Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-01-10
THE GAME WAS LOST.
AND 412 POUNDS OF BASEBALL IDOL
WAS SHATTERED.
The IGnOminiOus Downfall of the
LiGhtfOOt Lilies Club Mascot
When In an Ill Advised Moment
They Told Him to Slide.


Lightfoot Lilies Club Mascot
When In an Ill Advised Moment
They Told Him to Slide.
"Well, why is it you never played
baseball yourself?" asked latter day
fan of the very stout man sitting in
the corner. You say you We're the
mascot for the famous Lightfoot Lilies
of Jones county, and yet, with the ex-
ception of the time that they put you
in to force the winning run in the thir-
teenth by being hit in the stomach,
you never seem to have played your
self. After such successful daring were
you never asked to play again? l don't
quite understand"
The stout man gaZed at the speaker
Searchingly for a few minutes and
then, apparently satisfied that the ques-
tions were asked in good faith, proceed
ed to unfold the one dark shadow in
his otherwise sunny life.
Have YOU never heard?' he began.
"Then now you shall hear, and. though
| think no blame should rest with me,
You yourself shall judge of that. Lis
contest in which | forced the winning
run owing to the pitchers inability to
put the ball over the plate without
striking my corporation. This, ! be-
lieve. was due to a law of physics
which states that but one body can oc-
cupy the same space mt the same time
or words to that effect. But. whatever
the cause, | acquired a reputation for
high class baseball second to none in
Jones county and At once got a regular
position on the team. My figure being
my stock in trade, Captain Slugger
Burrows Of the Lightfoots spared no
pains in bringing me to physical per
fection before the next game with the
RoarerS. Under carefully selected
diet Of beer, butter. lard potatoes and
cod liver oil rapidly rose from mea-
ger $40 pounds to the magnificent fig
ure of H..
For the first eight innings of the
great contest which ultimately proved
my downfall | fully sustained my en-
viable reputation for artistic ball play
ing. Three times the bases were full,
with the Roarers one run in the van.
Three times | proved the Lightfoots'
salvation by forcing the tieiug run by
means of my superior figure. Three
times the home rooters We'd with one
another in futile attempts TO pay me
suitable homage | was truly more
cham queen. And then that fatal ninth.
with its brimnl cup Of gumless bitters.
-Four hundred and twelve pounds of
shattered idol
In the last half Of the ninth | reach
ed first through my customary strategy.
Later ! succeeded in gaining third by
a daring hit IT base running while the
RoarelS' tclder~ were searching for
'I;ull' Thomps0u'> liner on the other
side Of the center field fence. Sammie
salmon ana enc OF the Foote twins
died easy deaths on indeld pop dies.
There we were Ringtail Roarers. u;
Iightfoot Lilies. l6. two out. Thomp-
son and yours truly on second and
third bases respectively and the in
viucihle Home Run uaukiuS ut the
bat All were GREATNESS with sus-
pcuSc The pitcher swung his arm
back slowly. and them swish bang,
Home Run Iaukiu~ never missed lis
aim. ! struggled bravely toward the
plate ana It'll less time thau + ;akeS 70
tell il Thompson waS NJ my back push
.ng violently doubled my efforts 4
moment later uaukn> himself caught
up and Joined in the single tia struggle
for home ami victory Twas do IT
die. and the people were Ills, lunat'cS
II their Wild Excitement Spurred On
liz their cheers. was soon hut five
feet from the plate. with Thompson
and HankinS Still dancing NJ my heels.
EhSa suddenly a voice rose cArarly
above the others Slide. Willie. slide
Il 0ens OCT. Oh. fatal words"