River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-05-09
MAKING BASEBALL BATS.
a Great Industry Which Has Grown Up
"a the Western states.

la the Western States.
The material which goes into base
ball bats comes principally from In.
diana, that is the better quality does.
Second growth ash is the standard,
and this must be carefully selected and
perfectly seasoned. The best bats arc
made from Indiana ash, cut the usual
length and split, splitting guarantee
ing great straightncss of grain.
The forest ash comes next in point
of excellence. although the saltwater
ash, from the coast of Maine, is con.
sidered IN the East its equal, and a
great many bats are made from il.
The forest ash comes from all parts of
the country wherever ash is likely To
grow. as the demand for lumber by the
bat-mal1ers sometimes exceeds the sup
plies of well-seasoned, prime Indiana
ash, and they are compelled 10 take
such ash lumber as they can get for
the manufacture of the second and
third grades.
Eastwood enters into the manufact-
IRE Of baseball bats TO large extent,
was a time when English willow was
considered By ball-players 10 be the
best material for bats, but there is
very little of this used now, and none
st all by professional ball-players.
Pine. poplar and cottonwood are used
for cheap bats for boys, and Missouri
and Arkansas supplies most of this
lumber. The leading baseball bat
manufactory of the country is at Grand
Rapids, Mich, and millions of sticks
are turned out yearly from this i'm
mense concern. Milwaukee comes
second. while Vincennes, Ind, is third.
The latter city at one time led the
country in baseball bat mmufactur-
ing, but Grand Rapids and Milwaukee
passed the Hoosier town long ago. OF
course, nearly every city Of import
ance in the East manufactures more or
less baseball bats, but none of them
have any manufactures that compare
with the Western concerns. st. Louis
makes a few bats, but none that are
considered first-class, except occasional
ones for individuals
One big house in Chicago, that deals
heavily IN base ball goods, every win
ter advertises for old ash wagon
tongues, to be made into bats. This
concern sells thousands and thousands
of bats which they call the ''Wagon
Tongue" and are supposed to be made
from the poles Of worn-out wagons.
This is nice little delusiOn, in keep
ing with the Appomattox apple-trec
cane fake that WAS rung on the coun-
try for years after Lees surrender.
The fact is that the Chicago house
sells every season ten times as many
so-called Wagon Tongue" bats as
there are, or ever was at one slime,
polled vehicles, old and new, in the
country, but ball-players buy them and
swear by them, and the dealer gets a
fancy price for his goods. So every
body seems happy and eontented in
that direction.
Years ago when baseball was in
its kindergarten stages, says dealer
in and manufacturer Of baseball goods
in st. Louis, clancy bats were all the
rage. and manufacturers and dealers
We'd with each other i'm their efforts to
get up gaudy-looking sticks to attract
the eye of the players. In those days
ball players were proud of their bats
because of the elegant coats of paint
and varnish, but now the professionals
take pride in the plainness of their
ball-hitters. Dealers now make bats
for the professional trade only of ash
that has undergone three years of sea-
soning, and in general appearance arc
as rough and course as a common pick
handle, but in perfection of shape and
toughness Of fiber, they can not be
surpassed.
Nearly every professional has his
ideal bat, and all weights, lengths and
circumference are turned out to meet
the individual tastes of the players.
Most professionals are cranks to some
extent in regard to bats, and they
spend days and weeks, and sometimes
months in scraping, shaping and other
wise finishing up the bat they expect
to knock out homo runs with during
the playing season. Linseed oil is all
the dressing that professionals use on
their bats. No paint or valnish is
ever allowed to remain on q stick after
tue player can get an opportunity to
scrape it off. hence the manufacturers
make what is called tho professional
bat, without polish or flagree. Globe
Democrat.