Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-07-15
SOMETHING FOR ADMIRERS OF BASE BALL

SOMETHING FOR ADM II 2ha oE nao1. d q L.
DESCRIPTION BY BRICK PoMERoY
Eureka
Look at this brace of hands, once soft and
pretty, now suffused with the Egyptian blush
es, Then look into those opticsan tell us tales
of sympathy And look at that Mount Tom
ON our right cheek BONE Base ball! That is
the row.
It came about thus Secondary deployment
IS 100 Shirksone for the system. Thc doctor
said we needed exercise. Doctor knows tie
told us to join base ball; we joined Bought
book OF instructions, and for i've days studied
it wisely if not too we'll. Then We bought a
sugar-scoop cap, red belt, a green shirt, yel-
low trousers, pumpkin colored shoes, paper
collar, and purple neck-tie, and with lot of
other delegates, moved gently to the ground
There were two mines. These mines were
antagonists. The ball is pretty little drop OF
sottness, the size of goose-egg, and five de-
grees harder than brick. The two mines
play against each other. 1t is quiet game,
much like chess, only little more chase than
chess.
There was an umpire His position is a
hard one He sits on box and yells fowl.
His duty is severe
took the bat. It is murderous plaything,
descended from Pocahontas to the head of
John Smith. The man 10 front of me was
pitcher. He was nice pitcher, but he sent
the balls hot The man behind me was
catcher. He caught it too
The umpire said ''play" 1t is the most
radical play know of, this base ball. Saving
wood is moonlight rambles besides base BALL
So the pitcher sent ball toward me. 1t look
ed pretty coming, so let it come Then he
sent another. [ hit it with the club, and hove
it gently upward. Then [ started TO walk to
the first base The ball lit in the pitcher, or
his hands, and somebody said he caught fly.
Alas, poor fly! walked leisurely toward the
base Another man took the bat. l turned
to see how be was making it, and mule kick
ed 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 fles, and
three Of us flew out The other nine came in,
and us nine went out This was better. just
as I vas standing on my dignity in the left
field, hot ball, as they called it, came sky"
rocketing toward me- My captain Yelled
Take it,
I FASTENED gently forward to where the ball
was aiming to descend. | have good eye to
measure distances, and saw at glance where
the little arolite was to light: | put up my
Everybody locked felt something warm in
II "Mp{aEn' be d. d@a Its Its a ] canon bali r.
For three days we had two pounds OF raw beef
on that eye, and yet it paineth
Then wanted to 90 home, but my gentle
captain said ''ney." So mayed and stayed. - -,
Pretty soon it was my strike. Brick to bat y
yelled the umpire. [ went, but not all serene
as was my wont. The pitcher sent IN one hip
high. I missed it. He sent 10 another neck high.
1t struck me in the guiet Fowl, yelled
the umpire He sent in the ball again. This
time / took it square and sent it down the right
field, through parlor Window, kerosene
lamp, and rip up against the head OF an infant
who was quietly taking itsTnap IN ms or Its
mothers arms Then [ slung the bat aud
meapdered forth to the first base. [ heard
high words and looked When [ slung the
bat l had with il broken the jaw of the umpire
and was fined ten cents.
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 ball three-fourths
of mile down hill while all the spectators yell
muffin ''s'go it!" ''home run - :sgo round
again or 20 round dozen times - Base ball
is a sweet little game. When it came my turn
to bat again, ] noticed everybody moved back
about ten rods The new umpire retreated
twelve rods He was timid The pitcher
sent em in hot Hot balls in time of war are
good.-But don't like EN- too hot tor iun
After q while got a fair clip at It, and you
bet it went cutting the dasies down the right
field. A fat man and his dog sat IN the shade
OF an oak enjoying the game. The ball broke
one leg of the dog and landed like q runaway
engine In the corporoslty OF the tat man.. he
was taken home to die . '..'
Then | m
and tried to stop hot ball. 1t came toward
me from the bat at the rate of nine miles a
minute. Iput up my hands, the ball went
sweety singing on its way with all the skin
IRON my palms with it.
More raw beef
That WAS an eventful chap who first invented
baseball It's such fun. I've played i've
games, and this is the glowing result:
Twenty dollars paid out for things.
One bunged eye, badly bunged.
One broken little finger
One bump on the head
Nineteen lame backs.
sore jaw ......ss
One thumb dislocated. a ta..
Three sprained ancles.
Five sweled legs
One disocated shoulder, from trying to throw
ball thousand yards.
Two hands raw from trying tostop hot balls.
A lump the size of hornets nest on my left
hip, we'll back a -. ~
nose sweetly jammed, and five uniforms
spoiled from rolling in the dirt at the bases:
u have played two weeks, and dom think
like the game. There is not square-inch on,
IN or under me but aches / sleep nights
dreaming of hot balls, "hys,' fowls, y and
descending sky rockets" [ never worked
50 hard since Ruth stole wheat, and never was
SO lame since the burning of Huss.
But az am proud OF my proficiency in the
game. Its fine exercise little easier than