Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-07-13
TUESDAY EVENING. JULY 49, 1897


with the exception of youthful en-
tnuslasm generated In ignorance .
nv the interest OF his elders, the small
poy OF the United States has, as a rule
little or no interest in the chief execu-
tive of the nation. OF course, the pa
,riotism found so abundantly and gen
orally among American boys naturally
makes them champions OF whatever
pertains to this country, There 49,
however, q mutual interest that Will
bind the small boy particularly to pres-
ident Mckinley. The American youth
probably knew little of the gold stand
ard. or free silver, or of protective
tariff. and cared less, SO long as these
did not prevent him from enjoying
himself as the free American LAD only
can, but when it was once known hat
the president of the nation took an in-
terest In baseball; that while repre-
sentative OF his district in the lower
house at Washington he frequently at
tended the games in that oity-,hen It
was that the American youth found
something which interested him
completely, in the president.
Regardless of the political utilization
OF his parents and relatives, the
small boy, and in many instances also
the large boy, will accept this enthu-
siasm for baseball on the part OF the
president as bis chief qualification for
that Office. To the American lad there
is possibly nothing that calls forth SO
much enthusiasm and demands SO
much of his time as the sport that Is
now recognized as the national game.
What American lad IS there OF strong
and healthy body who has not felt the
zest of smashing out a home run with
three men on bases? Who has not
felt the exultationa Of the conqueror
when he changed Tie tide OF defeat
into that Of victory for his sidep Who
has not felt his superiority when slid
ing to the home plate and scoring the
run in the last inning and that won the
championship for his nineP +
Each season brings out the small
boy with his bat and his bail, ready
for the fray, and these implements are
used until worn out or until the season
closes and the entrance of cold weather
makes him lay them by until another
wear. BUTT is not alone the small boy
who is interested 10 this great Amer
lean game-it is the youth standing on
the threshold of manho god looking for
ward into the future successes and
future failures, perhaps, but always
.cheered at the deeds of yalor, at the
activity, at the strategy Of the diamond
Il is the business mar who lays aside
the cares OF financial worry. the inter-
est in market reports for short inter-
val in the week to enjoy the contest OF
sthe opposing mines. II is the profess
bional man, who opce more recalls the
day when be, too. was a small boy and
enjoyed the mysterious i%ntricacies of
town ball or three-cornered cat.
Gradually the game has become a
favorite among The women Of the cou
.try until 0 LADIES' day is no longer
regarded as a novelty, but il is quite
the proper order Of events in the base
ball season.
The prophecy that baseball as q ma
tional game would soon die cut has
failed OF fulfllment. 1t appears that
each year the interest is as great, If
not greater, than the one foregoing,
and it is certain that no lover Of sports,
no patriotic American, desires that
baseball, as a national game, should
ever cease, to exist. 1t is a means OF
tnstilling patriotism. 1t is said that
the stadium of Greece had more to do
with the nations victory on ancient
fields of battle than Homer's invention
OF the immortal Achilles. 1t was ac-
counted as the greatest achievement
Id the life of the Atbenian youth to
win victory in contests of the OLYMPIC
an sports. Whatever savors of march
ing strength against strength, strategy
against strategy, skill against skill,
calls forth the interest of every man
who admires those qualities in human
nature; therefore, the residents Of each
city should take come actual prids IN
the progress and in4the achievement
OF the baseball team that represents
their community. Not alone because
these stand as advertisements to a
town, but in a measure, whatever the
team accomplishes o alone depends
on the players themselves, but upon
the interest in the game manifested by
tho people Of the city, which stands
for a silent, intangible. moral support.
Six pei rabbits belonging to b.
Ruppe, at Albuquerque, have died in
the past few days. They got nndsr
the wool g~nrehouss Of Eisemann Bros,