Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-07-20

s1Nd the fat eX-mascot of the Lightfoot
lilies in comparing baseball of the
He~ent with that of the old days, "was
liSFIe Sammie Salmon of the Lilies. But
she fastest base rune | ever heard Of
0s7aa, or wasn't, rs the case may have
been Steve Speed, who played, or who
I4AHt play. ! don't know which, with
asae Ringtail Roarers. At any rate.
whether he eve played with the Roar
sKy or not, he was certainly the fastest
fx2At eve came over the crOssways.
Isyu don't understand? Well, I'll tell
ypa all about him.
"Unp afternoon about a month before
TIC last game we eve played with the
Ringtail ROarers the boys were all sit
Wing round in the postotfice discussing
chances for the big contest. Cap
min Slugger Burrows. who was tend
ing p~ostottice that day, was over in the
csrner reading the ball news in a Jones
&sHanty Courier that had accidentally
sAFTed its wrapper before delivery.
Suddenly he clutched the paper tight
&Y and sprang to his feet. For heavens
make, boys, listen to this: we have it
from a high source he began to read
Weathlessly. that the koarers have
Mlearthed a phenomenal base runner.
With whose services they feel confident
VI wrestling the Jones county laurels
ron the erstwhile invincible LightfOot
Lilies. The newcomers name is Steve
Speed. His extraordinary ability was
FIRST discovered while he was in the
-s4>K one day last week. He stopped an
aMsy grounder and tossed it over to
iTst to catch the runner. The ball had
lwr, he discovered that first was uncov-
eyed. Without a moments hesitation
ae made Il dive for the bag and sue
SEEDED in reaching it just in time to
cnrch the ball that he had thrown but
I'll instant before, thereby scoring Il
put out and ;ln assist mlassistcd.
boys said the Slugger, crumpling
lie paper savagcly in his fists, TO Lily
aark with you. Practice begins at
fslce. Hustle"
We'll, sir, that week we practiced.
III the morning the boys would all 60
Avn to the station and rae the trains
~ they steamed out of town. After
ICONS they'd ease up a bit and just in
I2lge in short sprints paced by the
Ta"n trolley ear. At night the daily
WActice would conclude with a brisk
MOSS country run around the town.
.A1;rt HJa ,,,,I- I,,.,- - aI. A.
MT end of the week we began to have
isoIfe hopes of beating the Roarers aft
n all. And then came a second copy
At The Courier KNOCKING our hopes
than taxes.
THE wonderful baseball feat per
torllcd by Steve Speed the article
said, which was published exclusively
by The Jones County Courier. has been
by an ave more astonishing
by the anne player. We
4a We It from the same high source from
which we obtained our former news
Speed has now become so prof
in running that he is able to
gitGh the bah From the box and by an
aicfa0inly quick start reach the plate
n tllle to catch the ball behind tho
The hearers have released their
Wouidn't that hasten your
1t did ours.
And the next weeks accounts were
worse. The Courier got straight
their w private high source
STAT this guy Speed was even better
SIN tho week before. He was now so
s2Jer at the game that he not only ran
own behind The plate and caught the
aanS that he pitched. but in case the
Knocked a hy he darted out in
be field and caught II himself. The
@sArers had, according to The Courier,
their whole outfield. When
read tl,ut. Bull Thompson wanted to
'Tricel the game, but the Slugger
hear of it. The Lightfoot
he said, may be made to look
tarhecl thistles, but we won't
,ifler befofg we're picked
when the big game finally did come
Il. The Roarors certainty had us on the
IA. For three innings they piled up
almost at will. But then we be-
In to get WISE. Where was this fast
aiming phenom? Cy Priest was still
the pitchers box. and the whole out
I'D seemed TO be in their usual places.
erhaps he was sick. The thought
US courage. and We began to pick
81 BIT. You all know how we finally
allied the game out of the fire in the
.st half of the tenth. That's a mat F.
n OF history now. Well, after it was
yer Me Slugger went up to Cy Priest,
20 Say he asked, where's that hot
runner of yours, CyT
4" 'Yon mean Steve Speed" replied
", with a funny lock in his eye. oh,
e couldn't pay the salary he demand
i and had to let him go. The last
card of him he was touring the north
rest, playing exhibition games to enor-
nous crowds
Yes. sir; ne was the hest that ever
rqs--if he was. AS ! said, | don't real
Z know. or curse Tho Courier said
Dat they had it from a high source.
then Wen, you know Cy Priest
Vas over six feet.'-New York Sun.