The times., 1899-03-17
BASEBALL GOSSIP.
Chris Won der Abe in the Palm,
Days of the Game.

Chris Won der Abe in the PaImy
Days ofithe, Game.
'The comedian of the game, the Momus
of baseball, was Chris Won der Abe, who
was funny, even if he didn't know it,
says Arthur Irwin "A volume written
around the adventures of Chris would in
cite guffaw at a funeral. One Sunday
afternoon in 1891 l was seated in his pri
vate box in the grandstand at old Snort
mans Park, in St Louis. This compart-
ment was at the end of the stand and
built on the ywindow design. The roof
above, called the hurricane deck, was oc
cupied by the 50-cent push. On this par
ticular Sunday Chris turned out with a
white flannel sack coat and duck pants
and red Stanley sash. He looked like a
vanilla eclaire cake, with a dash of straw
berry. He sat close to the edge of the
box, with his legs crossed, and about ten
inches expansion of the chest. All went
well till miniature lake of tobacco es-
sence fell from the hurricane deck and hit
Chris on his white duck pants. 1t pro-
ceeded from the face of a wag whose aim
was perfect.
Chris turned red, white. and blue in a
second. He staggered to his feet, blew
his whistle for park policeman, and
yelled: Say, dere, officer, drow effery
dam Won of dot mob on der hurricane deck
out o. der grounds; effery one" "
The finest legal tangle in which Chris
was ever involved had him for the plain
tiff in a case against hackman by the
name of Green. This Green had brother
who bought him bus and pair Of horses.
Green and Chris entered into a partner
ship. Chris gave Green 500 for half
interest in the bus business. Green was
paid 81 day by the visiting clubs for
hauling the players to and from the ball
park. After two hauls Green got tired
and thirsty and soaked one afternoon
while the Metropolitans were playing the
Browns. After the game Chief Roseman,
who was captain of the Metropolitans,
searched all over the grounds for Green,
but he was out of sight The chief jumped
on the seat and drove the players to the
hotel, and after supper Roseman and the
Metropolitans made the rounds of the
saloons. The tour came to an unexpected
finish about o'clock in the morning.
Roseman prodded the horses with the toe
of the boot and the animals objected and
took revenge by running away, spifling
the Metropolitans in the street and smash
ing the wagon.
Chris heard about the racket the next
day and Immediately severed the partner
ship and sued Green. The suit, SO Chris
lawyer John O'Neill, told me, was the fun
niest that ever came off in the st. Louis
courts.
Gustav A. Gruner Vice President of the
Philip Gruner Lumber Company. who bid
in the St. Louis Club for $4,000. was one
of a committee of three, appointed by
the bondholders last Friday to bid on the
club. $4,000 being voted for that purpose.
After the sale had q been consummated
Gruner stated that the creditors would
proceed to organize and manage club.
but subsequently did not feel quite clear
on that point. 1t is stated that the exhibit
tion of feeling between Becker and Gruner
was only in the seeming, and that an under
standing had been reached in advance OF
the sale, by which the franchise was to
be transferred to Brush and Robson. When
Receiver Muckenfuss was seen about the
matter he professed ignorance of any such
deal, yet said that Frank Robson had
promised him lucrative position with his
club and Muckenfuss will not go to Cleve-
land. Tebeau and twelve other members
of the Forest City team were in St. Louis
ON the day the sale was effected, en- route
to Hot Springs. and the Cleveland's man
ager practically admitted that his club
would represent the League in St Louis
| this season.
When asked about the interview he gave
to the newspapers that the Cleve-
| lands would play In Cleveland, he smiled
blandly, saying that the Brooklyns would
| play in Brooklyn and the Toledos in To-
| ledo and of course, the Clevelands would
| play In the home city, but leaving the in
| ference that another club would be or
| ganized and maintained at Cleveland.
| Should this surmise prove correct and
the franchise 90 to Robson it is believed
that George Munson, Secretary of the
| Browns in their palmiest days, will fill a
similar place with the rehabilitated tr-
| ganiZation.
The sale means more than the transfer
/ of the franchise to the new owners. II
means also the passing OF Chris Won der
Abe, the most remarkable figure in the
baseball world. He made and lost couple
of fortunes in the national game.
| Umpires will have no trouble with the
Chicago baseball players this year. The
Orphans must be meek as lambs or they
will run the risk of having trouble with
the management. Dahlenism will not "a =
| ture their play All this, the officials
think, will be easily accomplished by
| abandoning the position of captain.
| Manager Tom Burns has virtually ad-
mitted this was to be the policy this year.
| What's the use of having a captain
anyhow" he said. "Dahlen was captain
last year. and he was put out of the game
repeatedly"
The deduction is readily plausible that
the management has come TO the conclu-
sion that captains have inherent kicking
| procliyities and that kicking" captains
are more bothersome and costly than they
are worth. There is certainly plenty OF
sound logic in argument along this line.
| tuitb ta-flI
| be tolerated this year Burns continued
THE men will have orders, and they Will
be rigiIly enforced, too, not to protest a
single decision at any time. II makes no
| difference whether the umpire is right or
| wrong The Orphans Will be forced by us