davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

Lords will doubtless reason that 1t is
useless to provide the younger disputant
with the seat without the estate to sup
port IT.
And what an estate It is! One of the
finest in England; twelve miles long; with
a model village upon 1t; with a special
telephone service between it's parts; in
Guiding portions of eighteen parishes;
with its splendid avenue of cedars with
one of the stateliest homes in England;
with its great library and its art treas
ures by Van Dyck Murillo Corregio, Ru-
bens. Rembrandt and others and its rent
roll of SO 310-trusted for the mortgagors.
Yes ii is fine estate, and there is an
other fine one-Granville Hall in Hamp-
shire.
There is talk of q compromise, but Hin
tons solicitor, G.. II. Hall, intimates that
he has too good a case.
The circumstances which brought about
the possibility of Viscount Hinton being
a claimant for the earldom of Poulett
are indeed strange. When the late earl
married Billy Newman there were five
lives between him and the sixth earrs
title. He had no expectation of even get
ting 1t.
But one after another the fifth Earrs
three sons died, then an elder cousin, then
the heartbroken Earl himself, and Cap
tain Poulett succeeded to the title. He was
not then living with his wife. She died
in 1870, first telling her son that he was
Viscount Hinton. The young man had
been educated at Pouletts expense until
he was is years old, at Portsmouth.
The poor woman. who had, by all ac-
counts. been a true wife to Poulett. was
not even allowed to die in peace
When Viscount Hinton, then Just or
age, was summoned to her bedside to re-
ceive her last blessing she said to him.
II am not in pain, but'-then her voice
sank to a nervous whisper-"there is an
eye that sometimes stares through
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

made one Lydia Sheppy, ballet dancer,
Vscountess Hinton. and the Earl did not
wish them TO remain in England.
Hinton's career on the stage was I'M
lucky On the fifth night of his engage
ment at the Garrick Theater, White
chapel, he fell down a trap. For three
months he was kept alive by being fed
by a spoon, and bad scar remains on
his face to show where he was hurt.
1t was about this time that Hintons
first baby came The Dowager Duchess
of Cleveland Mrs. Poulett, a distant rela-
tive and other ladies were kind to the
young parents, and tided them over the
bad times.
In 1872 Viscount and Lady Hinton or
gained a stage troupe of their own. which
failed disastrously. 1t was after this, and
after some adventures abroad which have
been briefly referred to. that Hinton set
up a barrel organ. And this he has con-
tinued to play because it was profitable
and because 1t annoyed the old Earl
It did annoy him! To the day of his
death Poulett came to London as seldom
as possible, for he knew that when he
came the organ would promptly appear
under his window, with the placard: Il
am viscount Hinton, etc" conspicuously
displayed thereon and play sweet har-
monies.
It's a very good organ. too. The late
Eugene Field, who interviewed Hinton
some years ago, wrote that it had five
cylinders, played fifty tunes, and must
have cost small fortune"
The Viscount is a slightly built man,
with rather good features marred by dis
sipation The. Viscountess, who generally
accompanies him, is a faded, bloated,
commonplace woman, blondtned and
hashy of a distinctly inferior type.
The Hintons have made good living
fbaIr They are DODuiar with
the London public because they are gen.
erous to those less prosperous than them
selves, because they are always willing to
appear for charity" and because the
people. with innate British love Of fair
play, believe that Earl Poulett should
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

have provided for his son. The viscount
has been befriended by many In the ar1s-
tocracy, also, and his son and daughter
have been fairly educated.
The tenants on the Hinton st. George
estate, on the other hand, favor the son
Of the third marriage, for obvious rea-
sons
That Betty Newman's son will be the
Earl Poulett and her grandson Viscount
Hinton In turn there can be little doubt.
II will be bitter pill for the House or
Lords; but law is law. and the British
courts will uphold it. Indeed, had not the
late Earl known that Hinton would al
most certainly inherit he would not have
been in such haste to ruin himself.
Years ago, when Hinton was in trouble
at the Old Bailey, the main charge
against him was that he had obtained
money on his claim to the Poulett estates,
knowing the claim TO be invalid.
The papers in defense were handed to
the late Sir William Charley, the Com
mon Sergeant. who was sitting as Judge.
After looking them over. Sir William said
that instead of proving that the claim was
bad the deeds seemed rather to afford
evidence of It's validity. He was not
conveyancing lawyer, but he had seen
enough to show him that even If the
claimant did not prove his claim, upon the
documents in evidence he had ample ma
terial for believing that his claim was
good
In other words no fraud had been COM
mitted
So the organ-grinder may put on the
ermine and get what good he can out of
the $4,000 acres of Hinton St. George,
mortgaged to its full earning capacity.
His claim will be fought at every step,
but IT is difficult TO see how it can be de-
feated in the end
SO far as a seat in the House of Lords
is concerned, Hintons success Is not so
easily practicable, as the House Is Itself
the Judge of the qualifications Of its own
members. Still, in the end the noble
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

crack in the door and 1t troubles me, 1t
do"
at must be delusion, mother" said
Lord Hinton mo one would come and
glover at dying woman through a crack
in door
IT'S true" said the dying woman. rive
seen that eye too often, l have; times
when l let on to be asleep"
Lord Hinton went out to ask the land
lady.
yes" she said. after some hesitation,
cit is true. Emma Johnston comes down
from Rosebank, Waterloo, to find out how
soon ma is going to die, and she mas
peeped through the door"
What picture! Emma Johnston was
the lady who, six weeks after the first
Lady Poulett died, became the second
Countess. She died without issue in 1875.
In 1879 Poulett married Rosa de Melville,
daughter of Alfred Hugh de Melville, and
her son was recognized by Poulett as MS
heir.
Vjscount Hinton, the claimant to the
earldom, has something of a reputation
in America and from all accounts 1t is
nothing to be proud Of. Just when he came
to this country seems TO be matter OF
doubt. But while here he played many
parts. He is a man who has been by
turns a tramp, a circus clown and a
mountebank; who has been arrested III
Louisville, Ky, for fraud on the Latonia
race track and driven from Chicago by
the bare recognition of his fact.
Later, after he got out of this country,
he served six months in a military prison
for desertion from his regiment in India
after having swindled Calcutta mer-
chants; he was locked up in Port Said for
attempting the life of a croupier in a
gambling house. He then escaped to Eng
land and was soon sent to prison for nine
months for defrauding jewelers., gun
smiths and others; and has for years
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

" HE American game of baseball
first sew the light in California
about forty years ago. At that pc
Rod the population of the entire
State was less than half a million,
and the leading Industries were
gold mining and cattle raising San Fran
cisco was the center Of population and
everything new that came from abroad,
whether 1t was a new game or a new
dish was always tried in San Francisco
before 1t was allowed to reach the inte-
rior.
A few Englishmen from Canada and
Australia introduced early IN the ffties
the old country game of cricket. but the
Americans did not take kindly to it. 1t
was deemed slow in comparison with the
then popular game Of FOUNDERS, which
had been imported from New England.
Founders was played with a rubber ball
OF great residence and hard or soft TO
suit the taste of the players, experts pre-
ferring ball almost hard and as
heavy as lead, for IT afforded more fun
when the unlucky runner between bases
had TO be put OUT the process of put
ting out being to hit the runner with the
ball before he could reach the base to
which he was running. Consequently
the heavier and harder the ball the more
6Isinciiped would be the put-out man to
sit down and rest himself There being
no soaking" In cricket, there was no real
American fun in it, and the game was
played only by quiet. dignified Britishers.
Out of the game of FOUNDERS as played
in California and the East was evolved
the game of baseball. The father of the
national game in San Francisco was John
Fisher, a well-known mining man, at
present retired from business and prom
inent member Of the Pioneers. He and
Fire Marshal John L. Durkee had OBJ
tanned an inkling of the new. game as
played in New York, and they, with other
ball cranks, prevailed upon some of the
rounder clubs to try their version of the
new game. Durkee and Fisher made the
only style of ball used in California for
the purpose, IL being g. sphere of rubber
wound around with yarn and covered
with buckskin. The first regulation ball
and the first set of rules were brought
TO San Francisco from Boston in 1859 by
Martin Cosgriff. who is now in the re-
packing business on Battery street.
There arrived from New York at about
the same time a Mr.. Gelson, who had
played the game in New York and was
conceded to- be the only expert in Cali
fornia at that time.
Fisher, CosgriH, Gelson and Durkee, to-
gether with Dan DriscolI. Of the Blue
Wing saloon on Montgomery street, ar
ranged q match between the Eagles and
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

bases were marked out IN old Butcher
town on the Potrero. It was an expert
ment for the boys, and they mixed up
FOUNDERS and baseball in the most ludi-
crous way. In running between bases
they expected to be hit with the ball as
in FOUNDERS before being put out. When
q man dropped the bat and started for
the first base he made a home run, and
1t was difficult to convince him that he
had been put out before he reached the
first base simply because he missed the
old feeling Of pain under the coat tails,
which in FOUNDERS was the infallible
symptom Of failure
For many years the ball was pitched
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26
Art THE GAME OF BASEBALL IN CHLIFOF

ba Seman; d. I. Fowler, right fielder, be-
came professor of agriculture in the Uni
versity of California; First Baseman
Walker is a hardware merchant of Oak
land; EIdridge Durbrow, the first base
man of the City College club, is now an
officer of the Anglo-Californian Bank in
this city; Second Baseman Charles G,
Yale, now an employee in the United
States Branch Mint, is an acknowledged
authority on mines and mining. The
third baseman was Parker Crfttenden;
Pitcher Dutton is the president of the
Fireman's Fund Association; Fred But
Ter. the catcher. is well known artist;
Tony Parrish, the short stop, is A L.
Parish, office deputy for the United
States Marshal, and Center-felder Lewis
ton and Right-felder Dodge are we'll
known attorneys.
The score stood 4s runs for the Live
Oaks and 46 for the City College. In the
succeeding match DR.. Keeney played
right field for the City College Club and
the club resigned at the end of the eighth
inning, the score standing 81 runs for the
Live Oaks and only 80 for the College
boys. But it wasn't altogether the fault
of DR.. Keeney.
The boys who graduated from the City
College organized the Cosmopolitan Club,
of which ex-State Senator Charles de
Long was pitcher, Lawyer Lewiston left
fielder, Lawyer Land first baseman,
Charles LIE Breton second baseman, Tony
ton center fielder A. Rising right fielder,
David Allison left fielder, and G. Newhall
shortstop. Dave Allison, now a prominent
commission merchant, was known as the
"one-handed batter" He never took hold
of the bat with both hands, and for that
reason stipulation was made before the
beginning of every game whereby Allison
was allowed TO swipe the ball with the
bat held only IN his good right hand.
In the sixties the Eagles and Pacifics
were the champion clubs and contained
such crack players as Pitcher Kerrigan.
Catcher Calvert, Right Fielder Dunn and
Left Fielder Gum for the Eagles and
Customs Broker Bellingall and Martin F.
Cosgrif in the Pacifics. Cosgrim playing
under the name of Russell for sabbath
rian reasons The other celebrated clubs
of those years were the Active. the Mis-
sion. the Independent. the Atlantic, the
Irvington, the Excelsior the Athletic, the
Mantle, the Lone Star, the Vigilant. the
Broderick the Brannan and the Golden
City.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

which was situated on the corner OF
Stockton and Geary streets. Veteran
John Fisher took the boys in hand and in
structed them in the mysteries of the
game during the lunch hour and after
the close of school at o'clock in the af-
ternoon. This club played a memorable
came with the Live Oak of Oakland on
April 20. 1866 The Live Oak club was COM
posed of boys who are to-day prominent
in the political. business and professional
worlds The pitcher of the Live Oaks
was Charles Garter. ex-United States At
torney for the Northern District OF Cali
fornie: ex-Congressman John r. Glas-
cock was catcher; D. n. Arnott, ex-Supe-
rior Judge of Alpine County, was second
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

der Gelson's tuition until they had the
game letter-perfect. and then, there be-
ing no opposing club to play with. they
split in two for the purpose of having
ompetition-the offspring of the Eagles
being called the Pacific. The preliminary
matches between these two attracted
considerable attention from players in
this city and in Oakland, and in a very
short time the rounder clubs went out of
existence and baseball clubs were formed
here and in Oakland, which latter city
at that time was a college, vegetable
garden and a milk ranch.
One Of the best clubs in the State in the
early days was the City College Club,
composed of pupils Of that institution,
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26
A LITERARY Find.

A correspondent Of Literature has found
a poem by William Cullen Bryant which
does not appear in any collection of the
poets works. The poem appeared origin
ally in the Literary Souvenir. an English
annual for 1881. 1t is one that seems at
least worthy Of preservation:
Oh, no, II never crossed my heart,
To think of thee with love,
For we are severed far apart
AS earth and arch above;
And though in many a midnight dream
Thou promptedst fancy's brightest theme.
never thought that thou couldst be
More than that midnight dream to ny
II.
A something bright and beautiful
Which l must teach me to forget,
Ere can turn to meet the dull
Realities that linger yet.
A something girt with summer f1owerA
And laughing eyes and sunny hours;
While I-too well I know-will be
Not even midnight dream to theei
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

underhand instead Of overland, as at
present. There were no such things as
curves or giraffe twists, speed being the
only quality sought after by the pitcher
and the philosophy Of curves being an
unknown quantity. Owing to this fact.
the scores of runs were large; without
this explanation it might be thought that
the boys Of forty years ago were very
poor players when the runs on each side
were in many noted games allowed to
mount into the eighties and nineties. Be.
cause Of the mode of pitching the batter
was enabled to knock the ball all over
the field, and the felders were kept on
the move at all stages of the play None
Of the players was allowed to wear
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

According to this story, which may be
called the theory Of the defense, Poulett
did not long live with his wife. A son was
born to her on December Is Of the same
year, who IS the present claimant.
But there are those who hold that the
tale of the drunken bet is too incredible,
and hint that Poulett had known the
woman-everybo knows everybody In
little town-and had married her under
compulsion and lived with her some five
years.
Still another tale is that Betty Newman
was a good and pure girl whom Poulett
dearly loved and married, but of whom
IN time he tired.
All this matters very little in fact. BY
British law, which is American law also,
the boy was born in wedlock and is Pou-
let's legitimate son. He is now 40 years
old and puts in his claim for his fathers
title.
When Newman, as the claimant was
called in his younger days, in accordance
with the settlement the Earl made upon
Betty Newman, came Of age, he asserted
his claim to the title of Viscount Hinton,
which is derived from Hinton st. George,
an estate of 29 900 acres, which has been
in the family since the fifteenth century.
The Earl denied the claim but he asked
the young man to call upon him IN this
note, which is in evidence;
Earl Pouletts compliments TO Lord Hin
ton, and will he be kind enough to call
upon him tomorrow at II o'clock at Il
Victoria Mansions. Victoria street?
Lord Hinton promptly obeyed. Arriving
at Victoria Mansions he was shown up
stairs. In the entresol he met his father
for the first time. He was well dressed,
and his address was somewhat naughty
as he broke the Ice by suggesting that
Hinton should go abroad.
Lord Hinton said that he objected to
do so.
Lord Poulett then suggested that he
should drop his title. remarking that titles
were expensive to keep up.
Lord Hinton demurred.
We'll, you Will think 1t over" said the
Earl You want some money!"
YES"
Very well; go to Mr.. Annesley, my So
Ncitor, and he will relieve you"
The interview lasted twenty minutes,
and was not over-cordial. But Lord Pou-
lett had by implication admitted Hinton's
right TO the title which he had asked him
to drop for considerations Of economy,
and he had promised him an immediate
supply of cash.
The reason for this first and only inter-
view was this: The Viscount had become
q professional clown and acrobat and had
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

gloves or masks as at the present day,
and there was no wall or backstop be-
hind the catcher. so that If he let a ball
get past him with men on the bases it
was "all day" with him. The pitcher was
not the king-pin Of the lot as now, and
all the players had frequent opportuni
ties to distinguish themselves, no matter
in what part of the field they might be
stationed
The trial game between the Red Row
ers and the Eagles was so satisfactory
that baseball club. the first on the Pa
cific coast, was organized shortly after
ward. It was named the Eagle Baseball
Club, and it's first president was Expert
Gelson. They practiced for a while un-
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

n &N6 organ III EuSIdAO
seems about to come into an earl
dom and one of the proudest es-
tates In the British isles.
~ His name IS Viscount Hinton and
he stands a good chance, accord
ing to eminent attorneys, of proving that
he is the oldest son Of the late Earl of
PoU1ett In fact, according to the rec
ords, there is no doubt Of this, and the
only difficulty will be a matter Of legal
technically.
Taken altogether, the story is one OF
the strangest and most romantic that has
ever been told even IN England. that
country of claimants of titles.
There are several stories in circulation
as to how the late Earl of Poulett came
10 marry tina mother Of Viscount Hinton,
the claimant of the earldom. These
gree remarkably well in most parttcu-
lars, but tho one that is mostly told and
1 is generally accepted as reliable Is as
follows:
In 1S49 George Poulett (the late EarD
was a merry young officer stationed at
Portsea with the Twenty-second Regi-
ment of British Infantry.
One night the officers Of the junior mess
were drinking merTily and got to Joking
about marriage, which they should have
known is no joke. Poulett remarked;
ANY kind OF a girl will do for me-" For
he had never married and had no idea
that he would ever succeed to q title.
See here, said young nobleman;
''Ill bet you $500 you won't go out and
marry the first woman you meet"
'T'll take that" said Poulett. He was
IN earnest, though the other not. He
was heavily in debt, and feared that his
uncle, the rich Earl Poulett, who had
often come to his assistance with the
money lenders, would not again forgive
his extravaganza.
When the mess broke up Poulett
sought the man whose bet he had taken
and said he was ready to start,
Il say. Poulett." said the other. Il
-I-dang it, you know, I wasn't IN earn
est! don't mind losing the $500. but
Are you trying to back out7' sneered
Poulett.
Now, the other man was trying to do
that very thing, and to his last day
wished he had done It. But he bit his
lip and said, I'm ready"
1t was early summer. The two young
idiots set out, with trail of others fol-
lowing a. a discreet distance, to find Pou-
let's wife. It was very late, or early,
and there were few women in the street
At last they met one.
Look here" said Poulett 70 her;
whats your neme?"
Lizzie Newman"
Poulett had heard Of her. But he said
after a moments hesitation: well,
Rans you to marry me, on a bet
And on June e. l849 Poulett was mar
yied to Miss Elizabeth Lavina Newman,
daughter of James Newman. a pilot, of
Portsea-"
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

played a hand organ upon the streets for
pennies.
And now this man will in all probability
succeed to one of the proudest names in
the realm and estates derived from Her
cues, Lord of Turnour, in Picardy, who
lett In England.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

The Great Barrier reef along the coast
of Australia is about 1900 miles long, the
work of coral insects. Sometimes IT rises
almost perpendicularly from a depth OF
1900 fathomA,
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-26

y He American game of baseball
first sew the light in California
about forty years ago. At that pc
riod the population Of the entire
State was less than half a million,
and the leading Industries Were
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-01
nlchmond Girl Honored.

The following report Is given in the
News OF a birthday party in Fremont
Ohio.
"wednesday afternoon pleasant SUR
prise was given Miss Reoecca w iNe.'
daughter OF Mr. and Mrs. g. -
Walker Of Richmond Va. who is spend
ing the summer with her uncle Mr.. VI
T.. Shackelf0rd and wife. The affair was
m honor of the young lady's hiieenth
birthday and the event was c.eyerly
manned and carried out.
Tho guests passed the hours from
4 10 $3.50 I'm music. dancing. recita-
lions and other amusements. which
whued away the hours only too rapidly.
The refreshments served made up lead
ire feature OF the occasion. Miss Re
hecca was the recipient of many pretty
remembrance. as we'll ms the hearty
wishes that She may live 90 celebrate
hapuiv many similar occasions ln the
future. Miss Laura ReIn assisted Nj.
and Mrs. a. L. Shackclford and Mrs Il.
b. Shackelford in making 10 pleasant Tor
the young folks who We're Edna Menk-
haus. Margaret Meek I.ihhie Wolfe.
Edith Kridier. Louise Dickinson. Ruth
Zimmerman. Katie Flat Edna Miller,
Cary Moore Lois Fisher Christine
Dickinson, Hazel Mandelbaum. Froda
Kridier Elizabeth DeRan, Christina Car
win. Mildred Hamilton. Mary kinney
Mary Edgerton. Katherine sheldon Rosa
Nenkhaus, Florence Imam. Virgie Bling
man."