Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26
HARD LUCK STORIES
OF THE BALL FIELD

ers were seated on the bench when Pick
confronted them. His appearance created
a sensation, but when he told them who he
was, Mac and the players simply howled.
What You bah player?" shrieked
McCloskey, between his spasms of laughter.
Away Weary Willie, away. Riding on the
rods or the sun, has got you sure locoed." "
But although the merry manager and the
players looked upon Pickering as a huge
joke, yet that ZOO miles to hike back kept
staring Ollie in the face and caused him to
become so insistent that finally McCloskey
told him to run on out into the field and
practice If he wanted to. At practice Pick
did so we'll that Mac and the other fellows
began to sit up and take notice and finally
when dinner time came around McCloskey
staked Ollie to a fifty cent piece, with
which. to purchase meal. Pick expend-
ed twenty-five cents of the coin in pork
and bean joint, and the remainder he blew
in on a hair cut and shave, and when he
was logged out that afternoon in Hous-
ton base ball uniform he looked an entirely
different man indeed.
There had always been the greatest rival
ry between Houston and Galveston ana TINS
year Galveston opened the season at Hous-
ton. and Pick played center field for
Houston. They still talk about that memoir
able game in Texas, for during the contest
Ollie batted out three home runs. two
triples and played the entire out-held, and
some times went clear into the infeld after
balls. He just had to make good and
he knew it. and he did.
Houston beat Galveston and that evening
McClcskey took Pick" down town and
bought him two trunks full of wearing
apparel and as long as Ollie remained in
Houston he was the whte-haired boy of
the town, and no mistake. But he says for
months afterward, when riding in Pullman
cars he had to shut his eyes. grit his teeth,
and hold on to the brass rails with both
hands. He'd forget himself, you see.
| :: 4.
Speaking of Texas recalls to mind an ex-
per!ence that happened once down there to
Wild Bill" Hassamer. Hassamer who
played the Washington Quilted in the 9Os
was al that time a member of the Waco,
Tex, team of which aggregation Judge
Davis was the financial backer.
The Waco team was practically down and
out and was waiting for its good angel,
Judge Davis. to tag it with some coin of
the realm. when the judge and Editor,
Brann CT The Icnnoclast came together in
some realistic sun play. and when the
smoke of battle cleared away, both the
Judge and the editor were dead.
The Waco bali players grabbed what they
could and shook the town. Bill Hassamer
had tarried toe long in conversation with
friendly barkeep, and when he reached the
club house all that he found was an empty
dress suit case. AS the Texans in those
days tabooed dress suit cases and stuck to
the old fashioned colapsible bag. Bill was
unable to realize any money on his dlScoV-
ery So clutchng the handle In his sturdy
right hand he made for the railroad track,
and from there he began to count ties thaI
LED to the east.
The second day of Bills walk he develop
ed n Furnishing toothache that by night had
arrived at the swelling stage, and when he
entered the town of Decatur his face was
so puffed up that his left eye was nearly
closed. As he had eaten nothing for TWEEN
ty-four hours he was nearly famished, but
he didn't have even as much as cigarette
paper on his person let alone money enough
10 buy meal But the dress suit case gave
him an inspiration.
In Texas as most everywhere else. II
traveller has baggage with him he Is not re-
CURED to pay in advance. So Bill, being
desperate and willing to take all the con-
SEQUENCES filled that suit case with rocks,
and then marched boldly into the hotel
Office and registered. His heart sank With
in him when the clerk said that supper was
long over and the cook gone home But the
clerk happened to be sympathetic cuss,
and noticing Bits puffed-out jaw, he rec
commended milk poultices as being the cor
rect thing to take down the swelling. AS
Hasse.mer YEARLY assembled the steps to
mis- room he heard the clerk call to some
female in a back room and mention some
thing about milk poultices. But Bill never
gave the matter any further thought, and
was greatly surprised several minutes
afterward when he answered rap at his
bedroom door to find maid standing there
with a plate on which were TWO Dig mix
and bread mixtures.
Bill took the plate, locked his door, and
then sat down and ate the bread ana mix
combination. He said afterward that he
never expected to eat meal again with
the same relish that he devOured those two
fat and Juicy milk poultices in the little
hotel at Decatur, Tex.