The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-03
The Slagtown poet was lost in the
 eruption.

After playing magnificent ball for fort night or more Little Rock touched q match to the fuse yesterday afternoon and the Iron Makers organization explod- ed with an awful crash and the frag- ments of blue clad swatters were scatter ed to the forewinds
 The story of the farce is told in nine long chapters with the plot laid in the village of Slagtown. Throughout the mournful pages not sad faced Baron touched the home plate and the Travellers romped away with the game by a score of to 0.
 Smitty was plunked in the solar pexus and when the Travellers had done with his perforated remains this great and popular chunker had lost 165 pounds of flesh and his shadow was hung up on the score board as an ominous warning to those who fail to stand the gaff. Smitty after winning thirteen straight games was due his bumps and he got them good and strong
 Hits Grew Common.
 The Little Rock hitters wrapped their bats all around the ball and line drives grew as common as blasts on the slagpile Any old player could crack the sphere and when a follower of Finn was perche1 on bag the necessary punch was deltv- cred and something happened.
 In the meantime the Coal Barons hac turned over on their backs and each one waltzed to the plate and laid his neck on the chopplng block. Guese yielded the axe Four measly hits were the best the mighty Iron Makers could do and only one man was daring enough to reach third base. This happened when nobody was out and then he was allowed to die a lingering death while HOO fans did the mourning.
 It was simply fearful and no refreshing tears would come to soothe the anguish of all fandom who stood it as long as possible and then slowly wound their way out of the gate and to their beds only to spend hapess and sleepless night.
 Couldn't Realize 1t.
 For a few minutes the unhappy men who root could not realize that Smitty was being bombarded and when the ex- tent of the disaster dawned upon them there was a wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some of the excited clansmen yell ed out in their torture, "The game has been sold" Others took up the cry and ere shadows had fallen over the city of fans a murmur spread over Slagtown 10 the effect that Birmingham had donated the game to Little Rock. This was the straw that broke the camers back and the boys who had stood the anguish of defeat completely collapsed. Right when they had a chance to get in fourth place right on the verge of the first division, right in the hopes of drawing big crowds the rest of the season and hen to learn that they had given .way the game. To all calm minded baseball enthusiasts such report is absurd and any person who would have taken the time to have slipped in the dressing room of the play CTS just after the game would nave been ashamed of ever having entertained such a suspicion.
 Players Bitterly Disappointed.
 The saddest and most disappointed lot of men in the grounds yesterday was made up of the Birmingham team. These players went out with full expectation Of winning the game, and getting in the first division. As it happened Smitty was off color and Little Rock plunked tte ball. On the other hand Guese proved wizard and there was nothing doing. Put those two things together and if any body can't figure out why Birmingham lost he is a poor mathematician.
 Some claim that Manager O'Brien ought to have taken Smitty out when he saw he was not in condition. But what good would that have done? Br- mingham couldn't have won without run and there was no use in using up two pitchers with no chance of winning O'Brien says if Birmingham had show ed any inclination to hit the ball Smitty would have been taken out
 Dumping Was About Due.
 To sum the whole thing up the whole trouble is that Birmingham lost and as the pumping was about due the best thing for fandom is to swallow the dose