Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-22
Lots of Material for a Lively COL
umn Found Among the Pas
sengers of the City of Rome.
CANNON AND CARKEEK ON BOARD.
They Were Slipping Across the Pond In
cognite to Take in Few Shekeh
on the Unknown Racket.
BASEBALL COMPARED WITH TENNIS.
A Great Deal Of Excitement Created BY the Little
Mishap at Fastnet Rock.



OK BOARD THE CITY OF ROME, June T.
We have all been told that poets have license,
and doubtless the majority of excursionists
who cross the Atlantic will think that Henry
Russell took little too much license when he
wrote that very gsily going song "a Life on
the Ocean Wave" A life on the waves may be
all right for seagulls and other kinds Of animal
life even including 8 portion of the human
race, but venture to say that the rank and file
of citizens whose ocean trips are only as numer-
Gus as satisfied politicians will see little, indeed,
of that gaiety In 8 sojourn on the ocean wave"
that the poet sings 20 us about.
Certainly there is lots OF fun for the initiated;
but to those who have not the condolences of
the ocean wave, all the fun is of very forced
nature. When one reaches for his shoes and
finds his head buried in them without making
any effort to accomplish such feat, 1t is very
funny to those who can appreciate II. How
ever the performer is not the appTeciatoT, nor
does he care about the involuntary acrobatic
tricks that he now and then performs, from the
getting into his bunk until the getting out OF
the same, However, it is not my mission to
tell a long story about sea trip. what IN
tend to do is to relate to those who have been
reading my reviews, my observations OF mat
tiers, sportings, and make reasonable deductions
from them
Quite a Surprise.
ills indeed surprising to find so many mat
tiers of sporting interest in an ordinary journey.
Who would have thought that l would board
the same ship as Tom Cannon and Jack Car
keek the famous wrestlers. was surprised to
meet them, but they were astounded to meet
me; because they were travelling under the no
tion that nobody aboard knew them, and Car
keek was on his way to floor" some unsus-
pecting Britishers in catch-as-catch-can
matches. The story Of our meeting is worth re-
peating. l had never met Cannon, and having
only met or rather seen. Carkeek once, had
only a slight, very slight remembrance OF him.
They were placed nearly opposite me at table,
and the appearance of Cannon told that he was
man of muscle, that is, professional man OF
muscle. Cannon's tremendous shoulders and
prodigiously thick neck leave no doubt as to
his business in life. l was convinced that be
and his friend were of the sporting fraternity,
and subsequently took occasion to begin a
conversation with Cannon.
Isoon got an idea of his identity and poIntedly
asked him If his name was Cannon. ne
laughed and SAID it was. He introduced his
friend as ''Mr. Hudson, a sprinter from Den
yer" who was going to take part in Sheffield
handicap. cannon might have allayed all
suspicion by introducing Carkeek as Mr..
Potter, of Texas, but the most outrages insult
on public cTedulity was Cannon's attempt to
class Carkeek as sprinter. Might as well talk
about an elephant gracefully handling per-
ambulator. could not exactly locate Carkeek
at the moment, but didn't believe Cannon.
thought the matter over and the next day I
bodily remarked to Mr.. Hudson: Now this
Hudson story is not true. You are a wrestler
and your name is Carkeek." He was dumb
founded and hadn't the nerve to deny 1t. He
called Cannon to him and the latter did not
enjoy the expose at all. However, l assured
them that IL was none of my business to say
they were. know l did not tell a soul on
ship. Cannon was content to have himself
En, but Carkeek continued to be known to
IN board, except myself, as Mr.. Hudson, of
lver."