Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-26

They know baseball. No player ana ~
wlltcT can fool them. They du not aCCcp.
the statements oi any authority, but reiy
on their own dope. ard woe bctide tn.
l.uor writer who makes Il blundcr for
they are next To him IN "A minute They
are the fellows who bang on To the car
rlaEes when the players ride away from
tile grounds. who walk out and stand On
the home plate after the field is deserted
whc stand around the hotels and listen a.
the players talk.
Elmer Smith. tie famous old pitcher
and outheldcr. always Cuntcndcd thds
everybody connected with baseball WAS
crazy. aud urged the National and AmcTi-
can Leagues to build big insane asN
lum and lock up the players. writers.
maGhat"s ard umpires at the end of cach
season and turn them loose in the spring
But he would have had to include all tlI.,
fans to make ii complete. for they ar.
crazer than all the others; they pay for
the privilege of helping the game along
and are glad Of it.
| have a fricnd-GeorgC-wh is the true
type Of the crank. During the past sea-
son geriCS between the White Stockings
and the Clubs in Chicago last fall seats
were at Il premium, and one afternoon.
having an extra pass, signed by Comis-
key. | presented ii to George. thinking hp
was entitled to it. as he Gad paid admis-
SION to every game played that year on
the south side grounds
Half an hour later George called ne up
OH the phone and asked
Would it make any difference to you if
| don't use that paSS?'
why. no w WnNgE ~
We'll he explained. u am going %
the Eamc, but would rather pay my way
and Keep the pass for souvenir"
Perhaps the most famous fan the coun,
try ever has known was Gen. 'IIi-Hi
Dixwell of Boston. He was rich. He had
everything. and he loved baseball. and for
years he Travelled all over the country
with the old Boston club. entertaining the
players. associating with them making
them presents and attending every game.
He was not n noisy rooter. He set IN
his eyes strained upon the field. watching
every play, his body tense and jerking
with every move the players made.
Every time good play was made hc
broke loose with sharp, stacCatO HI
IIi'' that rang through the grounds.
Gen. DXwcll fell out with the Boston
management and in recent years has as i
though he never failed for years TO call at
the hotels and talk with the visiting Ma
tional League clubs.
have the champion crank Of all at the
present dav. No one knows his name.
but he never has missed game since
Comiskcy invaded Chicago His actions
are peculiar. He goes into tn" Decent
seats and remains there until the gamC
becomes exciting; aad men M ne h nnLriS IN Ih ,h.
stand out OF sight Of the playing field
until the contest Is ended Every time 2
roar Of applause goes IN nc walks 10 ~"
end of the stand and inquiries what has
happened. then retired behind the stand
again.
His actions wero 50 peculiar that Hll I'll"
attendants noticed them. and one day enc
approached him ard inquired WHY II was
he didn't 60 around and watch the game:
az don't dare" he answered sadly. 'I
have valvuIar heart trouble and any OK
Citcment is likely TO kill me. When I be-
gin to get excited | come back of the
stand "
Louis Mann. tho actor. is one Of tile
widest of all baseball cranks
He likes baseball, but he likes to se9
New York win even better. He never
misses n game. and on several occasions
has cancelled maitnees to get to ball
game or put on his understudv. M1nn's
speciality is hating umpres. He looks m
on the entire tribe as his natural enemies
When excited over game he Iapses into
dialect
Another dved-in-the- wool crank is Mar
chall p. wilder the midget humorist
TIe never misses baseball, and when in
New York he has a stool in a box next tn
tho press stand on which he sits or
rather half hangs. over the front of the
stand yelling and encouraging the play
ers. Washington Star.