The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-16
ddst a Word or TWo
Of Casual Mention

yellow name and Of the redoubtable foot
ballistic prowess, was a much-talked-ci
individual at Athletic park last Friday.
Brink was not there in propria persona,
us we say in the German, but his worthy
substitute was.
THIS impersonator was the professional
ballist and mixo!ogist of Rosar's Cafe.
George Kerl. Fred Tropp had invited
George to the park in order that he
might get an idea of the noble game or
foot ball. The elevens of the high school
and of the School of the Lackawanha
were practising near the middle of the
n.wly lined gridiron. George was much
interested in the sport and SO expressed
himself.
Come over here said Fred. "and !
will introduce you to some OF the players.
The unsuspecting kerl went without
hesitation
"Wagner Come here for a minute
called out Tropp to one of the high school
players. Wagner came and the following
Introduction took place.
"Mr. Wagner, shake hands with Mr..
ThorEe the famous Yale player. Mr..
Thorne will be only too glad, l know, to
give the high school team the benefit OF
his valuable coaching"
Kerl was surprised and confused, but
Wagner was too awe-struck to notice.
college IDOL here in Scranton and ready
and willing to teach plays to the Hign
School team. which would enable them to
defeat the Scranton team and to make n
holy show of the Wyoming seminary
Crackajacks. Oh, what joy. What bliss
Wagner excused himself and, in an
instant, the news had spread, and Kerl
was the admired center of u credulous
throng.
Look at his head. He looks like a gen.
eral'
These and hundred like comments
were audible. The climax came when the
pseudo Thorne was asked to put the
team through its PAGES. Get In your
corners" was his novel lining-up COM
mand. New, let 'er co."
The signal was given, the ball was
passed and Il line-bucking play was made.
What Is your opinion about that play,
Mr.. Thorne?' the anxious captain asked.
"Er-er-er," stammered the unfortun-
ate and pcrspiring Kerl. 1T was pretty
good, but you fellows don't squeeze the
ball hard enough. That's the main thing
in foot ball. First catch the ball and
then squeeze it,
A chorus of rather dubious "thank you,
sirs" followed this bit of valuable ad-
vice.
Kerls greatest trouble came, however,
when he was asked to give the full back
some points in puntng. His first attempt
resulted in 4 collision between his foot
and Mother Earth. At the second
the gosh dinged ball." as Kerl
afterward described it. bounded from his
foot TO his face. He excused himself from
further exhibition on the plea of
strained back.
To add to the torture, running fire Of
technical questions and queries concerning
lights of the gr!diron was kept up. All
of these Kerl was obliged to parry as
best he could.
Altogether It was bad quarter hour
for the imitator Thorne. He now AYERS
that he sees nothing to rave about in foo.
ball.
-:l:-
A recent issue of the Wexford Free
Press contained a two-column interview
had at the Shelburne hotel, Dublin, by
a representative of that paper with the
Handley executors, Messrs. Palmer,
Amerman and Richards. In the course of
it Mr.. Amerman was asked to give his i'm
pressions regarding Irish witnesses as
formed during his stay in the Emerald
Isle. He replied as follows: 1.-THE Irish
witness seems to me to be particularly
bright and to have fund of ready wit
and repartee. One witness in particular,
an old man named Pa!dy Cleary, was u
gem. He was, he said, SO years of age,
being seven years old in the year of the
great snow. 1911, and, considering his
years, had really a good memory Mr..
OConnor examined him, and Paddy gave
his answers all right. But when l began
to ask Paddy some questions, most Of
them verging on the ground Mr.. OCon-
nor had taken Paddy over, Paddy, wee
bit puzzled, pretended to, or in fact did, |
tire. 'Shure,' said he, in answer to
question of mine which he could not an
swer, my intellccts is all gone, but lie
quickly added, but, begorra, sir, maybe
when you're as Ould ye'll be twice as stu
pid. so you will Pressed further, Paddy
said. pointing to Mr.. O'Connor's brief |
shure it's all down in the book-that gem
tleman has it ALL Questioned as to how
he got living, Paddy replied, ON the
credulity of my neighbors.' Somebody in
the background silly added, Like your
self and the other lawyers. Mr.. Amer
man. For the purpose of somehow re-
moving the impression that Paddy had
p. bad memorv, he was asked in ie-
xamination-'Paddy, you are still a
Dacnelor, 1 believer paddy-'Yes, sir
Now, Paddy, are you able to tell me the |
names of any of the girls you were court |
ing long ago?' l shall never forget the |
expression and tone of Paddy, as, rising |
painfully from his seat and hobbling SLOW |
ly across the room, he said, 'Ow, ow, I |
may as well be going after that Not
another word would Paddy answer"
-:II:-
Those who saw James Young's "Ham- |
let" at the Academy here recently may |
be interested in the opinion of his work |
held by the Syracuse critics, before whom |
he appeared last Friday. Says the Jour- |
nal: What shall We say of an actor |
whose audience remains in the seats to |
demand the acknowledgment of its ap-
plause at the end of the play? As to the |
critics. bah! They never enjoy anything |
except the memory of something they saw |
years ego before the present generation |
was born. But the people who gathered |
at the Bastable theater last evening and |
there were many readers of Shakespeare |
present, were more than interested in |
James Young. Not unheralded. yet prac-
tically unknown to northern audience,
Mr.. Young came to Syracuse. His pre-
tention In assuming one of the most diff
cult of Shakespearean roles. commanded |
attention. That he held that attention |
from beginning to the very end was the |