Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24
TOLD OF BALL PLAYERS.

Larry Corcoran, once star pitcher on
the New York team, could never prevail on
his father to witness a professional ball
game except on one occasion. and this
proved a disastrous one to the old gentle
man. Corcoran pere was one of those opin-
donated old fellows who believed that base
ball was a foolish business, and a man
who INDUCED in it a loafer of the squaw
man type.
The elder Corcoran understood nothing
about the game, and prded himself on his
ignorance in this respect. But he liked
Larry. and one afternoon, urged on by his
family and his famous son. he decided to
attend his first and last ball game.
Chicago playing New York on this
particular occasion, and the Giants were
simply rotten that day, and couldn't have
defeated a bum high school team. Larry
Corcoran was pitching good game, but the
team behind him was up in the air for
fair.
Corcoran the elder was sitting through the
performance, with regular tin-type pose
on, when he heard young fellow behind
him remark:
IT'S too bad Larry Corcoran. hasn't any
support; he'd be all right if he had.
Yes replied the young fellows friend.
Larry would be all right if he had support.
but that's something he has never had
since he has been playing in New York.
Then to the amaZement of the young fell
lows themselves. and to those within hear
ing, up rose an old man in front of them
and trembling with uncontrolled rage, he
cried: bad luck to the pair of ye black
guards for trajoocing that bye's aud
father, who has supported the lad liver since
he was born, and a dom sight better sup
port he's got than ayther iv ye lying daddy
bucks!'
And now take thot! and thot! and thot!''
yelled the old gentleman he began to
belabor the innocent and surprised CONVEX
sationalists with his trusty blackthorn
stick.
When the police finally succeeded in get
ting the excited Mr.. Corcoran under control
his victims looked as If they had gotten
mixed up with busy threshing machine.
"A
Charley Lever. the jovial Pittsburg
pitcher. was a country school teacher be-
fore he broke into the base ball game. and
he delights to regale his team mates with
anecdotes derived from his own experiences
while engaged in the Homeric pursuit Of
teaching the Young ideas to shoot. On the
trip to ST. Louis two years ago Fred Clarke
was writing a letter of instructions to his
Kansas farm manager in regard to the dig
ging of a cellar, and he got Stumped on
his spelling when he came to the word ''ex-
cavate," and he appealed to Lever to put
him right.
After Charley had done so he said: THAT
reminds me of an incident which happened
had the word "excavate' written on the
board. and--then l asked the school who
could give its definition Up went the hand
of my star pupil. so l gave him the signal
to get 1t off his mind.
"'"EXcavate' means to hollow out"
said this infant prodigy.
Right you are, WILLIE. I exclaimed.
Now who can construct sentence where
the word is properly used?
81 can replied Mamie Smith. When
the baby is hurt it eXcavates
Another time continued Charley, II
gave out the word Responsibility and
asked for some one to construct a sentence
in which the word was properly used. A
little chap in overalls held up his hand, and
on his face there was an inspired look.
Go ahead. Solomon I said. And this is
what he shot at me-" added Lever:
There Is two buttons on the back of your
pants for to fasten your braces: when one
of .em gives way there's DANCED lot of re-
sponsibility on the other one"
Il started out to teach school myself
once upon time" said Deacon" Phillip.
the other Pittsburg twrler. but 1 got 1t
bryo Ralph Waldo Emerson that l quit
after the first quarters salary was put
into my fist.
IT had about a half hundred young hope
fuls in my class" continued the deacon.
to getting their signals mixed. They mis-
understood all the valuable pearls which
flowed from my fluent lips. I'd have tried
mechanical means, with the aid of a maui,
In order to insert wee bit Of knowledge