Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-20

on account of some OF the so-called
towns being nothing more than small
mining camps and never before having
had professional base ball. But with
all the abuse and all the upeasantness
there was always a little pleasure to
be found in listening to the natives
and some of their remarks ana as
sertions We're alone a minstrel.
"One day last summer / was UNI
pirins a game in one of the small
towns when a fellow whom Thought
at first escaped from u neighbortng
lumber yard. for he closely resembied
a scantling save for the red mustache
which extended over his countenance
like a cigar store awning. commenced
'bawlng out to the local management
whom he supposed had hired me to
make favorable decisions for the home
team and | suppose bet some money
while lahoriny under that impression
'iim.' he saws, what tiae HI did you
hire that %? fellow for? Why don't
YOU fire him and get the man you had
last year? and then he began to or
;ranize !; crowd to shout for his proleSe
whom / suppose could be relied upon
to render fair decisions for the nome
club i'm Il pinch the previous season.
when the team was composed OF town
bows who wore ticking suits that We're
not listed in Spalding's catalogue.
Soon after his canvass among the spec
tators all / could hear was Graham,
Graham Put him out and get era
ham, l thought perhaps the fellow
they We're shouting for must be the
congressman from that district, or the
grain elevator man for that county, So
I immensely popular was he with them.
But presently the aforesaid and mere
matter mentioned Jim arose from
the ,elavers' bench and with long IT
regular strides made his way to the
idiot baleonv' where Mr.. Scanning
was leading the rooters and assured
him that 'ho was not responsible for
my appointnent as umpire, but that
fellow down at Burlington named
Norton was the man who committed
the rash act while acting as president
of the league. They then demanded an
explanation from Jim as to why
Norton should be empowered with the
right to send total stranger 10 theli
town to empire their ball games.
when they had town boys VINO couio
skin him all hollow
II found out who the popular MI.
Graham was, without making any m
ouiries, as they were talking apoul nun!
at the hotels, depots. hay ana leea
stores. livery stables and the editor OIL
the paper had light burning IN MS
office that night, where he met anu
conferred with citizens who We're Will.
ing to sound their bugles for Graham.
They decided without much trouble
that Graham was the best empire
they ever saw and that he should per-
form for them the next day, ana SO
wired President Norton of their cholce.
I had occasion to go to the poslollles
the following morning and noticed an
unusually large crowd at the WINDOW
where the mail is handed out. walt
ed awhile but wasn't there long until
learned that the people were not aIter
mail. but the man behind the window
was the attraction, and was none other
than the popular Graham, who mad peen
handing out mail and weather predlc-
tons to them for the past fifteen years.
and they were there to offer him con-
gratulations. as they had heard the
.boys' had decided that he should en-
pre- lOuty.
"As soon as the storm blew over ana
7 had heard all that was said, elbowed
nv way to the window and asked II
there was anything there for me. on,
YES. YOU are the man who u-nplred
Yesterday 1 told him believed was
altho didn't feel like the same man.
He then made known to me that the
delegation who had just left was after
him all morning to get him to UNI.
pire the game that day. informed
him that President Norton had been
after me all winter to get me to um-
pire the game and If didn't strike a
torpedo, or If one didn't strike me that
I would positively tend to the 1ndi-
Gator that day. He lost no time In
broaching this to his well yvishers. or
well diggers. or whatever they We're
and they lost no time in finding the:
office, where they ripped OF:
the information to President Norton
that Graham was the only empire
the town would stand for but Nor
ton replied and informed them that
they could sit down and watch me