The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-07-16
BASEBALL IN CITY STREETS.
II Hss It's Delights and Difficulties and
II Produces Good Playrra

shUouSos oooh
With the boys games | am more at
home. Let ms see whether you will not
learn from these boys some games to
take to your friends ont of town.
First and foremost comes baseball. II
amy one doubts the universal popularity
OF tins game, one afternoon upon the
street will convince him that the Amcri-
can boys love Of baseball has become
hereditary. 1t seems almost as if thcs,.
boys no sooner left the cradle than IA basc-
ball found its way into their hands. They
commence to play as soon AS they can
roll ball across the pavement From
real game, with nine 'men" on "A side
and three bases, we shall sce everything
IN ball playing, down to the solitary
younster who rolls the ball up an avn
ing and catches il IA 1t returns To him
And these boys can play baseball too. |
hesitate to admit 1t, for was country
boy; but I'll warrant you that from tn,
inhabitants of II block | can select nint
boys, none of whom shall be over ten
years of age, who can defeat the best
nine of thirtcen-year-old fellows your
village can produce.
They play i'll the streets: they play on
the sidewalk; and they go at it with a
vim and earncstness one grows enthusi-
astic i'll watching. They pitch curves"
and why their catchers' intent and mask
less little faces are not more frequently
damaged by the bat they catch Off of.
no one can say. All this. remember, on
the cobblestones. with slippery car tracks
dividing the field" aud wagons, drays
and cars constantly passing.
On any field quick and practiced eve
Is required to measure the are Of "A "hv
ball, and to select the spot from which
it may be captured; but when the ground
Is Il crowded street, and there is added
the more or less rapidly passing vehicle.
the chances are even that the fielder may
get under II horses hoofs and the de
scending fly ut the same time Many
narrow escapes have seen, but some
how the active little bodies always man
age to be missed.
But the cars and wagons and pedes-
Nrians are as nothing; the players look
out for the former two, the last must
care for themselves if they wish to avoid
batted ball or IA runner making Il fran
tic dash for First" What these bows
teally mind because it is AN effcctnal
preventive of ball playing, Is the blue
coated policeman, known by the boys rs
a cop" an abbreviation of "copper""
the origin of which name is uncertain.
Here Is a game i'll active progress: there
is intense excitement; shouts of encour-
agement fill the air. Turn away your
head for an instant. Now look again.
Where are our players? Not one of them
to be seen; only IA few boys strolling along
the sidewalk; not Il bat nor ball in sight.
What does it all mean? Truly, you have
never seen SO abrupt an ending to game
of ball, But look; coming up the street.
block or more away, in all tine stateli.
ness of blue uniform and brass buttons,
idly twirling his club, comes the awe
inspiring copper"
For You must remember that it is
illegal to play baseball in the street, and
every player is liable to imprisonment.
How would you like to have one of your
games SO interrupted; Is the game ended?
BY no means; wait Il moment, this is
only time Slowly the retreating blue
coat fades in the distance: then like
magic each player resumes hi place, and
the game is resumed with ali It's former
ardor.-Frank NJ. Chapman in st. Mich
olas.