Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-05-29
WOMEN PLAYING BASE
BALL.
A Commercial Study i'm Blue
and Red of that Enhancing
and Usually Masculine Game.
New Yofk World.


The t.clergy and medical faculty of
the city" were invited yesterday after
noon to q game of baseball between
mines Of young women on a vacant
lot at Flfty-ninth street and Madison
avenue, and quite crowd, not dis
tinctiyely clerical or medical, though
a number of clergymen were undoubt
edIy present, assembled. Out on The
dusty open fell the eighteen young
women pranccd about essaying base
ball until the audience roared itself
hoarse. The mines were styled, of
course, "The Blondes" and "The
Brunettes" and wore respectively blue
and red skirts and leggings. They
have been in practice for foHr weeks
Such playing had never before been
seen, but it was certainly earnest and
even savage playing. The vlciously
whacked bali often passed the pitcher,
aud the running from base to base
was cross between a skip and jog
trot. The players wore small Jockey
caps atop of their top-knots of plaits
and whenever the hats came off, which
they always did, all thoughts of the
ball were pro tempore dismissed till
the disaster was repaired. The "muf-
! tiug" was supreme. In the course of
three hours of really vigorous work
about three balls were caught on the
fly in an accidental sort of a way.
There were few of the usual bali
| field incidents. The rel catcher took
a missed ball on her eye-iid, but al
lowed it to fall Off while she sat down
to endare the minstrations of the first
and third base women. The styles
of playing were as various as could
be. The Blonde captain was very
tall and once having made hit shin
nedaround the quadrangle in full con-
tidence that the mutling of the fielders
would permit her to get through all
right. The blue catcher wore her hair
down and when the umpire had call
ed three "strikes" for her she dashed
off i'll "a nebulous state pursued by the
bali and generally made her base, ,since
/ the ball was thrown wide for fear of
/ hitting some of her. The batting
was unique. The bat was held above
the head as nearly perpendicular as
! might be, and brought down with the
grace and force that adorn the act of
domestic discipline administered with
broom. Naturally almost every ball
| hit was a H'grounder,' and was
scrambled mp and thrown with an
overland stroke. The changes In
the innings were picturesque, cloud
of blue skirts and forest'of blue legs
advancing to the shelter tent, while q
flock of red legs and caps scared out
over the field. The blue legs, We're
the longer :aad Won the match by this
virtue, but the reu JOdsfs women did
the best catching and fielding. Now
and then home run was made, and
then there was a general hugging and
! kissing IN the tent as the victor came
in. The captains were especiallydig-
nltied. EThe red Header was a bread
faced, stout-limbed young woman,
who at one time was known to the
public as the chief victim of a 'sshow
of beauty" in this city. Two of the
tbmess years ago weres fat riders of
5Barnum IIippodfome.a Female
trapezists, song and dance ':artistes'
and such made up the rest of Mays
and Gppsies of the troupe. When
the band played Killarney four Of the
folders kept tnne,to The airwith their
feet. Now and then ball flung with
more than usual vim, and caught
inadvertently in the' region of the
STOMACH, brought out "a suppressed
scream from the victim aud a litter
from the other Jennies and Gracies
and Josles on the field. Ats O'Clock
it was declared that the score stood
as follows: @'-
| Elonde ...... ,.............S 4 8 8 416-k5
Brunestes =, :, g, .. :; .,.:s,,s 4Osl l-3l
The manager OF ailithisN novelty put
fhis hand upon his heart and declared: {:
! ssMy object is to start a new thing.
TO develop the women Of America 1
am going to open here Q field for their
physical perfection. Thereis % be
Ebaae~bali,,a lacrosse, aroAiery, polo,
walking running, veloeipedesriling
Eand everything. The ponies are now
in training. Doctors tell me it will
knock seven-eighths Of their business
sky-high. am going to have tent
made $50 feet square to travel round
the country from Omaha to Boston.
1t is going to work revolution in
! this country and the. world. These
ladies are all cultivated women, who
off the field are able to grace any