Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-08
THAT GH0STLY NINE.
Cheerful Gossip About RichmOnd'S Once
Victorious Ball Team.
WHAT'S TIE NATTER WITH THEM 2
air. Woesinfi SAYS n Il "fiard Luck ~
Something Abou, the Players and
Thoir Records.


where FOR weeks ana weeks no
liying creature trcspssscs, save
The owiets and She bots that
avttcr around the melancholy spot con
SKINNER nights. wan the frogs In the
neighbor.ug ponds craak mournfa
as3Sererc ana when the hre-nss lght the
sleeping hands with their moamfM lick
ering lanterns. so.e'Gn stiffness rc'sus
DER the graveyard SO sound breaks the
silence and 'ho solitude is almost oppies-
sive The place is known as the Cemetery
Ct Bliehtc1 Hopes. ana beneath us sod
arc buried the asp radons. the joys. and
She once brigat anticipations Of Rich-
fmond public. There are perhaps dozca
neglected mounts in this weird graveyard
and It Is around thess mat the sad rccoI-
aections and pathetic memories cluster
Over one grave thcrc IS n little siab and
on Il there IS this Latin inscription: us
JACET "T0P" TAIL. AbQrIHSCAT IN
PACE. which. hcing interpreted, signi-
slcs: "Hcrc Lies pop" Tate. May Ills
Soul Res IN Peace" Near the mas We
rnound or the departed lrst-bascman there
- another heap 81 earth. and at Sc head
flood-rc1 flower forever blossoms Hero
sleep The ashes ~ Sorrci-T0p Foster.
who's E,he form WAS one" secu WhirlnG
In the naEes OF the Fulton germans. and
whose aaluuiy-cloyel fingers have oft and
DER again shnn'el The linen cards at the
EuChrc parties or East-Erl society. Rank
weeds iloursh about tie place and tradi-
ton has it that the ghost cf Tig-an
cmacia.c1 transparent razor-backed
hog -O1et Cept into The cemetery and
rooted. Eut it died. Al, how the tears
well and the bosom heaycs when people
pass that secuon-but more # it anon.
The scene changes. tt IS a calm clear.
Sultry night-thc night Of July the 4th.
Anno Dumini eighteen hundred and
lineiy-four. Bright lights sparkle in the
Wcsimoreland Club. ana merrily tho bill
lard-balls click. and the cut-glass. brim-
ming with sparkling wine. rings with the
merrimtnt Of Tho occasion. All are glad
and happy save ono. The exception is
gentleman alfred in a dress suit. and.
WIN Partisan air about his general
bearing. Ills name is Jean Pierre
O'Rourko. and tho city directory puts
him down as oN-base- balllst. ail-rouud
SPORT. Hnl first-class fellow. But where
fore IS b. sad? Alas, Ike the thoughts
Of "a mother lamcUting "a child his fancy
turns ~ the Cemetery Of Ghghtcd Hopes.
ana p'teoua sob cmandtes from his deep
chest. II mourns the loss OF Eichmond's
once-wnninc team. and when Jaiy, he
secs their 0pc-clad ghosts on the dia-
m0nd. his heart almost bursts with sor-
row. The SPARKLING wine. the flashing
lights. The merry laughter ana the click
ing billiafd-bal's DO not attract him. lie
pauscs. d. moves uncnslly. he signs. and
then he crecps out into the night. lie
walks. he sigh. again. and then he pushes
81 Z. d h.
ever onward. onward through the dark
mss. At last l- halfs. lie has reached
The graveyard. lie enters the melancholy
precincts. Tears el~tcn In his eyes. even
as ptstc-dilmo nj rlittcrs from the
bosom q U.r tInco-steDror. with bowed
head DE- fo.s 100 tho mound containing the
earthly remnants Of "rop' Tate and.
with tI's TING heart. h. places "a little
bouquet ca H.. slab. Tho nos,gny is
made IL dog-laisi.s and "Jims1n' weed,
but II is Tire tribute ~ an honest, loving
soul "Oh. Pop Pop Pop. dear. departed
Pop soils Mike. why is it thus? Why
does your ghost haunt me day by day?
Why does your spook. clad Ia black. fit
around Wt.t-fnl Park aud mock me.
Why, 1h. why do YOU knock those msera-
able lttle ni.s INTO the folders hands
when the bass are tull. ana We poor
cranks are painting to see our Bloody
hhiriers' win?'
And thsn the sols become inaudiblo
Vhe Freedman has become silent. and
prostate. D.. docs homage 10 his quon3 am
friend but, l1rk-leholI-a figure rises
from tho ground. II 4. a huge, round
feure. a t-urc with "A gigantic head.
much Scared. bat brlstlng with stubby
Srowth ot clusol y-cropped hair. The figure
floats ia the AIR. ana then it opens its
Nouth ana speaks thusly: "Whatre yol
giving me. ORouikc? Get OF that grave
Sou tlarsted. lJil-h,aGed bloke Get
move on yourself Don't come round here
Passing Cin. or III mash your fy-trap"
With this remark the ghost OF course.
everybody recognizes II as Pop. Tate's
ghosU fOars Ike a lion. and bellows
but. PLAY ball. boys Whereup0n spooks
mop up on every side and assume posi-
uohs around the graveyard. a phantom
that looks Ike Kelly. Of the Petersburgs.
goes To The bat and pounds a bail that
the spirit OF the late William Setley
delivers unto him. 1t goes right into
Spook Timothy Vests hands, but he slill
sleeping de plte his resurrection, Chimes
81. ana finally huTls II over Pops head.
The spiritual ice-wagun trips after il
at gait that affords Kelly ample time
70 get To third. Then fly IS knocked
TO Ghost Napier and Is. Of course.
fumbled. Kelly gets in. The third bats.
man knocks o liner out towards Dead
Man Morgan, who let's it roll through
his legs. And So the fun Keeps ny. and
the whole graveyard is yellow with de,
composed plays All The while Jean Pierre
ORouIkc is sobhing as If his heart will
break, but his grief ayaileth nothing, and
long does he weep-yea. even untl dawn
kisses night with her rosy lips.
The old saying is ode mortuls nil nisl
bonum" Oct nothing but good b. said
NJ the deaQO and, therefore. IN abiding TO
these ghosts they shall be spoken OF IN
only the tenderest terms. And yet. We
cannot help crying out in our grief. even
rs O'Rourke did on thc night Of the
Fourth. "Nhy is Il thUs?" Why Is IT,
that with thousands OF p -cple mad on the
subject OF baseball. and money pouring
over the turnstylc like The golden grain
of harYcst-time Richmond has "a team
which seems utterly unable 10 achieve a
victory? Why H. II that nothing can get
US third-bascTnan or a pitcher? Ghost
Pop Tate, in "a recent interview, SAYS that
the positions of his brother phantoms
have ben changed around until the whole
nine Is dernoraiz- d. Certainly ne Is right
about the teams being damOralzed but
whether his reasons therefor are correct
l. another matter. Assurpdly the late
William " Se'ley put The blight on the
whole organization whsn he left the town
o!sr cah|dth cay, carving Win him i've
American wheels" which had been w.
tudiciously lan,i him by Spook Tim
West Timothy nCycr recovered from the
shock. nor Old any OF his companions
From that Time on they took a down.
ward course. aud ne departed from Them
The spirit Of the team Is eone-appa-
rently forCv.r--and from present r,ros-
poets - is 70 hope OF rsyiving them.
Players " no formerly acquitted thcul-
selves I'm the most brilliant STYLE po,,.
move about Ike wooden men and bet
like the genuine ghosts thrv an. And
che strangest part about Il all Is that
Richmond IL absolutely crazy on the sub.
Sect q baseball. Never. IN the palmiest
DAYS OF our history, have so many