Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-06-22
MAKING eAsg.eALL eArs.


a Great Isaastry whies Has Growa Up
a. she 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 cs,refully selected aud
perfectly seasoned. The best hats are
made from Indiana ash, cut the usual
length and split splitting guarantee
Ing great stralghtnesS' OF grain.
I'he forest ash comes next In point
OF excellence. although the saltwater
sidered in the East its equal. and n
great many bats are made from IL.
The forest ash comes from Hii parts OF
the country wherever ash is likely TO
grow. as the demand for lumber BY the
bat-makers sometimes exceeds the sup
plies OF well-seasoned, prime. Indiana
ash, and they are compeIed 10 take
such ash lumber az they can get for
the manufacture o. The SECOND and
third grades ,s.
Eastwood enters into the mauufnct-
ure OF baseball bats 10 urge extent.
and Is called American willow. There
Was time when English willow was
considered by baftplayers TO be- the
best material for bssts. but there l.
very little of this used now. and none
at all BY professional. balI-playsls.
Pines poplar and cottonwood are used
Tor cheap bats for boys. aud Afissouri
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.
mepse concern. Milwaukee, eoBics
second. while yfncennes. Ind. Is third.
The latter city at one time led the
country In baseball bat manufactnr-
ing, but Grand Rapids and Milwanlsee
passed the Hoosier town long ago. %.
course, nearly every city OF import
pnee in the East manufactures. more or
less baseball bats. but none of them
have any rnanufaciories that compare
with the Western concsrns- vt. Loui-
makes few bats. but none that are
considered first-clhss. except occasional
ones for individuals
Que big house in Chicago. that deal.
I heavily Ia baseball goods. every win
ter advcrtlses for old ash wagon
tongues. TO be made into bats. TIM
concern sells thousands and thousands
of bats. which they cali the ''WagoI
Tongue" and are supposed 10 be mad,
from the poles Of worn-out wagons
This il nice little delusion. in keep
ing with the AppomSttox apple-ire,
cane fake that was rung on the eo,,n
\ try for years after Lees surrender
| The fact is that the Chicago hous,
sells every season ten times as man,
se-called Wagon Tongue" bats a
there are. or ever was at one time
polled vehicles, old and new. in tn
country. but ball-players buy them AM
swear by them. and the dealer gets
fame, price for his goods. 80 ever,
body seems happy and eontcnted ii
| that direction.
1 Years ago when baseball was Il
its kindergarten stages" says deale
in aud manufacturer OF baseball good
In St Louis, fancy bats were al tn
rage. and manufacturers and dealer
Wed with each other in their efforts {
get up gaudy-looking sticks to attrac
the eye OF the players. In those day
bali players were proud of their bat
because OF the elegant coats of pain
and yarnish. but now the professional
take pride in the plainness OF thei
bull-hittrrs. Dealers now make bat
for the professional trade only OF as
that has undergone three years of sea
soning. aud In general appearance ar
Ms rough and course ms u common pic
handle. but IN perfection Of shape an
toughness of fiber, they can not
Z surpassed.
Nearly every professional has hi
ideal bat. and all weights. lengths nm
circumferenees are turned out TO mee
the individual tastes OF the players
Most professionals are cranks 10 som
extent in regard 10 bats, aud the
spend days aud weeks. and sometime
months in scraplng. shaping and oihel
wise finishing up the bat they expec
To knock out home runs with durin
the playing season. Llnseed oil is a
the dressing that professionals nse .
their bats. No paint or varnish
ever allowed 10 remain on stick afte
the player can get an, opportunity I
scrape il of. hence the manufacturer
make what is called the professions
bat. without polish or iilagree -Giobs
Democrat.