The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-08-19

"byes." A base runner was out if hit
by the ball when he was off his "bye."
In the long ago the balls used were
made by the players themselves. of
double and twisted woolen yarn. They
were not quite as large as the regula-
ton ball of to-day. The cover was
made of calfskin and the requisite skill |
Tor putting it on was generally sup
piled by some accommodating shoe
maker, who sewed it very effectually |
with waxed ends. There were no finely
turned bats in those days. Bats were
never used but in cricket playing, and
a wagon-spoke or club made of the best |
cedar, blocked out with an axe and
finished on shaving horse with
drawing knife, took the place of the
finely turned bats of these days.
A contrast of the baseball world of
long ago with that of to-day is very
striking, and some real idea of the
strong hold this exciting sport has
taken on the popular mind is gained
from the fact that the quantity of base
balls manufactured and sent broadcast
last year numbered between seven and
eight millions. Of this number less
than four thousand were used by the
three leading professional clubs. The
manufacture of this enormous number
of balls forms no small industry, and is
the means of furnishing employment
to many thousands in Boston, New
York and several other principal cities.
Philadelphia and Chicago, however,
are generally admitted as being the
great centers of this industry, and it is
estimated that fully two-thirds of all
the balls used are manufactured at these
two places.
The variety of balls made is numer-
GUS, all of which are designated by
well-known brands. The chief of base
balls is the professional or dead ball,
that being the one adopted and used by
the Association and League Clubs.
The manufacture of this ball represents
the acme of baseball making. Every
thing about it is of the bestquality. Its
nucleus is an imported vulcanized
India rubber ball, and the yarn of
which it is wholly wrapped is the best
woolen. The cover, which is sewed
with thread made of Irish fax, is
alum-tanned horse hide. There are
three kinds yarn used-a heavy four
| ply blue, finer white yarn, and an
other blue, three-ply, but not so coarse,
and of lighter shade than the first.
Until quite recently these yarns were
wrapped entirely by hand. A winding
machine has now been invented and is
being successfully operated, which
wraps the first two yarns tighter and
better than could be done by hand and
which economies much time and
labor. The rubber ball is placed in the
machine, which somewhat resembles a
large coffee mill. and wrapped with
three ounces of the heavy blue yarn.
This yarn is wrapped very compactly
and solidly and gives strong, solid
body to the ball. The small blue ball
which this forms is then enwrapped
with the white yarn, a half ounce OF
which is put on by the same machine.
This brings the ball up to a little more
than half its regular size. The opera
ton of this machine is one of the
trade and is known ouly to those who
are Immediately engaged in that
branch of the making.
After being machine-wrapped the
balls are dipped into patent rubber
cement, very sticky substance, re-
sembling mucilage, which renders them
almost as hard as rock. This cement
when hardened forms a solid protec
ton to the ball inside, and to it is due
the fact that, no matter how hard
batted, this ball will not lose its shape.
After cementing-it requires but few
minutes to dry-the ball is ready for
s'the wrapper These wrappers are
made by boys about fourteen to sixteen
: years of age. They sit on low chairs
or stools, and in old soap or other boxes
beside them lay the long feeces o
worsted from which they wind. Be
, meath their nimble fingers, which are
protected from chafng by leather
thumbstalls, the ball rapidly attains its
full proportions. The single threat
of blue which they wind is swiftly
/ carried around and around in the ordi
/ nary way of winding. but the rapidity
evenness and finish with which it il
done is surprising. During this wrap
ping the ball is continually pounded
thwacked by heavy wooden bat re
/ sembling cricket bat in shape, bu
} considerably smaller. This is done fol
the purpose of preserving the shape o
: the ball and of making it as Tight.
/ compressed as possible. Enough o
this yarn is used to make the ball weigl
, four and one-half ounces, and every bal
is weighed. With the exception OF
5 few turns of strong white twine, don
, by different set of boys, called ''fill
} ing out" the body of the ball is com
| plete and ready for covering.
: 1t is not generally known that tn
, horse, as well as the sheep, contribute
r to the making of this favorite article
/ but, as mentioned, the covers Of tn
, professional ball are all made of horse
| hide. In the case of the cheaper ball
: sheepskin is used altogether for tina
r purpose. Almost all of the horsehide
: tanned are made into baseball covers
and the horses that yearly pay tribut
a to this purpose number far into tn
thousands. The hides are tanned i
3 alum and to this is due their bright
{ white appearance. A cover consists O
9 two pieces of exact shape and dimer
t sions. resembling somewhat the sole
l of shoes, which are cut with die il
: precisely the same way. The die
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