Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-17
THE PERENNIAL ANSON
Cay1or's Good Story About Him
 and His Papa.
WHERE AGE DOES NOT FIGURE.

How Anson Pere and AnsOn Fills Answer
 the Charge That They Are Too old For
 the Postoffice and the Diamond Respec-
 tively-General Gossip.
 Robert Carruthers, for whose release the Brooklyn Baseball club 8 few years ago paid MT. Won der Ahe SS, COO, has signed to play during this season with the Grand Rapids team of the Western league. It was at Grand Rapids that Carruthers sprang into prominence as a great pitcher which fame gave him an engagement with the St. Louis Browns. There is much food for reflection. therefore, in the fact that now, fn the decline of his baseball fame he returns to the city where he professionally arose. It is another instance to which Goldsmith's sinile may we'll be applied: As a hare whom horns and hounds pursue
 Pants to the place from whence at first he flew.
 The case of Carruthers. is the history of baseball players in general. They usually go out of public favor as quickly as they came into it. There are other instances equally expressive. The League and Amer. ican Association in 1891 quarreled over the possession of two star players-Harry Sto vey and Louis Bierbauer. The quarrel re suited in a rupture and a year of bitter warfare, which resulted in the loss of more than $1OO, 900 to the various packers of the two organizations and the final disruption of the American Association. And now one of the two bones of contention-Stovey- has dropped through the trap into semiob- livion. Last year he was released by two League clubs and this year he becomes a member of a minor league team.
 The death of Ed Williamson removed from earth the third member of the famous Chicago team which won the League cham ,Dio i, in 1881 and 1882. During these three trium- phant years the Chicagos were virtually a united whole The team consisted of Cor coran and Goldsmith. pitchers; Flint, catch CT; Anson, Quest and Williamson on the bases; Burns, shortstop; Dalrymple, Gore and Kelly in the outield.
 What great team that was! Flint was the first of the 10 to go to the great beyond. Corcoran followed a year later, and now Williamson has joined them. Of the other seven Anson is the only one remaining with the National league. Goldsmith is sa- loon keeper in Canada; Quest was an um- pire in the west last season; Burns is man. aging the Springfield club of the Eastern league; Gore has signed to play in the Troy team of the same league, and Kelly is hanging on by the outside edge, with no one to claim his services for 1894
 Of the players who won the League cham pionship last season only three-Ganzel, Bennett and Carroll-were known profes- sionally when that "three times winner" Chicago team made its wonderful record.
 It is generally agreed by all close observ- CTS of the national game during the last dec ade that Williamson was the greatest all around player ever seen on a ballfield. There was no position on his team that he did not at one time or another fill, and fill .4l> saved his club from defeat by pitching sue cessful ball. He often donned the init and mask and went behind the bat. Every in. field and outfield position was from time to time occupied by him. As a batsman, thrower, base runner and strategy player he eXcelled in each respect. At the close of the season of 1882 the Chicago club held sort of carnival, during which prizes were offered to the players who excelled in cer- tain specified feats. Williamson won near ly all of them. He was wonderful throw CT, and on Sept. 9, 1882, he threw the ball distance of 133 yards 1 foot, being only yard 715 inches shorter than the famous throw made by John Hatfield in 1872.
 Speaking of that three years record of the great Chicago team reminds me that their accomplishments in 1880 have never been equaled by any League team. They won that year 67 games and lost only F.
 Let us come back to Anson. Baseball without Anson would be like Shakespeare's play of Hamlet" without Hamlet. MT. Anson was a conspicuous figure at the late League meeting in New York.
 He looked so young, fresh and skittish that I had the temerity to ask him to tell me in confidence just what his age, accord, ing to the records in the family Bible, was. "Now, look here, young man." said Anse, oil ok fo ther. You know he lives at Marshalltown, Ia. He has lived there a good many years and in that time has contributed largely to Marshalltown's fame by gifts of several kinds, including boy who knows little about playing baseball.
 "Well, now, pop Is riproaring Demo crat and always has been. Therefore we all think he should be recognized by the pres ent administration at Washington. So We persuaded hiss to put in a claim for the Marshalltown postoffice, and he did. have been twice to Washington to see the presi dent in the old mans behalf, and each time Mir. Cleveland treated me tiptop, talked baseball f1uently and promised to conside, the old gentlemans political claims with due regard to the country's safety.
 But on my last visit to the capital ] learned that some of pops enemies were urging his age against him in the struggle for the appointment. Then I telegraphed to him, They say you are too old.' This is what he replied, I am not kid, nor am decrepit, but don't ask any concessions from any blankety blank blank on account of age, and don't you forget itv Now, that was pops reply to the charge that he was too old, and guess the same answer will do for me?'
 If president Cleveland wants to win the 1In Nf ici ynvo of baseball lovers, he will appoint Anson's pa postmaster of Marshalltown.
 Twill Anson play first base for the Chi