The morning call., 1892-05-16

The moving away of az ancient, storm
beaten. vine-cad cottage on Broderick
street, near the Oak-street pOwer-house has,
for the time being, disposed of unique
baseball character who Was familiar to the
patrons of the game vino passed the cottage
on their way home. He was an old man
bowed down with the weight OF years and
rheumatism Of the most acute description.
So aged and crippled was the old man that
could hardly move. but If there was any,
thing in which he did display an absorbing
interest besides his aches and pains it was
baseball and the 1.-THE, active, warm
! blOOded muscular young meu who played it.
Every evening about O'clock, carefully
| bundled up and fortified with crutch and
| cane the old man went hobbing slowly
and painfully down tie path leading from
his door to tie street The chill sea breeze
! PLAYED pTauks with his thin white hair and
whiskers, and sent the shivers chasing up
and down his back. 1t was long labor
ious journey OF over a rod, but the Old man
covered the course every day that the sched-
ule called for games. On reaching the
fence the old man would fix himself as COM
| Portable as possible and peer AnXously
down the street for some one he knew, but
rather than stay out in the cold too long he
sometimes halted strangers who, according
| to his Judgment. had been to the game.
=
| invariably asked
II the stranger didn't know. the old man
begged his pardon and allowed him to pass
on. When he did strike crank that fellow
feeling which serves as an introduction
thaRed the old man out and be mmedi-
ately told his friend how 1t was. He used
to 90 to all the games, but since lie got so
old and bunEed up the trip TO the park was
too much for him. OF course he could read
full account Of the game in the morning
papers aud see the score besides, but shat
was too long to walt. aud he hoped the
| stranger would excuse him. AS a rule the
stranger kindly did so and cheerfully threw
in a graphic description Of the more exciting
episodes, while the dim old eyes sh0ne with
genuine JOY.
OF late the HsIght-street patrons have
/ noticed little Shanty nesting on the side
! of Clarendon Heights to the north and east
| OF RaphaePs new sign. II is hardly visible
| TO the naked eye, but If one looks closely
| in the right place the shanty can be readily
| seen. That is the old mans private box.
/ In other words he lives there now with his
| daughter who gets him sc0Tecard every
! day, and, with the aid of a powerful field
| glass, he enjoys game of ball nearly as
| well as he did before he got too old and lame
to 60 to the park. To be sure he cannot
| hear the coaching aud he is quite beyond
the peanut limits, but al his age one has out
| grown the peanut habit and coaching has
lost its charms. Baseball is all he wants
The news is waited up from the citrus
belt that Bill Brown will soon be cayorting
| In a Frisco uniform. Some time ago 1t wa
Robinson who had secured the services of
| the long boy and had a date set for the ini-
tal appearance Of Mr.. Brown. When ques-
TONED on the subject of playing ball Bill
/ said his health would not admit of violent
| exercise. About three months ago Bill was
| divorced from an abeess. He used over so
pounds of tissue in nurturDg the abcess
| of To 10
! his bones feel at home. Besides, the doctor
! told Bill that digging up hot grounders and
| chasing Iexas-leagueTs was liable to bring
on another attack of abeess which would
reduce him still further.
Mr.. Browns case opens the way for the
| Introduction Of new system OF training
| In the gladstone springtime ball players
| who have gathered up too much flesh dur
ing the winter resort TO different practices
| for reducing themselves 10 weight. Some
run around the BLOCK while Others go the
| springs and boil out This takes time and
money, besides distracting the young man s
| mind from his other business, and also
makes him tired. Why not have himself
| innoculated with few cheap absess bac-
| cilii? All that would then be required OF
! him would be TO Sit round and enjoy himself
| until the combined efforts OF the baccilli
| had brought aboutthe desired result, Then
| he could have his uniform shrunk aud be
/ ready 10 play ball.
Canuiion Of Wisconsin and NcCloSkey
Of Texas have agents here IN San Francisco
| TO Dick up and forward the eOlonePs dis
charged employees TO their respectiye
| leagues. A few small consignments have
been shipped, but business has been dull
| during the past week, only two young men
having been turned adTift in the cold, cold
/ world. Bushman and Osbourne were the
| last, but neither one has gone to Texas or
| Wisconsin. Riley, Stanley and Russell
Pace, who played right field for Harris at
the opening Of the season, are on the way to
| Marinette to play with Cantlllion. Both