Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-07-11
A BASEBALL ROMANCE.
How Prominent Player First Met
and Won His Wife.


Mrs. Frank S. Flint, wife of the
famous "Silver" Flint, of the Chicago
Baseball Club, sends the following ro-
mantic sketch concerning Ed William
son, also of that club, and his pretty
wife, to the Chicago Sporting Journal
Now, let me say word about the
beautiful wife of this famous ball player.
L have weakness for pretty women
all the more that nature denied me the
boon. There is a pretty romance at
tached to the meeting of this happy
couple, and through 1T l was instru-
mental in introducing them to each
other. 1t ctme about in this way? On
our first visit to New Orleans in 1882,
the club stopped at the Lee Hou e, on
Camp street. 1t was my first visit
South, and in those days ball-players
and their wives were virtually ostra
cized by society, and in the South this
was particularly so. l felt it, and the
guess of the Lee House made it so
palpable to us that we were considered
beneath them, some actually going so
far rs to refuse to sit at the table with
us. But, by very nice patience on the
part of the ladies, and gentlemanly de-
pertinent on the part of the men, we
quietly and quickly took our rightful
positions MS equals of any people. Why
notl
Just at about this time one lovely
Sunday morning had fit of the blues,
and was wishing myself back in dear
Chicago, when the sweetest voice imagi-
nable greeted my ear. looked up and
vision of loveliness stood before me-
a sweet, refined, girish face, with
troubled look i'll her soulful eyes. She
addressed me. l was so surprised, that
for an instant failed to reply, when
she again asked me if 1 could tell her
where she could find her mother. She
had come from New York on surprise
visit to her mother, and was distressed
to find the latter had gone away for the
day. This lovely girl was Miss Net
Tucker. To cheer her up and help her
over her disappointment, 1 proposed
That She accompany me to the ball
game. At first she demurred, as it was
Sunday; but, on telling her that all
people went on that day-it was the
only day that they could scrape up
paying crowd-I finally persuaded her
to go. All tho way out / was glefully
anticipating how the boys would stare
when they caught sight of my COM
Panlo,n. Going out l bought large
bunch of violets and presented them to
Miss Tucker. On our arrival at the
grounds, tho game was already in pro-
gress, We had just got comfortably
seated on rough board bench, when
George Gore came TO the bat and sent
the ball over the fence into the canal.
This hit brought round of applause,
Miss Tucker remarked, that if he did it
again she would throw him her violets.
Williamson went to bat and away flew
the ball, and away went the violets to
the ieet OF the surprised Ed, who
bowed his Acknowledgements in his own
lnimltable style, aud to my chagrin
every man, boy, weman and girl leaned
forward to look at the flushed face of
the pretty donor, who, all unconscious
that she had done anything unusual,
smiled back Mt Ed. Then she turned to
me and said "Why, Mrs. Flint, that is
not the gentleman who hit the ball be-
lore. She was entirely unfamiliar with
the game, and thought that two such
hits by the same man deserved recog-
nltlon, and threw her violots as her
share of applause, never intending to
attract attention to herself. She fairly
inspired the boys by hor graceful act,
for they certainly y played great ball on
that memorable Sunday afternoon After
the game l introduced Ed and Miss
Tucker, and it was clear case of love
ut first sight Now, sweeter, prettier
woman, more charming, lovable wife
docs not live, and Ed deserves her.
One little incident which occurred in
the year after those two were made man
and wife always made me hold Mrs.
Williamson in high esteem. We were
coming home from New Orleans via the
Mississippi River on the steamer Green
vile, and, of course as usual, Mrs. Will
Hanson was much admired. We al
know that Ed is not handsome man,
and the contrast between him and his
wife was particularly noticeable There
was n fussy lady On boar whom we all
liked till one afternoon, when she asked
question which nearly broke Eds
wife's heart. She came to my state
room, her eyes filed with tears. Iaskod
her what was the matter. She threw
herself at my feet, buried her head in
my lap and between her sobs said "I
hate that Mrs. W.; she is just hor-
rid, coarse thing, so she is! How daro
eho 'oh hhc sucii aH lnpertlnenC qucS-
tion2"
"Wcll, but tell me, my dear, what has
she said" asked.
"Why, the mean, heartless woman
asked me if my husband had the small
pox after L married him. Could any
thing ho more insulting Do you think
Ed homely, Mrs. Flint?"
consoled her by replying that she
had beauty enough for both, and that to
mo Ed was good looking, for he has tho
kindest face in the world, $50 dry your
eyes, and she did ; but nothing would
induce her to look at Mrs. w. again.
Her husband had been insulted, and she
could not forgive it.
She is Virginian of good old stock
and true woman through and through,
and Ed is blessed in having so sweet a
nan ior, f,r l;f,