Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06
Boston. I: New York. /.
National League Clubs Standing.

Pittsburg o. 60 6o5 ST. Louis :. 50 9s .347
Phladelp'ia II SO 46s Boston. As 1903 .s1s
This afternoon. II the climate permits.
the Athletics and Nationals wind up the
season In Philadelphia. and moisten their
palms for a fresh start in the spring. 1t
Is then the young gents fancy lightly turns
TO thoughts of pennants. says Charley Dry
den in the Philadelphia North American.
Born Leader Jake of Washington and
his faithful followers will make the last
stand for 1906 against Mr.. Mack's Broilers.
They play two games, one of which is
carried over from the rainy Friday. Con-
ME thought best to star his youngsters in
a double bill the last day,
Mr.. Frank Kitson of Allegan. Mich. will
be shocked to learn that Rex. the noble bus
horse, is no more. He passed away last
week. Several years ago Mr.. kitson prom
Used to send Mr.. Hayes some nutritious
Michigan hay for Rex. but forgot the prom
ise. Had Kitson kept his word the chances
are Rex would now be alive and fat. Re-
Quiescat in glue.
Hickman's Side Line of Bats.
There can be no doubt that Mr.. c. Hick-
man will again adorn the rank and file of
the Nationals next year. He is too stout
a hitter to lose, and he carries a side
line that makes him valuable athlete
on any team.
me uTDane ana IOlCe CnarleS hickman
Is the only ball player in the world who
maintains a private bat orchard That
remark listens like a pipe, but it is a fact.
On the rugged mountainside at Dunkirk
Pa. the bat orchard thrives the year round.
Forty acres of ash trees bloom on the Hick
man estate, and the wood is used for moth
ing but base ball wallpapers.
While Hick Is away in summer time a
trusty hired man looks after the orchard
and chases away small boys who would
break off the tender bats before they are
quite ripe. Marauders seldom modest the
bat orchard for two reasons. On the land
ward side the hills rise steep and inacces-
sible. At the base of the orchard runs
deep and very swift creek, which Hickman
swims with his trunk on returning home
at the close of the ball season.
Bat Must Have Right Ring.
During the winter the provident Charles
prepares to reap his harvest of bats. He
goes about 1t in a thorough and scientific
tree in the orchard. humping the trunks
with a hammer to if the wood listens
right. Your true pitcher-kiling bat must
give off the proper ring.
All the trees fit for bats are marked.
after which Hick goes to work his
model. From a piece of soft pine he whit
ties a miniature bat for the guidance Of
the turner's at the factory. Sometimes
Hick spends weeks perfecting his model,
on which he marks the foot scale in inches
chops down the ash trees marked for
slaughter. The logs rolled to the swift
creek. formed into a raft and fioated to
the nearest railway station, twenty miles
away. There the logs placed on
flat and shipped to Louisville, KY,
the home of the world-famous Louisville
slugger.
Usually this log shipment from Dun
kirk. Pa. is made early in the spring Hick
sends along his bat model and an American
League schedule for the season about to
ensue, The slugger factory at Louisville
does the rest. Every day throughout the
playing season from two to four new bats
from Hicks private stock overtake the
athlete on the road. No matter where he
may be, the bats show up. The factory
people study the schedule. and thus keep
track of the mighty thumper from Dun
kirk. Pa. on the mountain side above the
bat orchard.
bat culturist gives to Tom Hughes, Kit
son and other heavy hitters on the WASH
tngton team. Averaging the season round
Jake Stahl's warriors break forty or fifty
bats per trip, hitting into double plays and
banging the plate in anger after whiting
out. Being wise to this fact, Hickman
maintains the bat orchard at his own ex-
pense, SO that the Nationals may never run
short Of sticks.
Queerest Of Base Ball Fads.
1t costs him something to cut and raft
the ash trees and pay the freight to Louis
willie. The turning of the bats and express
charges on the finished product amount to
considerable in the course of a season, but
Hick doesn't care. He Is enthusiastic on
the subject Of bats. and he loves to hear
the wood splinter and snap when a fellow
athlete smashes the stick on the plate after
striking out.
We have known many athletes with queer
fads. but this Hickman bat orchard has
them all faded to a whisper. Charles gets
q little of his money back from the sale of
chips and shavings at the factory in Louis