National Republican., 1875-06-12
EASE Ell EXTRAORDINARY.
A Wonderful Amateur Match Gams-Slk
Stockings ys, Hard listers,

Stockings W. Hard listers.
For some time past there has been . windy con-
test between Mr.. Arthur Browning, the popular
and Wsll-Known young barrister Of Four and-a-
halfstreet and Ed. Valentine, the inventor Of the
line of heauty which distinguishes the front OF the
latest agony in coats, TO who would be the best
man TO command a base baIl nine. Browning
was, however, for q time somewhat diIident as to
his merits as base ball player, until the canvas
tabernacle tent was put up opposite.his bedroom
windOw. The singing he nlghtly heard there
invoked within his bosom deep feeling Of his re-
sFonsibility as a man and q battist. On the blank
side Of q " summons in debt" he indicted . bloody
challenge TO Valentine. which was accepted.
Theelassic grounds of b SdensbuFg were reselected
as the battle held, Friday afternoon the day, ana
a basket Of ehampagne the trophy to crown the
the two captains were on the ield with their
assistants.
THE -CoETEsTANTs.
Browning uumbered among his troubs
Birch, Rosenbsum, and Irving, while Valentine
led hessrS BryaHton, Smart Eagan, Stokes,
Miison McGselian' BSFi0rd, snG SarTe bst
with BrcwainE and his I" Hard listers ".in the
feld-the captain Of the nine acting as pitcher;
Foster, catcher; with Newman, Pray, and Carroll
on the bases. Mr.. Foster acted as umpire.
Everything being REranged, BJrantoa wen to
RTorninV Td kewtse e eyerybodT else Srshar took
q lightning range for his cStchers head, shut his
eyes, and 'shot thefOsn" The irst notice Byran-
OF his hand, and catcher Foster was doubled up.
Here q parley ensaed. Valentine and his men
Mq FS.s4 also Scaa
esced and to prevent his enthusiasm getting tho
better Of his Judgment, he tied brick bat 70 the
back of his dexter hand and preceded. Byran-
ton caught the bah on the end Of his bat and sent
il Thiriing through the air OeySnd ehs sit ;nsld;
deeply in the grGsS that he made
FOURTEEN HOME RUNS
before his opponents could find it. Valentine at
this iuncture insisted upon the champagne being
opened, asserting that the game mast necessarily
with Stokes at the bat. Arthur tossed him the
ball, which be sent prettily to the centre-feld,
base in his running allowed his head 70 get in ad-
vance of his beels-a thing not uncommon with
men ofgigantie iltellect-thereby losing his equi-
Iibrium and faEng on his knees. The result of
this mishap will be felt more by his tailor than by
the scorer Now, the Achilles of the nine, Mr..
Valentine went 10 the bat. A cloud that had OBJ
scured the sun passed down the horizon, while
Val, with herculean strength, swung the mighty
club Of pine through the air, and as the school
boys n deseeEdsupon the gentle iy, so did the
sweeping bat touch the flying ball. He made
home run. When be returned his opponents were
still
LOOKING FGR THE BLLL.
Val happening to pick up this bat saw on the eud
Of it the leather globe smashed out like q trusu-
lent strawberry on a street car track. Amaze
ment seized ne his his SpPGoSotS iS S gqet
and tied it in front Of his nose. The innings pro-
ceeded, the Silk Stockings making three more
runs, when they were put out, and the Hard
listers went TO the bat
Great was the pitching, high and mighty was
the batting, wonderful the catching. JEFF Bar.
rett, in the centre field, caught "sky scraper'
with his lett eye. JEFF and the ball went TO
mother earth together. Third bssemRu Wilson
picked the hall out Of Jef's LETT lobe, and the
batter was declared out. Captain Browning eb-
lected TO this decision but being overruled by the
referee be took the brickbat IRON the frOnt Of his
nose. and insisted upon sticking II in JEFF Bar
rett's ear. He did not want any of his men
caught out in that way again. Wilson exclaimed,
We'll. Should smile if you couldn't ind that
brick when you want it again"
THE GAME PROCEEDED
with varying success until the seventh inning,
when Browning surprised his friends and strusk
CONSERVATION in the hearts Of his enemies by max
ing two runs. Newman grew SO excited that he
made rur-for the champagne basket; but he
was reminded by the umpire that the game had
not ye, been decided. Amidst considerable ex-
citement, the Remaining two innings were played,
the score standing at the end of the last one as
follows:
lnningC. 3 5 67ss
'Silk Stockings ......-.4 3 0 s2-27
"Hard dFigters".........2 2 0 As
The vietoTE and the vanquished left the hotly
Washington Hotel" at BIRdensburg, where,
with the greatest enthusiasm and some cheering,
the Jersey cider was drawn from twelve bottles
labeled Champagne. Capt. Browning, nothing
dalnted at the result Of the fEst game, has chal-
lenGed his opponent for another match from
which representatives OF the press are TO be rig
oruEly OIcleuded.