The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16
Sam Morris, Heap Good Indian.

We dare any old-fashioned cynic OF
the frontier to go out to Oregon and
assert there the ancient saving that the
only good Indian is dead Indian The
State will greet him with derision. In
Portland he is likely to have his scalp
taken, to be presented to SAN MORRIS az
II sacrificial offering.
To understand the alteration of SAM
NORRIS by Portland we must. first Of all,
clear ourselves of the sad Eastern opinion
that the game of baseball has degener-
ated into one of the many minor amuse-
ments Of the American people. Baseball
in Portland is vital. When the Nine
loses, the newsboys Of Portland muffle
their shouts; old friends pass one an
other on the streets with faces averted;
salesgirls make faces at the customers
in the dry goods stores. But when the
Nine wins, even that continuous dull
pain which must pervade a city which
has the Hon. JOHN BARRETT in its midst
is forgotten. All is joy and light and
civic merriment.
Lately Portland has had more cause
to mourn than to swell its chest. The
Portland baseball players have played
with little fortune and only moderate
skill. They have kept themselves far
down the list of their league. The NUT
terings Of the outraged city put despera-
ton into the hearts Of the managers.
They went out after new thing. They
found SAM MORRIS, full-blooded Indian
of the Nez Perces tribe. at Salem. His
renown was mighty; they were soepti-
cal. But as they were in sore straits,
they took him on trial At least, his
failure, should he fail, would divert the
city's hostility for time from themselves
TO him. They went home and announced
what they had done; in the coming game
with the Sacramento nine, SAM MORRIS
was to pitch.
The City Of Portland was sceptical,
even as the managers had been, but with
fine public restraint held its peace until
the redskin had his chance. How he re-
warded this forbearance is best told in
the frenzied language of the Ore0onian's
converted baseball reporter. 1t is we'll
to know, before beginning to read this
remarkable narrative, that Portland won
the game in the tenth inning by Il score
of 9tOS:
They laughed at SAM MORRIS. those Sacra
lnsulted him. but with the stoicIsm for which his
race Is noted he paid more attention 10 them
than he would have to the far OF cry Of harmless
nigh. bird on the NeZ Percts reservation. They
laughed at SAM MoRRIs-SAM MORRIS the Indian
the amateur. The laugh. the grin. the hooting
the yelling and the insult died away and became
an unhappy groan In the sixth. when MORRIS sont
the ball over the fence for OF the longest home
runs ever made on the home grounds,
-FIrZaERALD had been sent 10 the rescue OF
brown and the first ball over was bad, The next
noated swiftly toward the heart OF the plate
MORRIS met II with all the beef and Drawn OF those
mighty arms and shoulders. and n sound like an
exploding cannon followed Out the ball sailed
DOYLE WAS after II In deep centre field. but he
couldn't have got with balloon, for II cleared tho
fence with feet to spare and the ball landed In
Washington county, The shout Of 10y that greeted
MoRRIss homer broke all previous records, When
he came To the bench one madly enthusiastic fan
threw him hvo-doar gold piece, while others
threw silver at him.
The sight OF tho grand stand and bleachers
standing on their toes. waving their hats. canes.
umbrellas and yelling like mad. and NORRIS, his
lnky black hair waving and tossing wildly ~ he
ran around the bases In that long. graceful looping
gait was something worth seeing. Tho sceno was
by far the widest and most joyful sver soon at the
Twenty fourth street grounds"
It is pleasant to know that tho popular
alteration, born Of carly distrlst and
ridicule. was not the Indians only 70
ward. In passing into Washington
county, that home-run hit travelled