davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
BENNETT AS A CATCHER.
He Was Great Backstop When He
PLAYED On the Worcester Team

ct was in Worcester that Charlie Ben
nett got his start" says Frank Bancroft.
81 managed the Worcester team that
year, and brought Bennett from Mil
waukee. His contract called for $1,000 for
the season, large sum in those days. lie
was touted as a great catcher and great
thrower. When It came to the test. It
was found that he could hardly throw 10
the pitcher, The club directors told me
to release him. Bennett, however, pleaded
hard to be retained. He was willing to
play in the outiield at SIS a month rather
than return home and his offer was ac-
cepted. That month he went south, and
In the spring his arm was as good as ever.
Subsequently ] took him to Detroit with
me, and there he developed into one of
the greatest catchers the game has ever
known"
Bancroft is slightly mistaken in his
statements made I'm the above paragraph,
published In yesterday mornings Boston
Herald. As a matter of fact, Bennett was
a great catcher In Milwaukee before he
came to Worcester. lie and Weaver were
the Milwaukee battery and Harry Wright.
then managing the Boston league team.
said after Bancroft had hired Bennett for
Worcester, that he wanted Charley for
the Boston team, but supposed that the
Milwaukee team was to be kept together
Bennett was for eight or ten years tho
best back stop In the country, though
during the season he played in Worcester
he was Handicapped by a lame shoulder.
Bancroft Is entitled to the credit Of get
ting Bennett to Worcester There Is no
question about that, but It Is not exactly
true that Bennett developed into a great
catcher after going TO Detroit.
Benefits pitcher, Weaver who came to
Worcester with him, lasted only a part
Of a season. As a ball player he was not
I'm Benefits class at all. Bennett was al
lowed to 90 TO Detroit because Manager
Freeman Brown and the other directors
Of the local team decided that they must
have q catcher who could throw. As the
choice came between Bushong ana Ben
nett they decided 10 keep Bushong Bush
onR by the way caught for the WOrces-
tiers as long as there was q league team
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
COMMON COUNCIL.

The session of the common council
was utterly devoid of startling feat
ures, the members contenting them
selves with a perusal of copies of the
volume Worcester in Eighteen Nine
Twilight" which were distributed by
Mayors Clerk Renchley previous to
the meeting. Almost the entire time
was, consumed with business in con-
currence, long calendar of business
pelng disposed of with great rapidity
Ehe matter of fixing the salary of
superintendent of Sewers Eddy, which
was postponed from the last meeting,
was taken up and caused some discus
sion. Councilman Mcmahon said that
several members of the finance COM
mittee had said to him that the in
crease of $4,000 asked for could not be
granted, and he understood that ma
Jority of the members were opposed to
granting the increase. He therefore
withdrew his objections to the passage
OF the order, and it was adopted.
On motion of Councilman Johnson,
the committee on streets was given
leave to sit during the session to con-
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
Salary Bill Caused the
Only Ripple.
COUNCIL CONCURS
And City Officials Will Get
No Further Increase.

Last evenings meeting of the city
council was a veritable love feast. AT
ter the stormy time of the grade cross
ing matters, the city council has evil
IDENTIFY determined TO kiss and make
up again. There was not single in
cident in the board of aldermen to dis
turb the harmony Of the session, and
In the common council the only dis
cordant note that Jared somebody S
feelings was uttered by Councilman
John H. Meagher, who referred to the
condition of crosswalks and cutters
Only routine business was transacted
in both branches.
The salary bill went through as re-
ported by the finance committee. 1t
was up to the common council to con-
slider the bill, the aldermen having
passed it unamended several weeks
ago.
Everybody expected that the COM
mon council would attempt to raise the
salaries of at least two officials. Coun-
Gilman B. Fl. Mcmahon, who intro
duced a motion to raise the salary of
the superintendent of sewers, with
drew his motion and the members who
had raise for another official in mind,
were scared off.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
DEATHS.

BAILEY-1Sth, of typhoid pneumonia,
Catherine E. wife of VIM. d. Bailey, 70
yrs.
Russell ave East Providence, r. l.
STOWE--In Chicago, 18th Aloha Stowe,
widow of the late Lowell Stowe Of
Grafton, 81 yrs. ii mos.
Prayers at residence of Henry l.. Stowe,
5 Dudley pl Wednesday at 10 o'clock.
SMART-In this city, 10Th, Susan NJ,
widow of Thomas G, Smart, 56 yrs. II
mos. days.
Funeral services at her late residence.
80 North Ashland street, Wednesday at
p. m Relatives and friends are invited
to attend. Burial a East Greenwich, r.
sNITII-In this city, 10th. Maurice w,
infant son Of Arthur and Emma
(SalvaD Smith, l yr 20 days.
WHITB-In this city, goth Peter White,
son of Patrick and Catherine (McHugh)
White, Is yrs.
Funeral from the family residence. las
Central street, Wednesday at S15 a. m.
High mass of requiem in st, Annes
church at 9 o'clock. Relatives and
friends are invited to attend.
KRAMER-In this city Goth, Susan
Kramer.
widow of Francis Strong, 81 yrs. mos.
10 days.
Relatives and friends are invited to at
tend funeral services at the residence Of
her son-in-law, II =. Duncan, "a Oxford
St, Wednesday at 230 p, m.
CONNOR-In this city, nth Betsy Baird
Wesson, widow Of William III. H. Con-
nor So yrs. 20 days
Relatives and friends are invited to at
tend funeral services at her late resi-
dence, 5 Catherine street. Tuesday at 2
p. m.
HOVEY-In this city, 18th, Eben J.
Hovey, II yrs mos
Relatives and friends are invited to at
tend funeral services at the residence or
his daughter Mrs. William j Hall. IS
Wellington St, Wednesday at D. m.
HOWARD-In Leicester, GOTH Samuel
Harrington Howard, IS yrs. 10 mos 20
days.
Funeral from his late residence on Main
street, Wednesday,, at 2 o'clock.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
BRANsFIELD TO PLAY HERE
1t is Stated That the Deal With Boston
Has at Last Been Effected.

1t is as good as settled that kitty
Bransfield on the reserve list of the Bos-
ton Club, will wear a Worcester uniform
for the whole of the coming season. Man
ager Marston, 1t is said, completed the
deal last week in Boston.
Manager Selee all along has been some
what averse to loaning Bransfeld to
Worcester under the condition desired by
the local manager-that Bransfield should
not be recalled until the end Of the play
ing season. President Soden, however
last week informed his manager that he
must go into the regular season with
fifteen men, as that is the limit number
of players with which Selee will be al
lowed to do business at any one time
during sthe year.
Jim Smith, who was taken on by Bos-
ton late last fall, may be released out
right in which case he too may be seen
in Worcester uniform.
Marston also has his eye on a younger
brother of Herman Long, the Boston
shortstop. Herman says his brother is a
conner and on the strength of that recon-
mendation Manager Marston may try him
out.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
THE ALDERMEN.

The board of aldermen held two re-
cesses which took more time than the
minutes they were able to devote to
business. They expected the common
council would non-concur in the sal
airy bill, and were preparing them
selves for a; committee of conference
They were greatly surprised when they
learned the common council had con-
Cured in accepting the draft of the
committee fixing the salaries.
A venire Of Jurors drawn disturbed
the serenity of the aldermen.
The jury list vas reported to
the meeting by the registrars Of voters.
1t was accepted as reported the alder
men having little jurisdiction regard
ing the list
The report of the citizens grade
crossing commission was disposed Of
for considerable length of time. The
order authorizing the mayor to petit
ton the legislature FOR an act providing
for the abolition of grade crossings was
on the table from a previous meeting.
The board took it from the table to
postpone it indefinitely.
The following jurors were drawn to
serve at the March term of the supe-
rior civil court in Worcester, Marcn
s: John Weir, 16 Gardner street; Leo
midas D. Hill, 40 Houghton; Lucius E..
Eldred, 40 Lake; Howard Frost, 154
Austin; Urgel Jacques, 4 Wall; Albert
A. Bicknell, 25 Orange; Albert FL. In
man, q German; Harry A. Marvin, 30
Benefit; Dennis Conner, 287 Cambridge;
Stephen Sawyer, 81 Chestnut; William
A. BarroWs, 7 Baker.
The appointment of Irving c. Foster
special police officer at the Washburn
& Moen works was confirmed Alder
man Sanford c. Kendall resigned as a
member of the committee on sewer as
sessments and Alderman James F. Car
berry was appointed by President
Henry Brannon in his stead. The rea-
son was that Alderman Kendall is not
member of the committee on sewers
and Alderman Garberry Is.
Alderman Philip j. O'ConnelI intro
duced, at the request of the city solicit
or, an order directing the mayor to
petition the legislature to amend the
charter by striking out certain words so
that the mayor will be authorized to
appoint fence viewers, field drivers,
measurers of wood and bark, pound
keeper and surveyors of lumber. As
the charter reads at present there is
question whether the officers should
be appointed by the mayor or elected
by the city council
An order for the placing of railing
on the retaining wall at the Greendale
school house was adopted.
The board concurred in several mat
ters which originated in the common
council. 1t also receded from its ac-
ton of a week previous and concurred
with the council in granting Anna e.
Underwood leave to withdraw on peti
lions for compensation for damages to
her estate on Grafton street.
President Brannon in reading the or
ders introduced by Councilman James
F. Ryan for crosswalks on Southbridge
a. I'd Cambridge streets, stated they
were adopted by the common council.
The board of aldermen voted to refer
them to the committee on streets.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21

slder the street watering order. Coun-
Gilman Meagher asked that the COM
mittee be instructed to prod the street
commissioner for the wretched condi-
ton Of the croSswalks about the city
He said that in his section the streets
were impossible, that ladies could not
cross at all, and that all the cutters
were choked, so that the melting snow
flooded the streets. He thought that II
was time that the commissioner got
his men out and did some effective
work
Councilman Hunt said that in Bos-
ton the streets were in much better
condition, and that there was scarcely
any water, but Councilman MeagheI
remind him that Worcester was not
Boston, and that in Boston they had 9
street commissioner that was COM
missioner in action.
Petitions for a sidewalk ON the west
erly side of Mendon street, for q cross
walk on Cambridge street at Cambridge
place, and for crosswalk on South
bridge street at the terminus of Jack
son street. were severally referred tC
the committee on streets
The petition for street light on
Green street near the corner of South
Harding street, was referred to the
committee on street lighting.
An order introduced by Councilman
Connolly providing for the reconstruc-
ton of Park street between Greer
and Washington, was adopted.
The petition of T. E. Johnson an6
others for street lights in New York
street was referred 10 the committee
on street lighting.
The vote whereby the date of the
opening of the bids for street watering
was fixed as March 18th, was recon
sidered on motion of Councilman Con
nelly, and an amendment substituted
and the date fixed at March 25th.
The report of the committee or
claims instructing the city solicitor t.
settle the claim of Irving e. BigeloN
against the city of Worcester, was re.
ceived, and an order adopted provid.
ing for the payment of $50 in full fol-
all damages. This suit was the result
of. damages sustained by the widening
of West BoylSton street.
An order instructing the superintend
ent of public buildings to cause to pt
placed an iron guard fence on top o.
the retaining wall in front of the
Greendale school house, was referred
to the committee on public buildings
The wall is of considerable height, anc
several of the school children have fall
en- from it and been severely injured
On motion Of Councilman Hunt, the
council adjourned to next Monday eve.
ming at o'clock
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
WHY sWEETLAND WAS REJECTED
Cornelrs Athletic Council Sends an Elk
PLANTATION to the Football Team.

Ithaca, N. Y, Feb. 2O.--At a meeting OF
the Cornell football team held on Satur-
day the following reasons were commune
Gated to the team by the athletic council
in explanation of the causes which in
duced the council to refuse to ratify the
election of Sweetland to the captaincy:
Specific reasons for the action are two
fold:
First-Tn view of factions created here
this fall in matters of coaching and cap
tanning the team it was thought best
that the leaders of these factions should
retire. Mr.. Warner and Mr.. Fennell with
drew as candidates for coach. Mr.. Reed
withdrew as captain. The retirement OF
Mr.. Sweetland leaves the field open for
who have had no leading parts in the un-
fortunate rivalries of last season, and can
unite in the interests of the coming sea-
son.
Second-Large numbers Of football
alumni, including many of those who
have assisted In coaching in the past and
whose assistance Is necessary In the flu
ture, have protested in the strongest
terms against the ratification Of Mr.
Sweetland' S election. The council was not
in n position to judge whether this oppo-
lists, and that harmony between the foot
ball graduates and the football manage
ment would be imperiled If Mr.. Sweetland
were captain.
The communication further states that
lthe charges of professionalism brought
against Sweetland were too vague to have
been either upheld or denied by the coun-
ell Thus Sweetland's right 10 participate
in amateur sports is unlmpaired.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
THE DEATH LIST.

There were A deaths in the city last
week, according to reports made in the
office of the city clerk yesterday from
undertakers' returns. There were %
males and q females. The causes were:
pneumonia, g. phthlsis pulmonalis
bronchitis, heart disease, grip, each;
apopleXy hemorrhage, premature birth,
stillborn and old age, 2 each; pull
monary oedema, tubercular meningitis
tubercular peritonitis, tuberculosis of
spine, pertussiS, umbilical abscess
cardiac gangrene, epileptic seizure
chronic laryngitis, meningitis, cere-
bral hemorrhage, infantile weakness,
Bright's disease, exhaustion and car
cinoma, l each.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
WORCESTER HIGH INVITED
To Send Relay Team to Meet Boston
English High at Boston College Games.

The next big event in indoor athletics
will be the Boston College meet in the
Mechanics building, Boston, a week from
Saturday evening. As at the recent b.
A. A. games, Holy Cross and Worcester
Academy will be represented by teams
and all the crack athletes who appeared
at the B. A. A. games will also be on
hand.
One of the features of the meet will be
the relay team race between Holy Cross
and Boston College, the relays being the
same distance as 1t was intended to run
last Saturday evening. Holy Cross will
take pains to see that this time no mis-
take is made by any one in the entry of
her team. thus avoiding every chance of
losing the race through forfeiture.
Worcester high school has been invited
to run the Boston English high school at
the games, but it is doubtful if the local
boys appear upon the floor The athletes
are in favor of the race, but Trainer
Bigelow takes a different view of the
matter and believes 1t is wiser to husband
the boys strength for the intersehoastics
which come on the following week.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21

compensation for injury to estate on
Grafton street caused by the widening
of the street at the time of the con-
struction of the Grafton extension of
the Consolidated street railway.
The request of the chief of police,
that the committee on police report on
the condition of the police visual signal
system service, was referred to the
committee on police.
The order relative to the fixing of the
salaries of the city officials for the en-
SUNG year, which was laid on the table
at the last meeting, was taken up and
adopted, after the section referring to
the salary of the superintendent of
sewers had been fixed, the salary of the
official to remain as heretofore at
$500.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
A REMEDY FOR THE GRIPPE.

A remedy recommended for patients
afflicted with the Grippe is Kemp's Bal
sam, which is especially adapted TO dis
eases of the throat and lungs. DO not
wait for the first symptoms of the disease
but get a bottle today and keep 1t on hand
for use the moment 1t is needed. IL neg
lected the grippe has a tendency TO bring
on pneumonia. The Balsam prevents this
by keeping the cough loose. All druggists
sell the Balsam.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
ODDS AND ENDS OF SPORT.

There is at least one man who really
desires to be chairman of the racing
board of the J.. A. w. 1t is none other
than Arthur A. Zimmerman, who has
made formal application to President
Keenan, for the appointment to succeed
Albert Mott, resigned.
The annual boat races between the
Annapolis cadets and the University of
Friday or Saturday May 10 or %. There
will be two races, one of one and one-half
miles between the Annapolis second crew
and the Penn freshman and the other of
two miles, between the Naval Academy
first crew and the Penn varsity.
Fred Beck of the Knickerbocker Ath-
1etic Club who won the shot-put at the
B. A. A. meet last Saturday evening will
help out Al Copeland in looking out for
Yale's shot-putters. Beck is himself a
Yale graduate but has done most of his
weight throwing since leaving college.
Louis Gimm who is alleged to have
been drugged during the closing hours
CISCO Sunday night, was in critical con-
dltion in q San Francisco hospital all day
Monday. His chances of recovery are
said to be only about even.
Kroner and Romeyn, the West Point
football players who were graduated from
the academy last week have been as
signed to the Tenth cavalry, the splendid
colored troopers of Santiago fame.
Local oarsmen will remember well the
strappiug Australian oarsman James
Wray who at one time was expected to
row Ras Rogers of this city. Wray is now
at Newcastle, England, and has been
matched to row w. Haines Of Old Wind
sor on March II for $3.50 side.
IT is more than possible that a war
canoe race will be added as permanent
feature OF the N. A. A. o. Such a race
was held last year and among the crews
participating was the Lakeside crew of
this city.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
MR.. TONNES BERMUDA TRIP.

Assistant City Clerk w. Henry Towne
resumed his duties in city hall yester-
day, after a vacation trip to the Ber-
muda islands. Mr.. Towne reported a
pleasant trip, wi@ the exception of
the last two days of the voyage home
ward. He encountered the blizzard
when a day out from Bermuda, and
the vessel was delayed "a hours. The
climate in the islands was about so,
and those who went there were COM
PEELED to don their summer clothing.
The boat on its down trip from New
York, last week, left that port in the
midst of the blizzard, but it had the
wind over the stern and was not de-
layed. Coming back there was one day
Of good weather, Then the storm was
encountered and as the wind was dead
ahead, the boat was delayed full
day.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
DEEDY WILL NOT RUN.
He Cannot Compete for Worcester High
in lnterschoastc Games.

Students of several of the schools that
will compete against Worcester high in
the indoor interscholastic meet next
month, have been very much exercised
over the possibility of j. F. Deedy par
ticipating as a w. H. S. athlete at the
games Deedy attends the evening high
school, and for that reason, the story
was circulated that the high school
boys Intended to ring him in as a
straight student of one of the day
schools.
II any attempt had been made to in
clude Deedy's name among the high
school entries, he would surely have
been protested by several schools, in
cluding Worcester academy But as a
matter of fact, no effort is being made
to have Deedy run, much as Capt. Nor
am and the students would like to see
him at the start.
In conversation with a representa-
tive Of the Spy, last evening, Principal
E. p. Goodwin of the Classical high
school, said that there was not, nor
had there been any intention to run
Deedy under high school colors in the
inteTscholasttc games. THE evening
high school" said Principal Goodwin,
lis distinct from the other two high
schools, and both Principal Lewis and
myself would be opposed to having any
evening high school man participating
regularly on a high school track team.
We all regret that Deedy is not eligible
to rum"
Deedy's presence ON the high school
team would make the championship
several points nearer the Worcester
| high schools reach. He has been doing
some excellent running in practice, and
at the Boston Athletic association
games last Saturday evening, finished
second to Mcdonald of Cambridgeport,
In the mile run.
With Deedy debalTed from competing
and st. John, another good middle dis
tanoe man out of it, the brunt of the
Work in the longer runs at Boston, will
and Perry
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
IN BAD CONDITION.

Crosswalks and cutters in every sec
ton of the city are in very bad con
dition. With hardly an exception, it
is impossible to cross street without
making a wide detour to avoid the
puddles which the thaw and neglected
accumulations of snow have caused
1 The street department did not pay
as much attention to the crosswalks
and cutters as clearing the snow from
the streets, and the water is backing
up on the sidewalks all over the city
Councilman John Fl. Meagher incident
ally mentioned that fact at the meet
ing of the common council last eve
ming,
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
COMMITTEES MEET

The committee on street betterment
assessments will meet Thursday to con-
slider assessments on Summit avenue,
West Boylston street and Barber ave-
nue. The committee on finance Will
meet Thursday morning at 11.30 o'clock
to take action on the order providing
for the creation of an account for land
damages caused by street construction
The committee on police will make a
trip today to Providence, Boston and
Lowell to inspect the police signal sys-
TEN of those cities.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
PLAY AGAIN THURSDAY.

The second round in the series of bas-
ket ball games between the Temperance
Society teams Of the city will begin
Thursday evening in Father Mathew hall
with the usual double bill attraction.
Father Mathew team will meet the st.
Johns Guilds and the Lyceums are
booked to play the St. Stephens. The
games will commence at 8 o'clock.
The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
THEY WILL ROLL WEDNESDAY.

The Cuckoo bowling team Of the Casino
alleys Is having hard work 10 meet the
Spencers in the fourth game OF the series.
Originally scheduled for last Tuesday
evening II was postponed until last even
ing on account OF the storm. Last night.
however, the Spencer men sent down
word that on account Of engagements
they could not get down until Wednesday.
Accordingly the match Will be bowled to-
morrow evening.