Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-12-04

ing at the survivor Ct 2 pc2s generation
to look at ,ihis man as he sands amid
the ranks Of the National League play
ers. When James O'Rourke, two years
ago, dropped Out Of the Na,,iOaal League
ranks, Arson was let the las, On the
old League tree" end ne doesn't intend
I'D qui- the business even now. Said ne,
as reminded him that his age was aD-
preaching the half century mark:
They say a woman IS as cid as she
looks and a man as old as he feels. If
tat be true, In LILLE pas. Il. And
let ne assure You that it is not bun
waen l say that although I've played
hall nearly a quarter Of a century, | eX-
pect to be playing when the next cen
fury begins. A few o. the ex-b3Il play
ers who dropped cut of the game some
years ago, through knotWhcles in the
fence wathced me play back in the sew
ent.es when they we're boys. Why are
they not playing yet? Because, instead
Ct outstanding their talents, they wasted
them in careless or Incorporate habits
I'VE have more good players now than
We used to have. 1 mean that the gen
eral standard is higher, much higher
There is 4 larger field for development.
Clubs and minor leagues flourish all
over the country until no young man
with baseball talent need remain in
the background. Just as the general
education Of people is better in the east
where school privileges are in easy reach
than il is in the far west, so we have
d higher general standard of bal play
ers now than we had ten or twenty
+ years ago. But when l say that | wish
TO emphatically add that the stars OF
today do not compare with the Stars
Of other days. We have no more Nc
COrmicks, Williams0ns, FergusOns, Kel-
lys, ENings and Ross Barneses. There
is nothing on the diamond now that
approaches such men in ability as all
around players of their positions, but
there is more CT an equilibrium. In the
years when Williamson, Mccormick,
Kelly and that set were star teams
were strong only IN few points and
weak in many. Now If nine has enc
or two weak points the defect is cOnsid-
cred fatal. 1t reminds us CT the days
Of Booth. Forrest and other great dTa-
matte stars who were often surround
ed by Indifferent actors as support.
Now that there are no Booths and For
rests dramatic companies mus. be stron-
ger as a whole.
q consider Rusie the greatest pitcher
by ODDS now in active service But he
cannot be compared with Jim McCOr-
mick. In my estimation the latter was
the greatest pitcher that ever lived.
Williamson as an all around player
never had an equal and maybe never
will have. Nike Kelly was the prince Of
base runners. I've never seen a man
equal him in that line. and he could
get away with more sharp tricks than
any man who ever wore base ball
uniform. We have no such second base
men as we're Dunlay and Barnes. Why,
the McPhees, RcitZes, Loves and Chllds
do not class at all with men like Barnes,
Dunlap and Farrell"
"How do you feel when you are cheer
ed or guyed while at play after all your
years Of experience as a player, cap
tain?'
Well sir man never grows imper-
vious to the pleasures Of praise, and l
like the aattery of base ball crowds as
well as did twenty years ago. II is no
use to say that I am Indifferent to abuse
or euying. though ] don't mind il so
much as when l was younger Mind /
say Younger, not young, and 1 want to
be correctly quoted on that word. l
get more guying in Chicago than else