Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-24
NEVER SAW A BASEBALL GAME.
Banker and Oil Masnate Knows Moth
ina of the Sport.

in this country over so years ago and
who has lived for over a score of years
in Texas and has never seen game of
baseball, nor does he know one single
thing about the game.
Such man is w. B. Wcrsham, bank
er and oil magnate. Mr.. Worsham
lives in Henrietta and if fame has here
tofore been denied Henrietta, surely
when this fact is heralded the limelight
of publicity will h@nceforth shine on
the metropolis of Clay county and the
geographical center of the North Texas
oil region.
Mr.. Worsham offers no excuse for his
lack of education in the great American
game. He proffers no palliation for his
ignorance. He is even proud or the
fact and he is inclined to boast OF 1t.
Il have had plenty of chances said
Mr.. Worsham, last night, for he was
in Fort Worth, but | have always been
too busy to study the points of the
game or even see one played"
His candid confession is equivalent
to three strikes and out. lie has never
seen the pitchers wind up their anat-
omy and compound their benders. He
has never seen the horSehlde covered
sphere shot with the force of catapult
from the pitchers box, and after curv-
ing over four routes, be slapped across
the home plate. He has never heard
the clarion voiced umpire send 10000
hopes to the demnition bOwwows, or
produce tumutuous howl from the
throats of 10000 fans by his decisions.
He has never seen how tense the mus
cleS of the average Americans face can
become when the score is tied, tie home
teams at the bat, the bases are full and
two strikes and three balls have been
called on the batsman.
Verify, Mr.. Worsham has been busy
man.
AS boy he has no remembrance of
Il favorite unoccupieI lot where the flu
ture greats of the neiShborEOOd would
ConSregate as often as the opportunity
presented itself and would frequently
make the opportunity, and there swat
the ball and run the bases. He does
not remember any IncroWned king of
youthful years who possessed the Prov
ess to slam out two aggers and three
baeSers and pound out home runs by
virtue of having the eye of an eagle
and the arm of AN Ajax.
Again, verify Mr.. WOrsham has been
Il busy man.
He knows nothing Of the art of steal
ing bases. Shooting it down to second
is Greek to him. When you speak of a
grass burner his thoughts are on
prairie fires and not on the diamond
Mention a pretty double and he will
think you have reference to some math-
ematical calculation. Speak of a foul
and he will think you have reference to
a blot of some kind. Mention stabbing
the sphere with one hand after high
jump and he looks mazed.
Once more, verify, Mr.. Worsham ha ;
been busy man.
When he hears shouts from the
bleachers he knows not what they
mean. His neart does not hump over
time at the eXultant sounds. When he
hears efoaas Nom life grandstand not
a spark of pity comes from his soul, TOR
be knows not why the groan. Speak
of hot one to third and he retires
An error to him is as dense as Sans
crit. An assist and put out, base
hit and a home run are all as dark in
their meanings as # they were mes
sages from Mars. He would not even
know what De Wolf Hopper was talk
ing about if he ever heard him recite
Casey at the Bat for all bats look
alike to him.
Yes, We have team in our
town" said Mr.. Worsham, which only
intensfies the thought of how in the
world he has lived in SO long and has
so long neglected his education.
Mr.. Worsham is yet young in lookx'
and may perhaps some day learn X,t>
fine points of the creates of all Eea
games. He is a pitiful candidate for
instruction in the eyes of nin2-tenths
of American men. There ale tbos.
who have become fans afte1 half a
century Of warning within their own
minds against the game
But Mr.. worsham Claims that he is
immune. He has been a busy man all
his life. But re admits that. like the
poor, the bas} ball fans will always be
in evidence He has no particular love
Tor thosf who enjoy d swartfest with
as much zest as they do a good cigar
and even with a greater zest.