Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-06-07
Tirginia Gree gress.
w. w 3. GALLAHER, Editor.
0haHosto r't,JeGersOa County, Vest "a
June 1855.
OUR BASEBALL LITERATURE.
Bin Nye GrappIes ,etHt the Ne'c style Of
Reporting Games.

am extremely sorry that Matthew
Arnold did not live to read more Of our
American baseball literature. think
he would have liked US better if he had
done so. In saying that we were a vul-
gar people and that the American hu-
morist was National misfortune | think
he criticised US hastily, for he was only
in this country little while and he judg-
ed our humor largely by the supply he
read while here, and which he brought
with him in his trunk, but if he could
have seen the baseball word-painting Of
our glorious country he would have loved
us.
If he could have read that Richardson
went out, Irwin to Farrar, that Foster
hit safely and stole second, that Welch
flied out to Wood, and all about Tier
mans scratch hit, and Ewing's failure to
sacrifice, and Wards miss of a grounder
that went through him, Mr.. Arnold
would have said that he had done US an
injustice.
We do not claim much for our line Of
ancestry, and those of US who came over
in the MayAower try to conceal it as
quietly as possible, but here in this wild
and savage land we are trying to build
up classic style of writing up our Ma
tional game that will make the mother
country tired.
| admit that | cannot understand it at
all yet, but I am striving to do so, and l
am willing to work hard.
1 sometimes wish that Lord Tennyson
could come here for one summer and sit
with me on a bleaching board, with his
numerous hair hanging over his topcoat
while | explained to him "that it looked
rather squally for the Giants, for instance,
till slattery jolted merry thunder out Of
the horsehide, tore the tar out of the will
| low. smashed the leather, and then, while
the Phillie fumblers were pulling dande-
lion greens beyond the Harlem, the Met
ropolitan infelder lit out like future pun
ishment beating tanbark, accumulated a
one-bagger, a two-bagger and a three
bagger, strengthened himself out like a
long-waisted jack-rabbit across the plate
and made his red royal home run just as
the New York Central got in with the
ball and the band played Tommy Make
Room for Your Auntie.
| think that Alfred would like that
If nv Lord likes a vivid and searching
stvle he would find it here. am only
beginning to write in this way, and it i;
new to me, but think l can ultimately
give description Of a ball game thai
will appeal to every heart. When | be
gan I would have said, for instance, thai
O'Rouke swatted at the ball and mlsseC
it, till the pitcher hit O'Rouke's persor
with it and then he went to the first anC
gradually got to third base, but now
would say that O'Rouke, the Gothic ex
tended catcher for the Giants, stroye t
belt the blooming ball windward, maulec
i, the atmosphere two times and concusse'
the life preserver on the right leg Of I'm
d pire Daniels, was presented with on
base as a mark of esteem, and with a bli:
ter as big as a hornets nest where h
Z tried to bisect the orbit Of hot ball wit
the bosom of his knickerbockers, he bur
IS gled a second, and while Mailman wa
mufing the orb, catching invisible crab