Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1871-10-06
Base Ball.


and five days studied it wisely, if not too we'll
Then we bought sugar scoop hat red belt
green shirt, yellow trowsers, pumpkin col
ored Shoes n 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 a
pretty little drop Of softness, size Of goose
egg and five degrees harder than a rock. The
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 yels foul"
His duty is severe.
j took the bat. 1t is murdeTous plaything
descending from Pochaontas to the head Of
John Smith. The man in front of me was
pitcher. He was nice pitcher, but he sent
the balls hot. The man behind me was catch
er. He caught it. too.
Umpire said ''play." It is the most radi-
cal play ! know of this ball. Saving cord
wood is moonlight rambles besides base
BALL So the pitcher sent ball toward me- 1t
looked pretty coming, so | let it eome-watch-
ing it. | hit it with a club and hove it gently
upward. Then l started to the first base The
ball hit in the pitchers hands, and somebody
said he had caught fly. Alas poor fly
walked leisurely toward the base. Another
man took the bat. | turned TO see how he was
making it, when mule kicked me on the cheek
he man said it was ball 1t felt like mule,
reposed on the grass. The ball went on
Pretty soon there came two more flies ana
rec of us went out. Then the other nine
heir and us nine went out. This was bet
Just us l was standing on my dignity in
eft field, hot ball. as they called it, came
notching toward me. My captain yelled
cit"
stoned forward 70 where the ball was
to decend; have 2 good eye to mea-
stances and saw at glance where the
eroite was to light, | put up my hands.
fsweetly the ball decended. Everybody
ed; felt something warm in my eye
Autfin !" yelled ninety fellows. "AIufin
be I'D. It's a cannon BALL" For three
days have had three pounds of raw beef on
that eye and yet it paineth
Then | wanted to go home, but my gentle
captain said "nay." So mayed and stayed
Pretty soon it was strike. "To bat yelled
the umpire. went, but not all serene, as was
my won't. The pitcher sent up one hip high
1t struck me in the gullet. "Fonlp' yelled
the umpire. lie sent the ball again. This
time took it in square and sent it down the
right field through q paror window, kero-
sene lamp, and rip up against the head of an
infant, who was taking its nap in his or its
mothers arms. Then sung the bat and
meandered forth TO the first base ! heard
high words and looked. Where | slung the
bat had with it 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
10 be put out or to chase ball three-quarters
of a mile down hill, while all the spectators
yelled 'Muflinn eco it." ''Home run"
Base ball is a sweet little game. When it came
my turn to bat again, notice everybody move
back about ten rods. The new umpire retreat
ed twelve rods. He was timid. The pitcher
sent EN- in hot Hot balls in time of war are
good But don't like EN- too hot for fun.
After a while gotta fair clip at it, and you
bet it went cutting the daisies down the right
field. A iat. man and dog sat in thes shade Of
oak enjoying the game. The ball broke on
leg Of the dog, and landed like a runaway en-
gine in the eorporosi,y Of the fat man.
Then went on double quick to the Geld
and tried to stop the hot ball. 1t came to-
ward me from the bat, at the rate of ten miles
minute. put out my hauds-the ball went
. singing on its way, with all the skin from my
palm with it.
More raw beef
That was an eventful chap who first invent
ed base ball. It's such fun. I've played games,
and this is the result:
One bunged eye-badly bunged.
One broken little finger
One bump on the head.
Nineteen lame backs.
n sore jaw.
One thumb dislocated.
Three sprained ankles.
Five swollen legs.
One dislocated shoulder, from trying 10
throw the ball thousand yards.
Two hands raw trying to stop hot balls.
A lump the size of a hornets nest on the
left hip, well back.
A nose sweety jammed and five uniforms
spoiled from rolling in tue dirtat bases.
have played two weeks and l don't think
like the game. l looked over the scorers
books and find that have broken several
bats, made one tally, broken one umpire jaw,
broken ten windows in adjoining houses, kill
ed baby, smashed kerosene lamp, broken
the leg of dog, mortally injured the bread
basket of a spectator, knocked the waterfall
from school ma'am who was standing TWEEN
" rods from the field quiet locker on.
have used up fifteen bottles of arnica oint-
ment, five bottles of lotions and half raw
beef and am so full of pain that it seems as if
my limbs were broken bats, and my legs the
limbs of dead horse-chestnut.- TWAIN.
No ONE should attempt to do more than one
thing at time. When you have finished
slandering your neighbors, 60 and say your
prayers, but don't attempt to do both at once.