The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-10

came with a viii. From end to end the
fair grounds rang with "Harwood! Har-
wood! What's the matter with Ha-ar-
/ woo-od? He's all right Nor would the
cheering cease until Harwood stood upon
a bench and took off his red cap to the
crowd.
/ Faith in their unparalleled pitcher made
/ the Gallia all superhly confident BIZ
! Reed, the first man up went to the bat,
! like a Trojan going to battle. Center
ports pitcher had tremendous speed and
no curves. His third bah met Bits ashen
stick with a noise like the splitting &C n
mast. When the fielder recovered it i]iil
sat at second, flaming himself with his
cap. The next man made a sacrifice hit
ana advanced Bill to third. Colonel
leaned against the ball for a single-and
Bill came home amid the shrieks of the
fans. ="
zone run! one man outY' said the
scorer.
Hollis reached first on balls
Zones to bat, and Harwood on deckn'
called the scorer.
jones walked to The plate. Brent Sc
lected his stick. A bad tumble gave Jones
his life and advanced each man a bag.
The bases were full-Colonel on third,
Hollis on second, Jones on first. Har-
wood stepped to the plate He was a safe
batter, but never a hard hitter-he was
too light, besides phenomenal pitchers do
not, as a rule, bat we'll But this was
Harwoods lucky day. The first bali pitch
ed came aC him like a rife bullet, exactly
where he wanted it. and the parson rap
ped with all his might. 1t started on a low
incline. rising as it sailed. passed over
the heads of the FEEDERS, who had edged
in struck the ground far back of them
and rolled and rolled as though it couldn't
stop
Then Harwood made his first last. only
home run. To this good day he does not
know how he did it. When he came puff
fing and painting across the plate the Cal
las became a cyclone which filed the
air with hats coats, canes and umbrel-
las. A locomotive whistle would have been
| drowned in the hubbub. The grand stand
and the bleachers Joined hands and carr
ried Harwood on their shoulders. And
Harwood grinned.
As a chronicle of sport The game after
ward was quite 100 one-sded to be inter-
esting. But Gallia City sat watching it,,
g1rged almost drunken with joy. No
game could be too One-sided for the Gal
/ lians. They owed Centerport much. you
see! What did they care for close scores
and fine Toints? E,very one of the forty
four runs piled up by The red-legged sons
| Of Gallia was to them an increment of
/ unalloyed bliss, and as such hailed with
/ tumult and shouting.
The Centerports! They played like old
women, and were trampled into the earth.
Their two poor runs were earned by the
rankest errors and gave no sort of COM
fort. Their glory had departed along
with their nerve. Their name was "Icha-
dor worse. And they laid it all on
that damned little parson," as the cap
tain said sententiously that night "Gallias!
Nothin The Centerports can wallop them
easy. What we've been up against is
Gallias and God"
Theneeforth Parson HARDWOOD was Gallia
Citys idol. There were exceptions, it is
true-over-strait PEOPLE, who were scandal
lied by the bare thought of minister
playing baseball. They made him all the
trouble they could but thar is outside the
story. He had won the mass of citizens,
and could do what he pleased, and have
whatever he would take that lay within
their gift. The church no longer lacked
a congregation. I'VE went to see the lit
tie preacher pitch said the people. Now
we must go to hear the little pitcher
preach" Everybody went. All sorts and
conditions of men and creeds squeezed into
the pews and even sat upon the pulpit
steps and overlooked the choir loft.
Do you ask the sum and resultant Of all
this enthusiasm? Better ask the mothers
of Gallia City-mothers whose sons are
good citizens because Brent Harwood
came to GaHia and played bah with them.
For there has reigned new era in Gallia
City ever since the day her nine defeated
Centerport. Perhaps it would be more ac-
curate to say the new era began upon
that night when Brent Harwood made the
nine promise to he gentlemen. If ever
Fate takes you to Gallia City do not for
get to ask about the little preacher who
pitched" You Will be sure to hear that
no evangelist has ever converted so many
men in that town as did PEARSON Har-
I