Evening journal., 1903-09-10

as the morning practice WAS about 10
begin, "of hostile crowds interferin'
with a ball mines winning games. a
team goes away from home and gets
walioped "a couple o. times and the pa
pers begin histing out the hostile
crowd gag Il goes with the people
outside the game, but anyone that's IN
Il knows that good BAH playing and
more than an, heavy hard batting VIII
bring the crowd with you any time. no
matter bow hostile II was az the start
That was aDtly Illustrated one time
when / was playin' with Josh Hapgood
back IN the early COS.
"One year, after the season IN the
Corndropper's league had been finished.
Josh picked up nine Of the star play
ers I'm the circuit and started with us
10 do little barn -storming down
through Texas II was easy money from
the start. ! did the catching and Reg
gle Van RENSSELAER, and Dan Delaney,
Of Russetville. nltcrnated between the
pitchers box and center field. We had
Pinch Hobbs playing short, big Pete
Brown on first base and the Harrison
brothers. Johnny and Jim on second
and thlrd. out IN left there was Tar
Paper Hennessy and in right there was
Pint Billings. II was a cracking good
aggregation, all IN all
we went right down the line with
an unbroken string Of victories No
body could touch MS. We always had
good crowds, and Josh had an ever-in-
creasing bank roll 10 be divided up
when the last game had been played
and we struck out Tor home. one day
Josh got the following telegram while
we were az place called Stafford
from Hammerhurst, a burg aways up
the line:
Mr. Josh Hapgood-Dear Sir: The
Hustlcrs Of Hammerhurst hereby chal-
lenge your alleged all-star nine TO "a
game Of baseball $500 a side and win
ner 70 take All the gate receipts. at
Hammerhurst tomorrow, September 26,
Send reply by bearer.
ELLwoOD HANKS.
Captain
Haqaerty Said No.
well, the minute I heard the name
Of Ellwood Hanks bore out wide and
went up against the outer rail. knew
Ellwood Hanks OF old. He was n fell
low thnt makes speciality OF boring
holes through the hackstop with i'm
shoots. and he had near killed about
ive catchers. The only one that could
catch him was his brother Elmer. a
little. snwed-on fellow about feet
nothing. 7 told the fellows and CAV,
them warning, but they wanted The
$500 awful bad. We sent back word
after while that we'd accept The
date. and the next day we started FOR
Hammerhurst. When We came I'M
sight Of the town the conductor came
10 us and said:
Are you these all-star bah play
ers that's going to play the Hustlers
this afternoon %
pinch allowed that we were, and
the conductor says:
" You are liable 70 have a powerful
warm reception. They was getting the
tar and feathers ready when came
this morning.
Tar and what?' says Josh Hap
good.
Tar and feathers said the con-
ductor. ard we could sec he meant IT,
That's what they do TO every team
that comes here to Hammerhurst and
gets beat They tar and feather them
and run them out Of town on rails
" Well what II we VIM says Josh
Hapsood.
" 4 don't know about that says the
conductor. No team that's ever come
here has ever won a game. Their um-
pire takes care of that
pete Brown pulled big six-shoot-
er out Of his pocket and a box o. car
tridges, and began handlin' # viii
care.
Pinch opened his grip and hauled on
his razor.
No need o. gettln' them things
out aays the conductor. You pull
gun I'm Hammerhurst and the shootin'
coroners inquest. funeral and buria
all come together. The best thing yo'
can do Is to stay right on the train
and go back home again.
WHAT says Josh. and get a rep
utation as duitters? That neverl dc
Come on. boys. he said, as the trail
slowed up. Wen beard the lion I'm hi
dem Josh always was a sweet talkeI
Il Was Tough Crowd.
'',vith that the ten OF us got togeth
er ard piled out onto tho platform
say but there was a hostile crowd. an
no mistake. Josh Hapgood had M
sooner hit the steps than dozel
lsporty-looking guys with iappin' som
Abrero hats and diamond rings rushe
up ana nuttered rolls OF money the,
could just hold IN their two hands in hi
face.
Five hundred dollars we beat you
says one.
/ A thousand here. all In one bet
painted a big fellow.
Here's a bag Of gold / want to pa
down awful bad that you're beat by te
runs
Here's a hundred you don't score
lpiped up a little fellow on the outskirt
OF the crowd.
" Let's hang 'em up now. What
the use o. waitlng?' we heard a voic
saw I got rope right here. They
never win. and IL may rain and sto
the fun What do you think o. tina
for cold calculation?
Talk about YOUR hostile crowds
That was the limit Even the litu
boys kept throwin stones and drie
Iburdock burs AT us and yelling
Lynch the robbersi' all the way {
the hotel. showing their good bring
ing up. The hotei-keeper was nic'
; fatherly-looking old fellow. with gra
hair. lie told US some stories abou
the terrible doings OF the Hammer
hurst people 20 visiting ball mines. an
that didn't reassure Us any
say says Josh Hapgood 70 th
old man. Amt they some officers
the law IN this here desperate com
lmuntyg
oh yes said he. but they a
play on the Hustlers. Ellwood Hanki
! he's sheriff himself and the fello'
that plays frst base is chief Of police