The morning news., 1894-11-12
"K1NG KELLY"
The Most Famous Base Ball Player
Ever in the Business.

The Morning News dispatches a day or
two ago reported the death of Michael
j. Kelly, the baseball player, of pneu-
monia at Boston Kelly was the most
famous man in the business. Concerning
his career a Boston dispatch says: His
fame, the stories of his prowess with hat
and ball are not confined to the narrow
circle of National League cities. 1t has
permeated every village and city and
hamlet of this broad land; it reaches
from the Gulf of Mexico to the wilds of
Northern Canada, and from Maine to Cal
ifornia; it has stretched across the sea,
and there as here, the tidings of his
death will awaken a flood of memories,
and touch a chord of sincere regret in
every heart
Kelly was unique, as well as a national
character. The game is national, ana
this man was for years the bright par
ticular star about which the game was
centered His brilliant plays commanded
the praise and admiration of all behold-
ers; his quick repartee and his witty say
ings made him loved by base ball people
generally. Kellys popularity ana MS
skill dwarfed into nothingness every play
er that ever played with or against him
When he was on the field he was the life
of the game, he was the star about which
every Play and player reVolVed me
game was bound up in him. Did it lag
then spectators looked to him to revive
their dropping interest, and they seldom
looked in vain. For 1t often happened
that when all hope of victory seemed lost
and defeat a certainty, Kelly gathered
his men around him with one of those
hearty. cheering shouts which never fails
of response, and won out game that
seemed hopelessly and irretrievably lost,
This great player and the national game
have been inseparable. Every man and
every boy in this country knew Mike hel-
lv. and every admirer of base ball knows
more of him and of his deeds than ne
does of the President of the United
Kelly has had long and singularly
brilliant career. Since he first dawned
11non the base ball horizon, since he scored
his first signal success, many star mas
approached his zenith, reigned his brleI
dav and then quietly dropped back again
into the rank and file. No one of them
ever approached "the King" as he was at-
factionately and admirngly styled by the
hase hall fraternity He won and held
and enioyed his success and popularity
for wears. In the base ball world there
was a sentiment that fell nothing snort OF
1--we for this man, who, in his vocation
in life was a great man. He was the
CHIEF
bv their skill and phenomenal play set
this country base BAH crazy in the eight,
les The magnates Of the National
League did much. They invested their
capltal and rewarded these men with
handsome salaries, but no magnate and
no ball player did a tithe as much TO pop
ularize the game as did Mike Kelly.
The great player began his career very
bumbly and very modestly, but his skill
and ability on the base ball diamond were
siwavs OF the phenomenal order. He
nlaved on the Paterson tN. JJ team
which gave that great pitcher Mecor.
mick 10 base ball Anson was the hrs'
Rational League captain 10 discover
Young Kelly or rather tho FIRST 20 appre'
ciste bls worth. Re signed him for the
chicago team, and Chicago almost imme'
dlately began series OF succesfes which
swept ponnnnts and other honors before
M John Clarkson, tho great pitcher
was a member Of the chicago team at thf
tine. and Clnrkson and Kelly were rc.
gsraed as an invlnclble battery Their
DrHisea rang on every tongue ana in oFnry
nowspaper Boz ihe land. Tho Boston ui