The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-09
LIVELY WAR OF FANS
SKIRMISH IN THE STREETS.
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Rival Country Teams Cross Bats and
Then Afterwards Engage in
Free-For-A All
Fight.
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

II have played few games Of ball
my self" remarked James Darling of San
Francisco this morning. as he called the
who were tossing "A sphere back and
forth in the street. Il never was exactl!
what YOU would call il professional. but
l had my day of studying the tricks of
the diamond and reading the league
scofas in the newspapers. l recall one
game in which l took part that wound
up in pretty lively skirmish.
1T is a good many years ago now
since I was present al the crossing OF
the bats of which l speak, but time has
hot dimmed my memory of the occasion.
was living in d small town in central
Iowa and we had a ball club there that
we thought was about the right kind o.:
an outfit to meet anything in the country
that could travel under an amateur label
AS Fourth of July approached nesotia-
tions We're entered into looking 20 our
meeting the bail team in another town
about ten miles away. You know how
those things run in country towns around
the great national holiday. The deal was
time in practicing for the great event.
When the Fourth came We thought We
We're in good training to give the other
fellows a hard fight for the game. The
morning of the Fourth dawned brigh,
and pleasant and we took an early morn
ing train for the neighboring town. We
We're all dressed IN our playing suits. ana
nearly all the girls in town We're down
to the train to see us off ana wish us
luck
when we got up to the other village
there was a large delegation of boys and
girls down TO the train TO meet US. We
We're about the only attraction worth
consideling so we thought. and | think
there We're others Who agreed with US.
OF course nothing worth commenting on
happened during the foreuoon-the game
was scheduled for the afternoon. you
understand. When we appeared on the
grounds the people began coming in until
all the benches We're filled and we walked
out to engage in the contest with a
pleasing consciousness that we We're
being watched by a large crowd.
Il will not undertake to describe the
game that was played. 1t was much like
dozens Of other games of it's kind. There
were several grand stand plays by MEM
about the decisions of the umpire. Suf-
flee it to say that in the end we lost BY
one run, and we thought We We're cheat
ed out Of the game. Nothing happened
at the grounds, but it was evident that
it would not take much of a break on
the part of the boys who belonged in the
town 20 cause trouble.
After We had gone up into the vii
lage some one belonging to the winning
team said something that did not SUIT
one of our boys. and right there trouble
began. Just exactly how the whole thing
started it was hard to tell but in less
than five minutes there was one of the
worst Wars of the Fans on you ever
saw. No one was allowed TO remain idle.
We were after the other fellows and they
We're after us. Men We're knocked down
without knowing why they We're hit, and
the fellow who refused to fight simply
allowed himself to be used for a target.
If one remained on the street he was in
the mill whether he wished to be or not.
about the best scrapper among the
other fellows got hold of our strong man
and was mauling him all over the street
when he was hit in the side with a brick
and had to let go. Where the brick
came from l never knew, but presumably
some one sympathizing With us let go
of It.
FINALLY a young doctor who belonged
in the town was struck in the jaw, and
Immediately rushed away to get himself
sworn in as a special officer. Others TO-
lowed his example, and by the time a
dozen of those specials got to work on
us we showed some signs of weakening.
when we got ready to call the fight
off we We're speaking from behind the
bars Of the. lookup. The Jail atmosphere
cooled us off considerably, even If it WIS
in the middle of the summer. and we
were all soon willing to surrender and
promise not to attempt to prosecute any
body. If we had been in the mix-ur
alone we would probably have had 10
wait over until the next day and con-
tribute something to the treasury of the
village we We're visiting. AS it was, the
home boys were as deep In the mire rs
ourselves. and We We're allowed to 20
home without the Formally of appearing
in police court.
1T all looks very funny to me now as
go back to the time when it happened
and, l may say, that even immediate ly
after the occurrence there We're those
among us who did fail to appreciate the
humOr of 1t.
The battle was swift and fierce. but
no one was injured 10 amount to any.
thing, and the general way in which il
was carried on was amusing even to thi
man who was nursing a sore head or
account of 1t.
II have played many games of bal
since that Fourth of July. and one ol
two of the boys who We're engaged il
the game, and consequently in the fight
have since become professional ball play
ers. I saw one of them a few years ag;
when he was playing with the Omaha
team. We chatted over our variou.
youthful experiences on the diamond ant
found many incidents that we could re
call to amuse US, but nothing we raket
up compared with the battle in the stree
after the Fourth of July game. Old resi-
dents of that little town where the mil
took place tell their visitors to this da!
when there is ball game in the village
or a Fourth of July celebration, abou
I'll.