Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-03

ADRIAN CoNsTANTINOPLE ANsOy.
with his upper lip after its hirsute appendage
had been harvested
day and generation roofed What words
of irony and sharp retort 1t looked down
upon as they flew out at the luckless vic
tins!
And now 1t is gone. There wasn't
much of 1t, but the little there was had
prominence because Of the place where it
grew No explanation is given why the
innocent looking, dead grass colored mus
tache was sacrificed. 1t may have been pro-
nounced a hoodoo. Possibly Uncle Adrian
thought that without mustache he would
appear more boyish. If the latter be the
true explanation, will not be surprised
to hear that he has puttied up the cracks
in his neck and got a new set of teeth. l
strongly suspect, however, that the vet
Grams glass showed him few white hairs
hero and there among the scant hedge on
his upper lip, and that the condemnation
of the many resulted for the sins of the
few. Anyhow it was and is not.
The club at the same time has concluded
to star Anson. That is wise. There is
only one Of his kind on the diamond. He
stands unique and alone. OF the hundreds
who battled with and against him in 1876
not one is left in service Young blood is
well enough In it's way, but there is only
one Arson, and he should be cherished. 1t
is right to mako him the star His club
has three sheet poster which pictures
him, sans mustache clad in the uniform
which he has honored for score Of years.
Wherever the team plays this poster, with
out q mustache, stares at rooters from the
fences and billboards. The photographer
has done his work well too. Looking at
the "man in Armour" one would think
II one did not know better, that it was a
"flnd"-some young fellow just out of
school who had suddenly jumped into
prominence on the diamond.
All on account of the missing mustache
And this sacrifice reminds me of tho pc
culiar fact that for years no professional
baseball player has worn any beard except
upon his upper lip. In the sixties and
early seventies there were boards seen upon
tho diamond. George Wright wore short
siders when he played with the famous
Red Stockings, and Harry Wright sported
regular English harp. Later on player
with any hair on his face except mus
tache would have been hooted from the
field.
And now Is the mustache to go? Arson
is to tho profession what the Prince of
Wales is to the chappies, and look for an
immediate general sacrifice of the mus
tache among baseball players. Before /
leave Arson l want to say that If he wins
all the bets he is making this season his
income tax next year will be considerable.
In one week he tclegraphed three $500 bets
to New York, and all were taken. He al
ways wagcrs on his Colts against some
other club, and when his book is full it
generally turns out that it is SO arranged
that no can't lose much.
Now that Arson has cut off his mus
tache Prince Bismarck will probably do it
too. With Arson and Gladstone sporting
bare upper lips, Bis can't afford to keep
his German twist.
The National league season opens en-
couragingly. The Pittsburgs start off in
tho lead, as they did last year, and the
strong eastern clubs bunch together prior
to their assault upon the western circuit.
am inclined to believe that the eastern
clubs are comparatively stronger than last
year. and that the west has not, on the
whole improved any. The most remark
able change in the whole circuit is the
great form of Rusie, Meekin, German and
Stivetts right at the start. Boston's big
pitcher never was in such fine fettle and
Rusie German and Meekin clearly show
the benefit of their months training in the
south. Every other pitcher in the country
is being on the average, hit hard. 1
should advise prospectors to not underes-
innate the work of Rusie and Mcekin
when they begin to figure on pennant
chances. To hold the opposing side down
to from one to six runs is half the battle
That is what expect to see Rusie and
Meekin do.
If Nichols rounds up in his 1898 form,
Boston will go to the front prime favor
lite. But at present, as predicted few
weeks ago. it looks as n Nichols Is handi-
capped by that extra distance.
The resignation of Lynch from the Ma
tional leagues staff Of unlpires removes
the ranking man in that business. He
has served the League since 1887 and was
considered by all odds the best man who
ever called balls and strikes. Yet he was
not popular with players on account OF
his refusal to associate or become friendly
with them off the field. And while UNI
piring the game he generally refused 70
speak to any player except the captain.
Lynch was victim to a literal construc-
ton of the new rules against kicking.
Although PRECEDENT Young in his preiini-
mary instructions advised all the umpires
TO be lenicnt ct first until the players be
came somewhat accustomed to the rigid
change, Lynch did not heed and took the
very fifst ana most trivial excuse to levy
the big fines Yet President Young sus-
tatned him. But knowing that Davis and
Doyle would be bitter toward Lynch after
those fines, no very thoughtfully ordered
the umpire TO 50 to Baltimore for the
Bt66kl2n eazssA Lynch got excited and
1asignesl His succcssor. W. H. Long, has