The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-06
ANsoN WRITES A nook.
Hns n Few Words to say of Players
in General.


Adrian C. Arson, for eighteen years
manager and captain OF the Chicago ball
club, has followed in the steps OF other
great men and has left his memoirs in the
shape of book of $50 jages, in which he
relates his career from birth to his re-
tirement from the baseball world.
The book is entitled "A Ball Players
Career, Being the Personal Experiences
and "reminiscences of Adrian C. Arson,
Late Manager and Captain of the Chicago
Baseball Club" 1t is volume of eX-
ceeding interest to all votaries of the
diamond and especially to the many ad
mirers of the blonde giant who for so
many years led the Chicago club to the
stormy heights of victory and again to
the Avernus OF humilating defeat. The
book is handsome geographically, and the
text Is graphically and carefully written.
In the opening chatper. Arson describes
his birth in Marshaltown, Iowa, and in
discussing the ancestry of his parents
takes pains to deny he is a "Swede," his
fother being a descendant of an old Eng
lish family and his mother bearing the
good old English name of jeanette Rice.
| Having thus disposed OF the favorits
charge of the rootsrs that he was men,
Der of the Scandinavian tribe, Anse goes
on to state; 81 had no particularly bad
/ traits that was aware of, only that was
possessed of an instructive dislike to both
study and work, and shirked them when
ever opportunity offered =.
Anse loved to play hockey and sneak OF
to some field where he could indulge in
old-fashioned soak ball. His father had
great trouble with him those days. but
| finally he was shipped off to Notre Dame
university, where the rudiments OF an
English education were driven into nina
which much preferred the joys of an open
air and athletic life. He played second
base for the Notre Dame team and then
and there became so intoxicated with the
delights OF the game of baseball then in
state of evolution, that he forsook the
more routine pursuits of life ana deVotel
his talents and energies to the great
American pastime. He was fond OF bill
iards when a boy, and in fancy curling
and skating took all the prizes-but his
heart was with baseball every minute oil
the time.
Arson goes on to describe the develop
ment of the game, stating that the largest
score on record between professional CLUBS
was made by the Atlantics of Brooklyn and
the Athletics of Philadelphia, July ., 1862,
when the former won by score OF 81
TO As.
Arson describes his experience with the
at school the invinclble Marshalltown club
had been defeated by the Des Molnes ag-
gregation. and Arson determined to wipe
OUT this stain He Immediately organize
a nine which walloped the Des Moines elut
easily, and thus became local hero.
The Forest city club Of Rockford, III.
now challenged the champion Marshall
towns. A. C. spaldipg was pitcher for taS
Rockford bunch. and Spaldlng prousnl
lis own special umpire with him. Ansor
was unsophisticated those days,and he al
lowed Shading 10 hand him this package
Of done, Not only did the umpire ALLOW
Shading 10 do as he pleased, but IN
Rockfords also worked off bounding
, rock" ball on the M3rshalltowns lnstea'
Of the regulation "Ryan dead ball IN
.boundlng rock" ball few wildly IN an al
, rections. but this at first was sscrped .
: the terrific batting powers OF the ROCK
7 fords. Arson finally smelled mouse
and tore off the covering and underneath
was found a rubber sphere.
Arson earned his first basepal none
nv shaving of his mustaehe ana stalninl
his skin so that he could pass as an anna
teur player with the Clinton. Iowa. team
which wanted badly TO lick the Des Nome
crowd. Arson got $50, but his father CAV
him a good lecture for deyiating from IN
strict paths Of rectitude ,I,,.s.,
Anson tells OF his Joining the Phiisdei
mia cIuh in 1871 and his attempt 10 wnI
me notice force OF Philadelphia, with IN
. rnsuit that he received severe pouadla
d ana was locked up. Again he met re
a on a street car who insisted that MS cru
e was playing ball for the money tner
/ was in IT," and Arson hit him tnen an