappointed  than  I  did  when  the  end 
of  the  season  found  us  in  ninth  place,  the  lowest  place  that 
Chicago  Club  had  ever  occupied  in  the  pennant  race  since 
the  formation  of  the  League,  we  having  won  but  56  games 
during  the  season,  while  we  had  lost  71,  a  showing  that 
was  bad  enough  to  bring  tears  to  the  eyes  of  an  angel,  let 
alone  a  team  manager  and  captain. 

The  Bostons,  whose  team  work  was  far  and  away  the 
best  of  any  of  the  League  clubs,  again  walked  away  with 


300        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

the  championship,  that  club  winning  127  games  and  los- 
ing 63,  while  Pittsburg,  which  came  second,  won  81 
games  and  lost  48.  Cleveland  was  third  with  73  games 
won  and  55  lost,  while  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Cincin- 
nati, Brooklyn,  Baltimore,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Louisville 
and  Washington  finished  as  named. 

When  the  season  of  1894  opened  I  was  pretty  well  sat- 
isfied that  my  team  of  colts  would  make  a  much  better 
showing  than  they  had  done  during  the  previous  year, 
but  again  I  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  .The  team, 
with  the  exception  of  the  pitching  department,  which 
had  been  very  materially  strengthened,  was  about  the 
same  as  that  with  which  I  had  taken  the  field  the  previous 
year,  and  that  there  was  good  enough  material  in  it  with 
which  to  win  the  pennant  I  was  certain.  It  managed  to 
fool  me,  however,  and  fool  me  good  and  hard,  as  well  as 
several  others  who  thought  themselves  good  judges,  and 
that  before  the  season  was  half  over. 

We  started  out  with  seven  pitchers,  Griffith,  Stratton, 
Hutchinson,  Abbey,  Terry,  McGill  and  Camp.  The  last- 
named  pitched  in  but  a  single  game,  which  proved  to  be 
quite  enough. 

Our  start  was  a  bad  one,  in  fact,  the  worst  that  we  had 
ever  made.  We  lost  eight  out  of  the  first  nine  games  that 
we  played,  and  the  end  of  May  saw  but  one  club  between 
us  and  the  tail  end  of  the  procession,  that  one  being 
Washington.  Until  the  month  of  August  was  reached 
we  were  never  nearer  than  ninth  in  the  race,  but  that 
month  we  climbed  into  the  eighth  position  and  there  we 
hung  until  the  finish  came,  leaving  the  Baltimore,  New 
York  and  Boston  Clubs  to  fight  it  out  between  them, 
which  they  did,  the  first-named  carrying  off  the  prize, 
winning  89  games  and  losing  39,  against  88  won  and  44 
lost  for  Boston,  after  which  came  Philadelphia,  Brook- 


MY  LAST  YEARS  ON  THE  BALL  FIELD.        301 

lyn,  Cleveland,  Pittsburg,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati, 
St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Washington  and  Louisville. 

When  the  championship  season  of  1895  opened  the 
Chicago  Club  had  ten  pitchers  at  its  command,  viz.,  Grif- 
fith, Hutchinson,  Thornton,  Parker,  Friend,  Stratton, 
Terry,  McFarland,  Dolan  and  Abbey;  three  catchers, 
Kittridge,  Donohue  and  Moran,  while  I  played  first  base, 
Stewart  second  base,  Everett  third  base,  Dahlen  shortstop 
and  Wilmot,  Lange,  Ryan  and  Decker  the  outfield.  There 
were  at  least  seven  good  twirlers  in  the  bunch,  at  the 
head  of  which  stood  Griffith  and  Hutchinson.  Thornton, 
Parker,  Friend,  Terry  and  Stratton  were  all  better  than 
the  average  when  just  right,  and  it  was  certainly  not  the 
fault  of  the  pitchers  if  the  team  did  not  carry  off  the  pen- 
nant honors.  At  late  as  September  7,  and  when  the  club 
was  in  the  ninth  place,  predictions  were  freely  made  to  the 
effect  that  the  club  would  not  finish  in  the  first  division, 
but  this  time  the  croakers  proved  to  be  all  wrong,  for  the 
team  made  a  grand  rally  in  the  closing  weeks  of  the  sea- 
son and  finished  in  fourth  place,  a  fact  that  some  of  the 
newspaper  critics  seemed  to  have  purposely  lost  sight  of 
at  the  time  of  my  enforced  retirement,  that  being  the  same 
place  they  stood  under  Burns'  management  the  first  sea- 
son. 

The  Baltimores  again  won  the  championship,  they 
having  87  games  won  and  46  lost  to  their  credit,  as  against 
Cleveland's  84  won  and  46  lost,  Philadelphia  78  won  and 
53  lost,  and  Chicago  72  won  and  58  lost,  Brooklyn,  Bos- 
ton, Pittsburg,  Cincinnati,  New  York,  Washington  and 
Brooklyn  following  in  order. 

The  Chicago  team  of  1896  was  a  somewhat  mixed  af- 
fair, change  following  change  in  rapid  succession.  Hutch- 
inson had  retired  from  the  game  and  the  pitchers,  seven 
in  number,  were,  Griffith,  Thornton,  Briggs,  Friend, 


302        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Terry,  Parker  and  McFarland;  Kittridge  and  Donohue  as 
catchers,  myself  and  Decker  alternating  at  first  base, 
Pfeffer  and  Truby  doing  the  same  thing  at  second,  and 
Everett  and  McCormick  at  third.  Dahlen  played  short- 
stop, and  Lange,  Everett,  Ryan,  Decker  and  Flynn  took 
care  of  the  outfield. 

The  most  of  the  pitching  this  season  devolved  upon 
Griffith  and  Friend,  while  Parker  and  McFarland  both 
proved  failures.  Neither  Pfeffer  nor  Decker  were  them- 
selves for  a  great  part  of  the  season,  and  yet,  in  spite  of 
all,  the  team  played  good  ball  and  finished  in  the  fifth 
place,  the  pennant  going  for  the  third  consecutive  time 
to  Baltimore,  which  won  90  games  and  lost  39,  while 
Cleveland  came  second  with  80  games  won  and  48  lost, 
Cincinnati  third  with  77  games  won  and  50  lost,  Boston 
fourth  with  74  games  and  57  lost,  and  Chicago  fifth  with 
71  games  won  and  57  lost,  Pittsburg,  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Washington,  Brooklyn,  St.  Louis  and  Louisville 
finishing  as  named. 

The  team  with  which  I  started  out  in  1897  was  cer- 
tainly good  enough  to  win  the  pennant  with,  or  at  least 
to  finish  right  up  in  the  front  rank,  and  that  it  failed  to  do 
either  of  these  things  can  only  be  explained  by  the  fact 
that  underhanded  work  looking  toward  my  downfall  was 
indulged  in  by  some  of  the  players,  who  were  aided  and 
abetted  by  President  Hart,  he  refusing  to  enforce  the  fines 
levied  by  myself  as  manager  and  in  that  way  belittling 
my  authority  and  making  it  impossible  to  enforce  the  dis- 
cipline necessary  to  making  the  team  a  success.  The 
ringleader  in  this  business  was  Jimmy  Ryan,  between 
whom  and  the  Club's  President  the  most  perfect  under- 
standing seemed  to  exist,  and  for  this  underhanded  work 
Ryan  was  rewarded  later  by  being  made  the  team  captain, 
a  position  that  he  was  too  unpopular  with  the  players  to 


MY  LAST  YEARS  ON  THE  BALL  FIELD.        303 

hold,  though  it  is  generally  thought  he  was  allowed  to 
draw  the  salary  as  per  the  agreement. 

The  Chicago  players  for  that  season  were  Briggs,  Cal- 
lahan,  Friend,  Griffith  and  Thompson,  pitchers;  Kittridge 
and  Donohue,  catchers;  Decker  and  myself,  first  base; 
Connor,  Callahan  and  Pfeffer,  second  base;  Everett  and 
McCormick,  third  base;  Dahlen,  McCormick  and  Calla- 
han, shortstop ;  and  Lange,  Ryan,  Decker  and  Thornton, 
outfielders. 

Pfeffer  was  the  only  weak  spot,  he  being  handicapped 
by  illness,  and  yet  even  he  might  have  made  a  creditable 
showing  had  he  not  been  handicapped  my  some  of  his  as- 
sociates and  most  unmercifully  criticised  by  the  news- 
papers, whose  unwarrantable  attacks  have,  in  many  cases, 
to  my  certain  knowledge,  driven  good  men  out  of  the 
business.  Lack  of  discipline  and  insubordination  began 
to  show  from  the  start.  Fines  were  remitted  in  spite  of  all 
the  protests  that  I  could  make,  several  members  of  the 
club  being  allowed  to  do  about  as  they  pleased.  There 
could  be  but  one  result,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  that 
was  poor  ball  playing.  When  the  April  campaign  ended 
we  were  in  the  eleventh  place.  At  the  end  of  May  we 
stood  tenth. '  At  the  end  of  June  we  had  again  dropped 
back  to  eleventh.  At  the  end  of  July  we  had  climbed  up 
to  eighth,  and  at  the  end  of  August  we  were  sixth,  having 
then  climbed  into  the  first  division.  When  the  close  of  the 
season  came,  however,  we  had  dropped  back  again  to  the 
ninth  position,  the  margin  between  sixth  and  ninth  places 
being  a  very  small  one.  The  race  for  the  pennant  that 
season  between  Baltimore  and  Boston  was  a  close  one, 
the  latter  club  finally  carrying  off  the  honors  of  the  season 
with  93  games  won  and  39  lost,  while  Baltimore  came  sec- 
ond with  90  games  won  and  40  lost,  and  New  York  third 
with  83  games  won  and  48  lost,  Cincinnati  being  fourth, 


304        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Cleveland  fifth,  Brooklyn  sixth,  Washington  seventh, 
Pittsburg  eighth,  Chicago  ninth,  Philadelphia  tenth, 
Louisville  eleventh  and  St.  Louis  twelfth. 

Late  that  fall  the  newspapers  began  to  publish  articles 
to  the  effect  that  I  was  to  be  released  by  the  Chicago 
League  Ball  Club,  but  as  no  official  notice  to  that  effect 
had  ever  been  served  on  me,  arid  as  I  was  conscious  of  al- 
ways having  done  my  duty  by  the  organization  in  which  I 
was  a  stockholder,  I  for  some  time  paid  no  attention  to 
the  matter.  From  mere  rumors,  however,  these  news- 
paper articles  soon  began  to  take  on  a  more  definite  form 
and  to  be  coupled  with  references  to  my  management  of 
the  team  that  were,  to  say  the  least,  both  uncalled  for  and 
venomous,  but  still  I  heard  nothing  from  headquarters 
that  would  lead  me  to  suppose  there  was  any  truth  in 
them. 

On  the  contrary  I  was  treated  with  the  greatest  con- 
sideration, Mr.  Spalding  even  going  so  far  as  to  insist 
upon  my  attending  the  League  meeting  in  my  official  ca- 
pacity, where  I  made  trades  for  players  that  were  after- 
wards blocked  by  himself  and  President  Hart,  this  action 
making  my  position  a  most  humiliating  one. 

Still  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  I  was  to  be  dropped  from 
the  club's  rolls,  and  that  without  warning  after  my  long 
and  faithful  service,  at  Mr.  Spalding's  solicitation  that 
spring  I  accompanied  him  on  a  trip  to  England,  and  while 
we  were  there  he  advised  me  not  to  worry  about  the  club 
matters  or  the  rumors  that  I  had  heard,  as  the  thing  would 
doubtless  be  all  fixed  up  before  our  return.  I  then  made  a 
proposition  to  him  that  he  and  I  together  should  buy  the 
Chicago  League  Ball  Club,  a  proposition  that  he  partially 
acceded  to,  though  in  view  of  subsequent  events  I  am  now 
certain  that  such  a  plan  was  not  in  reality  entertained  by 
him  for  a  moment. 


MY  LAST  YEARS  ON  THE  BALL  FIELD.        305 

Matters  had  indeed  been  "fixed  up"  on  my  return,  and 
Tom  Burns,  my  old  third-baseman,  had  been  brought  on 
from  Springfield,  Mass.,  to  manage  the  team,  or,  rather, 
to  serve  as  a  figure-head  for  the  Club's  President. 

It  was  then  that  I  was  advised  by  Mr.  Spalding  to  re- 
sign, which  I  refused  to  do,  preferring  to  take  my  medi- 
cine like  a  man,  bitter  as  the  dose  might  be. 

Mr.  Burns  that  spring  took  up  the  reins  that  had  been 
taken  out  of  my  hands,  and  how  well  he  succeeded  with 
the  able  (?)  assistance  of  President  Hart  is  now  a  matter 
of  history. 

The  following  table  gives  my  batting  and  fielding 
record  for  the  past  twenty-three  years,  and  I  feel  that  it  is 
one  that  I  may  well  be  proud  of: 

«5  in 

*j  •  -         +;  *>  -M  •  -        ^  ** 


r» 

O 

P- 

P-i 

>" 

0 

P-i 

Pu 

l87Si... 

....  69 

.318 

.820 

1887.... 

122 

.421 

•947 

1876.... 

....  66 

•342 

.826 

1888.  .  .  . 

....134 

•343 

.985 

1877.... 

....  67 

•335 

.868 

1889.... 

134 

.341 

.982 

1878.... 

.  .  .  .  59 

.336 

.818 

1890  

.  .  .  .139 

•311 

•978 

1879.-.. 

49 

.407 

•974 

1891.... 

.  .  .  .136 

•294 

.981 

I880.... 

....  84 

.338 

•977 

1892.... 

....147 

.274 

•971 

1881.... 

....  84 

•399 

•975 

1893  

IOI 

.322 

.981 

1882.... 

....  82 

•367 

•948 

1894  

83 

•394 

.988 

1883.... 

....  98 

•307 

.964 

1895.-.. 

122 

.338 

.990 

1884  

in 

•337 

•954 

1896.... 

106 

•335 

.982 

1885.... 

112 

.322 

.971 

1897..-. 

.  ..  .112 

•302 

.987 

1886.... 

125 

•371 

•949 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

IF  THIS  BE  TREASON,  MAKE  THE  MOST  OF   IT. 

Experience  is  a  mighty  dear  teacher.  This  is  a  fact 
that  has  been  generally  admitted  by  the  world  at  large,  but 
one  that  I  have  never  fully  realized  until  within  the  last 
few  years,  though  just  how  much  it  has  cost  me  in  the 
matter  of  dollars-and^cents  it  is  hard  to  say. 

It  is  but  natural,  I  presume,  after  twenty-two  years 
connection  with  a  corporation  for  one  to  have  well-de- 
fined opinions  of  certain  of  its  officials,  and  it  is  pleasant 
to  record  here  that  prior  to  the  advent  of  James  A.  Hart 
on  the  scene  my  relations  with  the  club  were  most  pleasant. 
Under  the  watchful  eye  of  Mr.  Hurlbut  the  club  flour- 
ished, and  not  only  maintained  a  higher  average  in  the 
percentage  column  than  it  has  since  enjoyed,  but,  in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  latter  day  methods  of  management, 
it  annually  returned  a  large  balance  on  the  right  side  of 
the  ledger,  this  last  feature  being  by  no  means  the  least 
pleasant  of  my  memories.  Now,  the  query  arises,  "If  the 
team  was  so  uniformly  successful  under  Mr.  Hurlbut, 
why  has  it  not  enjoyed  the  same  measure  of  success  since?" 
And  the  answer,  short  and  sweet,  can  be  summed  up  in 
one  word,  "mismanagement." 

As  I  have  already  explained  elsewhere  my  financial 
relations  with  Mr.  Spalding  in  regard  to  the  around-ihe- 
world  trip  of  the  ball  players,  it  is  unnecessary  for  me 
again  to  go  into  that  phase  of  the  matter,  but  there  was  one 
little  incident  connected  with  that  event  that  has  not  been 
told,  and  that  accounts  for  Mr.  Hart's  desire  to  get  rid  of 
me  as  easily  and  as  quietly  as  possible,  even  if  he  had  to 


IF   THIS    BE    TREASON—  307 

Use  underhanded  measures  in  order  to  do  so.  When  we 
started  off  on  our  trip  in  1888  it  was  found  necessary  to 
get  someone  to  check  the  receipts  of  the  various  exhibi- 
tions, see  that  we  obtained  our  share,  pay  hotel  bills,  etc., 
etc.,  and  generally  look  after  the  small  financial  details, 
and  for  some  reason  which  I  have  never  been  able  to  un- 
derstand A.  G.  Spalding  made  arrangements  with  James 
A.  Hart  to  accompany  us  as  far  as  San  Francisco  for  that 
purpose,  though  the  latter  had  no  special  qualifications 
for  the  work  in  hand.  In  fact,  up  to  that  time  Mr.  Hart, 
who  had  been  connected  as  manager  with  Louisville,  Bos- 
ton and  Milwaukee  Clubs,  had  been  an  accredited  failure, 
just  as  he  has  been  since  in  Chicago,  where  the  club  under 
his  management  has  steadily  gone  from  bad  to  worse,  such 
a  thing  as  a  dividend  never  having  been  heard  of  since  he 
took  the  reins. 

For  his  services  on  the  trip  he  was  paid  a  salary  and 
his  expenses,  but  this  was  seemingly  not  enough,  for  prior 
to  our  departure  for  Australia  Mr.  Spalding  came  to  me 
with  a  subscription  paper,  stating  that  he  was  securing 
subscriptions  from  the  members  of  our  party  for  the  pur- 
pose of  presenting  Mr.  Hart  with  a  pair  of  valuable  dia- 
mond cuff-buttons.  Just  why  Mr.  Hart  should  be  made 
the  recipient  of  a  valuable  gift  under  such  circumstances 
was  more  than  I  could  fathom,  and  I  not  unnaturally  en- 
tered protests. 

My  protest  went  unheeded,  however,  and  from  this 
little  acorn  grew  the  oak  of  disagreement  between  James 
A.  Hart  and  myself,  an  oak  that  has  now  grown  to  mam- 
moth proportions. 

It  was  while  on  the  same  trip  around  the  world  that  my 
long  term  contract  made  with  Mr.  Hurlbut  expired,  and 
that  I  signed  a  new  one  under  somewhat  peculiar  circum- 
stances. Returning  home  and  while  in  midocean  I  was  re- 


308        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

quested  by  Mr.  Spalding,  who  was  President  of  the  Chi- 
cago Ball  Club,  to  sign  a  contract,  which  was  made  for 
ten  years  at  my  request,  with  the  club,  as  manager  and 
captain,  and  by  the  terms  of  this  contract  it  was  stipu- 
lated that  I  should  receive  a  certain  salary  and  a  contingent 
fee,  amounting  to  10  per  cent,  of  the  net  profits  of  the 
club,  as  shown  by  the  books  of  that  organization,  which, 
in  1890,  amounted  to  little  or  nothing,  owing  to  the 
troubles  engendered  by  the  Brotherhood  revolt  and  the 
war  between  the  National  League  and  the  American  As- 
sociation, though  during  a  portion  of  the  time  I  was  paid 
something  in  excess  of  my  salary,  presumably  on  the  sup- 
position that  the  laborer  was  worthy  of  his  hire. 

In  1891,  greatly  to  my  astonishment,  Mr.  Spalding  re- 
tired from  the  presidency  and  James  A.  Hart  was  elected 
to  the  vacant  position.  At  that  time  I  received  a  long  let- 
ter from  Mr.  Spalding,  in  which  he  took  particular  pains 
to  assure  me  Mr.  Hart  was  a  mere  figurehead,  who  would 
always  be  subject  to  his  advice  and  control,  and  just  so 
long  as  he,  Mr.  Spalding,  was  connected  with  the  club  I 
should  be  retained  by  that  organization.  In  the  face  of 
such  an  assurance  as  that,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  I  had 
been  associated  so  many  years  with  Mr.  Spalding  in  busi- 
ness, having  first  come  to  Chicago  at  his  solicitation,  I 
could  see  no  reason  for  doubting  his  word,  though  subse- 
quent events  have  shown  me  differently. 

While  in  Philadelphia,  after  the  recent  League  meet- 
ing held  in  New  York,  I  called  on  John  I.  Rogers  in  ref- 
erence to  securing  a  contract  to  manufacture  the  league 
ball,  and  in  the  course  of  our  conversation  the  subject  of 
my  treatment  by  the  Chicago  management  came  up.  He 
then  informed  me  that  while  presiding  at  a  banquet  given 
by  the  Philadelphia  Club  some  two  years  ago,  and  at 
which  both  Mr.  Hart  and  myself  were  guests,  he  had  in- 


IF   THIS    BE   TREASON—  309 

formed  Hart  that  he  was  going  to  call  on  me  for  a  speech. 
To  this  Hart  had  replied  that  he  and  I  were  not  on  the 
best  of  terms  and  then  went  on  to  tell  him  that  when  he, 
Hart,  had  joined  the  Chicago  Club  Spalding  had  agreed 
to  release  me  at  the  end  of  my  contract  and  place  him, 
Hart,  at  the  head  of  the  Chicago  Club. 

If  Mr.  Hart  told  the  truth  when  he  made  that  state- 
ment, then  Mr.  Spalding  certainly  deceived  me,  but  that 
is  a  matter  of  veracity  for  them  to  settle  between  them- 
selves. 

In  1893  the  Chicago  Ball  Club  was  reorganized  under 
the  name  of  the  Chicago  League  Ball  Club,  and  by  the 
terms  of  an  agreement  made  with  Mr.  Spalding  I  was  al- 
lowed to  take  a  certain  number  of  shares  of  the  stock,  in 
addition  to  those  which  I  held  in  the  old  organization,  to 
be  paid  for  out  of  my  contingent  fee,  which,  by  the  terms 
of  our  agreement,  it  was  guaranteed  should  be  large 
enough  to  pay  for  the  same,  and  which  came  to  me  under 
those  conditions.  At  the  same  time,  having  six  years  more 
to  serve  under  the  terms  of  the  old  contract,  I  was  given  a 
new  one,  which  I  signed  without  reading,  and  which  was 
only  for  five  years  instead  of  six,  a  discrepancy  that  I  did 
not  discover  until  I  came  to  read  it  over  at  home  that  same 
evening  to  Mrs.  Anson,  and  then,  having  still  the  most  im- 
plicit confidence  in  Mr.  Spalding,  I  said  nothing  about  it, 
relying  on  his  promise  to  protect  my  interests. 

In  the  meantime  the  grounds  now  used  by  the  club  on 
the  West  Side  had  been  purchased,  and  I  presume  a  pay- 
ment on  them  made,  and  I  was  informed  by  Mr.  Spalding 
that  I  might  either  swing  the  deal  myself  or  else  sign  away 
my  interest,  which  amounted  to  a  little  over  one-eighth, 
but  that  in  case  I  took  the  latter  course,  the  club  would 
pay  dividends  instead  of  putting  the  money  into  real  es- 
tate. It  seemed  a  little  strange  to  me  that  I  should  be 


310        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

asked  to  swing  a  deal  that  A.  G.  Spalding  and  John  R. 
Walsh  were  unable  to  handle,  and  being  unable  myself  to 
do  so  I  signed  away  my  interest,  but,  alas!  those  promised 
dividends  are  still  in  the  dim  and  misty  distance,  and  my 
confidence  in  A.  G.  Spalding  has  dwindled  away  to  noth- 
ing, and  not  unnaturally,  as  I  shall  have  no  difficulty  in 
proving. 

After  I  had  been  released  by  the  club  Mr.  Spalding 
still  posed  as  my  best  friend,  and  the  affection  that  Damon 
had  for  Pythias  was  not  greater  than  that  I  bore  for  him. 
I  had  not  then  learned  the  full  nature  of  his  duplicity,  nor 
was  it  until  some  time  later  that  it  dawned  upon  me..  In 
the  meantime  Mr.  Spalding  had  set  on  foot  a  project  to 
give  me  a  money  testimonial,  and  had  called  a  meeting  at 
the  Chicago  Athletic  Club  for  the  purpose  of  perfecting 
plans  for  the  same.  This  I  refused  to  accept  for  the  rea- 
son that  I  was  not  a  pauper,  the  public  owed  me  nothing, 
and  I  believed  that  I  was  still  capable  of  making  my  own 
living.  At  that  meeting  A.  H.  Pratt,  who  represented  me, 
read  the  following  letter  that  I  had  written  for  the  occa- 
sion: 

To  My  Friends — The  kind  offer  to  raise  a  large  public  sub- 
scription for  me,  the  first  notice  of  which  I  received  by  a  chance 
meeting  with  Mr.  Spalding  the  afternoon  preceding  its  publica- 
tion in  the  daily  papers,  is  an  honor  and  a  compliment  I  duly 
appreciate.  Implying  as  it  does  the  hearty  good  will  and  close 
fellowship  of  the  originator  of  the  movement,  A.  G.  Spalding, 
causes  me  to  regard  it  higher.  There  are  times  when  one  hesi- 
tates to  receive  favors  even  from  friends,  and  at  this  hour  I  deem 
it  both  unwise  and  inexpedient  to  accept  the  generosity  so  con- 
siderately offered.  A.  C.  ANSON. 

This  testimonial,  had  I  accepted  it,  would  doubtless 
have  been  a  great  success,  as  it  was  endorsed  by  all  of  the 
League  magnates,  by  the  press  generally,  and  by  the 
lovers  of  base-ball  all  over  the  country,  but  to  me  it  ap- 
peared to  be  something  too  much  in  the  nature  of  a  charity 


IF   THIS    BE   TREASON—  3" 

gift  for  me  to  accept,  and  I  felt  that  I  should  stultify  my 
manhood  by  so  doing,  and  that  I  should  sacrifice  that 
feeling  of  independence  that  I  had  always  possessed.  To 
the  many  friends  who  urged  it  upon  me  at  the  time  I  am 
still  deeply  grateful,  but  I  feel  that  in  declining  to  accept 
it  I  did  a  wise  thing,  and  I  am  confident  that  very  many 
of  them  now  agree  with  me  in  that  opinion. 

Just  at  this  stage  of  affairs  my  plans  for  the  future 
were  apparently  a  matter  of  great  interest  to  both  press 
and  public,  and  if  the  statements  made  by  the  former  were 
to  be  believed,  I  had  more  schemes  on  hand  than  did  a 
professional  promoter,  and  every  one  of  them  with  "mill- 
ions in  it."  I  was  to  manage  this  club  and  manage  that 
club ;  I  was  to  play  here  and  play  there,  and,  in  fact,  there 
was  scarcely  anything  that  I  was  not  going  to  do  if  the 
reporters'  statements  could  be  depended  upon.  One  of 
the  most  senseless  of  these  was  the  starting  of  the  A.  C. 
Anson  Base-Ball  College,  the  prospectus  for  which  was 
typewritten  in  the  sporting-goods  store  of  A.  G.  Spalding, 
and  read  as  follows: 

Location. — The  school  will  be  located  on  what  is  known  as 
the  A.  G.  Spalding  Tract,  covering  the  blocks  bounded  by  Lin- 
coln, Robey,  -  I43d  and  I44th  streets,  upon  which  Mr.  A.  G. 
Spalding  will  erect  suitable  structures,  fences,  stands,  dressing- 
rooms,  etc.  The  site  is  in  the  celebrated  Calumet  region  and  is 
easy  of  access. 

Membership. — All  accepted  applicants  for  membership  will 
be  required  to  submit  to  a  thorough  physical  examination  and 
go  through  a  regular  and  systematic  course  of  training,  calculated 
to  prepare  them  for  actual  participation  in  base-ball  games.  Upon 
entering  they  will  subscribe  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the 
institution,  which  will  demand  obedience  and  provide  for  disci- 
pline, abstemious  habits,  regular  hours,  proper  diet,  in  fact  every- 
thing which  tends  to  improve  the  health  and  physical  condition 
will  be  required.  They  must  also  pass  an  examination  made  by 
Captain  Anson  as  to  their  natural  aptitude  for  becoming  proficient 
in  the  game  of  base-ball. 

Instruction. — The  course  of  instruction  will  consist  of  physical 


312        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

training  by  the  latest  and  most  approved  methods,  with  the  special 
intention  of  developing  the  body  and  mind,  so  that  the  best  pos- 
sible results  may  be  obtained  looking  to  perfection  of  base-ball 
playing.  Daily  instruction  will  be  had  in  the  theory  and  practice 
of  the  game. 

Engagements. — As  soon  as  students  are  sufficiently  developed 
and  display  skill  to  justify,  efforts  will  be  made  by  the  college 
management  to  secure  lucrative  engagements  for  those  who  de- 
sire to  enter  the  professional  field.  Arrangements  will  be  made 
with  the  various  professional  and  semi-professional  clubs  through- 
out the  country  by  which  students  of  the  college  will  come  into 
contact  with  managers  and  be  enabled  to  make  known  their 
merits. 

Application  for  Admittance. — Persons  who  desire  to  become 
students  of  the  college  will  be  required  to  fill  out  and  sign  the 
regular  application  blank  provided  by  the  college,  which  must 
give  information  regarding  the  applicant,  sucb  as  name,  place  of 
residence,  height,  weight,  various  measurements,  past  vocation, 
habits,  state  of  health,  etc.,  etc. 

Charges. — Accepted  students  will  be  required  to  pay  a  tuition 
of  $2  per  week,  at  least  five  weeks  tuition  to  be  paid  in  advance, 
and  must  supply  their  practice  uniform.  The  college  will  provide 
ill  team  uniforms  for  use  in  games  and  all  materials  and  utensils 
necessary  for  practice. 

Then  followed  a  showing  of  financial  possibilities  that 
would  have  done  credit  to  the  brains  of  a  Colonel  Sellers. 

It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  that  this  scheme  never 
emanated  from  me,  or  that  it  never  received  any  serious 
consideration  at  my  hands,  the  real  plan  being  to  create 
a  real-estate  boom  and  enable  Mr.  Spalding  to  dispose  of 
some  of  his  holdings,  using  me  as  a  catspaw  with  which 
to  pull  the  chestnuts  out  of  the  fire. 

All  this  time  I  was  busily  engaged  in  perfecting  plans 
by  which  I  might  get  possession  of  the  Chicago  League 
Ball  Club,  in  which  I  already  had  130  shares  of  stock,  and 
finally  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  an  option  on  the  same 
from  A.  G.  Spalding,  a  facsimile  of  which  appears  on  an- 
other page.  Armed  with  this  document  I  worked  like  a 
Trojan  in  order  to  raise  the  necessary  funds,  which  I  cer- 


(/(/•   Feb. 15th, '98. 

Mr.  A.  C.  Anson, 

Chicago . 
near  slr:- 

Actlng  in  accordance  with  your  urgent  request,  would  say, 
that  I  have  laid  your  proposition  to  purchase  the  stock  of  the  Chicago 
League  Ball  Club, before  the  holders  of  nearly  two  thirds  of  the  stock 
In  said  club  and  I  am  authorized  to  offer  you  640  shares  or  ?64,000 
worth  of  said  stock  at  $150  per  share,  upon  the  understanding  that  the 
holders  of  the  balance  of  the  stock  amounting  to  360  shares  may  have 
the  opportunity  of  selling  their  stock  at  the  same  price  If  they  wish 
to.  This  proposition  to  hold  good  until  April  15th,  1898,  but  in  the 
meantime  the  present  management  of  the  club  shall  continue  to  conduct 
its  business  affairs  the  same  as  If  this  proposition  had  not  been 
made. 

Yours  truly, 


IF   THIS    BE   TREASON—  313 

tainly  should  have  succeeded  in  doing  had  not  my  plans 
been  thwarted  time  and  again  by  A.  G.  Spalding  and  his 
agents,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  our  probable  war 
with  Spain  made  the  raising  of  money  a  difficult  matter. 
More  than  once  when  engaged  in  the  task  I  was  informed 
by  friends  that  I  was  simply  wasting  my  time,  as  the  op- 
tion that  I  possessed  was  not  worth  the  paper  it  was  writ- 
ten on,  and  that  there  was  never  any  intention  on  the  part 
of  A.  G.  Spalding  and  his  confreres  to  let  me  get  posses- 
sion of  the  club.  It  was  not  until  several  men  who  had 
promised  to  aid  me  backed  down  squarely  that  I  realized 
that  there  was  an  undercurrent  at  work,  and  that  the  op- 
tion, which  it  was  often  denied  at  that  time  that  I  had, 
had  been  given  to  me  in  bad  faith  and  just  for  the  purpose 
of  letting  me  down  easily,  but  when  once  convinced  that 
such  was  really  the  case  I  gave  up  making  any  further 
effort  in  the  matter. 

Later  I  accepted  a  position  as  manager  of  the  New 
York  Club,  being  assured  that  I  should  have  full  control 
of  the  team,  but  at  the  end  of  a  month  finding  that  there 
were  too  many  cooks  to  spoil  the  broth  I  resigned,  ac- 
cepting only  the  amount  of  salary  due  me  for  actual  ser- 
vices, though  offered  a  sum  considerably  in  excess  of  the 
same.  This  ended  my  actual  connection  with  National 
League  base-ball,  and  its  mismanagement. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  I  have  been  connected  with  the 
Chicago  Base-Ball  Club  for  twenty-two  years  as  an  active 
player  and  for  twenty-four  years  as  a  stockholder,  I  have 
never  attended  a  meeting  of  that  organization  until  re- 
cently, and  then  Mr.  Hart  and  myself  were  the  only 
stockholders  present.  Again,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  my 
contingent  fees  were  to  be  paid  on  the  showing  made  by 
the  books,  these  books  I  have  never  been  allowed  to  see, 
nor  have  I  ever  been  able  to  get  any  statement  as  to  my 


314        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

standing  with  the  Club,  and  that  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
I  have  several  times  made  a  demand  for  the  same. 

That  being  the  case,  how  can  I  be  sure  that  I  have 
had  all  that  was  coming  to  me,  or  that  I  have  been  hon- 
estly dealt  with  by  that  organization  ? 

In  all  of  my  club  dealings  I  trusted  implicitly  to  Mr. 
Spalding,  at  whose  solicitation  I  left  Philadelphia  and 
came  to  Chicago,  and  that  I  made  a  mistake  in  so  trusting 
him  I  am  now  confident,  as  it  is  a  poor  plan  for  any  man 
not  to  look  closely  after  his  own  business  interests. 

In  regard  to  my  financial  dealings  with  the  Club  I 
might  be  much  more  explicit,  but  I  feel  that  it  is  not  a 
matter  of  great  public  interest,  and  I  therefore  refrain 
from  doing  so,  believing  that  what  I  have  already  said 
will  serve  to  show  how  I  stand  and  how  I  feel  in  the 
matter, 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

HOW  MY  WINTERS  WERE  SPENT. 

How  do  the  members  of  the  base-ball  fraternity  spend 
the  winter  seasons  ?  If  I  have  been  asked  that  question 
once  I  have  been  asked  it  a  thousand  times.  The  public, 
as  a  rule,  seem  to  think  that  because  a  man  is  a  profes- 
sional ball  player  and  therefore  employed  but  seven 
months  in  the  year  he  must  necessarily  spend  the  other 
five  in  idleness,  and  there  are  doubtless  some  few  ball 
players  that  spend  their  winters  in  that  way,  but,  be  it  said 
to  the  credit  of  the  craft,  there  are  not  many  of  them. 
There  is  no  man  upon  whose  hands  time  hangs  so  heavily 
as  it  does  upon  the  hands  of  him  who  has  nothing  to  do, 
at  least  that  has  been  my  experience,  and  for  that  reason 
I  have  always  managed  to  busy  myself  at  something  dur- 
ing the  winter  months.  Some  of  the  things  that  I  en- 
gaged in  proved  profitable,  others  did  not,  but,  all-in-all, 
the  winter  of  1885  yielded  me  the  best  results  of  my  life, 
for  that  winter  I  spent  in  doing  what  the  old  gentleman 
had  wanted  me  to  do  years  before,  viz.,  in  going  to  school. 
I  had  a  very  good  reason  for  doing  this,  as  you  can  read- 
ily see. 

During  my  ball-playing  career  I  had  entrusted  some 
money  to  the  old  gentleman  up  in  Marshalltown  for  safe 
keeping,  and  while  up  there  on  a  visit  in  the  fall  of  1884, 
needing  some  coin,  I  asked  for  it. 

"Figure  up  how  much  I  owe  you,  interest  and  all," 
was  his  reply,  "and  we  will  have  a  settlement." 

Now,  the  old  gentleman  might  just  as  well  have  set 
me  down  at  the  foot  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  with  a 


316        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

wheelbarrow  and  told  me  to  carry  them  away  to  the  At- 
lantic coast  on  that  vehicle,  as  to  have  asked  me  to  do  an 
example  in  interest,  and  I  was  too  ashamed  of  my  ig- 
norance to  allow  him  to  know  that  such  a  thing  was  be- 
yond my  powers,  so  I  managed  to  get  around  the  matter 
in  some  way,  but  I  made  up  my  mind  then  and  there  that 
I  would  at  the  first  opportunity  learn  at  best  enough  to 
take  care  of  my  own  business.  That  winter  I  spent  with 
my  wife  and  daughter  in  Philadelphia,  and  here  I  found 
that  she  had  a  brother,  Remey  A.  Fiegel,  who  was  as 
averse  to  going  to  school  as  ever  I  had  been.  By  this 
time  I  had  come  to  a  realizing  sense  of  the  power  of 
knowledge,  and  so  I  labored  with  him  until  he  consented 
to  go  to  night-school,  providing  that  I  would  send  him, 
which  I  agreed  to  do. 

Pierce's  Business  College  was  the  place  selected,  and 
when  I  went  up  there  to  make  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  his  tuition  I  asked  how  old  a  man  had  to  be- 
come before  he  was  barred  from  attending. 

"Oh !"  replied  the  superintendent,  "age  is  no  bar  here. 
We  have  a  great  many  scholars  right  now  who  are  a  long 
ways  older  than  you  are." 

"All  right !  You  can  just  put  my  name  down,  too,"  I 
replied,  and  the  following  Monday  evening  Remey  and  I 
started  to  go  to  school  together,  and  this  time  there  was 
no  nonsense  about  it.  That  winter  I  studied  faithfully, 
and,  though  it  was  hard  work,  by  the  time  spring  came 
and  we  returned  to  Chicago  I  had  acquired  at  least  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  rudiments  of  business  and  was  able  to 
keep  my  own  books,  figure  my  own  interest,  and,  in  fact, 
run  my  own  business. 

During  the  greater  part  of  another  winter  I  ran  a 
hand-ball  court  on  Michigan  avenue  in  Chicago,  which 
did  not  prove  to  be  a  paying  venture,  one  reason,  and  the 


HOW  MY  WINTERS  WERE  SPENT.  317 

paramount  one,  being  that  it  was  too  far  away  from  the 
business  center  of  the  town  at  that  time,  though  now  it 
would  have  been  in  the  Very  heart  of  the  business  district, 
while  still  another  reason  was  that  there  were  not  enough 
hand-ball  players  in  the  city  to  keep  the  game  running. 

Some  time  during  the  latter  part  of  the  '8os  the  old 
Congress  street  grounds  were  converted  during  the  win- 
ter season  into  a  skating  rink  and  toboggan  slide,  and  of 
this  I  had  the  management  during  one  whole  season,  a 
season  that  was  pecuniarily  profitable  to  the  lessees  of 
the  grounds,  as  the  weather  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
winter  was  severe,  the  ice  in  fine  condition  and  the  to- 
boggan slide  in  apple-pie  order. 

Ice  skating  was  that  season  more  popular  in  Chicago 
than  it  had  ever  been  before,  and  the  toboggan  craze, 
which  had  been  brought  over  here  from  Canada,  at  once 
caught  on  to  the  public  fancy.  As  a  result  the  Congress 
Street  Rink  was  crowded  both  afternoon  and  evening, 
and,  strange  to  relate,  the  attendance  was  of  the  most 
fashionable  sort,  the  young  men  and  maidens  from  all 
parts  of  the  city  assembling  for  the  purpose  of  going 
down  the  toboggan  slide,  which  was  attended  with  a  great 
deal  more  of  excitement  in  those  days  than  was  the  sport 
of  "shooting  the  chutes,"  its  summer  prototype,  which 
later  on  became  popular.  The  grounds  were  handsomely 
lighted  and,  thronged  as  they  were  in  the  evening  with 
gaily-attired  skaters  of  both  sexes,  and  toboggan  parties 
arrayed  in  the  picturesque  rigs  that  were  the  fashion  in 
Montreal,  Quebec  and  other  Canadian  cities,  they  made  a 
pretty  sight  and  one  that  attracted  crowds  of  spectators, 
some  of  the  skaters  being  of  the  kind  that  would  have 
been  styled  champions  in  the  days  when  Frank  Swift,  Cal- 
lie  Curtis  and  others  were  the  leading  fancy  skaters. 

The  next  season  the  same  rink  was  managed  by  John 


3i8        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Brown,  the  late  secretary  of  the  Chicago  Base-Ball  Club, 
but  unfortunately  he  was  not  blessed  with  "the  Anson 
luck,"  and  the  winter  being  a  mild  one  and  the  freezes  few 
and  far  between,  he  did  not  make  a  success  of  the  ven- 
ture. The  toboggan  craze  was  merely  one  of  the  fash- 
ionable fads  of  the  moment,  and  now  one  rarely  hears 
anything  at  all  of  the  sport. 

As  a  bottler  of  ginger  beer  I  achieved  at  another  time 
great  distinction  and  there  are  some  men  in  the  country 
right  now  who  have  a  very  vivid  remembrance  of  the 
beverage  that  I  was  unfortunate  enough  to  put  upon  the 
market.  My  experience  as  a  ginger  beer  manufacturer 
was  laughable,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  though  I  confess  that 
I  did  not  appreciate  the  fact  at  the  time  as  much  as  <iid 
some  of  my  friends  and  acquaintances. 

During  several  of  my  visits  to  Canada  in  search  both 
of  players  and  pleasure  I  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
Mr.  William  Burrill,  who  at  that  time  conducted  a  cloth- 
ing store  at  London,  Canada,  and  who  had  treated  both 
myself  and  Mrs.  Anson  with  great  kindness.  This  gen- 
tleman finally  went  "down  the  toboggan  slide"  in  a  busi- 
ness way  and  at  last  turned  up  in  Chicago  with  a  very  lit- 
tle money  and  a  formula  for  making  and  bottling  ginger 
beer.  He  needed,  according  to  his  own  estimate,  about 
$500  more  capital  than  he  was  possessed  of  and  wished  me 
to  join  him  in  manufacturing  it.  He  was  a  nice  fellow,  I 
was  anxious  to  help  him  along,  and,  besides  that,  viewed 
from  a  business  standpoint,  it  looked  like  a  good  thing, 
and  as  I  was  never  averse  to  taking  a  chance  when  there 
was  a  good  thing  in  sight  I  concluded  to  join  him  in  the 
venture.  The  $500  that  I  was  originally  required  to  in- 
vest grew  into  $1,500,  however,  before  we  got  the  thing 
on  the  market,  and  then  the  sales  started  off  in  lively  fash- 
ion, and  so,  not  long  afterwards,  did  the  ginger  beer. 


HOW  MY  WINTERS  WERE  SPENT.  319 

There  was  a  flaw  in  the  formula  somewhere,  just  what 
it  was  I  never  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  but — well,  there 
was  something  the  matter  with  it.  It  wouldn't  stay 
corked,  that  was  its  worst  feature,  but  would  go  off  at  all 
times  of  the  day  and  night  and  in  the  most  unexpected 
fashion.  If  the  cork  would  hold,  the  bottle  wouldn't,  and 
as  a  result  there  would  be  an  explosion  that  would  sound 
like  the  discharge  of  a  small  cannon.  Sometimes  only 
one  bottle  out  of  a  dozen  would  explode,  and  then  again 
the  whole  dozen  would  go  off  with  a  sound  like  that  made 
by  a  whole  regiment  firing  by  platoons.  It  was  by  long 
odds  the  liveliest  ginger-beer  that  had  ever  been  placed 
upon  the  market.  There  was  entirely  too  much  life  in  it. 
That  was  the  trouble.  Sitting  among  a  lot  of  fancy  glass- 
ware on  a  back  bar  it  looked  as  innocent  of  evil  as  a  new- 
born babe,  but,  presto  change !  and  a  moment  afterwards 
it  was  its  Satanic  Majesty  on  a  rampage,  and  that  back 
bar  with  its  glassware  looked  as  if  it  had  been  struck  by 
a  Kansas  cyclone. 

Complaints  began  to  pour  in  to  the  factory  from  all 
kinds  and  classes  of  customers,  and  I  began  to  be  afraid 
to  walk  the  streets  for  fear  that  some  one  would  accuse 
me  of  having  bottled  dynamite  instead  of  ginger-beer. 

I  sold  a  case  of  it  to  a  friend  of  mine  who  kept  a  noted 
sporting  resort  on  South  Clark  street,  Chicago.  It  was 
harmless  enough  when  I  sold  it  to  him.  It  was  young 
then,  and  its  propensity  for  mischief  had  not  been  fully 
developed.  It  developed  later.  One  evening  when  all 
was  quiet  there  was  an  explosion  in  the  cellar.  It  sounded 
like  the  muffled  report  of  a  dynamite  cartridge.  The  bil- 
liard players  dropped  their  cues  and  some  of  them  started 
for  the  door.  A  second  explosion  followed  and  the  coon 
porters'  hair  stood  fairly  on  end  and  their  faces  became  as 
near  like  chalk  as  a  black  man's  can. 


320        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

The  proprietor  started  down  cellar  to  investigate.  He 
had  gotten  half  way  down  when  there  came  a  third  ex- 
plosion. 

He  came  back  again  more  hastily  than  he  had  gone 
down,  and  ordered  one  of  the  porters  to  ascertain  the 
cause  of  the  trouble. 

The  porter  was  a  brave  man,  and  he  refused  to  do  it. 

I  did  not  blame  him  when  I  heard  of  it. 

In  the  meantime  the  rest  of  the  ginger-beer  bottles 
had  caught  the  contagion  and  the  fusillade  became  fast 
and  furious,  and  it  did  not  stop  until  the  billiard-room 
and  the  last  bottle  of  ginger  beer  were  both  empty. 

After  silence  had  reigned  for  some  time  and  it  had 
become  apparent  that  danger  was  all  past,  my  friend  the 
proprietor  grew  courageous  again  and,  lamp  in  hand,  he 
visited  the  cellar  to  investigate. 

Where  the  case  of  ginger  beer  had  set  there  was  a 
mass  of  wreckage.  Broken  glass  was  everywhere,  while 
the  flooring,  ceiling  and  walls  were  strained  in  a  hundred 
different  places.  As  he  emerged  from  the  cellar  with  a 
look  of  surpreme  disgust  on  his  countenance,  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  anxious  group  who  asked  as  one  man : 

"What's  the  matter  down  there,  Louis?" 

"It's  that  ginger  beer  of  Anson's,"  was  the  reply. 
Then  there  was  another  explosion,  this  time  one  of 
laughter. 

"Anson's  ginger-beer"  was  getting  a  reputation,  but 
it  was  not  exactly  the  sort  of  a  reputation  that  I  wanted  it 
to  have.  I  was  willing  to  close  out  the  business  even  at  a 
sacrifice,  and  this  I  did. 

I  saved  more  in  proportion  of  my  money  than  my  cus- 
tomers did  of  the  ginger  beer  I  had  sold  them. 

This  was  one  consolation. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

WITH  THE   KNIGHTS  OF  THE  CUE. 

There  is  no  more  fascinating  game  in  existence  at  the 
present  day  than  billiards,  and  no  game  that  is  more 
popular  with  gentlemen,  and  for  the  reason  that  it  can  be 
played  indoors  and  in  all  kinds  of  weather  and  that  it  does 
not  require  the  frame  of  an  athlete  nor  the  training  of  one 
to  play  it  successfully,  though  it  may  be  set  down  as  a 
fact  that  the  experts  at  billiards  are  few  and  far  between, 
for  the  reason  that  it  takes  not  only  natural  ability  and 
constant  practice  to  be  even  a  moderately  successful  bil- 
liardist,  the  real  geniuses  at  the  game  being  born  and  not 
made.  Since  the  days  of  my  early  boyhood  billiards  has 
divided  my  attentions  with  base-ball,  and  what  little  skill 
I  have  attained  at  the  game  is  due  as  much  to  good  habits 
and  constant  practice  as  is  the  success  that  I  achieved 
on  the  ball  field. 

The  game  itself  has  undergone  many  and  frequent 
changes  since  I  first  began  to  play  in  the  old  hotel  at  Mar- 
shalltown,  and  with  tools  of  such  a  primitive  character 
that  they  would  be  laughed  at  in  a  modern  billiard  resort. 
The  four-ball  game  and  the  old-fashioned  six-pocket  table 
have  both  been  relegated  into  the  shadows  of  obscurity, 
and  the  new  standard  5x10  table,  without  pockets,  that  is 
a  model  of  the  builder's  art,  has  taken  the  place  of  the 
one  and  three-ball  games  of  various  styles,  from  straight 
rail  to  three-cushion  caroms  of  the  other.  Each  and 
every  game  that  has  been  played  has  been  an  improve- 
ment on  the  style  of  game  that  preceded  it  and  each  and 
every  style  of  game  has  had  its  own  special  votaries,  some 


322        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

players  excelling  at  one  style  of  billiards  and  some  at  an- 
other, the  players  who  excelled  at  all  being  few  and  far 
between. 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  enjoy  the  acquaint- 
ance and  friendship  of  nearly  all  of  the  billiard  players 
who  have  become  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  game  since 
I  first  began  ball  playing  for  a  livelihood  in  Rockford, 
among  them  being  Frank  C.  Ives,  the  "Young  Napoleon 
of  Billiards,"  who,  like  myself,  was  a  ball  player  before  he 
ever  became  known  as  a  knight  of  the  cue,  and  whose 
early  death  was  so  greatly  regretted  by  every  lover  of  the 
game,  both  at  home  and  abroad;  Jacob  Schaefer,  "the 
Wizard  of  the  Cue,"  who,  as  a  ball-to-ball  player,  ranks 
at  the  head  of  the  profession  and  who  plays  any  and  every 
game  that  can  be  played  upon  a  billiard  table  with  a  skill 
that  is  akin  to  genius  ;  George  F.  Slosson,  the  "Student," 
whose  persistent  application  and  studious  habits  have 
combined  to  make  him  one  of  the  greatest  players  of  his 
day  and  generation;  Eugene  Carter,  "You-know-me," 
whose  stalwart  form  and  ready  tongue  are  as  well  known 
in  the  majority  of  the  European  capitals  as  in  the 
larger  cities  of  our  country ;  Thomas  J.  Gallagher,  "Gray 
Tom,"  who  is  a  hard  man  for  any  of  the  second-class  ex- 
perts to  tackle ;  Edward  HcLaughlin,  the  little  gentleman 
who  first  came  into  prominence  at  Philadelphia ;  Frank 
Maggioli,  who  has  grown  gray  in  the  service  of  billiards, 
but  who  still  retains  his  title  of  Champion  of  the  South ; 
Billy  Catton,  "the  Rock  Island  Wonder,"  George  Sutton, 
and  many  others,  with  the  most  of  whom  I  have  crossed 
cues  either  for  money  or  in  a  friendly  way  at  some  time 
or  other. 

The  first  expert  of  any  note  that  I  ever  met  over  a  bil- 
liard table  was  Eugene  Kimball,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
who,  in  1871,  was  a  member  of  the  Forest  City  Club  of 


WITH  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  THE   CUE.  323 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  who  at  that  time  enjoyed  a  wide 
reputation  as  a  billiardist  as  well  as  a  ball  player.  Kim- 
ball,  it  had  been  generally  conceded,  played  a  strong  game 
of  billiards  for  those  days,  and  on  one  occasion  when 
the  Cleveland  Club  visited  Rockford  he  and  I  engaged 
in  a  game  that  attracted  considerable  attention  both  on 
the  part  of  the  members  of  the  two  teams  and  of  other 
outside  friends  and  admirers.  There  were  no  stakes  up 
if  I  remember  rightly,  and  I  am  not  just  certain  as  to 
how  the  game  resulted,  though,  unless  I  am  very  much 
mistaken,  it  was  in  Kimball's  favor,  but  not  by  such  a 
large  margin  of  points  as  to  make  me  ashamed  of  myself. 

It  was  while  a  member  of  the  Athletic  Club  of  Phila- 
delphia that  I  made  my  debut  as  a  billiardist  in  public.  I 
played  the  game  a  great  deal  in  those  days  and  had  ac- 
quired quite  a  reputation  for  skill  in  handling  the  cue 
among  my  fellow  ball-players,  nearly  all  of  whom  could 
play  the  game  after  some  fashion,  there  being  seemingly 
quite  an  affinity  between  base-ball  and  billiards.  James 
Lentz  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  at  that  time  enjoyed  quite  a  repu- 
tation as  a  billiard  expert  in  the  land  of  sandflies  and  mos- 
quities,  and  he  being  in  Philadelphia  we  came  together 
at  Nelms'  billiard  room  in  a  match  game,  300  points  up, 
at  the  old  three-ball  style  of  billiards,  for  stakes  of  $100  a 
side,  and  I  beat  him  by  a  score  of  300  to  252,  no  account 
of  the  averages  or  high  runs  being  kept  for  the  reason, 
as  I  presume,  that  nobody  thought  them  worth  keeping, 
though  enough  of  the  filthy  lucre  changed  hands  on  the 
result  to  keep  some  of  my  ball-playing  friends  in  pocket 
money  for  some  days. 

That  game  was  played  on  the  fourth  day  of  February, 
1875,  and  it  was  not  until  more  than  ten  years  afterwards 
that  I  again  appeared  in  public  as  a  billiardist.  Frank 
Parker,  the  ex-champion  in  the  days  of  the  old  four-ball 


324        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

game,  now  dead,  was  then  a  resident  of  Chicago,  and  his 
friends  thought  so  well  of  his  abilities  at  the  fourteen-inch 
balk  line  game,  which  up  to  that  time  had  never  been 
played  in  public,  that  they  offered  to  match  him  against 
me  for  stakes  of  $250  a  side,  the  game  to  be  500  points 
up.  After  some  talk  back  and  forth  this  match  was  finally 
made,  and  March  25th,  1885,  we  came  together  in  Cen- 
tral Music  Hall,  Chicago,  before  a  fair-sized  crowd,  and  I 
won  by  a  score  of  500  to  366,  averaging  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  five,  and  astonishing  both  Parker  and  his  friends. 
Slosson's  billiard  room  on  Monroe  street,  Chicago, 
was  at  that  time  and  for  several  years  afterwards  the 
scene  of  more  billiard  matches  than  any  similar  resort  in 
the  United  States,  it  being  the  headquarters  of  the  book- 
making  fraternity  as  well  as  the  billiardists  from  all  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
larger  sums  of  money  changed  hands  over  the  result  of 
the  games  that  were  played  there  during  the  winter  of 
1885  and  1886  than  changed  hands  in  any  other  hall  in 
the  country,  the  leading  billiard  rooms  of  Gotham  not  ex- 
cepted.  Among  the  billiardists  who  were  making  Chi- 
cago their  headquarters  that  winter  were  Jacob  Schaefer, 
George  F.  Slosson,  Eugene  Carter,  Thomas  F.  Gallagher, 
and  William  H.  Catton,  while  among  the  bookmakers 
that  made  Slosson's  room  their  lounging  place  were  such 
well-known  knights  of  the  chalk  and  rubber  as  Dave  Pul- 
sifer,  who  afterwards  owned  the  famous  race  horse, 
Tenny ;  James  H.  Murphy,  whose  pacer,  "Star  Pointer," 
was  in  after  years  the  first  horse  in  harness  to  beat  the 
two-minute  mark ;  William  Riley,  who,  under  the  sobri- 
quet of  "Silver  Bill,"  is  known  from  one  end  of  the  coun- 
try to  the  other ;  Charlie  Stiles,  for  years  the  trusted  lieu- 
tenant of  Bride  and  Armstrong,  the  Grand-Circuit  pool 
sellers ;  George  Wheelock,  then  hailing  from  St.  Louis, 


WITH  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  THE  CUE.  325 

but  now  known  as  one  of  the  nerviest  of  New  York's  bet- 
ting brigade ;  Joe  Ullman,  who  then  as  now  was  a 
plunger ;  Johnny  O'Neil,  Frank  Eckert,  and  many  others, 
the  place  also  being  a  favorite  resort  for  the  horsemen. 

Thomas  J.  Gallagher  was  that  fall  in  good  form  and 
there  were  several  members  of  the  book-making  fraternity 
who  stood  ready  to  back  him  whenever  he  said  the  word. 
I  had  taken  a  notion  into  my  head  that  I  could  beat  him, 
nor  was  I  alone  in  the  opinion,  for  my  friend,  "Bart" 
White,  thought  the  same  way.  The  result  was  that  I 
agreed  to  play  him  a  match  300  points  up  at  the  fourteen- 
inch  balk-line  game  for  stakes  of  $100  a  side.  We  came 
together  on  the  afternoon  of  November  23d  at  Slosson's 
room,  and  Gallagher  won  by  seventeen  points,  after  a 
close  and  exciting  contest,  the  game  standing  at  300  to 
283  in  his  favor. 

Neither  my  friends  nor  myself  were  satisfied  with  the 
result  of  this  game,  during  the  progress  of  which  I  had 
met  with  some  hard  luck,  and  which  I  was  certain  that  I 
might  have  played  better,  and  as  a  result  we  at  once  made 
another  match  at  the  same  game  to  be  played  that  night, 
the  stakes  this  time  being  increased  to  $150  a  side.  The 
game  was  played  in  the  presence  of  quite  a  crowd  of  bil- 
liard enthusiasts,  and  again  Gallagher  won  by  300  to  280, 
but  even  this  defeat  did  not  convince  me  that  he  was  a 
better  player,  and  the  result  was  still  another  match  of 
400  points  up  at  the  same  game  for  stakes  of  $100  a  side. 
This  was  played  the  following  evening,  and  for  the  third 
time  Gallagher  carried  off  the  honors,  the  totals  showing 
400  points  for  him  as  against  only  183  for  myself,  and  by 
this  time  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a 
"leetle  bit"  too  speedy  for  me,  and  that  he  could  look  for 
somebody  else  to  pay  his  board-bills. 

That  same  fall  Wyman  McCreary,  of  St.  Louis,  then  as 


326        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

now  recognized  as  one  of  the  strongest  amateur  players 
in  the  country,  dropped  into  Slosson's  room,  and  the  re- 
sult was  that  I  played  him  two  matches  at  the  fourteen- 
inch  balk-line  game,  each  one  being  for  $50  a  side,  win- 
ning both,  the  score  in  the  first  one  being  300  to  164,  and 
in  the  second  300  to  194,  my  average  in  the  last  being 
8  14-17,  a  performance  that  was  at  that  time  something 
better  than  the  ordinary. 

Even  as  far  back  as  those  days  there  was  a  craze  for 
angle  games,  and  at  three  cushions  Eugene  Carter  was  es- 
pecially strong,  he  having  a  standing  challenge  to  play 
any  man  in  the  world  at  that  style  of  billiards.  He  finally 
offered  to  play  me  50  points,  his  backer  to  wager  $300  to 
$100  that  he  could  beat  me,  and  this  offer  I  accepted. 
The  story  of  that  game,  as  told  in  verse  by  a  Chicago 
newspaper  man  under  the  title  of  "A  Match  of  Slosson's 
Room,"  was  as  follows : 

It  was  some  time  in  the  winter,  and,  if  I  remember  right, 
There  were  snowflakes  softly  falling,  through  the  darkness  of  the 

night, 

When  I  wandered  into  Slosson's,  where  the  lights  were  all  ablaze, 
In  the  hopes  of  seeing  billiards,  for  I  had  the  billiard  craze. 

'Round  the  table  there  had  gathered  all  the  sporting  men  in  town, 
Putting  money  up  in  handfuls;  each  was  anxious  to  take  down. 
Some  would  yell  out,  "I'll  take  Anson  at  the  odds  of  three  to  one," 
Then  another'd  cry,  "I've  got  you,"  and  the  betting  had  begun. 

'Twas  a  match  game  at  three  cushions,  fifty  points  up,  for  a  stake, 
'Tween  the  base-ball  man  and  Carter,  and  it  wan't  an  even  break, 
For  the  odds  were  all  in  money  and  the  playing  even  up, 
But  the  horse  that  packs  the  top  weight  does  not  always  win  the 
cup. 

Odds  in  money  cut  no  figure  from  a  betting  point  of  view, 
As  I've  found  in  life  quite  often,  and,  I  doubt  not,  so  have  you. 
If  a  man  can't  win  at  evens  then  he  cannot  win  at  all, 
Be  the  odds  they  bet  against  him  very  large  or  very  small. 


WITH  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  THE  CUE.  327 

Carter  had  the  style  and  finish,  but  the  Captain  had  the  nerve 
That  in  base-ball  oft  had  helped  him  solve  a  pitcher's  meanest 

curve! 
And  he  seemed  to  know  the  angles  just  as  well  as  "You-Know 

Me." 
That  he  wasn't  a  beginner  was  as  plain  as  plain  could  be. 

'Round  the  table  stood  the  bettors,  looking  on  with  eager  eyes, 
While  first  one  and  then  another  certain  seemed  to  take  the  prize. 
On  the  wire  the  clustered  buttons  sat  like  sparrows  in  a  row, 
'Neath  the  lights  that  gleamed  and  glistened  while  there  outside 
fell  the  snow. 

Carter  stood  about  and  chattered  just  as  Carter  always  will — 
(If  you  have  a  talking  parrot  you  can  never  keep  him  still): 
Anson  only  laughed  and  listened,  saying  as  he  chalked  his  cue: 
"Frogs'  legs  measured  up  in  inches  don't  tell  what  the  frog  can  do, 

"When  it  comes  to  jumping,  Carter,  and  the  best  fish  in  the  brook 
Finds  at  last  he's  met  his  master  when  he  grabs  the  angler's  hook. 
Talking  does  not  win  at  billiards,  nor  at  any  other  game, 
When  you  come  to  count  your  buttons,  then  perhaps  you'll  think 
the  same." 

•Went  the  buttons  up  together,  one  by  one,  upon  the  string, 
Like  two  yachts  that  skim  the  waters,  they  were  racing  wing  and 

wing. 
Hushed  was  all  the  noisy  clamor  and  the  room  was  as  still  as 

death, 
As  they  stood  and  watched  the  players  chalk  their  cues  with  bated 

breath. 

"Even  up!"  the  marker  shouted,  and  the  buttons  on  the  line 
Counted  up  stood  right  together — each  had  stopped  at  forty-nine. 
It  was  Anson's  shot — a  hard  one — as  the  balls  before  him  lay, 
And  he  stopped  to  count  the  chances — then  he  chalked  bis  cue  to 
play. 

"Call  it  off;  I'll  give  you  fifty,"  said  George  Wheelock,  sitting 

near. 
He  had  found  the  stakes  for  Carter  and  his  voice  was  low  and 

clear. 
"Take  your  stakes  down,  Captain  Anson,  and  take  fifty  'plunks'  of 

mine." 
With  a  nod  the  Cap  consented;  Carter's  backers  bought  the  wine. 


328        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

In  that  billiard-room  of  Slosson's,  Carter  argued  half  the  night, 
While  the  snowflakes  drifted  earthward  like  a  mantle  soft  and 

white. 

And  he  swore  that  he'd  have  won  it  if  it  wasn't  for  a  miss 
That  he'd  made  up  in  the  corner  when  he'd  played  to  get  a  "kiss." 

Now  it  may  be  that  he  would  have,  but  I'm  still  inclined  to  be- 
lieve 

That  he  weakened  o'er  the  billiards  that  he  found  up  Anson's 
sleeve. 

For  I've  noticed  that  the  "sucker,"  or  the  chap  you're  thinking 
one, 

Proves  the  "shark"  that  gets  the  money,  "doing"  'stead  of  being 
"done." 

The  only  match  that  I  have  engaged  in  since  those 
days  was  one  that  I  played  last  fall  with  Conklin,  a  West 
Side  amateur  in  Chicago,  and  was  at  the  eighteen-inch 
balk-line  game,  400  points  up  for  stakes  of  $50  a  side,  200 
points  to  be  played  in  my  own  room  and  200  in  Clark's  re- 
sort. The  first  night  in  my  own  room  I  obtained  such  a 
lead  as  to  make  the  result  look  like  a  foregone  conclusion, 
but  the  next  night  he  came  back  at  me  like  a  cyclone  and 
averaging  over  seven,  a  rattling  good  performance  at  that 
style  of  billiards,  he  beat  me  out  and  did  it  in  such  a  hand- 
some manner  as  to  challenge  my  admiration  and  respect. 
Since  then  he  has  beaten  Morningstar,  a  Boston,  Mass., 
professional  in  the  same  easy  fashion,  and  it  would  not  be 
surprising  were  he  yet  to  make  his  mark  in  the  billiard 
line. 

I  may  say  right  here  that  I  intend  to  devote  more  time 
to  billiards  in  the  future  than  I  have  in  the  past,  and  that 
I  am  always  willing  to  match,  provided  that  the  game  is  a 
fair  one,  in  which  I  have  an  even  chance,  as,  unlike  some 
players  that  I  could  name,  I  am  not  always  looking  for 
the  best  of  it. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

NOT  DEAD,  BUT  SLEEPING. 

The  proposed  New  American  Base-Ball  Association, 
of  which  so  much  was  heard  during  the  fall  and  winter 
months  of  1899  an<^  1900,  is  not  dead,  as  some  people 
fondly  hope,  but  only  sleeping.  That  the  National  League 
fears  the  birth  of  a  new  rival  has  been  time  and  again 
shown,  arid  in  my  judgment  without  good  and  sufficient 
reason,  for  I  hold  that  "competition  is  the  life  of  trade," 
and  that  with  a  strong  and  healthy  competitor  in  the  field 
the  rivalry  would  be  of  benefit  to  both  organizations. 

From  personal  experience  I  know  that  the  National 
Game  was  never  in  as  healthy  condition  as  it  was  when 
the  League  had  the  old  American  Association  for  a  rival 
and  when  such  a  thing  as  syndicate  base-ball  was  unheard 
of.  The  Harts,  the  Friedmans  and  the  Robisons  were 
not  then  in  control,  and  the  rule-or-ruin  policy  that  now 
prevails  had  at  that  time  not  even  been  thought  of. 

Base-ball  as  at  present  conducted  is  a  gigantic  monop- 
oly, intolerant  of  opposition  and  run  on  a  grab-all-that- 
there-is-in-sight  policy  that  is  alienating  its  friends  and 
disgusting  the  very  public  that  has  so  long  and  cheerfully 
given  to  it  the  support  that  it  has  withheld  from  other 
forms  of  amusement. 

It  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  I  believe,  who  once  re- 
marked that  you  can  fool  some  of  the  people  all  the  time 
but  that  you  cannot  fool  all  the  people  all  the  time,  and  yet 
it  is  this  latter  feat  that  the  League  magnates  are  at  the 
present  time  trying  to  perform. 

That  the  new  Association  did  not  take  the  field  in  1900 


330        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

was  due  to  an  unfortunate  combination  of  circumstances, 
but  that  it  will  do  so  another  season  I  firmly  believe,  as 
many  of  the  men  interested  in  its  formation  are  still  en- 
thusiastic over  the  project  and  determined  to  carry  it  to  a 
successful  conclusion. 

St.  Louis  may  justly  be  regarded  as  the  birthplace  of 
the  newcomer,  as  it  was  there  that  the  idea  of  a  new  rival 
to  the  worn-out  old  League  first  originated  in  the  brain 
of  Al  Spink,  who,  like  the  majority  of  the  game's  best 
friends  the  country  over,  had  grown  sick  of  syndicate 
methods  and  believed  that  the  time  had  come  when  a  new 
association,  run  on  strictly  business  principles,  would  se- 
cure the  patronage  of  the  people.  Associating  with  him 
Chris  Von  der  Ahe,  who  became  famous  as  "der  boss"  of 
the  old  St.  Louis  Browns,  George  Shaefer  and  others,  he 
at  once  begun  pulling  wires  looking  toward  the  formation 
of  an  organization  based  on  the  old  American  Associa- 
tion lines,  one  that  should  do  away  with  many  of  the 
evils  that  now  exist. 

Milwaukee  and  Detroit  capitalists  were  soon  inter- 
ested in  the  scheme,  and  early  in  October,  1899,  an  in- 
formal meeting  was  held  in  Chicago,  at  which  Chas.  Hav- 
ener, Harry  D.  Quinn  and  Alderman  O'Brien  of  Milwau- 
kee ;  Chris  Von  der  Ahe,  George  Shaefer  and  Al  Spink, 
of  St.  Louis,  and  Frank  Hough,  of  Philadelphia,  were 
present. 

This  meeting  I  attended  by  invitation  in  company  with 
Walter  H.  Clough,  my  son-in-law,  and  after  talking  the 
prospects  over  I  finally  agreed  to  place  a  team  in  Chi- 
cago to  represent  the  new  association,  providing  that  a 
proper  circuit  of  eight  cities  could  be  secured.  I  was 
then,  as  I  am  now,  in  favor  of  invading  the  cities  already 
occupied  by  the  National  League  clubs,  and  leaving  the 
other  cities  to  be  occupied  by  the  minor  leagues. 


NOT   DEAD,    BUT    SLEEPING.  331 

At  this  meeting  Harry  D.  Quinn  was  elected  tempo- 
rary President  and  Frank  Hough  temporary  Secretary. 

Quinn  proved  to  be  a  hustler  of  the  first  class  and 
spent  both  time  and  money  in  interesting  the  capitalists 
of  other  cities  in  the  proposed  deal.  In  November  mat- 
ters had  progressed  so  far  that  a  second  meeting  was  held 
in  New  York,  which  was  attended  by  the  St.  Louis  and 
Milwaukee  delegations,  and  by  Secretary  Hough  of  Phil- 
adelphia, Thomas  Navin  of  Detroit  and  representatives 
from  Boston  and  Providence. 

Owing  to  family  troubles  I  was  unable  to  be  present, 
and  but  little  was  accomplished.  An  effort  was  made, 
however,  to  interest  Tom  O'Rourke  and  "Dry  Dollar" 
Sullivan  in  the  scheme,  and  this  might  have  been  success- 
ful had  it  not  been  known  that  Richard  Croker,  the  Tam- 
many chieftain,  was  a  great  friend  of  President  Freed- 
man  of  the  New  York  League  Club,  and  might  be  tempt- 
ed to  cut  streets  through  any  grounds  that  were  secured. 
McGraw  of  Baltimore  was  also  on  hand  looking  over  the 
ground,  but  he  was  then  still  confident  that  Baltimore 
would  be  retained  in  the  League,  and  therefore  was  un- 
willing to  cast  his  fortunes  with  the  new  venture. 

Quinn  was  nothing  daunted,  however,  and  continued 
to  work  like  a  beaver.  Hough's  promised  backing  in 
Philadelphia  failed  to  materialize,  and  F.  A.  Richter,  of 
the  Philadelphia  "Sporting  Life,"  claimed  to  be  able  to 
find  both  the  men  and  money  necessary  to  put  a  club  in 
the  Quaker  City.  A  lawyer  by  the  name  of  Elliott,  and 
some  friends  of  his,  were  first  mentioned  as  the  club's 
backers,  but  they  failed  to  come  to  time,  and  then  Mr. 
Richter  trotted  out  a  son-in-law  of  John  Wanamaker,  but 
he  failed  to  materialize  with  his  money. 

This  was  the  situation  at  the  time  that  the  third  meet- 
ing was  called  by  Mr.  Quinn  at  Philadelphia,  and  which 


332        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

was  held  there  just  before  the  holidays.  In  the  mean- 
time I  had  attended  a  meeting  of  the  National  League  in 
New  York,  and  had  gone  from  there  on  to  Baltimore. 
While  in  the  latter  city  I  had  a  long  talk  with  McGraw 
and  all  but  convinced  him  that  Baltimore  was  certain  to 
be  dropped  by  the  League  and  that  it  would  be  to  his 
best  interests  to  join  hands  with  us  in  the  formation  of 
the  new  association. 

Acting  on  the  information  I  had  given  him  McGraw 
and  his  friends  at  once  secured  a  lease  on  the  National 
League  ball  grounds  over  the  head  of  the  League  people, 
and  then  came  on  to  attend  the  Philadelphia  meeting. 
Here  it  was  announced  that  Tommy  McCarthy  had  things 
fixed  all  right  in  Boston  and  that  Providence  would  leave 
the  Eastern  League  and  join  with  us. 

McGraw  had  now  become  an  enthusiast  so  far  as  the 
new  scheme  was  concerned,  but  while  the  way  to  mend 
matters  looked  rosy  on  the  surface,  I  fancied  there  were 
breakers  ahead.  I  was  disappointed  in  the  showing  made 
by  Philadelphia  at  the  meeting,  and  had  even  then  grave 
doubts  as  to  the  genuineness  of  the  backing  promised 
there,  though  Richter,  who  was  even  at  that  time  pulling 
wires  in  order  to  be  elected  Secretary  and  Treasurer  when 
the  final  organization  was  made,  asserted  positively  that 
he  had  found  the  necessary  capitalists  in  the  persons  of 
George  Regar  and  a  theatrical  man  by  the  name  of  Gil- 
more. 

The  circuit  so  far  as  made  up  at  that  time  looked  like 
Detroit,  Chicago,  St.  Louis  and  Milwaukee  in  the  West, 
and  Boston,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia  and  some  city  yet 
to  be  determined  upon  in  the  East. 

As  the  days  went  on  Quinn  became  more  and  more 
confident  regarding  Philadelphia,  and  a  strong  effort  was 
made  to  get  Washington  into  line,  but  without  success, 


NOT  DEAD,   BUT   SLEEPING.  333 

as  the  Washington  people  were  certain  at  that  time  that 
the  League  would  consist  of  ten  clubs,  and  that  the  Sena- 
tors would  be  retained.  Louisville  in  the  meantime  was 
clamoring  for  admission,  while  Providence  had  deter- 
mined to  stick  to  the  Eastern  League. 

A  meeting  to  effect  a  permanent  organization  was 
then  called.  This  was  to  be  held  at  the  Great  Northern 
Hotel  in  Chicago  on  February  I2th,  1899,  but  as  several 
of  the  delegates  expected  had  failed  to  put  in  an  appear- 
ance an  adjournment  to  the  following  day  was  decided 
upon. 

When  this  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  temporary 
President  Quinn  there  were  present  Hecker,  Harlan  and 
Spink,  of  St.  Louis ;  Quinn,  Havener  and  O'Brien,  of 
Milwaukee ;  McGraw  and  Peterson,  of  Baltimore ;  Regar 
and  Richter,  of  Philadelphia,  and  myself  representing 
Chicago.  Tommy  McCarthy,  of  Boston,  was  said  to  be 
somewhere  on  the  road,  though  Quinn  held  his  proxy, 
and  Col.  Whitside  of  Louisville  was  on  hand  to  represent 
the  Falls  City  in  case  it  should  be  taken  into  the  fold. 

Numerous  telegrams  failed  to  locate  Navin  of  Detroit, 
and  as  the  Louisville  people  proved  that  they  had  the 
necessary  backing  it  was  finally  decided  to  take  them  in. 
Detroit's  assurance  that  everything  was  lovely  there  came 
too  late,  Navin  not  returning  home  until  after  the  meet- 
ing was  over,  while  McCarthy  of  Boston  did  not  material- 
ize until  after  the  meeting  had  adjourned. 

A  permanent  organization  was  finally  effected  and 
officers  elected  as  follows : 

President,  A.  C.  Anson,  Chicago ; 

Secretary-Treasurer,  Phil  Peterson,  Baltimore; 

Directors,  C.  S.  Havenor,  Milwaukee ;  Geo.  D.  Shae- 
fer,  St.  Louis ;  W.  J.  Gilmore,  Philadelphia ;  it  being  left 
for  Boston  to  name  a  member  of  the  Board  at  a  later  date. 


334        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Richter  had  come  to  the  meeting  firmly  convinced 
that  the  office  of  Secretary-Treasurer  was  to  be  his  for 
the  asking,  and  he  was  decidedly  put  out  when  turned 
down,  and  was  disposed  to  be  decidedly  ugly.  That  he 
had  not  gotten  over  it  for  some  time  afterward  was  shown 
by  the  attitude  of  his  paper,  which  indulged  in  indis- 
criminate abuse  of  every  one  who  failed  to  agree  with 
him.  , 

After  the  adoption  of  a  constitution  and  by-laws  the 
meeting  finally  adjourned,  though  not  until  McGraw  and 
Peterson  had  been  appointed  a  committee  to  look  into  the 
standing  of  Philadelphia  and  to  select  an  eighth  city  in 
the  East,  the  seven  cities  making  up  the  circuit  at  that 
time  being  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Milwaukee  and  Louisville 
in  the  West,  and  Boston,  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  in 
the  East. 

It  was  also  decided  to  open  the  playing  season  on 
April  1 6,  the  matter  of  arranging  a  schedule  being  left 
in  my  hands.  The  Philadelphia  end  of  it  had  a  decidedly 
fishy  look  to  me,  even  then,  and  McGraw  was  by  no 
means  as  enthusiastic  as  he  had  appeared  at  Philadelphia. 
McCarthy's  failure  to  appear  cast  a  damper  over  the 
crowd,  and,  in  spite  of  all  that  had  been  accomplished, 
I  had  grave  doubts  as  to  the  successful  launching  of  the 
project. 

McGraw  and  Peterson  stopped  at  Philadelphia  on 
their  way  home  and  had  an  interview  with  W.  J.  Gilmore 
that  was  evidently  satisfactory,  as  the  former  wired  me 
that  Philadelphia  was  "four-flushing"  and  that  every- 
thing was  off,  after  which  he  fixed  up  his  differences  with 
the  League  people  in  Baltimore  and  prepared  to  play  with 
the  club  there  another  season. 

The  dropping  of  Baltimore  from  the  list  of  League 
cities,  just  as*  I  had  prophesied,  followed,  after  which 


NOT   DEAD,    BUT    SLEEPING.  335 

came  the  sale  of  McGraw  and  others  to  the  St.  Louis 
Club,  the  terms  of  which  McGraw  has  refused  to  ratify, 
the  result  being  that  the  snappy  little  Baltimorean  will  in 
all  probability  not  be  seen  on  the  ball  field  in  a  League 
uniform. 

The  calling  off  of  the  deal  was  a  great  disappointment 
to  me  at  the  time,  and  yet,  as  things  have  turned  out,  I 
am  satisfied  that  everything  happened  for  the  best  after 
all.  The  recent  iron-clad  agreement  entered  into  between 
the  American  League  and  National  League  magnates, 
by  the  terms  of  which  a  team  from  the  first-named  organi- 
zation is  to  be  placed  in  Chicago,  smacks  too  strongly  of 
syndicate  methods  to  become  popular. 

In  a  recent  letter  from  Baltimore  McGraw  and  Peter- 
son both  strongly  urge  the  necessity  of  going  on  with  the 
new  association  and  getting  in  readiness  to  place  strong 
teams  in  the  field  at  the  beginning  of  the  season  of  1901, 
and  this  is  likely  to  be  done. 

That  the  time  is  ripe  for  such  a  movement  I  am  confi- 
dent, as  I  am  also  that  plenty  of  good  ball  players  could 
be  found  to  join  its  ranks. 

The  methods  of  the  League  in  late  years  have  not 
been  calculated  to  make  friends  either  among  the 'ranks 
of  the  players  or  of  the  public,  and  both  would  gladly  wel- 
come a  rival  in  the  field. 

It  would,  however,  be  a  mistake,  I  think,  to  start  with 
anything  but  a  strong  circuit  or  to  antagonize  any  of  the 
minor  leagues,  with  whom  nothing  could  be  gained  by 
rivalry. 

If  I  could  have  my  way  in  the  matter  I  would  place  a 
strong  team  in  every  single  one  of  the  League  cities,  tak- 
ing in  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati  and  Pittsburg  in  the 
West,  and  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia  and  Balti- 
more in  the  East. 


336        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

Such  a  circuit  would,  in  my  estimation,  be  a  paying 
one  from  the  start,  and  that  is  the  circuit  that  I  hope  to 
see  formed  in  the  future. 

There  is  one  thing  certain,  and  that  is  that  a  rival  to 
the  National  League  will  spring  up  sooner  or  later,  and 
that  without  any  help  from  Mr.  Richter. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
L'ENVOI. 

With  my  retirement  from  the  Chicago  Club  in  1897, 
my  active  connection  with  the  game  may  be  said  to  have 
ceased  and  it  is  more  that  probable  that  I  shall  never  again 
don  a  uniform.  My  affection  for  the  game  still  exists, 
however,  and  I  am  confident  that,  purged  of  the  many 
evils  that  now  exist,  the  game  itself  will  continue  to  be  in 
the  future  what  it  has  been  in  the  past,  the  National  Game 
of  the  American  people. 

Looking  back  over  my  twenty-seven  years  of  active 
service  on  the  diamond,  I  feel  that  I  have  but  little  to  re- 
gret and  much  to  be  proud  of,  and  if  I  failed  at  times  to 
come  us  to  the  expectations  of  my  friends,  it  was  simply 
because  I  was  heavily  handicapped  and  unable  to  carry 
the  load.  For  the  gentlemen  who  have  criticised  my  ac- 
tions fairly  and  honestly  I  have  naught  but  the  kindest 
feelings,  and  for  those  who  did  not  and  who  criticised  sim- 
ply to  be  in  the  fashion,  or  because  they  were  advised  to 
do  so  by  those  in  authority  over  them,  I  have — but  per- 
haps it  is  as  well  to  "let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead." 

The  League  Guide  of  1898  contains  an  article  on  my 
retirement,  from  the  pen  of  the  veteran,  Henry  Chadvvick, 
that  I  am  particularly  proud  of,  and  a  portion  of  which  I 
quote,  as  follows : 

"Professional  base-ball  history  records  the  develop- 
ment of  many  an  original  character  in  the  ranks  alike  of 
its  press-writers,  its  club  magnates,  and  its  most  note- 
worthy players;  but  it  can  be  safely  said  that  its  most 
unique  figure  can  be  found  in  the  person  of  the  League's 


338        A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER. 

greatest  representative  on  the  field,  Adrian  Constantine 
Anson,  who  to-day  stands  forth  as  one  of  the  most  sturdy, 
fearless  and  honest  exemplars  of  professional  base-ball 
known  to  the  game.  The  bright  particular  attribute  of 
Anson  is  his  sterling  integrity,  combined  with  which  is 
his  thorough  independence.  The  former  was  strikingly 
illustrated  at  the  very  outset  of  his  career  as  a  member 
of  the  Chicago  Club  in  1876,  when  he  kept  true  to  his 
agreement  with  the  club,  though  under  the  base-ball  law 
as  it  then  existed  the  club  could  not  enforce  its  contract ; 
and  his  independence  was  plainly  exhibited  in  the  act  of 
his  refusing  this  year  to  accept  a  money  testimonial  at 
the  hands  of  his  base-ball  friends,  he  preferring  to  depend 
upon  his  existing  physical  powers  for  his  maintenance 
rather  than  upon  the  proffered  financial  aid. 

"In  some  respects  Anson  resembles  a  rough  diamond, 
his  brusque  manner  and  impulsive  temper  needing  the 
keen  polish  of  the  refining  wheel  of  the  conventional 
amenities  of  life  to  make  his  inherent  worth  shine  forth 
in  its  full  brilliancy.  Anson,  too,  reminds  one  somewhat 
of  that  old  Western  pioneer,  Davy  Crockett,  inasmuch  as 
his  practical  motto  is,  'When  you  know  you're  right,  go 
ahead.'  This  latter  trait  was  conspicuously  shown  in 
the  year  of  the  players'  revolt  in  1890,  when,  almost  alone 
as  a  minority  man,  he  stood  by  the  National  League  in  its 
greatest  hour  of  need,  in  opposition  to  the  desertion  of 
hundreds  of  his  confreres  in  the  League  ranks.  In  these 
prominent  characteristics,  we  say,  Anson  stands  as  the 
most  unique  player  known  in  the  annals  of  the  profes- 
sional fraternity." 

This  is  indeed  praise  from  Sir  Hubert,  and  I  raise  my 
hat  in  recognition. 

What  I  may  conclude  to  do  in  the  future  it  is  hard  to 
say,  and  if  I  return  again  to  my  first  love,  base-ball,  it  will 


L'ENVOI.  339 


not  be  as  a  player,  but  wherever  I  may  be  or  whatever  1 
may  do  I  shall  still  strive  to  merit  the  approval  and  good 
will  of  my  friends — God  bless  them ! 


THE  ENL>. 


AN  OUT  CURVE, 


A 

.STRAIGHT 
BALL. 


AMOS    RUSIE'S    METHOD   OP    PITCHING 


AMOS  RUSIE'S  PITCHING. 

Amos  Rusie,  who,  for  several  years  has  probably  come  nearer 
being  the  premier  pitcher  of  the  country  than  any  other  man, 
gives  some  ideas  of  pitching  to  the  New  York  Evening  Journal. 
He  says: 

"In  delivering  a  straight,  swift  ball,  when  my  object  is  to 
obtain  the  utmost  speed  at  my  command  and  to  cut  the  plate,  so 
that  an  umpire  can  have  no  doubt  as  to  its  being  'over, '  I  grasp  the 
ball  firmly  with  the  two  first  fingers,  with  the  thumb  not  clutching 
the  ball  too  tightly.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  twist  or  curve  the 
ball  at  those  times,  but  to  catch  the  batter  napping  or  else  to  pre- 
vent him  from  'walking'  to  first.  I  take  one  long  preliminary 
swing  to  prepare  the  shoulder  muscles  for  the  coming  strain,  and 
with  my  right  foot  firmly  braced  on  the  slab,  I  lurch  forward  with 
a  high,  straight  throw,  the  weight  of  my  body  adding  impetus  to 
the  ball. 

"A  slow  ball  when  mixed  up  with  great  speed,  is  most  effective 
if  the  change  of  pace  is  so  disguised  as  to  fool  the  batter.  It  does 
not  do  to  telegraph  your  intentions  or  the  ball  will  go  soaring  over 
the  bleachers — from  off  the  old  'wagon  tongue.'  Exactly  the  same 
preliminary  motions  should  be  gone  through  with  as  if  to  send  in 
your  swiftest  ball.  For  this  delivery  I  hold  the  ball  loosely  in  my 
hand,  holding  it  with  my  thumb  and  little  finger.  The  ball  will  at 
times  almost  seem  to  hang  in  the  air,  and  the  batter,  who  is  look- 
ing for  a  singing  swift  one,  makes  a  vicious  swipe  before  the  ball 
gets  to  him.  The  change  of  pace  is  used  mostly  when  a  batter  has 
two  strikes  and  is  worked  up  to  the  anxious  pitch.  Nothing  pleases 
a  pitcher  more  than  to  fool  a  batter  with  his  'slows.' 

"To  give  an  outcurve  to  the  ball  I  take  the  same  grip  with  the 
first  two  fingers  as  for  the  straight  ball.  The  thumb,  however, 
with  which  the  twist  which  causes  the  ball  to  curve  is  given, 
is  brought  up  in  touch  with  the  ball  with  a  tight  grip.  Then,  with 
a  long,  slow  preliminary  swing  I  give  a  slight  side  motion  to  my 
hand  with  a  decided  snap  to  the  wrist  j  ust  at  the  instant  the  ball 
leaves  my  hand.  I  endeavor,  of  course,  to  hide  my  right  hand  as 
much  as  possible  from  the  batter,  and  go  through  exactly  the  same 
motions  as  for  a  straight  ball.  I  can  get  just  as  much  speed  with 
my  curve  as  my  straight,  which  in  consequence,  has  proved  my 
most  successful  ball. 

'  'The  drop  ball  is  a  most  effective  one  if  a  pitcher  can  get  con- 
trol of  it.  If  the  ball  falls  even  a  half  inch  from  the  expected  line, 
the  batter  is  liable  to  strike  over  it.  In  pitching  this  ball  I  take  a 
tight  hold  with  the  thumb  and  two  forefingers,  with  the  third 
finger  underneath  in  touch  with  the  sphere.  Then  with  a  very 
high  swing  and  a  raise  on  my  toes,  I  bring  the  arm  down  swiftly. 
The  reverse  twist  is  given  with  the  third  finger.  A  great  deal  of 
practice  is  required  to  acquire  control  of  this  puzzling  ball,  and 
at  times  speed  is  sacrificed  in  its  use.'' 


APPENDIX. 


SOME   NEWSPAPER  COMMENTS. 

With  the  retirement  of  Captain  Anson  baseball  loses  its  most 
dignified  and  courageous  figure — a  man  who  has  striven  through 
a  number  of  years  to  preserve  the  national  game  in  all  its  best 
phases  and  a  man  who  has  fought  for  decency  and  gentlemanly 
conduct  on  the  field,  and  by  whose  efforts  the  club  of  which  he 
has  been  typical  for  a  long  time  has  come  to  be  known  as  one 
of  the  most  dignified  organizations  on  the  National  League  dia- 
mond. His  retirement  from  the  leadership  of  the  Colts  is  re- 
ceived with  regret  by  the  devotees  of  the  national  game,  although 
opinion  is  divided  as  to  its  advisability.  It  has  long  been  be- 
lieved by  certain  patrons  of  the  game  that  a  change  in  the  man- 
agement and  captaincy  of  the  team  was  advisable,  and  that  a 
younger  man  might  make  the  nine  more  successful.  But  whether 
they  are  of  this  opinion  or  not,  the  patrons  of  the  game  this  year 
will  miss  the  presence  of  the  big  first  baseman  who  has  come  to 
be  typical  of  the  Chicago  team. 

Captain  Anson  retires  with  a  record  of  which  he  may  well  be 
proud.  He  has  been  a  prominent  figure  in  hundreds  of  games  in 
all  of  which  he  has  done  excellent  work.  As  the  head  of  the 
Chicago  club  he  has  piloted  the  team  through  good  and  bad 
fortune.  During  the  last  few  seasons  he  has  not  done  as  well  as 
had  been  expected  at  the  outset  of  the  season.  Internal  dissen- 
sion crept  into  the  ranks  of  the  Colts  and  the  men  did  not  work 
together.  This  fact  started  a  sentiment  in  favor  of  a  change  of 
management.  There  were  disturbing  elements  which  militated 
against  the  success  of  the  team,  and  it  was  believed  by  many  ad- 
mirers of  the  game  that  a  new  leader  might  be  able  to  reconcile 
the  warring  factions  and  get  more  substantial  results  out  of  the 
aggregation.  This  was  urged  as  a  reason  for  the  retirement  of 
Anson.  He  had  served  a  longer  term  than  any  other  base-ball 
player,  and  it  was  believed  that  he  could  retire  on  his  record  and 
give  way  to  a  younger  man  who  would  be  able  to  secure  more 
harmonious  work.  In  this  opinion  there  was  no  desire  to  be- 
little the  work  of  Anson,  nor  cast  any  discredit  on  his  manage- 
ment. 

His  work  has  been  such  as  to  win  the  respect  of  every  sports- 


ii.  APPENDIX. 

man,  whatever  his  opinion  of  the  desirability  of  the  change  of 
management,  but  with  individual  players  of  the  first  class  might 
not  another  manager  be  able  to  attain  better  results  was  the  argu- 
ment. He  is  to  be  succeeded  by  a  man  who  worked  with  him  as  a 
fellow-member  at  one  time  of  the  Chicago  team,  a  man  of  experi- 
ence in  base-ball  affairs,  and  who  it  is  believed  will  continue  the 
work  which  the  veteran  has  done  for  the  best  inteersts  of  the 
game.  Whether  or  not  he  will  be  able  to  make  the  club  work 
together  better  than  Anson  and  whether  he  can  secure  better 
results  from  the  material  he  has  to  work  with  remains  for  the 
coming  season  to  show. 

But  whatever  be  the  future  success  of  the  team,  it  will  owe  a 
debt  to  Captain  Anson,  for  to  him  is  due  the  credit  of  being  one 
of  the  greatest  of  base-ball  generals.  He  has  done  a  great  work 
for  the  Chicago  team,  and  can  now  give  way  to  another,  resting 
on  the  honors  which  he  has  already  won  and  which  the  base-ball 
public  gladly  concede  to  him. — Chicago  Tribune. 

The  former  captain-manager  of  the  Chicago  base-ball  team 
has  just  replied  to  a  proposition  to  offer  him  a  testimonial  in 
such  terms  as  do  him  infinite  honor.  Mr.  Anson  had  held  his 
position  for  many  years.  He  had  done  the  work  and  discharged 
the  duties  of  the  place  faithfully,  laboriously,  and  ably,  and  he 
had  received  for  his  services  a  salary  which  he  accepted  as  suffi- 
cient. When  it  was  thought  best  to  depose  him  and  to  employ 
another  captain,  he  gave  way  without  protest.  He  had  done  his 
best,  he  had  been  paid,  he  had  nothing  to  complain  of,  and  no 
favors  to  ask.  The  proposed  testimonial  was  offered,  perhaps, 
under  the  impression  that  he  was  needy  or  that  his  feelings  were 
hurt,  and  the  idea  seems  to  have  been  that  in  giving  him  a  benefit 
they  would  placate  any  resentment  he  might  harbor  and  at  the 
same  time  proclaim  their  own  generosity.  Anson,  however,  de- 
clined to  be  put  in  the  position  of  a  martyr  or  a  suppliant.  He 
replied:  'I  refuse  to  accept  anything  in  the  shape  of  a  gift.  The 
public  owes  me  nothing.  I  am  not  old  and  am  no  pauper.  Be- 
sides that,  I  am  by  no  means  out  of  base-ball." 

We  think  that  everybody  will  applaud  Mr.  Anson  in  this  atti- 
tude. There  is  no  reasonable  doubt  that  the  projected  benefit 
would  have  netted  him  several  thousands  of  dollars — it  is  not  too 
much  to  estimate  the  result  at  $10,000.  He  has  long  been  a  favor- 
ite with  the  Chicago  base-ball  lovers.  He  enjoys  a  high  reputa- 
tion for  courage,  fairness,  honorable  methods,  and  professional 
ability.  But  he  refused  the  well-meant  offer  of  the  Chicago  Ath- 
letic Association,  and  we  feel  sure  that  all  right-minded  men  will 
give  him  their  sympathy  and  approval.  He  prefers  to  occupy 


APPENDIX.  iii. 

the  position  of  one  who  has  served  his  employers  zealously  and 
received  full  consideration  for  his  work,  who  has  no  complaint  to 
make  and  no  pity  to  invoke.  He  is  not  superannuated,  has  not 
been  ill-treated,  and  is  quite  able  to  support  himself  for  the  future. 
It  is  a  manly,  modest,  self-reliant,  and  self-respecting  position 
and  it  raises  him  infinitely  in  public  estimation. — Washington 
(D.  C.)  Post. 

Our  illustrious  fellow  townsman,  Adrian  Constantinus  Anson, 
has  given  to  the  New  York  Sun  a  few  reflections  concerning  the 
duties  of  womankind,  with  a  comparative  review  of  the  charms 
of  the  ladies  of  Chicago  and  New  York.  It  is  Mr.  Anson's  de- 
liberate opinion  that  woman  has  a  most  beautiful  sphere  of  action 
in  this  pleasant  life  which  is  likely  to  be  jeopardized  by  an  asso- 
ciation with  clubs.  Mr.  Anson  thinks  that  the  average  woman 
cannot  attend  to  her  regular  knitting  and  to  clubs  at  the  same 
time,  and  he  fecilitates  himself  that  the  ladies  of  his  immediate 
family  have  been  restrained  by  his  influence  and  his  arguments 
from  wasting  time  in  society  work  that  should  belong  to  the 
needs  of  the  small  and  sympathetic  domestic  circle.  We  con- 
gratulate Mr.  Anson  on  the  ability  he  has  shown  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  his  argument,  and  we  turn  with  confidence  to  his  discus- 
sion of  the  ladies  who  have  come  under  his  observation.  "In 
Chicago,"  says  Mr.  Anson,  "the  ladies  dress  very  stunningly, 
just  as  well  as  they  do  here,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  and  they  are 
certainly  just  as  fine  looking.  I'll  admit  that  the  New  York  men 
dress  a  great  deal  better  than  those  of  Chicago."  Mr.  Anson  is 
right.  The  Chicago  man  gives  little  thought  to  the  morrow, 
wherewithal  he  shall  be  clothed.  He  has  his  charms,  his  graces, 
his  many  fine  points,  but  as  a  fashion  plate  he  is  not  a  success. 
He  is  content  to  know  that  his  wife  and  his  daughters  are  keeping 
up  the  standard  of  Mr.  Anson's  expectations,  and  to  feel  that  in 
providing  them  with  gorgeous  raiment  he  is  contributing  his 
share  of  the  beautiful,  the  true  and  the  good  in  the  world.  We 
have  believed  for  some  time  that  the  shopping  ladies  on  the  east 
side  of  State  street  constituted  a  panorama  of  feminine  loveliness 
unexcelled,  but  we  are  glad  to  have  this  opinion  corroborated  by 
so  eminent  an  authority  as  Mr.  Anson,  who  has  a  critical  eye  for 
the  feminine  toilet  and  has  been  in  New  York  often  enough  in 
a  professional  capacity  to  exercise  a  just  and  accurate  judgment. — 
Chicago  Post. 

The  announced  retirement  of  Adrian  Constantine  Anson  from 
the  management  of  the  Chicago  base-ball  team  marks  the  end  of 
a  career  that  is  without  parallel  in  America.  For  nearly  thirty 
years  Anson  has  stood  among  the  foremost  representatives  of 


iv.  APPENDIX. 

the  national  game,  and  for  half  that  time  he  has  been  a  popular 
hero  whose  name  was  more  familiar  on  the  lips  of  the  people  than 
that  of  any  statesman  or  soldier  of  his  time.  Ever  since  profes- 
sional base-ball  became  a  feature  of  American  life,  he  has  stood 
in  the  front  rank  of  its  exponents,  and  as  long  as  it  shall  continue 
to  be  played  his  name  will  be  remembered.  He  reflected  credit 
upon  his  calling  and  helped  raise  it  to  a  plane  which  made  it 
creditable  to  him.  A  certain  measure  of  true  glory  cannot  be  de- 
nied to  such  a  man.  In  all  his  long  publicity  no  charge  of  dis- 
honorable methods,  no  rumor  of  the  buying  and  selling  that  are 
too  common  in  athletics  was  ever  laid  at  his  door.  He  possessed 
many  of  the  qualities  that  make  leaders  of  men,  and  his  continued 
success  was  due  to  the  same  study  and  application  which  bring 
triumph  in  more  highly  esteemed  fields  of  activity.  Base-ball 
owes  him  much,  the  public  owes  him  something  and  Chicago 
owes  him  more.  He  is  entitled  to  an  honorable  discharge. — De- 
troit Tribune. 

The  passing  of  Adrian  C.  Anson  from  the  position  of  man- 
ager and  captain  of  the  Chicago  League  base-ball  club  is  deserv- 
ing of  notice  by  everybody.  .While  it  is  not  our  purpose  or  cus- 
tom to  comment  on  athletics,  in  general,  we  deem  it  proper  to 
drop  a  few  thoughts  concerning  this  man  and  his  life. 

For  twenty-six  years  he  has  been  playing  base-ball  with  promi- 
nent clubs  throughout  the  country,  twenty-two  years  of  this  time 
being  spent  with  the  club  which  just  disposed  of  his  services. 
Five  different  times  he  brought  his  club  out  at  the  close  of  the 
season  as  a  pennant  winner,  a  record  which  has  not  yet  been 
equaled  by  any  manager.  Besides  being  a  bright  star  in  the  ball- 
playing  constellation,  Anson  was  an  expert  at  cricket,  hand-ball, 
billiards  and  shooting. 

He  has  ever  been  temperate  in  his  habits,  and  his  long  period 
of  service  in  this  line  proves  what  a  man  may  do  by  taking  care 
of  himself.  No  better  lesson  can  be  taught  the  young  man  of 
to-day  than  the  observance  of  this  man's  life.  After  all,  is  it  not 
a  mistake  made  by  the  temperance  people  that  they  don't  teach 
the  physical  as  well  as  the  moral  effects  of  intemperance? 

The  name  Anson  means  athletics.  Honest,  honorable,  clean, 
pure  athletics.  No  man  has  done  more  to  place  outdoor  sports 
above  reproach  than  he  has. — Springfield  (111.)  Sun. 

Captain  Anson  is  going  to  retire.  He  has  played  his  last 
championship  game,  has  piloted  his  young  men  through  the  last 
season  and  has  made  his  final  forceful  appeal  to  a  league  umpire. 
With  the  honors  of  unnumbered  years  thick  upon  him,  with  a 
fame  that  will  endure  till  the  last  league  ball  is  batted  over  the 


APPENDIX.  v. 

palisades  of  time,  with  fortune  far  beyond  the  hope  of  thousands 
who  have  howled  his  praise,  "the  grand  old  man"  will  leave  the 
"profession"  Jan.  i,  1898,  when  his  contract  with  the  Chicago 
team  shall  expire. 

There  comes  a  sentiment  akin  to  sorrow  in  the  incident.  The 
man  has  so  truly  represented  the  spirit  of  sport,  he  has  so  honestly 
and  industriously  devoted  his  every  energy  to  its  requirements, 
and  he  has  so  persistently  abstained  from  those  customs  that  too 
often  discredit  men  in  his  line,  that  the  great  public  which  loves 
base-ball  will  regret  his  departure. 

Aside  from  that  there  is  a  measure  of  compensation.  We 
know  that  young  blood  and  new  methods  may  help  the  Chicago 
'team  to  that  eminence  it  won  in  the  old  days.  This  sentiment 
is  entertained  'by  so  many  patrons  of  the  game  that  it  may  be 
fair  to  concede  them  something. 

One  thing  is  certain.  No  man  living  will  more  cordially  wish 
success  to  the  old  White  Stocking  club  than  will  the  man  who 
has  shared  its  joys  and  its  woes,  and  who  voluntarily,  even  now, 
yields  place  to  a  younger  man. — Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

A  few  days  ago  Captain  Anson,  a  representative  of  the  typical 
American  game,  declined  to  accept  a  public  testimonial  earned 
by  years  of  hard  work,  honesty,  uprightness,  and  faithfulness  as 
a  player.  Mr.  A.  G.  Spalding  guaranteed  that  the  fund  would 
reach  $50,000,  and  from  the  great  flow  of  telegrams,  letters,  and 
offers  of  contributions  that  swept  down  upon  the  promoter  of 
the  testimonial  it  seemed  as  though  that  sum  would  be  exceeded. 
Anson  replied  modestly  that,  while  conscious  of  the  high  honor 
conferred  in  the  almost  unanimous  expression  of  good  will,  he 
could  not  accept  a  moneyed  tribute.  A  few  years  ago  Dr.  W.  G. 
Grace,  the  champion  cricketer  of  England,  retired  from  the  game, 
a  game  typical  of  England.  Headed  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  a 
great  public  subscription  was  raised  and  more  than  $40,000  was 
given  the  champion.  He  accepted.  The  two  men  occupied  the 
same  position  toward  their  games  and  their  countries.  The  spirit 
of  admiration  was  unanimous  in  both  countries.  Both  were  ath- 
letic heroes.  Grace  accepted;  Anson  declined. — Chicago  Tribune. 

The  firm  of  Chicago  &  Anson  expired  by  its  own  limitation 
last  night.  The  partners  parted  on  the  best  of  terms.  It  is  now 
twenty-two  years  since  they  began  to  do  base-ball  together,  and 
the  record  made  is  an  honor  to  the  world  of  athletics.  Long  ago. 
while  the  dew  of  youth  was  still  in  his  locks,  the  junior  partner 
was  known  as  "Old  Anse,"  much  as  in  army  circles  the  pre-emi- 
nence of  General  Grant  won  for  him  the  designation  of  "the  old 
man."  Anson  first  gained  distinction  as  the  heaviest  batter  that 


vi.  APPENDIX. 

had  ever  gone  to  the  plate.  Then,  for  many  seasons,  he  was 
captain.  He  marshaled  his  forces  with  the  skill  of  a  great  com- 
mander. He  lost  many  a  battle  royal,  but  he  never  threw  a  game, 
and,  alike  in  victory  and  in  defeat,  the  honor  of  Chicago  was 
maintained  unflecked.  May  he  live  long  to  enjoy  the  distinction 
of  being  "the  grand  old  man"  of  the  diamond  field. — Chicago 
Inter  Ocean. 

Our  ancient  friend  Captain  Adrian  Anson  will  find  ample 
scope  for  his  disciplinary  talents  in  dealing  with  the  cherubim 
whom  Mr.  Freedman  has  aggregated  into  his  base-ball  club.  At 
various  times  the  Baltimore,  the  Pittsburgs  and  the  Clevelands 
have  held  the  championship  for  all-round  blackguardism  and 
"dirty  ball,"  but  now  New  York,  like  "Eclipse,"  is  first  and  the 
rest  nowhere.  In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  recall  that 
early  in  the  season  several  of  Mr.  Freedman's  young  men  haught- 
ily refused  to  sign  the  Brush  hoodlum  agreement  upon  the  ground 
that  they  were  "gentlemen"  and  incapable  of  using  vile  language. 
The  Brush  rule  is  valid  nevertheless,  and  the  patrons  of  base-ball 
will  watch  with  interest  to  see  whether  it  will  be  enforced  against 
the  umpire  baiters  and  vulgarians  lately  led  by  Mr.  "Scrappy" 
Joyce.  If  Anson  is  given  a  free  hand  he  will  keep  the  rowdies  in 
subjection.  If  he  is  hampered  we,  venture  to  predict  that  Mr. 
Freedman  will  soon  be  hunting  another  captain.  The  "old  man" 
will  not  stand  sponsor  for  hoodlums. — Chicago  Chronicle. 

"I  notice,"  said  the  Old-Timer,  "that  a  hit  was  wanted  in 
Louisville  yesterday,  and  that  James  Ryan  (who  would  quit  rather 
than  play  with  Anson  as  manager)  was  at  the  bat.  How  many, 
many  times  the  cranks  at  the  Chicago  ball  grounds  have  waited 
and  watched  for  that  same  hit,  and  how  often,  oh,  how  often,  they 
have  'been  regaled  with  that  same  play — a  pop-up  to  the  infield. 
It  is  time,  long,  long  ago,  that  James  Ryan  was  relegated  to  the 
bench  or  the  turnstile — for  good.  Decker  is  his  superior  in  every- 
thing but  grumbling." — Chicago  Journal. 

New  York,  April  2. — A.  G.  Spalding  absolutely  denied  to-day 
the  truth  of  the  published  reports  that  he  had  jestingly  offered 
the  franchise  of  the  Chicago  club  to  Anson  for  $150,000,  and  that 
while  Anson  was  hustling  around  trying  to  raise  the  money  he 
had  no  intention  whatever  of  releasing  the  franchise  when  it  came 
to  a  showdown. 

"The  story  is  absurd,"  said  Mr.  Spalding.  "In  the  first  place, 
Anson  is  not  trying  to  get  the  franchise.  No  one  has  made  over- 
tures to  me  with  that  end  in  view.  I  have  set  no  price  on  the 
franchise,  because  I  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  letting  it 
go." — Chicago  Chronicle, 


APPENDIX.  vii. 

Temporarily  war  rumors  must  sink  into  innocuous  desuetude 
and  other  old  things.  A  matter  of  more  far-reaching  importance 
now  claims  our  attention.  We  shall  continue  to  hope  that  Samp- 
son and  Dewey  and  Miles  will  do  their  whole  duty,  but  we  shall 
not  be  able  to  give  our  personal  attention  to  the  trifles  that  occupy 
them  until  we  have  received  definite  information  whether  or  not 
Anson  is  really  going  with  the  New  Yorks. — Chicago  Post. 

As  a  fielder  many  have  surpassed  him,  but  as  a  batsman — and 
batsmen,  like  poets,  are  born,  not  made,  and  are  the  kind  of 
players  hardest  to  get — his  record  has  never  been  excelled.  He 
has  not  always  stood  at  the  head  of  the  list,  but  always  kept  up  a 
steady  fusillade. — Des  Moines  Leader. 

The  passing  of  Anson  from  the  National  League  removes 
from  the  national  game  its  most  conspicuous  and  active  spirit. 
For  many  years  this  young  old  man  has  been  the  principal  figure 
in  the  grandest  of  outdoor  sports  and  his  setting  aside  by  the 
managers  of  the  team  that  he  made  famous  will  be  lamented 
everywhere. — Detroit  Journal. 

Now  it  is  claimed  that  Anson  hasn't  a  chance  on  earth  of  get- 
ting control  of  the  Chicago  Club,  even  if  he  raises  that  $150,000 
option.  It  is  claimed  that  the  price  set  by  Spalding  was  one  of 
his  little  jokes,  and  Ans  took  it  seriously.  People  who  ought  to 
know  say  Spalding  and  Hart  would  not  part  with  the  Chicago 
Club  for  $250,000. — Cincinnati  Enquirer. 

O.  P.  Caylor  has  this  to  say:  "Anson  may  be  getting  old,  his 
step  less  springy,  his  joints  not  so  supple  as  of  yore,  but  his  eyes 
and  brain  are  unimpaired.  For  all  that,  he  knows  more  about 
playing  the  game  than  the  other  men  on  his  team  combined. 
There  are  at  least  seven  less  valuable  players  than  Anson  among 
the  Chicago  Colts." — New  York  Herald. 

Owing  to  the  De  Lome  incident  and  the  destruction  of  the 
Maine  the  retirement  of  Colonel  Anson  from  base-ball  general- 
ship is  not  receiving  the  general  attention  its  importance  war- 
rants.— Chicago  Herald. 

The  young  philanthropist  who  sent  $100  to  Leiter  with  which 
to  corner  the  wheat  market  would  exhibit  more  genuine  patriot- 
ism if  he  would  inclose  a  few  thousands  to  Captain  Anson  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  the  Chicago  ball  team. — Chicago  Record. 

Yesterday  was  a  cold  day  for  base-ball.  That  grand  old  man, 
Captain  Adrianapolis  Chicago  Anson,  was  umpired  out  by  Father 
Time,  after  twenty-two  years'  signal  service  at  the  first  base. — 
Chicago  Inter  Ocean. 

When  the  sporting  world  finds  a  better  or  more  manly  man 


viii.  APPENDIX. 

than  "Old  Arise"  it  will  have  to  advertise  for  "the  best  the  country 
affords."  He  honestly  won  his  honors  in  a  fair  field. — Chicago 
Inter  Ocean. 

There  is  no  reason  why  Cap'n  Anson,  now  in  the  full  maturity 
of  his  powers,  may  not  have  a  successful  career  before  him  as  a 
trainer  of  horses. — Chicago  Tribune. 

It  was  worth  losing  the  job  for  Captain  Anson  to  learn  what  a 
royal  good  fellow  he  is. — Chicago  Record. 


A  TRAIN  FOR  TWO  CITIES 


IT  IS  A  FAR.  FAR  BETTER  THING  THAT  I  DO  THAN  I  HAVE  EVER  DONE 
IT  18  A  FAR,  FAR  BETTER  REST  THAT  I  GO  TO  THAN  I  HAVE  EVER  KNOWN* 


THE   ONLY  WAY' 
BETWEEN   CHICAGO   AND    ST.  LOUIS 


RUNS   VIA  CHICAGO  &  ALTON  RAILWAY 


GEO.  J.  CHARLTON,  OKNKKA.I,  PASSENGER  tfc  TICKET  AGENT 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


•>e 

MONO 
ROUT 


DAILY 

CITY  TICKET  OFFICE 

232  CLARK  ST. 

DEPOT 

•DEARBORN  STATION 

1     CHICAGO. 


When  You 
Haven't  A 
Minute  to 
Spare  — 


RUNS 
THROUGH  TRAINS  TO 

"Colorado 

the 
Magnificent" 

THERE   ARE 

many  beautiful  resorts  but  the  loveliest  is  the 
famous  Catering  place,  cManitou,  near  Colo- 
rado Springs,  best  reached  by  the  Great  Rock 
Island  Route,  the  only  direct  line  from  the 
East — also  best  line  to  Denver.  Limited  Trains 
— Broad  Vestibuled  Sleepers  —  buffet  Library 
Cars  —  Best  Dining  Car  Service.  Write  for 
"  Colorado  the  Magnificent ' '  descriptive  of 
Rocky  Mountain  health  and  pleasure  resorts, 
sent  free. 

Address  John  Sebastian,  G.  *P.  A.,  Chicago. 


LONG-DISTANCE 
CHAMPION  OF 
THE  WORLD 

The  SANTA  FE  ROUTE  holds  the  record  for  the 
shortest  time  on  the  longest  railroad  runs. 

In  1890,  when  Miss  Nelly  Ely,  the  New  York  World 
correspondent  who  circled  the  globe  in  72  days,  was 
whirled  over  the  Santa  Fe  from  San  Francisco  to  Chi- 
cago, 2,577  miles,  in  69  hours,  it  was  thought  that  the 
top-notch  speed  for  distances  over  2,000  miles  had  been 
attained. 

Later  Mr.  B.  P.  Cheney,  Jr.,  was  carried  from  San 
Diego  to  Chicago  in  a  special  train  over  the  Santa  Fe 
at  a  quicker  rate  per  mile  than  Nelly  Ely  had  traveled. 
Kipling  recounts  this  feat  in  '  'Captains  Courageous. " 
Still  the  pennant  remained  with  the  same  road. 

On  March  30,  1900,  a  special  train  of  two  cars,  oc- 
cupied by  Mr.  A.  R.  Peacock  and  family  was  trans- 
ported from  Los  Angeles  to  Chicago,  2,265  miles,  in  57 
hours,  56  minutes,  or  at  the  rate  of  more  than  39  miles 
an  hour — again  breaking  the  record.  Exclusive  of  de- 
lays, the  rate  was  nearly  42  miles  an  hour.  Four 
mountain  ranges  were  crossed. 

The  same  betterment  of  track  and  motive  power 
which  causes  each  notable  run  to  be  faster  than  the  one 
before,  enables  the  Santa  Fe  Route  to  constantly  im- 
prove its  regular  daily  service.  There  are  no  better 
trains  than  Santa  Fe  trains.  There  is  no  better  railway 
meal  service  than  Harvey's.  There  is  no  finer  scenery 
than  along  the  Santa  Fe. 
For  descriptive  information  address 

GENERAL  PASSENGER  OFFICE, 

The  AtchSson,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway, 

CHICAGO. 


The  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul 
...Railway... 

RUNS 

Electric  Lighted,  Steam  Heated  Vestibuled  Trains 
between  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  St.  Paul  and  Min- 
neapolis, daily. 

Through  Parlor  Cars  on  day  trains  between  Chi- 
cago, St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis. 

Electric  Lighted,  Steam  Heated  Vestibuled  Trains 
between  Chicago  and  Omaha  and  Sioux  City, 
daily. 

Palace  Sleeping  Cars.  Free  Reclining  Chair  Cars 
and  Coaches  between  Chicago  and  Kansas  City. 

Less  than  two  hours  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee; 
Six  fast  trains  each  way,  daily,  with  Parlor  Car 
Service. 

Solid  trains  between  Chicago  and  principal  points 
in  Northern  Wisconsin  and  the  Peninsula  of 
Michigan. 

Through  Trains  with  Palace  Sleeping  Cars,  Free 
Chair  Cars  and  Coaches  between  Chicago  and 
points  in  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Southern  and  Central 
Dakota. 

The  best  and  latest  type  of  private  Compartment 
Cars.  Free  Reclining  Chair  Cars  and  Buffet 
Library  Smoking  Cars. 

6,400  miles  of  road  in  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Northern 
Michigan,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Missouri,  South  Da- 
kota and  North  Dakota. 

GEO.  H.  HEAFFORD, 

General  Passenger  Agent,  Chicago,  III. 


Southern  Pacific  * 

AFFORDS  THE  BEST  ROUTES  AND  SERVICE  TO 

TEXAS,  MEXICO,  ARIZONA, 
CALIFORNIA  •  OREGON 


CALIFORNIA 


DAILY  THROUGH  SERVICE  TO  THE  PACIFIC  COAST 

FROM 
Chicago,  Omaha  and  New  Orleans 


Round  Trip  Tickets  to  principal  Pacific  Coast  points 
that  read  going  via  any  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Company's 
THREE  ROUTES,  and  returning  via  the  same  or  either  of 
the  others,  are  on  sale  at  all  important  railway  stations. 

Personally  Conducted  Tourist  Excursions  via  all 
three  routes  from  principal  railway  centers. 

Pullman  Standard  and  Ordinary  Sleeping  Cars  and 
Solid  Vestibuled  Trains. 

For  rates,  time-tables  and  descriptive  literature,  apply  to 
W.  Q.  NEIMYER,  EDWIN  HAWLEY, 

Gen.  Western  Agent.  Asst.  Gen.  Traffic  Mgr., 

238  Clark  St.,  Chicago.  349  Broadway,  New  York. 

E.  O.  ncCORfllCK,  S.  F.  B.  MORSE, 

Passenger  Traffic  Manager,  Asst.  Pass.  Traffic  Manager, 

San  Francisco,  Cal.  Houston,  Tex. 


The 

Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad 

"The  Scenic  Line  of  the  World." 


The  popular  pathway  through  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  Colorado  stands  alone  in  Cli- 
mate, Scenery  and  Health  Resorts. 

Summer  Tours  at  Reduced  Rates 


THE  DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE, 

the  most  desirable  of  all  the  great  Trans- 
Continental  Lines  for  a  tour  of  Utah  or  the 
Pacific  Coast. 

An  unexcelled  Dining  Car  Service,  serving 
meals  a  la  carte  on  through  trains  between 
Denver  and  Ogden. 


For  books  and  pamphlets  descriptive  of  Rocky  Mountain 
health  and  pleasure  resorts,  apply  to 

5.  K.  Hooper  J.  W.  Slosson 

Gen.  Pass.  &  Ticket  Agent  General  Agent 

DENVER,  COL.  236  Clark  St.,  CHICAGO 


DIURETIN 


MINERHL   WHTER 

A  SPECIFIC  FOR 

Bright^  Disease,  All  Kidney  Troubles, 
Dyspepsia  and  Indigestion. 

CONTROLLED  AND  BOTTLED  BY 

Ara-Glen  Mineral  Water  Bottling  Co,,    Chicago,  D,  S,  A. 

DIRECTIONS, 

For  the  first  two  or  three  days  one  quart  of  the  water  should  be  taken  daily 
afterwards  increasing  to  two  quarts.  The  best  results  are  obtained  by  drink- 
ing the  water  before  meals  and  at  night  on  retiring . 

Ara-Glen  Co,,  2637-39-41  and  43  Cottage  Grove  Ave,,  Chicago 

TELEPHONE  SOUTH  298. 

CHAS.  F.  COOKE,  PRES.  AND  TREAS.        GEORGE  J.  COOKE.  VICE-PRES.         JOHN  R'.  COOKE,  SECY. 


Read  the  following  letter  from  one  of  the  ablest  surgeons  in  the  world. 

ARA-GLEN  CO.,  Chicago, 111. .July  14, 1898. 

Gentlemen:— In  reply  to  yours  of  July  llth  would  say  It  affords  me  pleas- 
ure to  state  that  I  have  seen  Diuretin  Water  furnished  by  your  company  used 
in  a  good  y  number  of  acute  and  sub-acute  cases  of  Nephritis  (Brlgnt's  Dis- 
ease). Its  beneficial  effect  was  very  pronounced  and  in  some  cases  there  was 
a  rapid  and  permanen  disappearance  of  the  albumen  under  its  influence.  Its 
diuretic  property  manifests  itself  rapidly  after  its  administration,  and  to  this 
is  attributed  its  great  value  in  the  treatment  of  the  diseases  mentioned. 
These  properties  make  it  a  valuable  water  for  gout  and  allied  affections.  It  Is 
an  efficient  agent  in  the  treatment  of  cystitis,  (Catarrh  of  the  bladder)  and 
prostati  diseases.  Respectfully, 

MO  Reliance  Bldg.  John  B.  Murphy. 

CASE  OF  1  DOZ.  HALF  GALLON  BOTTLES,  $4.50. 

tl. 00  refunded  on  return  of  case  and  bottles. 


BREWERS 

AND  BOTTLERS 

...OF... 

LAGER 
BEER 


Telephone  South  349 


Keeley 

Brewing 

Company 


Foot  of  '28th  Street 
and  Groveland  Park  Ave. 

Chicago..... 


Oldest  Savings  Bank  in  Chicago 

ESTABLISHED  1867 


HIBERNIAN 


Banking  Association 


Cor.  Randolph  and  Clark  Streets 


COMMERCIAL  AND  SAVINGS 

TRANSACTS    A    GENERAL     BANKING    BUSINECS 


Solicits  Accounts 

of  Merchants,  Manufacturers, 
Corporations,  Brokers,  Professional 
Men,  etc.,  etc. 

Buys  and  Sells 

Foreign  and  Domestic  Exchange. 

Loans  Money 

on  Approved  Collateral. 

Interest  Paid 

on  SAVINGS  DEPOSITS  at  this 
It  INK'S  old  established  rate,  THREK 
per  cent  per  annum,  COMPOUNDED 
HALF-YEA  KLV. 

OFFICERS: 

J.  V.  CLARKE.  President. 
HENRY  B.  CLARKK,  Vice-President  and 

Manager  Savings  Department. 
L.  B.  CLARKE,  2nd  Vice-President. 

H.  B.  DOX,  Cashier. 

J.  W.  MACGEAGH,  Assistant  Cashier. 

FREDERIC  S.  HEBARD,  Counsel. 

OFFICE  HOURS: 

10  a.  m.  to  3  p.  m. 
|  Commercial  Dept.,  9a.m. to  12noon. 
Saturdays:^  Savings  Dept.  9  a.  m.  to  2  p.  m., 
I  and  6  to  8  p.  m. 


, .  .  The  .  . . 

Brunswick-Balke- 
Collender  Co. 

CHICAGO,  NEW  YORK,  CINCINNATI,  ST.  LOUIS, 
SAN  FRANCISCO,  PARIS,  FRANCE. 


LARGEST    MANUFACTURERS    IN 
THE   WORLD...OF 

Billiard  and  Pool  Tables 


OUR  TABLES  ARE  THE  BEST  IN  THE  WORLD 
FOR  THE  REASON  THAT  WE  HAVE  SPARED  NEITHER  PAINS 
NOR  EXPENSE  DURING  THE  PAST  SIXTY  YEARS 
To  MAKE  THEM  So... 


BOWLING  ALLEYS 

THE  BRUNSWICK -BALKE 
COLLENDER  CO. 


PERFECTION 


JO 

YEARS 
OLD 


jo 

YEARS 
OLD 


THE  UNIQUE  AND  PERFECT  QUALITIES  FOUND  IN  THE 

PURITY  CHEER 


AGE 
FLAVOR 


COMFORT 
STRENGTH 


OF 


Hunter 


have  established  the  standard  of  perfection.  The  most 
perfect  whiskey  that  is  sold.  Against  all  competition 
it  maintains  steadily  its  reputation  and  popularity. 

FRED  G.  STANLEY,  Representative,  65  Hartford  Building,  Chicago,  III. 


PRICE  15  CENTS 


STRIKES 


BALLS 


OUTS 


HOME  TEAM 


10* 


VISITING   TEAM 


RUMS 
12345 

' 


•     •      •      •      • 


ERRORS 


ERRORS 


BA3E  HITS 


BASE    HITS 


47676 


10 


CP  ce>  c3C>  CP  CP 


CP 


PATENT  APPLIED    FOR 


ADDRESS  ALL  ORDERS  TO 


141  MADISON  STREET 
CHICAGO 


Chicago 
Edison  Company 

J39  Adams  Street 

Electric  Light  and  Power 
for  all  Purposes 


LET    US    FIGURE    WITH    YOU    FOR    THE 
EQUIPMENT     OF     YOUR     PREMISES 


Sporting  Goods  for  the  Millions 

WE  GIVE  WHOLESALE  PRICES  TO  USERS 


Guns 


Rifles 


Ammunition 


Hand  Loaded 
Shells 

Gun 
Repairing 


Fishing 
Tackle 


Sporting 
Goods 


We  carry  constantly  in  stock  over  7000  guns,  in- 
cluding every  standard  American  and  foreign  make. 
You  can  get  from  us  guns  for  a  few  dollars,  or  those 
embodying  all  the  artistic  work  of  the  best  gun 
makers  in  the  world. 

We  sell  more  rifles  to  those  who  use  them  than 
any  three  houses  in  the  world.  You  will  find  in 
our  stock  Winchesters,  Marlins,  Colts,  Stevens, 
Mausers,  Mannlichers,  and  rifles  of  every  description 
and  price. 

You  can  obtain  from  us  ammunition  of  every 
kind,  no  matter  for  what  use  you  intend  it.  We 
carry  an  immense  stock  of  Machine  Loaded  Shells, 
loaded  with  black  and  nitro  powders. 

Our  Hand  Loaded  Shells  are  admitted  by  the 
world  of  shooters  to  be  perfection  in  every  way. 
They  give  closeness  of  pattern,  regularity  of  shoot- 
ing, and  terrific  penetration.  Send  for  price  list. 

We  make  guns,  re-stock  them,  re-bore  them,  and 
alter  them  in  every  way  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  their  owners.  If  your  gun  needs  alteration  of 
any  kind,  write  us,  telling  what  you  wish;  we 
guarantee  all  our  gun  repairing  work. 

We  can  supply  you  with  anything  manufactured 
in  this  line,  from  the  cheapest  to  the  highest  priced 
and  most  elaborately  finished.  We  have  every- 
thing your  fancy  suggests.  All  at  wholesale  prices 
to  you. 

No  matter  what  you  wish  in  this  line,  you  can 
get  it  from  us — Golf,  Tennis,  Croquet,  Polo,  Base 
Ball,  Boxing,  Bowling,  Fencing,  and  everything 
conceivable  in  the  Sporting  Goods  Line. 


Send  for  our  Sporting  Goods  Catalogue 
It's  Free  for  the  Asking 

MONTGOMERY  WARD  &  CO.,  CHICAGO. 


IN  PRESS— SOON  TO  BE  ISSUED 


What  a  Woman  Did 

By  CH.  GATCHELL 

ILLUSTRATED 
Cloth  — 400  pp.     .  ..     .     .     $1.50 

ERA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

Dascbiecb 


(THOROLD  KING) 

The  story  is  admirably  planned  and  well  told,  with  great  naturalness  of  manner, 
close  attention  to  details,  circumstantial  and  effective  descriptions  and  a  by-play 
of  love  and  romance  which  relieves  the  dark  colors  of  so  tragic  a  theme.  We  give 
"HASCHISCH"  praise.— Literary  World,  Boston. 

)£ra  publtebin0  Company 


TIUT 


A  Book  of  Apothegms  and 
Aphorisms,  Epigrams  and 
Witticisms... 

By  CH.   GATCHELL 


Fifteen  Hundred  Bons  Mots 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Original  Illustrations 

Cover-Design  in  Four  Colors.. .$1.00 

ERA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY  :  CHICAGO 

A  BALL  PLAYER'S  CAREER 

BEING  THE 

PERSONAL   EXPERIENCES 

AND  REMINISCENCES 

OF 

ADRIAN  C.  ANSON 

LATE   MANAGER   AND   CAPTAIN  OF   THE   CHICAGO    BASK    BALL    CLUB 

Illustrated— Cloth,  $J.OO 
ERA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA