Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-08-06


| son when some extraordinary story IS
told to wake up the base ball crank ana
thrill his creduous soul with wonder.
This year it is hawk story. The scene
is laid in faroff Colorado, where the air
is so pure and rare that lying is as easy
as walking. A player, while practlc-
ing, sent fly ball high into the empy-
rean. A hawk, such as they grow In
that glorious climate, was lOllinR around
| In the vicinity Of the clouds, and toward
| this bird the ball set sail. The hawk
saw its game coming and, for the sake
| of something to do, met it half way.
The result was a fly catch as neatly
made as II could be done by a Ryan, a
| Holiday, Hamilton or a Brodle.
With the ball in its clutches, the
hawk few away to It's nest. What use
II made OF the ball is not chronicled, but
| suppose, true to its nature, this oiro
OF prey tore the inside out OF the sphere
and glutted itself on yarn and rubber.
! II ne found the yarn as tough as the
/ warn as I have spun st, that hawk Will
never catch another fly ball.
The game will be deprived Of another
novelty which was promised, but Whlch
| has been withdrawn before 1t ripened.
/ Cincinnati, the home Of baseball sensa-
tions, was TO have been the scene OF this
miscarriSd curiosity, and l pre-
| sume il was planned by that
prince Of advertisers, Frank Brncrott.
| The club announced that some time In
August there would be marriage cele-
brated at the home plate on the Cincln-
natl grounds Just before the game be-
gan. The groom was 10 be the assistant
| ground keeper, and the happy bride, 1t
was said, "moved high up in her par
ticular circle in the west end. Inc
scheme was most novel one. 1t
would have been the first wedding on
baufield sincs the game began. Couples
have been united in balloons at country
fairs, on the stage and in show win
dows, but never at the home plate.
Alas for novelty! Some OF the other
League clubs heard about the contem-
plated innovation, and at once there
formed a funnel shaped cloud Of indig-
nation which threatened to sweep down
on Cincinnati and blow the home plate,
the assistant ground keeper and his
high moving bride into the Ohio river.
Asa consequence, the wedding at the
home plate has been declared of.
This year there has been disposition
In the National league particularly to
frown upon all novelty attractions OF
an extra character when coupled with
championship games. In St. Louis they
had a balloon ascension on one or two
occasions, but I believe the venture
didn't pay, and the special features were
discontinued. Several years ago foot
races preceding the games were quite
popular, but at that time it was neces-
sary to devise extra attraction to get
the money in at the gates. This year
the great game is drawing for itself, and
the side show business is unpopular.
Very recently two teams Of police
officers played a game of ball In Phila-
delphia. One of the mines was shut out
without a run. The pitcher for the
vlctors was George w. Bradley. When
l saw a paragraph in Philadelphia
paper making the announcement OF
that game, cast my thoughts back
nearly a score Of years. This George
w. Bradley is now police officer
In the City OF Brotherly Love with
a salary Of perhaps 500 a month.
In 1876 be was pitching for the st.
Louis club of the National league.
II was the year when Boston's
big iour-Spalding, Barnes, White
and McVey-deserted the club and
went to Chicago, where they helped to
win the cham pionship for the White
Stockings. They found their hardest
foe TO beat in the st. Louis nine, espe-
cially when Bradley pitched. A result
of this was that the Chicagos got rid OF
their dangerous rival pitcher, Bradley,
by engaging him. He Joined the Chi
Cages. l think, the following year:
The point l am making is this; In
that year-1S76-the two most famous
pitchers in the country were A. G.
Spalding aud George w. Bradley. They
were rivals on nearly an equal footing,
and Brsdley's earnings were scarcely
less than SpaldinR's But time works
wonders. Things are very different
with those two men to-day. Spalding
is a millionaire living 10 royal style In
one Of ChicagO's fashionable suburbs
and has houses in Chicago, New York,
Philadelphia, London and Sydney.
Bradley patrols the streets OF Phila-
delphia and earns enough to keep his
family in moderate comfort. At this
time, while Bradley is doing police
mans duty, Spal ding is living temper
arily in his cottage at Seabright on the
Jersey coast.
The story Of these two once famous
pitchers makes text for a sermon on
baseball. One was man Of education
and more thar average intelligence. To
him the money which be earned playing
ball was nest egg for the fortune he
slterward acquired. Base ball gave
him his start aud probably placed him
where he is to-day.
In the other instance the player was
q man without education or ambition
beyond the diamond. Whatever money
be saved while playing ball was spent
as soon as the diamond had no further
work for him. How often the history
OF ball player is the history over again
Of Bradley's life! Few OF them save
their money. OF those who do very
small proportion are willing or able TO
put il into some business as soon as their
playing days are past. Most OF them
loaf around and play in minor leagues
until what they earned in their prosper
Gus days Is spent, and then they have
neither money nor mental talent to
carry them through life in prosperous
state.
There are ball players who will leave
the profession 10 comfortable circum-
stances. Arson, while not parsimon-
ious man, has made q grast deal OF
money al ball playing and saved a great
deal. He has from time TO time invest
ed in Chicago real estate and owns
about $50. 600 worth Of property, Com