The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-23
FARMER's OPINION OF BASE BALL.
Farmer Pealxe Goes to Town and Sees How
the Boys Enjoy Themselves.

Farmer Peake Goes to Town and Sees How
the Boys Enjoy Themselves.
Springfield Republican.
Wal, speakin o. hevin' fun, when / wus down
there went long with Asy to see EN- play
game of ball Went up to the fair ground
there-hed to pay to git in-and sot up on some
seats and watched em. Base balP they call
it. Seemed good deal like ''two old cat" that
we used to play trainin' days. but didn't I'M
derstand all on't-there was lot of queer lin
CO. earnin bats and ''short stopples' and
three baggers" and l dunno what all. The
fellers playin was all rugged out in red shirts
and short britches and things and they'd throw
and ketch and run and holler-wal, didn't see
but what twas good game enough. The Teller
would throw, We know, jest as tight as he
could jump; and the one on the goole, he'd strike
with sled stake thing. and then put to git
roundabout as tits with a man born in the
middle of the week for EN- some of the time, |
tell ye! He'd to look two ways for Sunday!
Yes, liked it tol'able well. But twas kind of
curis arter all, the way folks acted bout it.
Them fellers was hired, so Asy told me, and
played ball jest as if it twas chopin cordwood
for so much day, but good naterl-why folks
seemed as exercised as if twas battle! Every
body keepin' tally on pieces of paper all marked
out-used to Just cut notches on stick, We
know playin' the old -fashioned game-and
talkn' and hollerin' Why, women sot there
all dressed up in white close, and you could hear
EN- gabblin' bout stealing errors and runnin'
foul, and tellin' bout Mulligan and Mick, and
this Teller and that-why, law! Jest as much in
airnest as if they was talkin' bout the minister!
But dunno; | rally don't see the sense maxim
sech desput hard work ont when ye want little
fun Talkin' bout base ball everywhere, they be
down there. Seemed as if you couldn't find no
two folks together but what they'd be at it. and
I'd hear men jawin' bout it and gittin' mad when
they went long in The road Wussin politics.
SO all over the country, they tell me- News
papers are all on em full ont, we know-base
ball! base ball! base ball--they amt no end tot.
Wal, haint got no objection to game of ball.
but don't see the good of layin' awake nights
bout one-specially when its all bought and
paid for jest like cirkis. They don't nobody
worry much about cirkises, do they2 We used
TO hev a good deal of fun rastiin' freemans
meetin' days, and dunno but what the boys
take hold now once in while, but twould
seem rather euris if we he'd meetin's a pur-
pose and KEEP goin' and hired fellers to
rastle and all get crazy bout lt-noW
wouldn't it! But this ball bizness-wal, it makes
me think of old Lem Spooners rawsbry bushes
Lem, he had new clearini and was kind O shift
less bout takin care ont, and the whole lot come
up to red rawsbry bushes-ye know how they'll
grow in such places if they amt KEEP out. Wal,
Lem see them bushes groin up rank, and the
berries was big and tasted good, and he jest sot
red raswbrysl Crazy2 OF course he was.
Rawsbrys amt bad things-they make sass that
goes pooty middlin' we'll for supper, but good
land! there don't nobody want whole meal of
rawsbrys, and talk about raisin' whole field on
'eml-wal Uncle Lem found out how twas arter
little while. faint best to let sass and pickles
and SIGH look too big to us-thats what I'm
think I'm talkin' base ball wussn any on EN-
Markham, wish you'd put me up bout three
pound o ten-penny nails. I've got to fix up the
shed to my sugar