Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-30
NEW FEATURES
The: Order, This Year, at Good
Will Boys Assembly.
Dedication Of the New Ball Field,
With a Good Will Victory.
With Every Hour the Exercises Are Taking
on New Interest.


July 29.-(SpeciaD. This year is one Of
new features in our Boys Assembly life.
Almost everything is new except the
North star, the Kennebec river and Mr..
Hinckleys paternal care and wise and
thoughtful management. On Wednes-
day afternoon we were conducted to
newly discovered ball field. When the
plans were making for a change of
base from the western to the eastern
side of the river for holding the Assem-
bly, the problem as to the athletic field
for the afternoon sports and games
was difficult to solve, as we We're to
leave the ball diamond of the Farm
full mile away, While the Kennebec
rolled between.
But this difficulty was easily re-
moved one day some months ago.
when Mr.. Hinckley was examining the
possessions and planning for this As
sembly. He discovered very near the
center of the 30-acre plot a field well
cleared and admirably adapted to the
uses of base ball and other field athle
tics. 1t is a field of two acres or more.
surrounded by trees which form a de-
licious covering for the grand stand,
though not a perfectly sure and safe
back-stop for the catcher. This ball
| field is certainly a most remarkable
| find" 1t has been put in excellent
| shape by the boys at the Farm, and
nothing more unique and better suited
| to its purposes can be found.
On the afternoon of the first Assem-
| bly, day this field was happily and fit
tingly opened and dedicated by a game
of base bali between the Good VIII
nine and nine selected from the vis-
| tors. This visitors aggregation was
| quite remarkable one. Three of the
number were fresh from the diamond
| of Brown university, one was formerly
a member Of the nine of Williams col
| lege, two were formerly Good viii boys
| and members of the Good VIII nine,
| one was from the nine of Pembroke
academy New Hampshire, one had
| welded the bat at Castine Normal
school, and all had "twirled the sphere"
more or less; but the Good VIII com
| bination' was too well combined to be
terrified or to be beaten.
! 1t might not have been just the
proper thing for the Good viii boys to
do, but it was one of the chances of
| life time and they took it. Captains
| Drew and Bustard each handled the
men in a mastery manner, but the
visitors We're unable to make their skill
and experience appear on the score
card. At the end of five innings the
game ended, the score standing to 2
| in favor of Good WILL OF course the
Good Will cheer filled the air and all
| Except the visitors) were happy.
There were several scenes of thrill
| ing interest. among the attempt of the
nimble, agile. ministerial eX-first base
man of the Williams nine as he went
far into the air for q high ball and
came down on his back. But the SUI
preme moment of the hour was in the
fifth inning when Captain BASTARD
stood over the plate with bat in hand
and fire in his eye. AS a rule the boys
didn't care to give him a chance to hit
the ball, preferring rather to let him
walk to the first base; but he spied
ball coming just right and he decided
to meet it. He struck it fairly in the
face and it went up and up and out
and out far over the infield into the
regions beyond
But Higgins was in the center field
for a purpose, and his eagle eye and
Tom Reed GOODNESS took in the situa-
ton as he few back and across into
| just the desired place and stopped in
the very spot where Brown Univer
sity's ex-captain expected to land his
ball. He just picked the ball out of the
air and put it in his pocket and walked
in with all the gravity of a Hamilton
| he oh pf no 1Scppo hlp1 mJll-
| titude. BASTARD didn't make the homs
run as he had it in mind. Thus ended
the first game on the newly dedicated
| diamond.
| At 40 occurred the daily swim in the
river under the watchful and expert
enced eye of G. l.. Meylan, M. D., who
| is medical director of Boston Y. M. {.
A. DR.. Meylan is most heartily well
coined as he returns for his third term
of service in the Assembly; and this
coming is all the more pleasant for him
and all concerned, as he brings with
him his newly welded wife. The doc
tor bears the new honors and receives
the hearty congratulations becomingly.
The evening of the first day was a
memorable one. A large audience
filled the tent. After a short service of
song, Rev VIM. Walton Clark, d. D.,
of New Jersey, was introduced as the
| first speaker of the evening. He an
nounced as his theme THE Bible and
How to Study it," If anyone suspected
at the time of announcement that We
were foreordained and elected to be
bored by a long, dry, uninterestins
Bible lecture, how delightful must have
been the surprise as thu hour advanced.
| The address was bright, clear. strong
and packed full Of useful Information.
All were glad to learn that we are 20
have Dr. Clark with us for the week
and shall have opportunity to hear him
several times He readily adjusts him.
self to the conditions of camp life, is at
home on the ball field, in a boat, in
the tent, on the platform, anywhere
and everywhere. he is the guest of
Mr. Smith at REST Awhile" His ex-
perience as a worker I'm conferences at
Mortified and elsewhere. and lecturer
at Mr.. Moody's Bible Institute in
Chicago, makes him valuable acqui-