The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-01
Cincinnati Enquirer3

n
the woods with the men and set 20 work
at trimming trees and carrying wood for
the cook and buildin fires and peclin'
p'taters and all the other little joyful pur-
suits that come to boy horn into
lumber camp. never saw a horse race
or DOat race OF any kind of athletic
contest an was over % and had begun
to play ball The only haseballs We lad
up IN the woods were made out OF yarn.
with piece % rubber In the center, and
covered with q net o. white cord we
used the handle of a hayfOrk for bac.
and we never had more than five men
on a side.
"Our favorite pastimes were wrestling
and boxing and THROWN the hammer. We
used big maui Tor that. and before
vas Is I got SO I could outhrow anybody
IN the camp. From that don want you
10 think that "a hammer thrower any
more. / leave the gentle art OF knocking
to the gaZabOs who run the Damud
Chips and Hits and Pickups' columns
in the newspapers.
We'll. I've told YOU how I grew up 70
be a strong boy and quit the lumber bust
ness for baseball because ] was lucky
enough to make four home runs in the
first game I ever played I'm. I was mis-
taken for some crack player who had
been signed from Baltimore and stole
his job. Since then I've taken an interest
in every sport that is practced IN these
United States. l think. I've piked AM
plunged on the ponies; I've followed up
rowing and priZenchters, I've taken
hand in few dog fights, and I've played
But il wasn't till I'd played two years
with the famous AlfGlfas and helped put
them at the head Of the list in the Corn
troopers league that i butted into tho
greatest OF all college games
Alfalfas Get the Challenge.
Wed been playin' exhibition games
after the season had closed. dividing up
the receipts, and one day Josh got this
j. HapgoOd. Esq. Manager. AlfalIa.
win play your team at Oakdale Wednes-
J. VI ESI.LY JENKINS
Manager. Oakdale University
Some college gents want to take "A tall
out of US said Josh, when he'd read IL
Real generous of EN- putin up SOD
guarantee. wei have q few bets down on
the side 20 make fl really worth our while
We hit Oakdale about o'clock Ga the
afternoon FOR our train was late The
place had q deserted look. There were no
loungers around the station, the baggage
department wasn't doin' any business and
we couldn't see any ticket agent to tell Ia
the way TO Olkdalc university grounds
The bleachcrs and they were scream
ing black with people and they were
screaming and hurrahing like all pos
sessed AS we hustled IN through the gate
a man beckoned to us. and ran US TO
dressing room under the grand stand
For heavens sake, hurry up says
he This crowd Is so impatient that II
We don't get started right away they'll
take hand In the game themselves
I thought that rather funny Josh
HapgoOd hadn come in with us. but had
hundred. We hadn't mOre'n got our shirts
off than he was back, white around the
gins, with eyes as big as saucers and a
hOarseuess in his voice you could feel.
Boys said he. were in wrong This
amt no baseball gamen
What is it-a funny house?' asked
Jimmy Harrison. Sounds like 10 outside
Sure enough, the noise there had deep
ened into a regular roar.
No, said Josh, this Oakdale univer-
sity bunch didn't mean baseball when
they wired me. They meant football
What says 1. Catch with my feet?
? No. no, says Josh. Real football.
The college game where you run with the
ball and fall down and everybody piles
g 4 pass said Tar Paper Hennessy. L
saw it played once. None in mine Let's
q Yes said Delaney. get your money
Get 3othin'.' fairly screamed Josh.
DO you hear them yells? They won't
give YOU no money and they won't let
." NNhatH they do If We can't play?'
asked Billings.
Cross Bars Ready For Lynehing.
Now, look here said J. Wesley Jen-
kins, bUttin' in through the door, We
know you're the Alfalfa team, and you're
attempting 10 withdraw because YOU We
discerned the weight and prOWess Of our
peerless aggregation. The baseball gag
IS only an excuse You. We got 10 play or
'WhatU the crowd dOT says l. start
in toward the manager.
He got out rather quick for I was
Weighin' about 20 then, and none of It
fat. he yelled back from the outside that
they'd tar and feather us.
They'll lynch us, called Billings
who'd been investigatin through a crack
I'm the backstop. They've got two gal
lows up out there now
sure enough, there were two poles
with a cro5Sbar at each end of the field.
bious.
.. Bring EN- out TIL we kin the quit
tsrsr We heard one yell. oh, the WEIGH
ers. screamed somebody else. Let rae
at emf
In the meantime Reggie Van ReuSse-
lear and Johnny and Jimmy Harrison
Hayvilles. who was along as utility man.
were doin' some figJlrin'. II seems they
knew the blame game. Reggie and the
Harrlsons had been real stars and Pinch
and Sam had played some So just when
it seemed as though the dressiu' room
'ud be busted in an us taken out and
chopped up into little bit for sooveneers.
Reggie dashed out and said we'd play If
they gave us lime to get dressed.
Get your clothing on and hasten,
said j. Wesley Jenkins In the mean
time we viii lock the gates so you can't
get away
Reggie got cut piece Of paper and
sized US up. Then he said:
'Hag, you're the biggest, so you play
center. Pete Brown, right guard
90 Guard who? says he
" 'Haggerty! Keep close 90 him. said
What am I. a kidg says I, naring
up. i don't need no guard.
sam Merritt paciried US by saying il
was part Of the game. Josh Hapsood
was left guard.
Johnny and Jim Harrison were the
ends and Hennessy and Billings were tile
tackles. Pinch was quarterback and
when L found he was to stand right be-
hind me ] felt satisfied, Tor it's nice to
have a man like Pinch around when
you're in for trouble
Reggie was fullback and Sam Merritt
and Dan Delaney were halfbacks. They
were funny names TO me then-nOthlng
like shortstop or first base or anything
body could understand.
Haggerty's Team Lines Up.
1.-THE boys barely had time to be told
how 20 line up when the crowd got noisy
again ana we went out i felt lost. They
put me in the middle OF the field and told
me TO stand there and stop the first man
] could. The Oakdale people. all dressed
in funny clothes. with big pads all over
EN-. got up in a line "a ways Off and then
Reggie gave the ball thump and fl went
sailing down toward their end of the lot.
Remembering what Reggie had said
about getting the ball. / started after IT,
So did all our fellows but Brown. lie
got his signs crossed and stood still TN an
Oakdale fellow hit him with his shoulder
Then Brownie Clnched and IL took four
cops 70 pull him away from the other
man.
''In the meantime had seen a big guy
with red Jersey catch the ball and start
for us and i lay for him. I knew he'd
dodge my way, for jim Harrison was
CLOSING I'M fast and so he did He came
sailing up and as he went By ] grabbed
the ball from under his arm. though he
pushed his hand in my lace TO keep me
''Hoiding The bali up in my hand I