The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-21
ANNUAL CONTEST
ON MAY SEVENTH.
Commonwealth and Westmorc-
land Clubs Will Meet on Dia-
mond on That Date.
SOCIETY WILL TURN OUT
Debutantes Will Sell Popcorn,
Chewing Gum, Peanuts and
Candy.

On the 9TH Of May, the world (not
tho whole world. OF course. but that
part of 1t which is numbered among
the members OF the Commonwealth and
Westmoreland Clubs) Will array itself
IN purple and fine linen. and with his
sister or somebody else's sister, lean
on his arm. will proceed to tho Broad
Street backgrounds to see the mighty
ball-tossers of the two clubs battle
for supremacy.
Great events chronicled in history.
achievements of modern science, all
questions of national Importance, will
for the time. be sunk into oblivion.
as several hundred eager eyes become
riveted upon the conflict, And. yes,
gentle reader, this Is baseball sure
enough. and 1t Is easier for a woman
to forget that new bonnet she sat be-
hind in church last Sunday than for
a baseball fan to forget the game. And
then, every one in the grandstand
knows all the players individually, and
so the plot thickens and interest In
creases.
Richmond is justly famous for its
beautiful women, and this years
debutantes have added. If possible, to
our just reputation for lovely women.
Many OF these young ladies have
kindly consented to take charge of the
ing-gum, which always are the prin-
cipal refreshments served Mt every
proper and well-appointed ball game
A Weird Story.
At the game between the clubs last
year a fat man made the following
remarks:
well, that reminds me of game OF
ball I saw one Fourth of July out in
n10 Hrf,~ 30, \ -
inning, and Alkali Ike, the heaviest
hitter on the home team. stepped to the
plate. Two strikes, two balls, and
then the pitcher handed Ike low ball
and Ike nailed 1t. Away 1t flew, higher
and higher till 1t was plumb out of
sight. and Ike started on tour of the
bases.'
Here the fat man paused for
emphasis and wiped tho pcrspiration
from his brow. well. gentlemen, 1t
turned out afterwards that two miles
away the country folks were cele-
brating tho Glorious Fourth in suitable
style. and at the precise moment that
Ike hit the ball they fired cannon
which was pointed our way. Well, sir,
do you know what happened? That
baseball and that cannon-ball met in
midnir with terrific and equal impact,
and then Il saw it myself, the cannon
ball flew back to just where 1t started
and dropped silently. into the cannon's
mouth. The baseball sailed back to the
home plato and dropped into tho
catcher's hands just as Allsali Ike was
ten feet from home, and the umpire
called him out!''
The name of the genial gentleman
was never learned. for the crowd threw
him over tho fence.
But to return to the game While
neither Of tho teams will talk for publi-
cation this soon. yet some things are
generally understood. Tho game will
be played at the place and time above
mentioned for the benefit Of the Girls
Club OF Church Hill. Only one game
has been positively arranged SO far,
but every one believes that tho teams
will play for the best two out of three
as they did last year, when the Com
monwenlth won the series.
The Officials.
Murray Mcclure is captain Of tho
|NWestnoreland, with DR.. r. 9. Bryan as
| his assistant; Hon. Joseph T.. Willard
| is manager (also president OF the club /,
with Mr.. George Reid as his assistant.
1t is generally understood that Me-
CURE will pitch for this club, and Ran
| dolpk Cardoza Will catch, Tho other
I DSlo VI NiAS " AAS nay oitbN ~
| up we'll In the practice arc Elmore
/ Hotchkiss captain Of the Hermitage
team; Horny Hotchklss, p, 7. Conquest,
Granville, Gray, Robert Williams. Isnac
Davenport, Jr., r. r. Bryan and Latimer
1 Gordon.
Tho Commonwealth team. while not
talking for publication. Is far from
idle. tits understood that Julian Hill
will probably 10 captain again. and
Palmer Leigh, manager,
Among those who are getting in good
trim at practices, tho following young
gentlemen look to he In the best cons
4 dtion: Charles stearns. Reeves Flem.
4 ing, Palmer Leigh, W, s, McNell. w
S. Gordon, II. Is. { Puss'') Ellyson. Jr
Robert Jonos, Tucker Harrison, Julian
Hill, John g. White and Gossner Harri-
i son.
| Mr.. Hill when approached by q rep,
resentntlve of tho paper. said he had
4 nothing to say, hut did not anticipate
i "a different score from that Of last year