Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-09
THE BASEBALL TOURIs rs.
Their Feed at DsImOnieOs Mark
TWAIN and Depew speak.

Their Feed at DsImOnieOs Mark
TwaIn and Depew speak.
New YORK, April 8.-The baseball
men of this city rendered testimonial
banquet, tonight, at Delmonico's, to the
baseball tourists, who have just returned
from ther trip around the world. They
had warm welcome from the 250'
guests assembled. The dining hall was
profusely decorated. A. G. Mills. ex-
President of the League, presided. When
the guests were seated, j. Ell. TwitcheH
offered prayer. The announcement that
nine innings of dishes were ready for
the feast was made by Mr.. Mills, with,
the familiar baseball word, "play."
Among the notables at the table
were Mayor Chapin, of Brook
lyn; Mayor Cleveland, of Jersey
City; Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew,
Daniel Dougherty, Judge Henry r. How
land, Erastus Wiman and Consul G. w.
Griffin, of Melbourne, Australia. When
cigars had been lighted, Chairman Mills
said that the gathering had been called
for the purpose of doing honor to one
branch of manly sports, and that was
baseball. He spoke Of the successful
world-circling trip of the boys.
Letters of regret were read from the
Governors of New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut, as well as from Mayor
Grant. The speakers OF the evening
were then called up. Among them were
Daniel Dougherty and Mayor Chapin, Of
Brooklyn; Mayor Cleveland. of Jersey
City A. G. Spaulding, of Chicago; A.C.
Anson, of Chicago; John M. Ward Of
New York, Mark Twain, Erastus Wiman
and Chauncey M. Dupew.
| Mark Twain spoke OF the peaceful,
| beautiful, indolent climate of the Sand
wich Islands. When a good man dies,
he but goes to sleep in one b bsaven to
awake in another. "And these boys played
baseball there" he exclaimed; ''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 CEN
tury. 1t is like .interrupting funeral
with circus. "No alien land," he said,
Gin all the world has any deep, strong
charm for me, but that one.
And these world-wanderers who sit be-
fore us here have looked on these things
as with the eyes of the flesh, not the un-
satisfying vision OF the spirit l envy
them that. Yes; and l would envy
them somewhat of the glories they have
achieved in their illustrous march about
the mighty circumference of earth, if it
were fair; but no, it was an earned rum
They have carried the American name
to the utmost parts of the earth, and
covered it with glory every time. Idrink
long life to the boys who have plowed a
new equator around the globe, stealing
bases on their bellies" [Great laughter.
Chauncey M. Depew, among other
things, said: 81 have been preparing a
speech for the centennial, but it is insig-
nificant in Importance to the one which
| shall deliver tonight. This is an event
which eclipses everything. George Wash
ington was great and good man, but he
never saw any baseball games. Madison
wrote the constitution of the United
States and Jefferson gave Democracy it's
birth, but there is no indication upon
their tombstones that they were ever
reused by the enthusiasm of home run.
When was in England last summer,
MIR. Gladstone said to me: What is
the difference between the newspapers
in America and those in this
country? The newspapers in England
| replied, devote ten columns to report
ing parliamentary proceedings, and half
column to a cricket match, while in
America the newspapers give congress
sional proceedings half a column and O
baseball game ten columns
Athletic sports are the main stay of
civilization. From Charles Dickens to
Max ORell, the American people have
been the butt of ridicule, but our teams
were sent abroad to show what Ameri-
cans really are and that the harmony of
mind and body is not neglected by the,
American people.