Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-09
At the Home Plate.
Anson's Athletes Banquetted in
Great Shape.
MANY NoTABLEs GRACE THE BOARD

1
Missionaries-Mark Twain INDUCES in
Some Humorous Reflections on the Rela-
ton of the National Game to the Sand
witch Misunderstanding Talks About tho
Chicago Club-Wlliamson' Addiction.
New YORK, April 9-The banquet at Del
monico's last night to Mr. A G. Spalding
and his party Of American base ball play
ers, who have made a tour of the world, was
brilliant success One of the features of
tho occasion was witty speech by Mark
Twain. l. FL. Twitchell, graduate of Yale,
said prayer, and the $50 guests then sat
down to the nine innings-or courses--of
| good things. At the speakers table were
Mayors Chaplin, of Brooklyn, and Cleveland,
| OF Jersey City; Chauncey NJ. Depew, Daniel
Dougherty, Judge, Fl. E. Rowland, Erastus
Wiman, Mark Twain, and others Seated
among the players at other tables were Judge
Gildersleeve, j. ]. O'Donohue, Digby Bell,
Dewolf Hopper, Surveyor Beattie, Herman
Oelrich, Theodore Roosevelt, Paul Dana, Col
McCaul and many other guests, Ex-League
President Mills presided. Letters OF regret
were rec lived from Governors Hill, of New
York; Green, of New Jersey, and Buckley,
OF Connecticut, Mayor Grant and others. All
the speeches were in a happy and congratu-
latory vein.
In the course of his remarks Mark Twain
said:
Though not a native as intimated by the
chairman, have visited great many years
ago the Sandwich Islands-that peaceful land
that beautiful land. that far off home of pro-
found repose and soft indulgence and dreamy
ia SlIxvF,h sarla
Sabbath, the climate one long.rdelicious sum-
fner day, and where the good that die ex-
perience no change, for they but fall asleep in
one heaven and wake up in another. And
these boys have played base ball therel base
ball which is the very Symbol, the out
ward and visible expression of the drive
and push, and rush and struggle of
the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth
century. One not realize il.
The place and the fact are so incongruous.
It's like interrupting funeral with circus.
Why, there's no legitimate point of contact
no possible kinship between base ball and the
Sandwich Islands; base ball is all fact, the
Islands all sentiment. In base ball you've got
TO do everything just right you don't get
there; in the islands you've got to do every
thing just wrong or you not stay there
on do II wrong to get it right, for il you do
it right you get it wrong; there isn't any way
TO get il right but to do it wrong. and the
wronger you do it the Fighter it is. The ma
tives illustrate this every day. They never
mount boss from the larboard side
they always mount him from the starboard;
on tue other hand, they never milk COW on
the starboard side, they always milk her on
the larboard; it's why you so many short
people there-they've got their heads kicked
OFF. When they meet on the road they don't
turn out TO the right; they turn out to the left
And So from always doing everything wrong
end first that way, ii makes them left handed
left handed and cr0SS-ayaH. fhey oil
When child is born the mother goes right
along with her ordinary work without losing
half day-it's the father that goes to bed till
he gets over the circumstances.
Spalding, Arson, Lynch, and Ward re-
spon,ied fittingly to toasts, describing their
trip and giving their views. Mr. Lynch said
the trip was fine experience but it would
not be repeated. Hon. Erastus Wiman's
speech was in response to Her Majesty,s Do
minion," and Mr.. Depew's was TO The In
vason of the World by the American Ball
Players"
Mrs. Ward Helen Dauvray) and Mrs.
present in the gallery.
In regard to the formation of the regular
Chicago ball team for the championship sea-
son Manager Spalding said yesterday: Moth
ing definite has been done yet, but all the
players will be held in reserve" Mr. Spald-
ing was asked explicitly regarding the en-
gagement of DAILY, Petit and Sullivan, who
played with the Chicagos on their tour
around the world He said: No nepo-
tiations have been completed as yet, nor has
the matter been seriously thought of" The
players themselves said they were unable to
answer the direct question as to whether they
would play with the team this season or not.
1t was matter that would be arranged later
on. They, OF course, would consult with the
manager of the Chicago team before taking
any definite action or going with any rival
organization. The players working very
well together and harmony prevails among
them all.
The statement that Williamson had sus-
tanned paralytic strokes ill both limbs is I'M
true. In all probability he will be in good
trim for work at AN early date and it is re-
ported here, although not verified. that he is
en- route to the United States. While play
ing i'll France he slipped in making first
base i'll one of the games, striking his knee
on the gravel and tearing the flesh badly.
The wound, which, of course, was filled with
gravel and sand, was attended to hy a sur
geoD, cleaned, stitched, and the patient put
to bed with the injunction that he must re-
main quiet week He got up before the
time and the wound gave evidence of further
trouble, being highly irritated The sur
geon was called in again, the wound re-
opened, and it was found that some particles
of gravel and sand had been left in the flesh.
These were carefully cleaned out, the wound
washed and closed, and Williamson put to
bed again, and told to remain two weeks. the
surgeon further assuring him that he would
soon DE las good new"