The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-15
NEVER BEEN CAUGHT.
Has a Baseball Thrown From Wash
lngton Monument.

From the Washington Post.
Paul HENS, the old-time baseball
player, now employed in one of the
government departments, rises to re-
mark that he is the only player who
ever attempted to catch a baseball
thrown from the Washington monu-
ment.
ASK Anson," said Paul, the other
day. He'll tell you"
ct was away back in 1885," contin-
ued the veteran. "a New York man
engaged in the business of selling
sporting goods made me an offer of
5000 for the ball II | succeeded in
catching it. The monument at that
time was not finished, and the scat
folding built around the top to be used
in placing the capstone rose some feet
higher than the monument Itself.
| offered to pay Charley Snyder
and some other players to go to the
top of the big shaft and toss the ball
to me. but none would venture, and
finally employed one of the workmen
engaged there. | gave him three new
balls.
"The first one he tossed landed on
the top of a shed. The second dropped
into the lake. The third was thrown
some distance from where | stood, but
made a run for it and reached for
1t. but the ball just tipped the ends
of my fingers. Ahough had no gloves
on we didn't wear 'em them, the ball
did not sting my hand as much as
many had caught in the centerf1eld.
II have no doubt that the feat of
catching thrown ball from the top
of the monument can be accomplished,
but 1t should be thrown out from 1t.
and the ball ought to be black. The
balls thrown to me were new white
ones, and it was hard to distinguish
them from the white background OF
the monument. 1t took Just seven sec
onds for the ball to come from the top
to the ground superintendent Nc
Laughlin timed it), and though 1t Is
reckoned that when 1t reached the
ground 1t had attained very great
momentum, the leather made dent In
the earth of less than an inch.
ut isn't easy to catch ball thrown
from so great a height. One must
strain his eyes to the utmost in order
to catch the ball When 1t leaves the
top 1t appears to be no bigger than a
pea, but as it gets nearer the ground
1t seems to increase In size until, when
1t is near one, 1t looks to be as large
as a football.
81 DOUBT If this will ever be done,
for soon after | tried 1t a law was
passed making it illegal to throw from
the monument and the one who does
1t is subject to arrest and fine of
$500"
"Other claims, however, are made
to the honor of being the player who
"came the closest to it." Clark Crit
fifth said here last week that the near
est approach ever made to catching
ball from the obelisk was made by old
Pop" Schriver. who is now playing
first base for the Harrisburg club, of
the outlaw league. Grif said he drop
ped the ball out of one of the widows
and the bulb hit Pops" mitt and
caromed to the ground
Phil Baker is also said to have al
most nabbed the ball back in the sos.
AT that time old citizens who watched
the performance say the ball described
several spiral motions on its down
ward course, which none of them was
able to explain, and which made the
catching of the ball dangerous pas
time for the players.
Old Jim MCGUIRE is also claimed TO
have made an effort to catch the bail,
but Jim ducked when he saw the pei
let on its fight. Kittredge of the Ma
tionals was supposed to have made an
effort the other day, but, 1t is said, he
was warned off.