Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-05-19
CASEY AT THE BAT"

&thcA ~ LIE bAIs
"a Ballad 10 the Republic. Sung In the
Year 1850
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mud
Vile nine that day;
The score stood 4 10 2 with but one In
ming more TO play.
And then when cooney died at first, and
Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons OF
the game,
A s~traegling few got up to so In deep de-
SPAR; the rest
Chung to that hope which springs eternal
In the human breast;
they u III only Casey could but get
a whack at that
They'd put UP even money now with Casey
AZ the bat.
But Flynn preceded Casey. as did also
And the former was a lulu and the latter
WAS a cake:
SO upon hat stricken multitude grim mel
For there seemed but little chance OF
Casey getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single. TO the won
derment of all,
And Blake, the much despised, tore the
cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and they
saw what had occurred,
There was Johnnie safe at second n
Flynn a~-hugging third.
Then from hye thousand threats and more
there rose a lusty yell:
II "umbled through the valley, 1t ratified
In the dell;
IL knocked upon the mountain, and re-
coiled upon the fiat
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing
10 tie bat.
There was ease I'm Casey's manner as he
stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a
smile on Casey's face;
And when, responding 10 the cheers, he
lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt
twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were upon him as he
rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he
wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground
the ball into his hip,
Defiance CLEANED in Casey's eye, q sneer
curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather covered sphere came
hurting through the air.
And Casey stood a-watching ii in naughty
grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball
UNDECIDED sped;
amt my style said Casey. strike
one!" the umpire said.
From the benches. black with people,
there went up a muffled roar.
Like the beating of the storm waves on
a stern and distant shore.
XIII him. Kill the umpire!' shouted
some one on the stand.
And it's likely they'd have killed him had
not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile OF Christian charity great
Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult: he babe the
game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more
the. sphere flew:
But Casey still ignored it. and the UNI
pire said Strike two!"
Fraud" cried the n1addened thousands,
and the echo answered Fraud"
But one scornfui look from Casey and tho
audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold.
they saw his muscles strain.
And tuey knew that Casey wouldn't let
that ball go by again.
The sheer is gone from Casey's lip, his
teeth are clenched in hate;
pounds with cruel violence his bat
upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and
now he lets IL 90,
And now the air is shattered by the force
Of Casey's blow.
Oh! somewhere in his favored land the
sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and
somewhere hearts are. light.
And somewhere men are laughing, and
somewhere children Shout:
But there is no JOY in Mu~dville-mighty
Casey has struck out.