Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-08-22
Baseball Fibs.

The amount OF prevarication concern
ing baseball matters that has been turn
ed loose in the city OF Ashland is so stu
pendons as 10 require attention and col.
rection.
The people in that city who so desire
should be given an opportunity to know
the truth in regard 10 this as well as
other matters.
Whether or not the fluent takers who
have flooded the Granite city with false
hood attended the famous game in Grants
Pass on August l2 cannot be determined
from the reports. Fully as intelligent
prevarication could be accomplished by
those who were thousand miles away
-hom the game and knew nothing Of its
facts.
Some who haye visited Ashland dur
the past week say that all manner OF re-
ports are current there concerning the
game and the reasons that Ashland lost.
Several OF the team were battered and
crippled by Pitcher Martin. Others
were set upon by ruifiaus and beaten
with fists into partial disability
Such nonsense is an Insult to the intel.
ligence of Ashland's people. Pitcher
Harper was the only mad hit at the bat
and bis word is worthy OF some consider
alton. He says that it.did not even dis
cnmmode or inconvenience him in the
least. He says further that the best
team won, a thing which the Ashland
boys seem unable to utter.
Throughout the season, all sorts OF ex
cuses have been advanced by Ashland
for their defeats. 1t was the Eugene
men; it was the lgerna men it was this /;
it was that. Anything under the sun
except the real reason that their oppon.
ents played better ball than they did.
After the last game, the question was
frequently heard; "What excuse will
Ashland put up this timer" The an
swer came soon. pitcher Harper got
hit on the arm"
The Valley Record published the prize
story OF the season, telling how the Ash
land team were compelled TO bunch to-
gether to escape assault by Grants Pass
"ru0ians." This is the acme Of ridicu'
lous foolishness. The accounts Of the
fight, as given by the Valley Record and
Town Talk are utterly unjust and untrue,
The latest fling occurs in Mondays
Tldings and is an insinuation that Grant;
Pass has been studiously avoiding a game
with Igerna. The facts are these aftel
the game at Ashland, Igerna challenged
Grants Pass to play at Ashland. Grants
Pass accepted the challenge but insisted
that the game be played in Grants PASS
naming Friday or Saturday, August 2nd
or 3rd as the date OF the game. Their
reason for not Playing at Ashland wa'
that the ground is hard one to play on
particularly for the pitcher as it is fal
from level and the home plate is consid
erably higher than the pitchers box
Igerna objected to playing here on ac
count OF loosing sleep by the greater dis
tance Our team met this objection, The
only one made by Igerna at that time
by offering $40 to cover sleeper fare fol
the team, This offer hung fire for sever
al days and was finally refused by Iger
ma. When the lgerna players were here
with the Ashland team, an effort was
made by Grants Pass to arrange game
for Saturday, August II. The Igern'
players stated that they could play on
no day except Sunday. AS the propo.
sition for Sunday game met with scant
support, the matter was finally dropped
Any insinuation that either side had
cold feet is uncalled for and sounds jeal
Gus and malicious.
The truth is always in order and il
+ worthy of more respect than it has Te'
ceiyed in Ashland.