The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-07-18
SOMETHING FOR THE ADMI-
1iERS OF BASE BALL.
Description of 1t by Brick Pome-
roy.

Look at that. brace of hands,
oncesoft and pretty, now sufused
with the Egyptian bushes. Then
look unto those optic and tell us
tales of sympathy. And look at
that Mount Tom on ourrlght cheek
bone, Baseball That is the row.
lt'eame about thus. Secondary
depl0yment is, too shirksome for
the system. The doctor said we
needed exercise. Doctor knows.
He Toldus to join Base ball. We
joined. Bought book of instruc-
tionS and for five days studied it
wisely if not toe we'll. Then we
bought sugar-scoop cap, a red
belt, IA green shirt, yellow trousers,
pumpkin. .colored shoes, paper
collar and purple neck-tie, and,
with q lot of other delegates, moved
gently to the ground.
There were two mines. These
mines were antagonists. The ball
is a pretty little drop of Softness,
the size of a goose.egg, and five
degrees harder than a brick. The
two mines play against each other.
1t is a quiet game, much like chess,
only a little more chase than chess.
There was an umpire His posi-
! tion is hard one. He sits OH a
box and yells "fowl." His duty is
severe.
took the bat. 1t is n murder
GUS plaything, descended from Po-
cahontas to the head of John Smith.
The man in front of me was pitch
er. He was a nice pitcher, but he
sent the balls hot. The man be.
hind me was catcher. He caught
it too!
The umpire said "play." 1t is
the most radical play I know Of,
this base bali. Saving cord wood
is moonlight rambles beside base
ball. So the pitchers sent ball
toward me. 1t looked pretty com.
ing, so let it come. Then he sent
another. | hit it with the club, and
hove IL gently upward. Then l
started to walk to the first base.-
The ball lit in the pitcher, or his
hands, ,and somebody said he oaugat
a fly. Alas, poor flv! | walked
leisurely toward the base. Anotb-
er man took the bat. | turned to
sec how he was making it, and a
mule kicked me on the cheek. The
man said it was the ball. 1t felt
like mule, and / reposed on the
grass. The ball went on!
Pretty soon there were two more
flies, and three of us flew out. Then
the other nine came in, and us nine
went out. This was better. Just
as / was standing on my dignity in
the left field, a hot ball, as they
called it, came skyrocketing to.
ward me. My captain yelled, Take
itp
l fastened gently forward to
where the ball was aiming to de-
scend. | have a good eye to meas
ure distances, and saw at a glance
where my little @rolite was to light.
| put up my hands. How sweetly
the ball descended. Everybody
looked felt something warm in
my eye! "Mufin p yelled ninety
fellers. "'Muffin' be id! It's
a cannon ball p For three days
I've had two pounds of raw beef
on that eye, and yetit painethl
Then l wanted to go home, but
my gentle captain said "nay."I So
l mayed and stayed. Pretty soon
it was my strike. "Brick to batp
yelled the umpire. / went, butnot
all serene as was my wont. The
pitcher sent in one hip high. l
missed it. He sent in another
neck high. 1t struck me in the
gullet. "Fowl," yelled the umpire.
He sent in the ball again. This
time l took it square and sent it
down the right field, through a par
lor window--a kerosene lamp, and
aripup against the head of an in
fant who was quietly taking its
nap in his or It's mothers arms
Then 1 slung the bat and meander-
ed forth to the first base. heard
high words and looked. When |
slung the bat | had with it broken
the jaw of the umpire and was fined
ten cents. g - .ai'.a
The game went on. / liked it.
1t is so much fun to run from base
to base just in time to be put out,
or to chase a ball three-fourths of
a mile down hill while all the spec.
tators yell "muffinp ego It'll" home
runp go round againP or go round
a dozen tlmesP Base-ballis sweet