The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-15


This story purports t. deal with one job
MeGraw. third haScman ~ the -. LOU
baseball team: and incidentally. not 10y an
means consequently. the most pr0miner
figure. II not the greatest a!I-round playe
on the diamond to-day.
I have the sporting EDITORS authority 10
that last statement
But before telling yoG just how thi
mighty man impressed a mere womaI
whose knowledge Of bah is in N,
main superficial and whose acquaintance
with celebrities is more So I wart % relate
Incident which happened rot 50 many
years ago in the Iowa town OF Cedar
Rapids.
1t was my pleasure 10 he entertained
one winter night at dinner given b.
some agreeable people VINO live il the
aforesaid town. The guests were few in
numher-oniy eght-and il so seemed 10
me particularly well chosen. Everybody
belonged to that class Of persons who can
do stunt" Of greater or less merit. and
everybody appeared 10 BE- able 10 talk
We sat waiting for 4 few minutes after
the prescribed dinner hour Until one tarGy
guesi-a man-made his appearance.
You're going out 10 dinner with the
real lion Of the evening. the man for whom
we are waiting" said my neishbor. with
quiet smile.
"A real llon?' I repeated. viii he
roar? Is he nice? What are his public
and his parIor tricks2"
My neighbor gave me another smile.
Suppose you find out he said. and not
another word OF information would he
youchsafe.
went out TO dinner with the lion. He
was big and broad-shouldered and other
wise good 20 look at, with a strong. kindly
face. and a slow low-pitched. speaking
voice. We began with soup and the pleas
ures Of Cedar Rapids in winter. We pro-
gressed 10 roast and the books Of the day.
We SKINNED lightly over all the usual and
proper dinner table topics. with every ef-
fort on my part to anchor 10 something
that would give me a clew to his profess
eIon successfully parted by the gentle
man in question.
BY the time We reached dessert I had
arrived at the conclusion that he might be
either college professor. a skilled cleo
t.; trfcian. or an Austrian noblernan travelling
incog.
/ changed to an English diplomat when
a spirited discussion Of international poll
.
man at the table; but quickly came to the
opinion that he was a traveller of great dis
t.rnt,on and powess when he mentioned lit
lie jaunts into the Sahara and told about
wild rides on Arabian horses With several
chummy sheiks. This was over the coffee !
cups. Later We had music. when he sang b!
in trained barvtone voice well that I |
1elt assured OF the clew at last.
You sing as we'll as professional re- |
marked one of the women when he had |
finished particularly appealing love song. |
professional what Mrs. Douglass?'' he |
Eueried. with a smile.
And at that everybody laughed. That is. |
everybody but me. The hidden Joke I did |
not see and was furiously envious because /
the others did.
The evening finally came TO an end. with !
my curiosity unsatisfed and my impatience
rampant. Hardly had we descended the
doorsteps before I stopped my host and
hostess In the middle OF the sidewalk and |
demanded to know who the Hon was and
what he did.
I. Better wait until she gets home" said !
The man Of the party. Don't think in her
present state of excitement that she'll be |
able to stand the SHOCK" and they actually
had the heartlessness TO make me wait ff-
feen minutes longer. until we reached the
house. After lot of nonsense and a few
solemn rites that were supposed to pre-
pare me sufficiently. they both halted be-
fore my chair and detained in measured |
and impressive tones:
MIR. Hutchison-he is baseball player
he gets $500 every year pitching balls for
The Chicago nine. Now will you be goodr'
So you with the memory of that ex-
perience stiIi in mind. the St Louis third
wa Dot MIN or -H.of,, |
ing surprise he might have otherwise
been 10 me-or as he might be TO you who |
only see baIlplayer from the grand stand |
and who wouldn't recognize the same man |
in citizens clothes If you were TO pass him
on the street.
i watched the celebrated third baseman |
for some days before / met and talked |
with him. He IS easily the dominat spirit !
on the diamond. He walks out to third
and II YOU don't keep your eyes on him (
you miss the whole show. as one ardent
McGraw admirer has been known 70 &C.
clare. His magnetism is infectious and the
other members Of the nine play like men
snspireG when he gets control of things and |
the game Is going
He is an actor in the compleiest sense Of
the term. The spell which he weaves ever
his audience is no less powerful and is Of
'
Richard Mansfield exerts when he Plays
well. anything.
1t is genius-the genius of baseball hacked |
by one of the strongest personalities that
I have ever known.
If you want technicallties and detailed
nccount Of what McGraw actually Goes | :
when he plays-his daring. his Perfect | \.
throws and catches and withai. ais little | :,
wiIes and guiles and winning PLAYS that ! :,
keep your pulse at fever heat and make I :
you glad you're where YOU are-for all this | :,
must refer you 10 the sporting columns | nj
d The Republic. to he read after you have | .,
seen the third basemau in game. .
So much for the NcCiraw on the d,a- :.
nond. Now as TO the man himself. 81
I found him at the Southern few even y,
ngs ago, about. the dinner hour. -,
For Mr. McCiray,' I said TO the belIboy. | aI
handing hin. my card. CT,
Mr.. Mc(iraw. the bali playcr?' he re- -,
,eated in a voice hushed with awe-and ! | ~
hpk. envy. and upon my affirmative nod IA
pounded OFF as on the wings OF the wind al
1 sat down on one of the parlor diyans | nm
md wondered IDLY what kind Of clothes
led wear To he perfectly honest with | n,
-ou, hoped. for the sake of this story, | ha
hat they'd be checked plaids of a greater
" less degree of loudness. topped by a |
carlet tie pinned with a diamond horse w
hoe and accompanied by tan shoes and tn