The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-23

some people have the idea that To-
for sport" said Major Tom Anderson
a few days ago. That is a mistake.
I remember two incidents that show
that in the earliest days Topeka was
what might be called a sporty town.,
he continued as he lit a fresh cigar and
settled himself for the story. 1t was
in 1872 that the first great baseball
game was played here A team was or
ganized and called The Kaw Valley
team 1t was captained by Dudley
5askelI- a game was arranged win
the Rockford team. At that time the
Rockford team was the greatest in the
country. A. G. Spalding was pitcher
and threw the underhand ball. He was
a wonder then. Old Pap Arson was
playing with the team.
of course the Rockford team won.
There was no fence around the grounds
but those who saw the game were ex-
pected to pay and they did. After the
game Spalding gave an exhibition of
ball pitching. A hole, a little larger
than the ball, was cut in a plank. He
paced off 25 steps and two times out
of three threw the ball through the
hole.
I'VE had horse races then on a track
located about where the Santa F'e shops
are now. A horse by the name of
Henry was owned by a Topeka man
and was looked upon as a wonder. A
man at Lawrence owned Kansas Maid
and there was always a great rivalry
between the two towns on account of
the horses. A race was arranged be-
peka track. 1 was worked up the same
as the rest of the people and went to
the track determined to bet on our To-
peka horse. had just bet $15 on
Henry when a, man knew told me that
the race had been fixed for Kansas
Maid to win. It was too late for me to
call the bet off as the horses had been
given the word. Sure enough when
they were coming down the stretch the
driver of Henry pulled up his horse and
Kansas Maid passed him. But Henry
got mad, took the bit in his teeth and
came down the stretch like a steam
engine. He beat Kansas Maid by neck
| and 1 won in spite of the combination"
The wife Of a Topeka man was wait
ing for him at the front door, few
DAYS ago, when he returned from work.
rible time she said almost ready to
cry Il can't get the fire started in the
furnace. The coal won't burn. The
smoke all comes out of the furnace door
! and the house is cold"
The husband went into the cellar to
see what was the trouble. He found the
damper in the chimney shut. There was
no draft and consequently the fire
would not burn. He opened the damper
and soon he had the house well warmed.
1T is always well, my dear" he said
when he joined his wife in the sitting
room, Ito look into things. Now you
see the fire is burning nicely and the
| house is warm. Things have to be
| done carefully and properly" he said as
! he placed his fingers in the form of a
! church steeple, lOunged in his chair and
| looked intently at his wife. All things
| should be carefully looked into before
! being condemned. You notice how care
| full I am. Now the first thing 1 did
/ was to carefully examine that furnace.
found that the draught was shut off.
/ I opened it and the result was that the
| fire burned. My dear, let this be les
son to you. Always be careful. Watch
/ me. You will do well if you follow my
| example"
! 1t was a few nights after that the
| husband went to his study to spend the
evening with good cigar and an in
! teresting book. He turned on the cleo
! trio light. The lamp would not burn.
Just my luck he muttered. L hoped
| to spend a quiet evening reading and
| now the blamed light won't burn.
! will give the electric light people a piece
/ of my mind" He went to the telephone
and told the man at the other end what
he thought of lights that would not
! burn. The man at the other end prom
/ ised to send an electrician to see what
/ the trouble was. It was an hour before
the man from the electric plant arrived
! was in a rage because the light in his
study would not burn
| What is the trOuble?" asked the
| electrician when he entered the house.
why, confound it, the light in my
/ study will not burn"
! The electrician followed the man of
| the house to the room. 1t was certain
J ~ dark. The electrician went to the
! fixture and turned on the light
| Wei, it doesn't burn" he muttered.
| ''Of course it doesn't burn thundered
| the indignant man. Il have half a no.
\ ton to have the COMPOUNDED lights taken
j out ard have gas put in"
Just then the lights came on.
well, how did you find the trouble
! so soon" said the man of the house.
| Il turned the switch on" said the
! electrician who was standing just out
! side the door.
! 1T is always we'll, my dear, to look
! into things" said the mans wife who
/ was standing in the hall. Things have
But the door was shut with a slam.
| There was trouble at the Grand Opera
? house a, few nights ago, while a per-
! Torrance was going on. in which po-
licenan and a man with two revOlvers,
/ played the leading parts but 1t was all
| out of sight OF the audience.
| A scuff1e, a smOthered CRY and blows
| were heard in the rear of the south
| boxes in the passage leading to the
! stage. A man tried to pass the boy
! who kept the stage door. The boy told
/ him to keep out and the man was de-
| termined to enter. Sergeant Belts was
! called and the young man was put out.
I The officer resumed his seat to enjoy the
/ rest of the performance
| It was right in the middle of a laugh
| able piece of work that he was enjoying
! immensely a man touched him on the
| shoulder and said he was wanted at
| the stage entrance. The officer follow
! ed the man.
| He found a mixed up affair A man
! in his shirt sleeves with a revolver
sticking out of each hip pocket was
| talking excitedIy to another man. The
| man with the revOlvers looked as II
/ he had been drinking. His nose was
very red and his face was a peculiar
| color.
You better come with me" said the
| officer to the young man with the re-
! vOlyers.
why. what's the matter" asked the
| young man with a peculiar twist to his
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