The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21
Wherein Fred Knowles
Is Dragged Out of
His She'll.
-------------
rs INSIDE WORKS
OF THE GIANTS
The Russian Disturbances and
Troubles Of Sergius Witte
Pale Before the Job Of
Humoring Stars of
the Diamond On
the Road.
sy GYM sAoLEY.

BY GYM BAGIEY.
Especial 10 The Times DIspatch)
NEW YORK. January a0.--In that daz-
zlng circle OF light thrown on the base
ball stage of to-day there is one figure
in the bulls eye of the spot-John j. Nc
Gri,w, leader of the best ball team on
Garth. Very much within the edges OF
Tic spot is anothsr--C hristy Mathewson,
the greatest OF all pitchers. present and
past. Before you reach the shadows
without the circle there are the we'll
defined forms OF the other Giants.
But in the darkness behind the scenes.
where the fan never gets peek at him.
there's one pulling strings all the time.
lie Is The detail guy. And you know it
lis an axiom that the parts. however,
small. Of anything arc always equal to
the whole.
The father is important as being the
author of it's being. the mother also
shares the honors as having helped some.
but 1t is tho nurse who takes care of the
kid. Ball players are never more than
half a dozen days old.
Fred NJ Knowles is the nurse of the
champion Giants.
Why He is Secretary.
interview Mr.. Knowles. Mr..
Knowles is as accessible as a station
house cell after you have been thought
eve. Any one can Interview Mr.. Knowles.
Mr.. Knowles will talk as long as you
want him to-on any subject except base
ball.
Mr. Knowles Is secretary and treasurer
of the New York Baseball Club. By vir-
turc OF his Office, which. by the way, he
has held for many years. you would sup
pose that he was familiar with his clubs
affairs. But lie isn't. know he isn't.
ID, E,,-. .,,t,x AL.
question relating to what the club intend
ed doing, he always said he didn't know.
And have asked him many questions
Perhaps Mr.. Knowles's Ignorance OF
his clubs business is one reason for his
long tenure of office.
But this was different, and Mr..
Knowles was not locked UP.
Did you ever have an eight-year-old
boy on train with you for the first
tinrc?" lie asked ~
In the matter of eight-year- old boys.
on train or otherwise, / pleaded not
guilty.
You Wouldn't Think It to Watch
Him.
well. / have little girl" he said.
'and maybe girls are the same as BOYS.
Either one can put up more problems
to you In mile run than Father Time
himself could solve in a journey to the
moon and back. But that's only pleas
ant recreation compared to what a bunch
of ball players can hand you when yc,:'va
got en- on the road.
"A ball player has more wheels than
the famous clock of Strasburg. And
they are all running the other way. Did
you ever go into an art store and pick
UP vase so thin that you could strain.
kittens through 1t and the dealer told you.
IT was thousand years old and worth.
all the money YOU could think OF and
You were scared of your life either 10
hold on to 1t or to let 1t go?,'
Not So
That's the way YOU feel when you're
handling ball playcrs.n fnterrunted
Knowles. They look big and husky and
free from care when you see them ON the
diamond, but they're as delicate as a
soap bubble"
I'm what particular"
Even the Heck Makes a Kick.
It's when they're off the diamond and
travelling away from home" he continued.
that You have to be careful to keep them
IN tune with each other. There's as
much team work done on a train and In
the hotels as on the field Ball players
are hs good-natured fellows, full OF
health and animal spirits. and from the
very fact of this physical formation they
are extremely sensitive plants from tho
shoulders up.
When gather the team together in
he spring for the trip South, there are
some recruits who. are strangers 10 me
ana whose friendship I have not vet
gained. My troubles begin with the rail-
road company. Tho officials haven't
io"er perths to go around. Railroad
companies never have all the lowers YOU
Man'--uniess you know railroad COM
phnlcS.--NoW, to hand ono of the team an
upper is hardly good business I'D inst
ms soon M him punch on tho nose. In
iact, mat wouldn't hurt him half so much
as the lndisnity OF making him climb tho
iaooer. even the kid whose knowledge
~, ,ai,road TRAIN before he came East
was limited to seeing the cars 90 Inv sonce
IN two weeks, is on. and If Ia Ioesn.t
get lover you'll find him sulklnr In
.he smoker and wondering why he ever
lelt ficcks Corners to be treated lil;o
that by dnged fresh gam like me-,
He Didn't Say Tin Funnva yAyav
But YOU can't
I've got to-" broke In Knowles catch
], Ing the question as II left the post. "Iye
got to keep harmony in the nursery A.
there'll be a sauall. 4 usually get them
all lowers I've dealt a long time WIN
railroad people and I'm on to their
curves
"You spoke OF hotels-?''
TN bet could have settled that
Portsmouth affair between Russia and
Japan with less corrugation OF the brow
than It takes to assign a team to, rooms
IN hotel and have no one register a
~ Kick. You see.Mt is unfortunate that
hotels are not hnilt with enough rooms,
All alike. to accommodate eighteen or
twenty ball players. don't see why
some enterprislng hotel man doesn't do
y, U he had every room In the house
the front parlor, first floor. Immediately
opposite the elevator porcelain tub, hot
ana cold shower and the coon always
standing outside the door, wouldn't