The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-14
TecuMseHs OF LONDON. ONT.
sta Team of the Continent Away Back
In the '.Os.

IN TIE 'sOs.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
Late in the '1Os IL was the belief OF
many residents north of the Canadian
border that the mightiest band of base
ball warriors on the continent held sway
at London. Ont, under the martial and
picturesque title of Tecumsehs. Many
times great teams of the National league
went To the little city to contest with the
nine that had proved itself invincible In
the old International league. but IL was
seldom recorded that the men from chi
cago. Detroit. Providence. Boston or the
other cities In the national circuit found
anything but defeat before the stout ash
bats of the Tecumsehs.
The Londo team was made up OF men
most Of whom, afterward gained fame and
prominence In the National league. The
bright particular stars were Fred Gold
smith. who was fondly believed by the
Canadians to be the inventor of curve
pitching: joe Hornung. who even In
comparison with the most formidable
players I'm the big American cities was
conceded to be one of the greatest left
fielders of his day: Dinnan. then a rising
second baseman and afterward "a Ma
tional. league star: Somerville, shortstop;
Doescher. third base; Bradley. first base;
Powers, catcher; Welsh. right field; Smith,
center field: Burke. substitute-not one
of them failed to be snapped up by
American managers or to make "a rec
ord.
The victorious progress of the men in
the north woods, which was the marvel
of the baseball world I'm the EOS. was
checked as much by financial considera-
lions as for any other reason. The Lon
don management could not pay the sala-
ries offered by bigger teams. and soon
the star men were all taken away. In the
's0s the Tecumsehs still fiourished. but
they were fallen giants, and IL was one
of their former fellows who first demon
onstrated how far they had fallen.
The Chicago team, headed by Arson,
went to London. where they had often
been defeated. but faced a different lot
of men In the field. Only one man in that
team is worth mentioning-the pitcher.
billie" Mountjoy. who afterward twirled
for Detroit. The London people believed
he was greater even than Goldsmith, and
he had an awe-inspiring delivery.
Goldsmith pitched for the Chicagos and
was given an enthusiastic reception. He
was first sent to bat out of courtesy to
the city where he attained fame. and
faced his successor I'm the Tecumsehs.
The crowd which had turned out To see
the contest-and II was l~arge-yelled to
Mountjoy to strike out Goldsmith. and the
twirler put on an extra twist as he sent
the white ball over the plate.
That pitched ball-not the second. but
the first-Goldsmith batted over the fence
behind center field. IL was the longest hit
ever seen on the ground. Dalrymple for
the Chicagos duplicated IL later, and
Pitcher Mountjoy was belabored all along
the line. The Chicaros got tired after
making u runs. while the Tecumse
scored but !.
But even that overwhelming defeat can
not oblitcrate the fact that the Tecum-
sehs In their old form on the same
grounds had twice previously defeated the
Chicagos by nearly as decisive scores.
Since those days the Tecumsehs have
been content to play with teams of their
own calibef.