The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-07-14
A NOTABLE CONTEST.
Somerset sluggers Defeated the Mountain
Mickies in the Annual Base Bail Game.

Somerset sluggers Defeated the Mountain
Mickies in the Annual Base Bail Game.
In glorious brilliancy the morning
sun dawned on and about the surround
ing country of Bernardsville on Tuesday
of last week portending success to all cele-
bration in which the patriotic magnates
and villagers were shortly to engage.
The event of the day looked forward to
with ever increasing interest, was the
annual ball game between the Somerset
Sluggers and the Mountain Mickies,
representing respectively the heelers of
Col. George B. Post and Squire Robert
L. Stevens.
Long before II o'clock, the hour ar
ranged for the game, all roads leading
to the ball grounds became blocked by an
indescribable mass of humanity on foot
and horse, cart and coach, all intent to
gain the vantage place for best behold
ing the great contest of the year. This
year auspiciously opened the new ball
ground on the magnificent estate of the
Hon. Charles NJ. Chaplin of Ohio, the
well known pigeon-shot and horseman,
and also as the nephew of the Honorable
Mark Hanna.
The Hon. Mr.. Chaplin had expended
much time and more money, in person
ally experimenting the preparation of
the ground, and as the result a vista of
the most beautiful ball field that can be
pictured to the mind greeted the eyes of
the expectant spectators.
On the left of the field, where owing to
circumstances, the proposed grand stand
had not been constructed, the elite of the
country gathered themselves under the
shade of large oak in picturesque at
tire and pose.
The Mickies, though still captained by
the eminent jurist of Hoboken, Edwin
Lewis, were this year managed by the
Hon. Chaplin, who has been likened by
many unto Hanlon, the great base ball
by reason of his success as a
pool player Through the Hon. Chapin's
hustling methods great talent was i'm
ported to fill the vacancies occasioned by
the lamentable absence of Squire Robert
Stevens and his brother Col Ned, and
so great confidence was shown by the
"Mickies" adherents who continually
rent the air with their slogan.
''Rickety axe, rickety axe,
Where OH where oh in the neck
The Mickies were first on the field and
in the preliminary canter gave evidence
of great possibilities. 1t was at once
noted with shouts of approval that the
Hon. Chaplin intended to play short stop.
In the distance there was now seen
rapidly approaching a gaily bedecked
bus and horses, with red streamers watt
ed fauntingly by the wind, conveying
the notorious Sluggers. AS they came
nearer, the spectators, awed by the i'm
posing sight, breathlessly listened to the
song of the Sluggers, sung to the tune Of
of ''There'll be hot time in the old
town tonight, in ponderous tones that
presaged woe to the Mickies
AS the Sluggers tumbled out of the bus
there was no one watching them more
intently than the Hon. Chaplin. 1t was
whispered about that he mistook George
Post, Jr., for Fatty Childs, of the st.
Louis Professional Ball Nine, and he
knew his nine was outdone by the jaun-
ty gray caps of the Sluggers.
1t was the universal verdict around the
old oak that Secretary Arthur Turnbull
of the U. S. Mortgage and Trust Com
pany was the handsomest proposition of
a first baseman the county had seen,
while Santiago Hoppin was considered a
good specimen of U. S. army officer.
Captain Patterson, son of the learned
Justice Patterson, together with Ser
geant Cromwell, both of the famous
Troop A, received added recognition for
their valorous conduct in the recent war.
In fact, the ''Mickies" and ''Sluggers''
both showed up fine assortment of q.
A. R. candidates.
The ''Sluggers" won the toss by well
known ''fiip. flop of Captain Appleton,
and sent the ''Mickies" to the bat. Dun
can Edwards, ex-Captain of the Prince
ton Varsity nine of 'S5, prepared himself
to serve to the "Mickies'' his best line of
inshoots, but chiefly relied on his slow
balloon drop. The game began by the
"Mickies" making two runs on the good
coaching of the Hon. Chaplin, of whom
it must be said to his great credit that
he showed tremendous activity through
OSAO IAO SdAAOs L AC O1uSHOIS ny n us
play of scientific hitting, at once made
themselves a three to one favorite by
scoring 10 runs. 1t was observed that
E. A. Leroy of the Del & Hud. R. R.
Co., ran bases unmindful of his 215 lbs.
but though it was said after the game
that his weight had been considerably re.
duced, no great credibility was given tc
the rumor.
The game proceeded with relaxation
of energy on the part of the "Sluggers'
until the score was tied in the fourth
inning, amidst tremendous cheering or
the part Of the "Mickies" supporters
This cheering led by the stalwart politi.
clan of Orange, the Hon. Charles A. Var
Rensselaer,, began to demoralize the
"Sluggers."
AS the game went on, the balloon dror
ball of Edwards became more readily &C.
quainted by the "Mickies," SO that with
some mighty swipes with the bat thew
soon rolled up the large number Of forty
runs. Young Stevens, of the ''Mickies,
improved as the game proceeded, and the
''Sluggers" could do little with him. Al
the end of the seventh inning, the game
having lasted four hours, it was mutually
arranged that the "Mickies" had won by
a score of 40 to 20, whereupon great joy
was manifested by everyone and the