Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-01
BRYAN AS a PITCHER.
Story of Democratic Nominees Experience
on a Baseball Diamond.

I
Story of Democratic Nominees Experience
| on a Baseball Diamond.
That William J. Bryan was a ball
player way back in the SOS when no
commenced tho practice of law in
Jacksonville, ILL.,, would probably have
never been known, at least not anthem
ticated, were it not for telltale pho
tograph that was unearthed by his old
friend and fellow campaigner, John
w. Springer, president Of the National
| Live Stock Association and one of tho
leading business men of Denver.
In the course Of moving household
effects few days ago, the photograph,
| faded and begrimed with age, was found
by Mr.. Springer incased in an old
sorapbook containing press notices of
maiden campaign speeches made by
| Bryan and himself when Illinois was a
| solid Democratic State and the latter's
uncle was candidate for re.eleotion
to Congress. The picture, which il,
perhaps, the only ono in existence had
been lost for 10 years, and the finding
OF it recalled to Mr.. Springer's
memory the existence of the Jackson
vi le iii. baseball club of the Morgan
county bar. the members of which are
now more or less prominent in political
| and business circles in various parts of
| the country; particularly Mr.. Bryan,
| the Democratic nominee for the
greatest honor in the gift of the
American people. q
1t recalled tho day the picture was
taken. 1t was after the club had par
ticipattd in vigorously contested game
one OF series Of charity games played
| in Jacksonville, in the summer of 1854,
says the st. Louis Republic. The day
the picture was taken, Mr.. Springer
| recalls that the club of which Bryan
| was pitcher and himself eitcher had
| been victorious over a team made up
Ut the best players among the town
store clerks. He also recalls that vic
tory was pulled out of defeat in the
ninth inning by Bryan's home-run hit.
Il remember the incident perfectly"
| to 90 against us, fer we were not in the
days. There were two men 90 bases
when Bryan came to the bat Bryan
was not the sturdy built man those
| days that be is now, but the way he
| swung his bat on the first hall pitched
over the plate was surprise to all the
| players and the 500 or 6O0 spectators
who viewed the game from o point OF
vantage aloLg the first and third base
lines and the foul grounds hack of the
catcher. Bryan knocked tho ball clear
over the centre fislder's head and into
another lot in the distant BACKGROUND.
Around the bases he went driving two
other mon ahead of HIM. and tho game
was won. Bryan played with as much
determination and enthusiasm as he
has shown in his political career. He
was looked upon as a good amateur
pitcher in those days and often after
the game my swollen hands attested the
speed he had.
"There was plenty of rooUers then, as
now, and Bryan, on account of the
sparse growth of whisRers he wore,
which looked decidedly off in ccnnec
tion with makeup in baseball uni
form, was the cynosure of the coma
dians. | remember of him telling me
that il be continued to play ball the
rest of that summer he would shave his
beard, but he disliked TO part with it,
as it gave him more elderly and dig.
nitied appearance, which was not dis
advantage in dealing with a certain
class of clients.
"While it can hardly be said that the
picture embles Mr.. Bryan as he
Looks today, it is be, however, as he
appeared in baseball uniform along
with the rest of US in 1884" --F