Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-20
BASEBALL LITERATURE
mi Me Grappies with fhs Nsw Style u
R~porttag Danes

III ~ oFoHRte4 Win tn8 N1S 9tYI8 0I
Reporting Games
am extremely sorry that Matthew
Arnold did not live to read more Of
our American baseball literature. /
think he would have liked it better IL
he had done so. In saying that we
were a vulgar people and that the
American hGrnorist was National mis-
fortune, think he criticised us hastily.
for he was only in this country little
while and judged our humor largely
by the supply he read while here and
which ne brought with him in his
trunk. but If he could have seen the
baseball wcrd-painting of cur gio-
rious country he would have loved US.
II he could have read that Richard
son went out Irwin to Farrar. that
Foster hit safely and stole second,
that WEIGH flied ont to Wood, and all
about Tiernan's scratch hit, aad Ew-
ing 8 failure TO sacrifice, and Wards
miss Of a grounder that vent through
him, Mr. Arnold would hare said that
ne had done us an Injustice
We do not claim Innch for our long
line OF ancestry, AMI those OF us who
came over in the Mayfiower try to CON
ceal il As quietly as possible. but here
in this wild and savage land we are
trying TO build up = classic styIe of
writing up our National game that
viii make the mother country tired.
admit that can not unIerstan 1t
at all yet, i,us am striving TO do 50
and l am willing TO work hard
sometimes wish that Lord Tenny-
son could come here for one summer
and sit with me on bleaching-board.
with his numerous hair hanging over
his top-coat while explained 70 hi IA
''that it locked rather squally for the
Giants, for instance. till Slattery joited
merry thunder out OF the horsehide.
tore the tar out Of the willow. smashed
the leather, and then. while the PhiIlie
fu1nblers were pulling dandeIion greens
beyond the Harlem the Metropolitan
in-fieldcr Lit out like future punishment
beating tan-bark. accumulated a one
Dagger, two Dagger and three-bag-
ger. Strengthened himself out like q
long-waisted jsek-raobis across the
plate and made his royal red home run
just as the Ne W York Central got in
with the ball and the baud played
'Tommy Make Room for You
Auntie.'"
/ think that Alfred would Ike that
If me Lord likes vivid and chins
style he would find IL here am oull
beginning to write in this way. and j
IS new to me. but think / can ulti
mately give description of bal
game that will appeal to every heart
When began l would have said, TO
Instance. that o Rourke swztted at tn
ball and missed it, till the pitcher bi
d Rourke's person with it and then hi
went to the first and gradually got Il
the third base. but now l would sal
that ORourke. the Gothic extends
catcher for the Giants. str0ve to bel
the blooming ball to windward, maule'
he atmosphere two times and con
-ussed the life preseryer OF the RICH
'eg of Umpire Daniels. was presente'
With one base as marx of esteem. an,
with blister as big as hornets mes
where he had tried to bisect the orbi
IF hot hall with the bosom of hi
znickerbo-kers. he bungled a second
and while Mailman was muffing tn
orb. catching invisible crabs. hukin
avery thing in sight and corking hinse
generally. ORourke liz out like
scared-to-death bObtail cornet. fell for
Y feet horizontally. and with his ca
full of hot ball. blister across hi
meridian, a fractured thigh aud hi
mouth full of sand hoarsely ejaeuIate
"JudgmentT'
There is description that appeal
20 every heart There is a Eterar
moss agate that on ght to tickle ma
ike Tennyson. unless he has FOOLS
: prejudice against American writers
Ny ambition IS some dag to writ
the lurid description of base ba
, game which will go snorting dow \ Il
corridors of time, along with BalaE
. lava, Marco Bozzaris and the stub6or
Fouth who stool on the burning deck
[ want to write it so that it will /
: bright aud jaunt in style, and yet
!, would like 70 sock little sadness
it, description that should be rich i
eoloring. and yet free from inform,
: ton. a carefully aad professional
: prepared gem OF literature that woul
: contain about a column and nothin
else whatever.
The London Saturday Rsrislr SAY
that what America wants Is lite
:, sture that shall smack OF the soil.
!. Here is the opportunity. Let the an
=. pire take down the remarks Of
/, Giant who has tried &c reach MIA fe
i. and catch hold of the third base wi
! his front teeth. and then demar
: Judgment before splitting out the nor
!. end of the Polo ground. Bal Ays,
y. !. H0r.L
Not One OF 7 hat Sort