The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-08

none knows whither A great many peo- pie have puzzled their brains to discover what becomes of ball players in the win ter time. These men, who for a brief season are idolized by the small boy and admired by older heads, stand in the lime-light of publicity for a few months and then mysteriously disappear Some few of them have been traced to their winter haunts but the majority are be- lieved to hibernate like bears and come out only when the sun begins to shine warmly again. when fanatics are consult ing the dope" and the crack of bats is heard over the land. Of course ball play CTS who have some business to follow in addition to their work on the diamond are easily located but most of them seem to drift away into outer darkness. How ever. it is rumored at many heroes of the diamond would administer a severe shock to their admirers if they could be found at their usual winter employ ment at plumbing, boiermaking, truck driving and other pursuits wherein brawn and muscle count.
 It is all very interesting and exciting, no doubt. to witness the struggle now being waged at Manassas on the historic field of Bull Run, but 1t Is also safe to assume that the youthful clerks, office assistants and others who have followed sedentary pursuits for several years without intermission and with scant ac- quaintance with outdoor life, find it no ] picnic affair to trudge over hill and dale in the hot sun, half stifed by heat and powder smoke. struggling Z valiantly along beneath the weight of knapsack and gun. But still the Japs and Rus sians are giving a more realistic exhibi- ton, and one should not be blamed for turning from the merry game of war pre- sided over by umpires at Manassas to read the latest details of the kind of war in the far east so aptly described by General Sherman.
 The country has waited anxiously for the announcement of President Roose i velt's future hunting plans and now 1t has come all too soon. It Is reliably stated that MT. Roosevelt will try his luck in Texas and the Indian Territory during the latter part of November, and he may have the company of President Diaz of Mexico. It was unreasonable to suppose that the President would long l be able to withstand the call of the wild, a summons that appeals so strongly to one of his nature, and in the latter part | of November he no doubt feels that it | will be safe to work OH some of that surplus energy which is now accumulat- ing so rapidly in the forced inactivity at Oyster Bay. The only fear at present expressed Is that Mir. hoosevelt may perchance get out of training and his eagle eye may become dim in the pro- longed perusal of lengthy campaign doc uments.
 While Judge Parker is dreaming about the White House every other night and planning what he will do to the executive lawn when he gets into power, he should not forget that he will also be target for cranks of more dangerous charac- ter than the politician with warped views on public questions. Cranks may be con sidered a prerequisite that go with the presidency, but as such they are not any more desirable to a man who is not yet ready to draw his mantle about him and lie down to sleep with the departed hosts. P. C.