The leader., 1901-04-24
BASE BALL In CHICAGO.
An Original Story by Lewis
Wood, of BrOOkhayen.

An original Story by Lewis
Wood, of BrOOkhaven.
After two weeks of hard practice,
one morning Bill Nykes, a profession
al pitcher from New Orleans who had
two-weeks engagement with the r.
L. Schercks, left the diamond to meet
the morning train. On the way the
manager Of the base ball team was
seen by Nykes just as he was turning
the corner.
"Come, Nykes, the catcher waits
the manager said.
"Oh, no." said Nykes. 81 have to
meet Jack Drew on number twenty
four; he is to play with the Greenville
team. He has just returned from
Chicago, where he played several. Per-
haps he will play with us when he re-
turns. Moreover, l have been prac-
ticing for two hours and / am afraid
I'll lose my arm in the game this after
noon il / use it too much"
"Well, that is so, Nykes. am glad
to know that you are so considerable.
l shall expect to see you on the
grounds at three o'clock"
"Oh yes, you can depend on my be-
ing there promptly at that hour"
Nykes walked on speedily toward
the depot, for the train was whistling
for the station.
He reached the depot and the train
had nearly stopped, when he heard the
familiar voice from the chair car:
Here am, Nykes." Nykes saw him in
an instant, and went into the car
where Jack was seated.
"Say, Drew, Lwant to have a long
talk with you concerning base ball in
Chicago. Will you not stop over un-
til the next section comes?"
"Well, I guess can. Will the next
section meet with the train at the
Junction."
"Yes, the two sections run ten min
utes apart. Then, suppose you should
not make the connection, you are not
in any haste to get there, are your"
The train was pulling out from the
station, and not having time to re-
fleet, they both got off. They walked
into the sitting room of tho depot to
have the wished for chat.
II suppose you made quite repu-
tation among the amateurs while in
Chicago?"
eyes, played we'll as an amateur, in
fact, I played better ball than I did
down South"
"Are the people very enthusiastic
over base ball up there?"
li"Of course, perfectly wild, but was
disguised to such an extent that /
was about to give up the game"
"How was that, Drew? Were the
players congenial?"
"Yes, but what disguised me were
the ones engaged in the National
SPORT
"Negroes, suppose"
"No,. not negroes. More surprising
still-they were women"
aWomenw
ayes, women. The first challenge
was from the Chicago Bloomers."
"Were there nine women?"
eyes, every one of the nine were
women" ..L.
"Who pitched? Surely not wo-
man."
"Why, a woman who could throw
any curve,-with speed, too. One
thing which was particularly disgrace
full was yell from woman coach,
who, when the ball was hit into the
out field and woman was about to be
thrown out, while running from sec
ond to third base, cried out to the run
ner, Slide in on third"
"What do you think about them, and
were they defeated?" inquired Nykes.
"Yes, by the inglorious defeat
which these ladies(?) suffered, one
thought that they had lost their class
ification as woman and had not gain
ed that of man. And one thought of
them with that same kind of feeling
that one has for that sea creature of
olden myth, who was half woman, half
monster"
"Do you think that base ball will ev
er be INDUCED in by the women of the
South?"
mo! thousand times no! 1t will
be sad day when such calamity
shall befall us, who live across the
Mason and Dixon line. Our beauti-
full women of the Southland, with
hearts as pure as the driven snow;
with love for country unbounded;
with faith in God unlimited; will ever
sit as queens of home and household
and will continue to WELD an infiu-
ence for good"
The approaching train was heard
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