The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-03
PITCHER TOM PARRoTT OF CINCINNATI.

1.
tent of n loss Of about $780, 600 of his own
money. But he had some wealth loft
which he mado in street car lines. So
when no dropped tho baseball emancipa-
ton speculation he reached out aftor moro
street car territory with which to retrieve
his baseball lossos. Among the territory
which fell into his monopohstio possession
was Allentown. Mr.. johnson straightway
proceeded to clcctrify Allentown with tho
buzzing, humming trolley wiro Whcrc
the trolley lines conferred he arranged
pleasure ground. Then he looked about
for attraction to induce people to como to
that particular spot. Tho trolley cars
would do tho rest.
He hit upon baseball as tho magnet
Allentown owned a franchise in tho Penn
sylvania State league. Mr.. johnson got
that franchise. Then no set about getting
team. Ho thought of Kelly. Kelly was
the man to bring tho population to focus
just where tho Allentown trolley lines con-
vorged
Tho king" was put in charge of the
Allentown club. Mr.. johnson argued
that In Kelly he had manager who could
raise moro royal ruction in day than
most men OF mcndacious disposition oan
In year, and no had Mr.. Kelly's measure
to Il skin tight 1T.
Kelly took charge of the Allentown
club, and In less than week Allcntowns
namo WAS on lips from the delta Of tho
Mississippi to Lake Itasca and from Cape
Cod to tho Golden Gate. 1t was not an
advertisement for day either Tho lon
ger Kelly remained in charge Of Mr. John
sons baseball interests ut Allentown the
greater grow and spread the fame of that
city.
Bolng ''tho king, " he acted upon tho
old monarchial theory that tho king can
do no wrong. That is why whom things
did not go to suit him In game at Har-
risburg recently no jumped tho capital
and took his team to Allentown Boss
johnson, however, ordered tho nino back
to Harrisburg next day for the remaining
game. OF course this little eccontrc de-
vico Of Mr.. Kelly was worth several hun
drcd dollars to tho club, for nearly every
body In Harrisburg went out to the ball
park to sec holly sneak back When
he went to bat somebody presented tho
king" with n nursing bottle filled with
sweet milk as n token that no was baby.
Mike first satisfied himself that tho milk
was sweet; then no put tho bottle carefully
away in one of his pockets and used it
that night In tho construction OF a milk
punch.
All Of which shows that man. uscful-
ness on tho ballficld docs not always con-
sist Of his abilities to play tho gamo scion
tiflcally
Rain and cold havo up to tho present
timo played havoc with the baseball bust
ness cast and west, but particularly in tho
west. In the National league alone 81
games wcro postponed by rain in tho first
five weeks Of tho season. When 1t Is re-
WONDERED that in most of these instances
fhcro orp no opop dutoc on xyhich bo most
poncd contests can DO played off, the losses
can BIO correctly estimated away up into
the thousands. Rain is one of the chances
with which baseball investors must con-
tend. 1t practically disrupted tho West
crn league In midscaSon in 1892 The
early months OF tho season in tho Missis-
sippi or central valleys wcro unusually
wet and disagrccablo that year, and clubs
fell so hopclcssly behind financially that
| most Of them gave up tho contest carly.
Too much rain in the spring Is moro dis
astrous to baseball business than 1t Is in
| tho fall, for tho spring and carly summer
arc nearly always tho harvest time Of base
| ball profits.
The Kaleidoscope lifo of baseball
pitcher WAS once moro illustrated recent
ly this tinc at Now Orleans Pitcher
Chard of tho Southern league not long
ago shut tho Now Orleans team out with
out hit Straightway his famo went
abroad, and tho namo of Chard was for q
timo synonymous with wealth. Several
days elapsed, and Mr.. Chard once moro
faced tho Same team, fondly dreaming that
nc would repeat his coup d'otat. But ho
didn't On the contrary, they punished
his delivery for II hits and 10 runs, Will,
his side scored cipher. After all, base
ball fame Is merely beautiful soap bub
bio.
Last year Chicago and Cincinnati wer,