The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-30
A Funny Game Of Base Ball.

had but one arm, and the Hoppers hat
each but one leg.
The two mines were composed o
young and active men, all of whom
with one exception, owed the loss o
their limbs to railroad accidents Tn,
one exception was William Young, ;
Smoky. who lost one of his arms a
gettysburg.
Both mines wore neat uniforms, the
tSnorbys having red and the Hopperi
blue as their distinguishing colors
About 1000 persons were in the Crane
stand, and they laughed and shouted
and went wild over the game.
When time was called Morris Hines,
Che pitcher of the Hoppers, went to the
lbat and dealt heavily with the very
first ball that John Gormon, the one
armed pitcher, hurled at him. He
sent it between second base and left
field, and got two BASES easily.
Flick, the next batter, sent a fly to
second base, which was muffed, and
thus brought Hines home and got a
base. The first inning resulted in
three runs for the Hoppers.
When the one-legged men took the
HlClN IL w tIN DOOlCCN bilClb us
tribution of their forces had been made
The pitcher, Morris Hines, displayed a
shapely wooden leg, such as were wont
TO be used by begging sailors The leg
Hooked as though it were full of life
and movement
George Dowds, the catcher, had a
peg of smaller dimensions, but was
ias quick on his feet and as handy with
lhis hands as any catcher.
The first baseman, William Knuff,
wore an aristocratic artificial limb,
which made him look much like
any other man, but all the
rest had legs of plain democratic
wood. fastened outwardly with straps
an the good old-fashioned way.
William Stewart at right-feld and
Paul Lalnce at centre-field had each a
wooden leg and a crutch. Their run
ming after fly balls was something ex-
traordiuary, especially when both got
mixed up and fell on the ground una
BILE to move, while the ball lay few
feet away.
Pick it up!" yelled the captain.
S'HomeH'
''Sock it to third" cried out score
of voices, while the two players DELHI
erately unstrapped their legs to get out
of the tangle. By that time the base
runner got home. One of the unfortu-
mates literally put his foot on his Shout
der and went to a dry spot to draw on
his leg.
Both of these gentlemen were sue
cessful in batting, but lamentably lame
in running, and the scores they made
were the product of shrewdness and
persistence.
One Stewart fell flat on his face lust
as he reached first base, owing to the
slipping of his crutch, and Launce was
run out at second by tripping and fall
.Hng over his crutch.
When these players made hit their
opponents refrained from throwing the
ball to the base, preferring the more
certain method of pursuing and over
taking them before they could reach
their bases
There were some funny incidents in
the fielding. Once when Flick, first
base, and John Lilly, second base, were
running to catch a fly from Douds,
they got under it together, and, both
having only the left arm, managed to
drop it.
Meantime Flick, who was hopping
from first to second at prodigious speed,
suddenly stopped in his onward career
and stretched out his hands appeal
ingIy.
go on! Run! Go for it. Scoot for
second" the crowd yelled and shouted
themselves hoarse.
''Why don't you go?' shouted the
captain. You've got to go if you want
TO get it."
Il can't shouted back the poor fell
low. ''My legs stuck in the ground.
Then the basemen fumbled around
with their left hands, got the ball, and
put him out, after which they obhging-
ly pulled his leg out of the mud and
helped him home
Then the game went on.
The one-legged long fielders had an
easy time of it, and leaned leisurely
upon their supports and watched the
game with philosophic interest but
once in a while some lusty Smoky
would send sky-scraper out their way
and prompt them to jerky movements.
It was curious then to see the speed they
could make on the soft ground with
their crutches, and the eagerness with
(which they ran toward the approaching
ibalI. 1t must be said, however, that
they invariably missed it, and that it
pleasantly bounded past them, giving
She batter and his one-armed comrades
Il chance to exhibit their speed around
the bases.
I The onc-armed men had all the adj
vantage in running, and it was to this
that they owed the largeness of their
scores.
They stole runs audaciously, taking
the chances of the fielding by the one
legged men. Now and then they were
caught at this game, and once we'll
managed double-play sent two of them
out and ended an inning.
In the first inning two batters of the
one-armed nine got their bases on
called balls and stole their way home,
thanks to series of accidents among
'the one-legged fellows.
N ball that was thrown by the catch
er to the pitcher passed that agile ath-
iete and rolled between the two felders
on crutches at left and center-feld
They both grabbed for and missed it,
BY the time it was sent home three
runs had been scored by the nimble
-arpaa,.o Nxrbnco etr noI