The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-30
RAsR.BALL AND SUNDAY scHooL

BAsE-BALL AND SUNDAY SCHOOL.
A missionary who has spent some time
in Sunday work on the prairies of Min
nesota, reports novel plan of winning
converts to his cause. He says that he
once came to a neighborhood where he
wanted to start Sunday school and
found nearly all the male portion of the
community engaged in game of base
ball. As the players were one man short
he offered his service as "short-stop" all
that afternoon, and filled the same
position the next day in a game with
rival settlement His side was successful
and his associates gave all the honor of
the victory to him. Having thus won
their confidence and admiration. he then
invited them to stand by him in a little
game he was playing against the devil
and of course they backed him to man,
and his Sunday school had an immense
boom. The gentleman referred to, throws
out his experience as valuable sug-
gestlon to evangelistic workers. Who
knows but that the national game may
yet be utilized as one of the great relig>
ious agencies of the days A first-class
pitcher, catcher, or short-stop will have
an immenee advantage over the poor
teacher who is bent on doing good but is
totally ignorant Of the manly sport We
suggest base ball association as proper
annex to every well regulated Sunday
school. John Wesley used to say that
the devil shouldn't be allowed all the
good tunes on the same principle he
should not be allowed all the good sports.
As it is now, gamblers determine the
result of about half the horse races. 1t
is very hard to find an honest boat race,
and contest between professional base
ball clubs which is free from the supicion
of having been thrown" in the interest
of some heavy stakes would be such a
curiosity that the managers would be
justified in charging an extra half-dOllar
for that feature alone With Sunday
schoolmanned by afirst-class ball players
all his might be changed, at least as regards
one form of popular amusement, The
best of Influences would then be thrown
around the game, and there would be a
reasonable assurance that men who were
betting on their favorites would not be
sold out. Then, again, the base ball &C
complishment would prove great attrac
ton 10 drawing scholars to a school.
Boys have great respect for muscular
proves, and they particularly enjoy a
teacher who can take hand in theil
sports and recreation. Thus a Sunda '
school teacher with good batting record
and farl fielding abilities ought to capture
every season about a dozen boys who
don't dote much on tracts but have ter
rible appetite for base ball While &
teacher who could make home run every
game ought to be worth fifty accession:
to his Sunday school every summer. o.
course these figures are relative. but they
are thought to be about right for cities il
which baseball clubs stand to SUNDAY
School in the ratio of four to one. Their
is another way in which the nationa
game might be utilized for religious
instruction and is by means of parable o
illustration. An apt teacher would hav
no difficulty in pointing out the man.
features of likeness between this gam
and the game of human life He woul(
probably warn his boys against the dan
ger when life was over of being cleft OF
bases" with all their previous work count
ing tor naught. He would notice tn
opportunities which come to every bo
of making strike" although but FEY
them that the devil was always In tn
field trying to put them out as they the
ran from one success (base) to another
that every mans actions, be they good 0
bad, would effect the final score shee
and he would urge them that whateve
they did during the progress of the gamt
they should put forth ever effort to max
"home run" at the close. Thus migl
the notional game be made to point mar
smoral lesson, and prove in more sens
then one real teachers assistant. s
far as we know, the idea has not bet
copyrighted by that Minnesct amissional
and all Sunday schools are at the liber
to work it for all there is in it. II
brilliant prospect of baseball under Il
new Sunday school auspices are simp
dazzling to think abolt, and if the schen
is properly appreciated, the race
ungodly boys in every community W