Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1886-07-29
The Preacher Playing Base Dall.

The Preacher Playing Base Dall. Z.
There is some CONSERVATION among /
truly good people at the East over
the fact that minister in one Of the
smaller towns near Boston has re-
signed his pastorate and accepted
the position of pitcher in base bah
club. 1t does seem a little tough,
but the congregation viii have 70 :
stand it, as the minister says I'm
calling and election is sure rs . base i
ball player. He tried preaching
faithfully on four hundred dollars q
year, and tried to support q family,
but when he had call to play base
ball at three thousand dollars u year
he felt that it was his duty to accept
To those of his former congregation
who find fault with him, and say be-
has fallen from grace and is in the
employ Of the devil, he has replies
that silence them. He says in the
first place that the college at which
he was educated paid more attention
to the education of his muscles than
his brain. The athletic exercises
were compulsory, and before he real.
lied it he was champion oarsman,
foot ballist and base ball player
of note. He tried to learn all that
was possible of that which was good,
between his athletic studies, in order
to prepare himself for the ministry,
and he believes he graduated as well
posted as ministers average. and
when he was assigned to a pulpit be
tried to do his duty, but it was up
hill work, and when he saw his class
mates playing base ball at good sal.
aries and he was compelled to preach,
pray, marry and get pay in donations
of farm products, and be looked upon
as an object of charity, he felt that
base ball couldn't be very bad, and
he accepted a position and instead Of
owing for groceries and seeing his
family poverty-stricken be has money
in the bank, his family lives well,
and he thinks he can lay up money
enough during the base bali season
so he can preach all winter for moth
ing, and he had rather do that than
preach for pay and not get it without
begging. Some of his congregation
tell him that it will injure him to as-
sociate with base ball players, where
betting is INDUCED In. He replies
that since he has been in the bsse
ball club there has been less back
biting than there was in his church,
} and he has had less mean things said
about him by the base ball players
than he did by his brethren before
he left the church. He says he has
yet to hear any person say his wife
, is extravagant because she made over
an old bonnet into new one by put
ting on piece of cherry ribbon, and
some of the sisters in his congrega-
: ton did abuse his wife for the same
, thing before he left. He said before
he left off preaching he carried q
, subscription pa er around q week
| TO raise money to send poor woman
TO her friends in Illinois and finally
had to make up most of the money
himself out of bis alleged salary,
while few days ago on the cars his
base ball club encountered n woman
who was out of funds and wanted to
get to Missouri with her baby, and
: before the woman had time to tell
her story the base ball boys raised
sixty-fve dollars for her and wanted
her to take more, and then tended
her baby for two hundred miles and
T made her happy. He says as far as
, betting is concerned he is opposed TO
1t, but he cant help it. II people
want to bet they will bet on anything,
and il they are to bet they had best
wager on a square game Of base ball,
j or square horse race, than TO take
chances on church grab bag or lot.
a terry, where they are bound to lose
their money anyway. The minister
: is evidently loaded for bear and can
demonstrate to anybody who ques.
tions his judgment in leaving the
! ministry for the base ball field that
lie looks upon the world as a place
to live and enjoy himself. An old
lady told him she should think !,
: would be dangerous 10 play base ball
t and that pitcher would be liable te
c DO killed by ball. He said he had
been hit in the eye once and carried
, Il black eye for two weeks, but h'
/ worked every day and earned BIZ
p salary, but that when he was preach
a ing he conducted tho funeral service,
:, of gambler, who was a nephew o.
one Of his 'leacons, and at The grave
he caught cold that gave him pneu
> monia and laid him up for two month,
' and he came near dying, and tht
= uncle of the gambler actually wantet
TO dock bis salary for the two month
= he was laid up. He says as matte
y of health, even, he prefers base bail
That minister ought TO be suppressed
A and yet the base boil club member,
say he is pious, prays regular, ask
blessings at tue table when the clul
n is at hotel, and his example ms I
10 true Christian, who pitches double
:, carve bail, has done much TO max.
= the club respected everywhere. 1t i
- queer case, anyway.