The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-09
FUNNY STORIES OF TIE GRAND STAND Agony of Two COIored Fans at
 Chicago LARGE MAN LOSES BET Also Loses Grip and Rolls Pel Nell Down Steep Pitch of Steps In
 Midst of Wild
 Laughter.
LARGE MAN LOSES BET

Cleveland was playing Chcago's White Sox and up in the 50-cent seats were two colored sports, leaders of a certain sec ton of Dearborn street society, roofing for Comskey's crowd.
 From their yells of anticipation, their loud applause of every one of the Sox and their belittering references to Cleve- land, 1t was plain that each of them had a bet down for the Sox to win and that they had come to see it.
 Nick gwlne to pitch," yelled one. ''He won't do thing ter dem Clevelands."
 Then both laughed until they rolled around In their seats and rooted harder than ever.
 Bay came to the bat.
 "Sho," said one in disgust. Dat little man ain't agwine do nothin; he too small"
 Just then Bay cracked out a single.
 Dat ping, dat a ping" yelled one.
 He done 1t by accident. Nick ain gwine let no mob ob dem do it.''
 Crack went the bat again and Jackson rapped out a double.
 Deep silence fell upon the pair. Crack and Flick cracked out a triple.
 Not a word from either of the colored rooters.
 Who dat a-comin' ter bat?" asked one, as big athlete strode forward from the visitors bench.
 Dat Lajole nisger; dat Lajoie," moaned his friend. 'Tuhn yoh back, nig- ger; tuhn yuh back"
 Both solemnly turned until their backs were toward the plate and then one, raising his eyes. mournfully said:
 White man, tell me when he hits It."
 One of the most overwhelmingly funny things I ever saw at a ball game hap pened in the Philadelphia National league stand on the hurricane deck. The high est part of the stand perhaps has 25 tiers of seats and the pitch is exceedingly steep.
 One afternoon there was large man, who loudly had announced that he had S100 to bet on Chicago to beat Philadel- phia, had been making himself obnox- ious to all the Philadelphians by yelling with delight
 And. worse than that he apparently had his bet won. The ninth inning began with Chicago two runs to the good, and when two Quakers were out and no one on the bases the man began to gloat loudly. He got up out of his seat as-
 
 there yelling with delight.
 Walter Thornton was pitching for Chi cago and with the game seemingly In hand, he gave pass to Monte Cross and some one else, Eddie Mcfarland, I be- lieYe, followed with a single. Still the game looked safe, for, instead of sending up a substitute batter Orth went in to bat The first ball pitched he caught squarely on the nose and drove 1t over the right field wall into Broad street
 For just an instant the exultant sport stood as if dazed, then he fell rolled over and over. bumped down step after step, and landed In a heap against the railing.
 As he rose and tried to o/sneak out un- observed every one upstairs stood up and howled at him until he disappeared on run down the stairs to hide himself In the throng.
 The first great grand stand fire in St. Louis furnished a couple of Imaginable lit- tie incidents, although there was nothing funny in the fire that swept the stand and bleachers, consuming the great double decker inside of twenty minutes. The game between St. Louis and Chica- go was close and hard fought, with Chi cago leading in the fourth inning by one run. There was big crowd present St. Louis had men on second and third, 1 with two out, when Clements dashed 8 hot grounder out past first The ball l went past Ansons outstretched hands | like a shot the crowd roared, but like a 1 flash Jimmy Connor came across from | second dived. speared the ball. rolled | over and tossed 1t to Anson a step ahead | of the runner. Just as Connor made his wonderful stop the cry of "Fire' startled the | crowd Men and women who were stand ing applauding the feat saw little curl of smoke over on the first side of hte | stand, then a tongue of flame shot up- ward. Sitting in chair almost directly over the blaze was a small, enthusiastic man, who was beating his feet, shouting, waving his arms, and otherwise going crazy" over the stop. While every other 1 eye in the stand turned toward the fire the little man continued to applaud Con- nor. His awakening was sudden, for within few moments the flames, spreading l from below. broke through upon him. He awoke as If from a trance. let out yell of alarm and fled. with his coat tails blazing and, In spite of the situation, the | crowd before breaking into panic, , stopped to laugh at him.
 Another funny incident of the fire | started a few minutes later. The stands were burning so rapidly ] tators were leaplng like frightened sheep | 4. At... T