davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
THE NESTOR
OF BASEBALL.
Captain Anson Talks of
the Players of Today
as Compared With the
Old Timers.
copyright. 1911


Nobody Is so capable of comparing
the baseball players of today and their
playing with the diamond heroes of the
past and their respective professional
skill as A. c. Anson. Here is a man
who has been an active member OF the
National League of Professional Base
ball Players and OF the National asso-
citation before IL since 1871. or nearly q
years. He has seen every prominent
player during that time come forward
and many pass off the field forever.
recently talked TO Anson on this
subject.
II have no hesitation whatever In
saying" declared the veteran, that
baseball OF today is no more skillfully
played than II was back in the eighties.
NV honest opinion is that IL Is not so
well played as IL was then. There are
very few new tricks, and we today la
Dor under the disadvantage OF less skill
ed and less brainy players. Just take
the Chicago champion team OF ten years
ago and then try TO show me another
team of men who can in the least point
be compared with them. There were
Pfeffer, Williamson, Burns, Kelly, Flint,
Goldsmith, Corcoran and Gore. Will
hanson and Burns never had their
equals as brainy players. i will say
without any reservation that Tom
Burns was the headiest player that
ever belonged to a baseball club. II was
he who invented most of the new tricks
of the game, which were Immediately
taken up and copied by other mines.
"Thcn we had Mike Kelly, star in
his way, who never had even an imita-
tor and never will have perhaps. They
talk about the hit and run system OF
the Baltimore team. Why should the
patrons of the game so soon forget that
it was those same old Chicagos who
first put that style Of team work into
operation. The greatest weakness among
the present clubs is the lack of players
who use their brains as well as their
bodies In the game. There are too many
mechanics and not enough artisans in
the National league today.
do / think the pitching now is better
tnan IL was half a score of years ago?
No. sir. / am not able to see where
among the pitchers of the present time
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
The Bicycle Heart

Famous German physicians have been
investigating the bicycle and studying
the effect of excessive riding on bicy-
clers. Twelve professional wheelmen
were examined before and after races
that lasted from five minutes TO half an
hour. IL was found that the strain on
the heart was shown by well marked
dyspnma. while there was discovered
severe dilatation, especially OF the left
ventricle. This dilatation. the doctors
report, may become permanent when
ovcrexertion on the wheel is frequent
and will innict irreparable injury TO
heart that Is chronically weak. IL was
also found that the kidneys were irri-
tated by excessively vigorous riding.
These newly discovered bicycle dangers
are only incurred by racing riders. The
average wheelman who rides for pleas
ure Is not so affected.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
SPORT In
A CANOE.

The joys OF canoeing have not been
exploited as persistently as have those
of ether sports, but they are among the
most enjoyable of all outdoor recrea-
tons. If the canoeist be an amateur
photographer. he will get pictures OF
delightful shady hooks hidden from the
ordinary rover's eye on account OF their
scclusion, for the canoe can glide on
a few inches of water, while the man
who explores the streams in boat
must hnve a couple of feet Of water to
Get his boat around in. II he be a fish
er-inn. he will take a fly rod along, and
with the canoe he can steal along the
edges OF a lake or a river almost as
ncsselessly as waterfowl.
a true canoeist sits his craft with the
ease and grace Of a horseman astride
favorite steed and manages his light
craft with slSillful strokes of the broad
paddle and his knowledge OF the art of
balancing. Many fish. particularly
black bass and pickerel, are in the hab-
IL of running in close to the shore in
the early morning and evening to snap
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
A New Handle Bar.

There is a new adjustable handle bar
on the market which has distanced all
it's competitors owing to several fea-
lures which none Of them possesses.
Every rider who sees il instantly ape
preciates it's strong points. The essen
tial features of the bar are that it can
be adjusted to any position desired
without the loosening of nuts or bolts
and while the rider continues to scorch
along The adjustment is released By
pressing a spring where the bar is
joined to the steering head. In addi-
ton TO this the grips are fitted with
similar springs, so that they can be ad-
iusted Independently of the bar proper.
This latter feature is found in no other
bar and is an immense Improvement.
The adjustable handle bar was called
for by the great number of riders who
found cramps of the hands and wrists
resulting from long rides with the
hands and bars in one position, as is
imperative with the fixed or solid bar.
The first adjustable bars and indeed
all except this new device. have n
shoulder arrangement at the center OF
the bar over the steering post, which
i
desired to change the position Of the
bar. This necessitates so much work,
however, that the bars are usually left
in the position best suiting the rider,
and the bar is practically solid. With
the new bar however, IL rider de-
sires to scorch or increase his speed
while pedallng over the country road,
If he comes to a steep hill which calls
for low handle bars and hard work, he
need not dismount and unfasten nut
to change the bar. Remaining on his
wheel, he reaches for the center OF the
bar, touches the spring and releases
the bar. Turning IL to the desired an
gle. the spring shoots a rod into place
in a series OF holders. and the bar is as
rigid as solid handle bar. The grips
can be dropped or raised TO any angle
by simply extending the thumb along
the grip 10 the spring and pressing IT,
When the spring is released, II fastens
the grip rigidly.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

at flies and insects. 1t is by reason of
this that a man in a canoe is enabled
10 catch game fish where an angler i'm
boat would frighten them away.
Canoeists never have any trouble in
getting fish for the frying pan.
II the canoeists are fonder OF the
gun than OF the rod. light 16 gauge
shotgun or a % caliber rife can be very
easily taken along, and squirrels. doves,
woodcock, plover and small deer can
be obtained TO exc out the larder. Per-
haps the travellers are on a hunt for
specimens. Then indeed is the canoe
the craft above all others adapted to
their purposes, for there are many shy
waterfowl and birds that frequent the
thickets and grasses by the shores OF
streams, and the noise OF boat would
frighten them away, but a canoe, gld-
ing i'm among the reeds with hardly
more stir than a big pickerel, enables
It's occupant 10 come upon these birds
without disturbing them. In this man
ner the habits OF birds and animals
may be better observed and studied
than in any other way.
In canoeing two persons should go
together. not only for companionship.
but In case OF sickness or accident.
The best streams for canoeing are
those which run through a farming
country where the travellers along the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
REPAIRING
THE WHEEL

To the person who has not given the
matter due consideration the mechanism
of a wheel is regarded as exceedingly
intricate. Indeed riders of seasons
experience are found who are in equal
Ignorance The nonrider thinks with
CONSERVATION Of what the result or
fall would be miles from home or OF
puncture in the park. A fall would
surely break wheel or twist the en-
tire machine out of shape. and a pune
ture would be awful" If not worse.
Now, as a matter of fact, the construc-
ton Of an up to date bicycle is sim
plicity itself. and the modus operandi or
taking il apart and putting 1t together
again can be mastered by any one with
but little difficulty. This Is usually
found out by the novice along in the
middle of the season after he has sew
eral times paid card rates at repair
shop to have a puncture fixed or the
chain adjusted. Cleaning the bearings
will cost the price of Sunday dinner
at a country inn and could be done just
as well at home while resting.
One agent tells of young man who
twisted his handle bar in the steering
head and then trundled the machine
three blocks to a shop and watched the
dealer repair the damage with his hands
in about five seconds and charge the
amazed owner % cents for his work
Ordinary repairs, such as patching
puncture. STRENGTHENING a bent fork,
adjusting bearings, etc, can be maze
by the average rider If he will only
take the pains to watch experienced
persons when opportunity occurs and be
.t.I. 90 NV
ing. After one has mastered the mech
anism of his machine there is a great
deal more enjoyment to be had out OF
riding than when the rider doesn't know
anything about IL, except that 1T Is
bicycle. He who knows his steed Will
see to IL that it is in perfect running
order before he goes out and will not
be haunted by the suspicion that pos
sbly something is the matter with the
bearings or the chain or that his reach
may not be Just right. Nor Will he De
continually annoyed by squeaking ana
grinding noises like the rider VINO ue-
pends on the repair man TO Keep ms
wheel i'm shape.
One way to clean chain wei, says
The American Wheelman, is 10 take
can 6 inches i'm diameter and inches
deep and coil the chain and place IL IN
the can. Pour in naphtha enough To
cover the chain, put on tight nttlng
cover and shake II for n few minutes.
Pour off the naphtha and repeat once.
In FIVE minutes this will clean any chain
perfectly. oil IL we'll and work the oil
in. Now wipe the chain dry and Put on
il n moderate amount OF graphite, and
the chain will run smoothly.
An Indian Territory genius has pat
ented a sail for bicycles which he de-
clares will enable cyclists 10 scoot along
before a favorable wind without any ef-
fort on their own part.
The income of the Victorian league.
the governing cycling association In
Australia. for the last nine months has
been SIS. 500. There are 5000 members.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

Elmer Smith OF the Pittsburgs did ex-
arm for several years.
"of the present numerous left handlers
there are only few who can be rated
with the old timers. Killen is the best
of the lot. and the New York club has
the next best in young Seymour. / look
upon him as the coming great left hand
ed pitcher. He is scarcely more than a
boy now and needs experience. yet as
II is he will hold his own against even
Killen. When Seymour gains control
he will outclass Killen on account OF his
terrific speed.
II don't see that the playing rules as
revised during the last ten years have
in anywise improved the game. Prob
ably the best OF them was that which
made a foul tip caught close up behind
the bat a strike. But the game has
been injured by the abolition OF the trap
ball. If you'll look at IL rightly, you'll
see what / mean. Suppose the bases are
full, with no one out and the next bats
man lifts little fly to the infeld. Un-
der the present rule the batsman is out
as soon as he hits the ball, and the UNI
pire yells while the ball is in the air:
'Batsman is OUT Infield fly" AS a
consequence the three base runners fold
their arms, stand contentedly on their
bases. and nobody need make an effort
TO catch the ball. IT may fall on the
ground and lay there till some one picks
II up and throws 1t to the pitcher.
How absolutely disgusting that must be
to spectators
"But under the trap rule there would
be a most exciting period in the game.
While the ball was coming down the
base runners would be In a shiver If
they ran. expecting trap OF the ball,
the fielder would catch IL and force
them before they could get back. III
they hugged their bases, the ball might
be trapped and two, maybe all three
forced out before they could advance.
Just imagine the excitement among the
spectators while that ball is in the air
and while the play is being made and
then imagine the disgust of the same
crowd under the existing rule!
1--WE played professionally since 1871,
when began with the Forest Citys of
Rockford. Ills. Next year | went to the
Athletics of Philadelphia. where staid
till 1876. Then ! joined the Chicagos
and have been with them ever since.
How much longer will play? Really
don't know. But one thing l can tell
you'd not be playing now had / not
nursed my abilities and abstained from
all manner of excesses. Drinking. over
eating, smoking, late hours and care
less habits-those are the evils which
put two-thrds OF the players out of the
game when they should be just enter
ing upon the most prosperous part OF
their career. II does not only put them
out of the game but in many cases II
has put them out of the world"
O. p. CAYLOR.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
The Lady and the Mount

Few women know how TO dlsmount
gracefully" remarked veteran wheel
woman on the road the other day.
They generally tumble rather than
step from their wheels. A woman's
wheel Is an awkward machine for the
most graceful to dismount from. There
is a right and a wrong way TO dis
mount. so far as grace is concerned.
The awkward way. though the one usu-
ally taught. is 10 slow down and as the
left pedal reaches the lowest point to
slip to the ground with the right foot.
The graceful way sometimes called
the French dismount,' is TO stand on
the left pedal after the wheel has
slowed up and then step TO the ground
on the left side Of the wheel with the
right foot All women should adopt
this method"
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
RAN FOUR NILES
IN SEVEN-ELEVEN.

IucraB aBrgawh hr hurn a San ~ n
~
m n% and courage w " h
dmne: :bH: third mne1F fourth nieI ri ggpg two mile m
an for % miles The
n
o.
Aele by ~ chopped traction from a
y o
~ eat erp ~ e is proc o m
wi o h over hk h
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
Potter Will Retire.

The announcement that Chief Con-
sui |. II. Potter of the New York state
division of the l.. "A. w. has decided to
retire from office at the expiration of
his term in December has excited great
surprise. During his term OF three
years Mr.. Potter has built the division
membership up from about 5000 TO over
10000. 1t is felt that the committee ap-
pointed 20 nominate a ticket for the
fall election will try TO induce Mr.. Pot
ter 20 stand for another term. such
step seems doubtful. however.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

watery highway can easily obtain sup
plies. The baggage should be limited
to absolutely indispensable things. "A
light, serviceable tent, blankets. fry
ing pan. tin plates, plenty OF matches.
a fishing rod, a small rifle. an extra
paddle and light sail for windy days
are about all the two men need. Salt
and pepper should be carried, but
bread and butter and coffee and tea
can be bought at the towns along the
river. Make the list OF catables taken
along as light as possible and depend
upon the rifle and rod To furnish most
of the substantial supplies
A trip in boat can i'm no way COM
pare TO the delights OF canoeing trip.
The canoe il OF all craft the best by
long odds for the purpose Of summer
outing on lake or stream. a boat Is
unwieldy beside one OF these graceful
shapes. The oarsman In a boat or
skiff must sit up stiflly and has no OPP
portunity 10 adapt himself 10 an easy
or a comfortable position while rowing.
The paddler in canoe, on the contra
ry, may kneel or sit IL he wishes. He
may also sit low on a cushion, with an
other cushion at his back, and paddle
along in the most luxurious manner
that can be imagined. and even at his
LATEST he will be making good progress.
When he gets tired of even such slight
exertion, he can lie back and lazily drift
down stream without the least care or
trouble. He can run his little craft
over the shallow sandy reaches where
skif would he aground instantly. He
can skim over the water as swiftly as
one OF the black water bugs that glide
across the shadows.
1t is delightful TO slip along the edge
Of shadows at the bend OF the river
where the suckers lie among the gravel
and the ring necked plover cries queru-
lously from the shore down by the
farms. where the red barns RISE each
Respondent with its weathercock. and
the imposing height OF the windmill
looms against the sky: past the will
lows, along the marshy places from
where the turtledoves take flight To the
distant woods and where occasionally a
sly mink steals back as The canoe glides
by; past beds of the blue flag lilies. ra-
diant i'm their beautiful coloring, or
down through tangled beds OF thick and
streamy water grasses thrown back like
the hair of a floating water nymph.
There is nothing so soul satisfying as
trip on some secluded little stream
with a canoe. but ii Is well to remember
that the art of padding is one that
must be practiced before II becomes
safe TO take a jaunt in these narrow
little pirogues. The birch bark canoe.
lightest and most beautiful OF the ca
noe kind. requires a very skillful hand
with the paddle and an extra degree OF
familiarity to enable person to use it
in deep water. When in very rapid wa
ter. the motion OF birch bark canoe
comes as near TO flying as anything
else. The modern canoes OF cedar and
other wood are very light and can be
handled in short time by any one who
has had experience with oars and is not
OF nervous disposition. a canoe trip
is inexpensive after the canoe Is pur-
chased A bqai Will last many seasons
IL taken care or
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

G. one in ten is a strong proportion.
We say ten because about half the cam
didates are OF the fair sex and not quail
lied for the pulpit-London Cycling.
II Is stated on reliable authority that
Ernest Terah Hooley will retire from
company promoting at the end OF this
year and will then devote his attention
20 farming and outdoor pursuits. lie
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

will endeavor to accomplish something
even more wonderful than the acquire
ment OF his fabulous wealth-the man.
ufacture Of a bicycle weighing II pounds
which shall be perfectly reliable for
track work.
Hans Knoll. German world girdler,
died recently of typhus In Teheran. He
was n young fellow. and few travellers
could tell more interesting story.
While I'm Persia he became a great
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

you can find the superiors OF John
Clarkson. Charley Radbourn. Charley
Sweeney. Lady Baldwin, Tom Bond.
Ferguson and more whom couldname
Nichols, Rusie and Young are the only
pitchers OF today who could at all class
with the men have named, and don't
consider one Of the three the equal OF
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

men like Clarkson. Radbourne. Swee-
ney and Ferguson.
But the greatest contrast you Will
find in the catchers, most important
position in any team which expects sue
cess. Ewing and Kelly never had their
equals behind the bat. Then there were
men like Bennett, Flint. Bushong and
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

favorite with the crown prince, and one
result Of this friendship would have
been the unraveling Of the Lenz mys-
terry. When the fever was coming on,
Knoll was far from friends and almost
penniless. In this weak state he had
10 ride back TO Teheran and seek em-
ployment. He succeeded In obtaining
a Job in a sugar factory and for a few
days managed to earn the price OF his
daily bread, but suddenly the feVer
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

grew violent. and the young traveller
was compelled TO stay in his strange
lodgings till death released him.
We have heard so much about the in
jury done to various trades by the in
crease in the number of cyclists that II
is comforting TO hear that the wigmak-
ers are increasing their business in ar
tifical frlnges. which. we are told. are
much in request among lady riders.
Wind and weather, not 10 mention per-
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

most valuable catcher in the League to-
day. but who would think of comparing
Peitz to Ewing. Kelly. Bennett or Sny-
der?
Yes, McPhee is a great second base
man, but he has come down from the
1880 crop. McPhee was star of first
magnitude ten years ago, when he was
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

So was John Richmond. Probably the
greatest south paw pitcher who ever
sent a ball over the plate was Ramsey
when he was in his prime. but he didn't
last long. Love of liquor produced his
undong. as it has served all who have
foolishly INDUCED i'm 1t. There also was
Kilrov. a superb little left handler, and
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

ISOLATION club, .who as an all around
player has no peer among the second
base men OF today.
Your Nashes, Burnses and Whtneys
are gone or going, and we have only
Collins 10 remind us of them.
"In one respect the present state OF
the game has advanced. / refer to the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

contemporary with Pfeffer. Burdock.
Farrell and others There are no Nc
Phees but one today. Lowe comes near
est 10 him. and there the comparison OF
second base men ends. BWt ten years
ago we had Pfeffer. Burdock, a Far
rell and a Richardson. and there was
Yankee Robson with the ST. Louis AS
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

Charley Snyder. Point to one catcher
In the League today who can be COM
pared with either OF those four men.
Camel. who was Bennett's understudy.
Is still playing, and. though he has
fallen away materially in his work. he
ranks high among the present corps OF
pitchers. 'Heiney' Peitz is probably the
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

splration. play havoc with the real ar
ticle, so that an artificial one is worn
when cycling. .-London>NNheeling.
The twenty-first annual 100 mile road
ride Of the London B. G. was run off
under most favorable climatic circum-
stances. Twelve started. p. =. Legg
was first. the time being Oh. 2im.; +.
Cockshutt second. 5h. 39m.; w. Legg
third. Oh. 52m. These arc the fastest
times ever made.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

young" as several Of our bishops arc
quite practical cyclists. even when bor-
dering on threescore and ten. We no.
tico the bishop OF Bath and Wells. Dean
Currie and about 100 clergy Of lO,yer de-
cree are Included In the current list OF
rnrs ths~ 1000 cndidates for the s. Il.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

plenitude OF left handed pitchers. who
are most desired by every club which
plays ball. l don't mean TO say that
the left handlers are better than those
OF the eighties. but there is much
larger supply. Then the crop was
small. but the quality was superior.
Lady Baldwin was q great left handler.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
To Avoid the Side Slip.

A we'll inflated tire. really hard. is the
best safeguard. Beware OF scudding
around corners AT an incline, as the
side slip cannot occur so long as the
machine runs perpendioularly.
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17
FOREIGN CYCLE NOTES.

There is no doubt that the cycle has
really taken strong hold upon the Es-
tabiishcd church. We notice that the
archdeacon OF Leicester In his charge
~ his clergy says that his successor
should be young man and a cyclist
We think he need not have sal
The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-17

A team Of English amateur golf play
ers is expected in this country in the
fall