davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

"Keep the game moving
 That is Silk O'Loughlin's explanation
 of his success as an umpire and what he
 replied when asked to hand out word
 of advice to the umpires who work In
 minor leagues and in semi professional
 games.
 O'Lougnlln's success as an umpire Tn the American League makes his advice | valuable. silk is one of the feature umpires of the country, and probably
 the best known in the country to the
 fans owing to his spectacular style of
 umpinng, his unfailing good humor and
 his many humorous stories. All Of
 which goes against him to a certain ex-
 tent in his work as an umpire, because
 of a certain feeling against him among
 some of the players. Unless O'DoughAn
 were an extraordinary good umpire he
 would not have gained such a reputa-
 ton as to force respect from the players
 he comes in contact with owing to this.
 Analysed, the value of O'Doughlins
 advice becomes more plain. There are
 two sides to be considered in every ball
 game. One, of course, is the game itself and the players, while the other is the crowd, without which a ball game Is practical failure. OLoughlins advice
 helps out both sides of the game. In the first place 1t keeps the game full of life and shuts OH argument Dy nut BlNlhB time for the latter. and this Is 10 the
 benefit of the game and players. In the second place 1t gives the crowd all there is in the game in the shortest space of | time. The latter Is something that Is of 1 highest importance to the semi-profes | sional clubs which will be making a bid | for patronage this season, and 1t is | usually one of the weak points of such clubs lack of promptness in starting and slowness tn running off the games, dis | gusting the spectators.
 Every one has his own peculiar style of umpiring, l suppose" said O'Lough- | lin. when asked for pointers on the sub | ject of umpiring, but as l look at 1t 1 the most important single thing to int press on one undertaking the task of umpiring is to keep the game moving. | That Is one of the things which has made the American league popular and | that will make the game popular any where. Just how to do it an umpire must study out In the first place he
 must have a system of going about his work so as to avoid delaying the game himself. His protector and mask should | be so adjusted as to be removed or put
 on i a hurry and they should be where
 he can reach the mwithout delay In
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

The odd names of thoroughbreds cause m:.ly funny mix-ups over the telephone. Several weeks ago there were many calls regarding the winner of the third race at New orleans, and when I answered Don't Ask Me" several parties grew ouite indignant, says Ray Ziegler in the Philadelphia Record.
 whats the matter: don't you intend giving out any more racing lnlorma- tion?" was one reply
 "I have given you the information you want. Don't Ask Me won the race
 "Oh, l beg your pardon. where ulu Horseradish finish?'
 "He was third and coming strong
 On another occasion q feminine voice asked for the winner of the first race at Hot Springs.
 Nothing was the reply.
 You don't mean to say there was no winner. or was it dead heat!' asked the woman.
 Tt was not dead heat: Nothing won" 'Un, tell me was there no racing at Hot Springs, or did the authorities raid the track?
 Had you bet on Nothing you would have won," was the next reply to the inquirer, who was now getting quite ex- cited.
 ..Oh. but I did bet on something and I guess you are just trying to learn what l bet on.'
 It was some minutes before l could make her understand that the horse S name was Nothing
 TOLD YOU INCIDENT.
 Last Thursday there was horse named I .old You who won the fifth race at Oakland, and about midnight one of the .'faithful' called up and asked for the winner of the first and fifth.
 ''Memorize won the first" was the an- swer, but before l could tell hip who
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
WAT STORIES REMEMBERED
 BY CHAMPION FRANK GOTCH

put his shoulders twice to the mat in match. When Dan Mcleod beat him in Worcester Jenkins lost the d"eNsion because he left tho mat Wneh they stood fall apiece complaining Of olood poison- ing in his leg. He later be !, Mcleod de- cisively in Buffalo.
 A lot of people have asked me how figure myself to be winner In a match with George Hackenschmidt, the Russian Lion. The great majority, perhaps, h. cline to the belief that I would have 1t. tie chance with Hack. Perhaps so. Yet they fail to remember tbat Hackenschmidt in his two matches with Jenkl..s took much time to score VictorY-much more time than I have exhausted in wiEning from Jenkins. Possibly Hack went slow, took his time with the Cleveland man, but on the face of it there IS nothing in his defeats of Jenkins that makes me a poor prospect with nam. Then, again, he has not met a good man m years, barring Jenkins, for l do not consider Marrali, the Turk, the onlJ otnef man of prominence he has wrestled in long time in Hacks class, and in this view l am upheld by some of the best English critics who have seen the Turk WGrk. Outside of beating these .Wo men Hack has done a lot Of theatrical work ard nothing more. on the contrary, l nave had a tough row to hae, touring the country and meeting the best men mat could be producel un every hand, and, barring the occasions when Jenkins caught me off in New York ard Beell scratched out on me in New Orleans, have not suffred 6 setback in sti aisht or handicap matches, and I am proud to say that l still have the American cham pionship to defend.
 Now, I expect, and certainly hore, that Haekenschmidt Is coming ever and that we will be matched. Biz, money IS offered and should be sufficient indisement. To date in the negotiations Ilackenseninldt has shofn a disposition to pc arbitrary, egotistical and domineei ing. but l think that the American pubic will sustain tie American champion in demanding match with fair field and no favor, and with a disposition to mee- the foreigner half way there should be TO tIoIb'e i'll setting us together on a SOL Ill has's Mind l realize that HacHen3Shnitit would be a big favorite over me. As world 5 cham plon he should be. I ara: ec'ate the ter rible handicap I wouI1 encounter In the matter of weight and strength. do not expect if beaten. that my match with him will last any 5e mifrites as did 9en- kins', and yet I hopC 10 beat Jenklps back again when the time comes When Hack and I get together '. Will likely be short and sweet He may beat ne in a jffy He'll have 1o If he docs at all, for if the bout lasts anY time III nail him sure. But even ,.s .. quick scrllhmdSe I will guarantee to keep him busy. l do not believe he has ever been well tried out at catch-as-c -catch-can wrestling, and I hope I am the man who can try him out successfully. At any rate, If we meet, I will do my best, if it be a minute or an hour.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

San Francisco, Cal, May 25.-Some fighters are born crooked; some acquire crookedness, and some nave conditions thrust upon them.
 Jack O'Brien, according to his most re- cent confession. belongs to the class last mentioned. After enumerating various sins of omission and commission he has been guilty of during his career as a ring ster Jack shrives himself to his own sat isfaction. He says on account of his talent as a thumper he found 1t difficult to get matches, and that he had either to fake or quit the business.
 While all of this, or part of it, may be true, the fact remains, Jack, that you are a plagiarist. You have stolen Joe Cans thunder. It was the Baltimore negro who first told with falterng voice that he had to cheat in order to eat.
 The admission didn't come with such bad grace from Cans, because it was known that others had proflted by his short com- ings, and that when Joe finally reached the penitent stool he was broke and beg ging for fresh start in life His predica- ment and his evident sincerity gained sympathy for him. He was given a chance to reform and now he is both a champion and footlight favorite and has a bank account.
 Jack O'Brien is not pleading poverty
 
 opportunity to redeem himself In all other respects his confession IS a parody on that of Josephus Cans.
 OBrien owns up to having figured in prearranged bouts with Tommy Ryan,
 rn 4lmmons. Tommy Burns. Hugo Kelly, Young Petef Jackson and Joe Walcott He says his siX-round go with Sam Berger in Philadelphia was rehearsed the night before in O'Brien's barn by the light of candles stuck in old bottles. According to Jack, this practice setto was simply a slapstick affair like the broadsword combat between the master Crummelses while the steak and kidney pudding were cooking. But unless the onlookers were all at sea there were numbers of "missues" when the show proper came off. Billy Roche, who was an interested spectator, says Jack and Sam fought one of the most spiteful six round affairs ever seen in old Phfllie, and next day both men had to have their faces stitched in several places.
 The newspaper correspondents described it as gory. grueling mill, and about the only inference to be drawn is that the o Bren- Berger clatter was a fake that failed. The men may have contemplated a brother act but something went wrong and they smashed away for dear life.
 Sam Berger maintains dignified silence when questioned about the matter. He loosened sufficiently day or two ago to remark: Fake? Ridiculous! That fight spoke for itself.'
 This seems to be the season for ex- poses confessions and disclosures, so far as the sport of the mitt is concern ed. It is claimed now that the Hart Schreck mill, booked for May 30 at Tonopah, was conceived In crookedness and that Hart is ito go out to the Cincinnati Dutchman. Some one writ 1~ar fria In Sor, IFf-ar1 cisco gives alleged inside information regarding the projected swindle and ad- vises the bookmaker to turn the knowl- edge to advantage.
 Forewarned is forearmed, and if Hart and Schreck intend to fake the Tonopah promoters will know how to proceed in the premises. On the face
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
No Occasion for HiIarity.

From Tid Bits.
 George" exclaimed Mrs. Younghus- band, with a radiant smile, baby has tooth!"
 Has hep was the response, in tone which betrayed no emotion You don't seem surprised"
 I'm not surprised. All babies have first teeth. If ours didn't have any I'd manage to work Up some excitement, maybe
 T thought you'd be ever so pleased and happy about it.'
 No; 1 don't see that it's any occasion for especial congratulation. The baby has my deepest sympathy"
 What for?"
 For having his first tooth He has just struck the opening chapter of long story of trouble. Pretty soon he'll have other teeth "Of course he will!''
 Every one he cuts will hurt him. Then his second teeth will come along and push these out That will hurt him again. ! Some of the new ones will grow crooked as likely as not, and he will have go to the dentist and have a block and tackle adjusted to them to haul them into line Then he'll cut his wisdom teeth. They will hurt a lot. After that he'll have to go to the dentist and let him drill holes and hammer until his face feels like a great palpitating stone quarry 1 shouldn't like to go through life without , teeth. But l must say that I don't see any occasion for the customary hilarity over an event that means so much in the way of sorrow and hunliliation''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
The Editor Wants News.

From Texmo (Ok) Times.
 My friend, help the editor i'm his wild eyed search for news. When your friends come to you, if you are not ashamed of it. tell him; when your wife gives tea party, if you have recovered from the effects of the gossip, drop in with the news; when baby arrives fill your pock- cts with cigars and call; if you go to a party steal some of the good things and leave em with the item in our sanctum. If your wife licks you come in and let us see your scars and tender sympathy through the paper. If your mother-in- law has died don't be bashful about it; give in all the commonplace news In short, whatever makes you feel proud, sad, lonesome or glad submit 1t to our twenty-four-cara wisdom and see our matted locks part and stand up on end with gratitude, which will pour from every pore like moisture from the dew besprinkled earth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

was in a ferment of excitement those days. l tried mining for a time and 1 guess the claims l staked out on the creeks near Dawson are still there. thought the holes were deep enough when 1 left, but they tell me they're still at 'em. l got to wrestling again, with the miners. l finally challenged the profes- sional champion of the camp, Swanson, magnificent specimen of manhood who had swept all before him. We wrestled a one-fall match for $50O0 a side and SG000 in bets in addition. I won the fall up there then but they did after that match. My share of that sl1, 900 started me on the road to the $l10o0,0OO the papers say l have now.
 In many of the cities I visit I am asked how many times l have wrestled Tom Jenkins, for years the American cham- ptOn. l have wrestled Jenkins six times and the matches have been bitter strug- gles every one of them. We stand three apiece now, since l won the last one which restored to me the title and maybe some time Tom will want to, wrestle off the rubber. Well, he won't find we want ing when the time comes. He's a rare tough bat on the mat Is Tom Jenkins and the man who has struggled with his 2l5 pounds of bone, sinew and muscle, well trained as it is, knows he has been to the show after the bout Is over. The first time l met Jenkins l was stacked up against him in 1900, d green country boy, almost fresh. off the farm. It took To mover two hours to get back of me, and then his experience gave him the match. I think 1t was two years later that I met him the second time. That was in Belllngnam Wash. just after 1 had returned from the Kondike. 1 knew bit more of the game then. After putting Tom down for the first fall In something short of an hours time the referee disqualified him for foulng in the second bout That first gave me the championship In February of lJ0j beat Jenkins in his home town. Cleve- land, gaining one fall in AS seconds 50 that it can be seen 1 did not dread greatly the later encounter with him, arranged for New York. and which I hoped woul be a suitable introduction for me in the east, on the eve Of a match with Hack enschmidt then coming to America from Australia. But Jenkins was too danger ous a man to have trihed with at that time. The result is athletic history. fell i'll on the eve of the match, and although l took the mat full of hope Of winning, in any event, l lost. I thought myself recovered sufficiently after .. tiip in the south, to meet Jenkins about six or eight weeks later, again in New York, but he beat me again in mItcn which lasted till a. m. All tho next year 1 worked with my goal, match with Jenkins in sight and In June of 19O6 Tom again consented to meet me, and l beat him in Kansas City.
 Jenkins has been great man is a great one today. So far as I can recall no other American but myself has ever
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
BEST OF THEM ALL
 TELLS HOW 'TIS DONE

changing positions without being placed in the way of the players.
 When it comes to the players, he can do a lot that will help to keep things moving. Sharpness in giving decisions helps put snap in the players and word or two when player is delaying the game by slowness In coming to bat or getting into his position will keep the players Knowing you have your eye on them. Where much time is lost hy umpires is in stopping to listen to argu- ments. In the first place, an umpire must know his rules so well that he can give decisions on such points accurately and without hesitation. If the captain of the team has a statement to make, let him make it In as few words as pos sible, but do not stop to enter iuto an argument with him. There Is no use in allowing any one to argue with you re- garding a decision on d matter of actual play, such as a ball or strike. an ont or a hit, as the authority of the umpire Is absolute here, and the quicker you con vince the players there is no use ar guing, the better off you will be-
 What makes umpiring such q difficult problem Is the variety of plays that must be dealt with. No rules can be framed which will fully cover every thing that comes up in baseball sanle, and it takes considerable study to place plays in their proper division and apply rules that are in the book in nnny cases There is always certain eleIuent of the game which depends upon quick thought on the part of the umpire com bined with the use of good Judgment, and 1t Is here that the really good and ordinary umpires part company The only advice is to study the rules until you know them thoroughly, and do lot of thinking on and off the field.
 "So far as the position of the umpire on the field Is concerned, l think pretty nearly all of them in big leagues fol- low the system of working behind the bat with no one on the base, O with only man on third; but there might be | times when 1t would be good policy to go behind the bat to follow tho ball more closely at a critical point. even with a man on first or second. It is all ways good policy to get as close to all plays as possible, and when ben;lld the bat to run toward first, and out and away from the base runner, on decisions at first This gives you a better chance to watch the runner and first barenan. Study of the peculiarities of player Is also of much use as it will frequently enable you to make a good decision where you might otherwise be fooled.'
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
Kitten Battles With Big Snake.

From Darby Dispatch to the Philadelphia
 Press.
 A kitten saved Dorothy and Robert Clutch, aged 8 and 5 years, from being badly bitten by snake this morning, which came wriggling down the trunk ,of a tree in the yard of their home, e34 Main street. They were about to take it an their hands when the kitten, seeing the moving object on the tree trunk, clambered up after it and pulled 1t to the ground There the snake, which was nearly four feet long, wrapped itsell around the kitten which promptly laid pn it's back and clawed vigorously at its enemy.
 The children rushed into the house shouting that kitty was playing with a Ibig worm, which was choking her to death. An investigation showed that the ,cat had the reptile clawed and bitten Ibut the snake was drawing its coils more closely around the brave little pet anc slowly squeezing 1t to death.
 Armed with clothes prop and broom hhe childrens mother and grandmother ,attecked the snake, and after a battle Sof five minutes compelled it to relinquish 1ts hold on the kitten and crawl away. Nhe kitten was badly bitten on the right fore leg, which soon swelled to three times its natural size.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
ZN CONFESSZNG HIS FAKE
 OBRIENIDIITATEDJ JOE CANS
BY w. w. NAUGHToN.

 of it, however, 1t must be said that the "tipoff" reads like a tout's story.
 You've heard of the way these gentry deal out sure-thing information about every horse in race and I cannot help thinking that the sport who sent word to San Francisco of Hart's intention has regaled another bookmaker, or an gel, elsewhere with similar information in respect to Schreck.
 By following this old time tout for mula nothing short of a draw would prevent the tipster giving some one the winner.
 The Squires- Burns match has merged from a mist of doubt and now looks like clean cut fixture for Fourth of July at Colma. The mems forfeits are up, and new arena is building and be- fore another week passes Burns will be installed in training quarters at some point on the Alameda side of San Francisco harbor.
 Squires, as the sporting world knows has been quartered at Billy Shsnnons San Rafael gymnasium ever since his arrival in this country, and has made such progress that he is satisfied he will be at his best when the national holiday comes along.
 For a while it Was thought in San Francisco that Burns was about to Withdraw from the match. Tommy dawdled at LOS Angeles and failed to forward the $500O side bet he insisted on when articles were being drawn up and signed. He also made a tentative attempt to arrange a match with Jim Flynn to take place on June T. but on being warned by Coftroth that anything like that would result in the Burns Squires match being called off he de- sisted and hurried to San Francisco
 Burns appeared at a conference of the parties interested in the Fourth of July match with one D. c. Heating, a Port land, Ore, theatrical man, who supplies Tommy's backing. The writer is stake holder and will hand over the full amount or the side bet to Referee Jim Jeffries after the men enter the ring.
 Big Jack Johnson, fresh from Australia. was an interested spectator while the de- tails of the Burns-Squires match were be- ing completed. When the conference end ed Johnson said: I'm glad and I'm sorry. I'm glad there's going to be a heavyweight fight, and sorry I'm not one of the principals
 Referee Jim Jeffries will have some money in his jeans while he is judging the Burns-SQuires fight. To begin with in accordance with demand made by Burns, Coffroth will hand Jeffries a cer- tified check for sS0O0 the sum Burns Is to receive, win, lose or draw" In ad- dlion Jeffries wil1 have a check for s1O.OO0 the amount of the side bet put up by the contestants. In all Jeffries will be the custodian of $1SO0O.
 ''Yes, they handed me lemon at Los Angeles" said Jack O'Brien, while dis cussing the events leading up to his con fession with some friends
 "A lemon, Jack?' said a listener. "A lemon couldn't have been responsible for that effluvia. It must have been an onion.''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
Tombstone Loaf scares Her.

Waterbury (Conn) Cor. N Y Herald.
 Because of weird hieroglyphics on her newly baked bread, Mrs. Isabel Bronson moved from the Ransom place. south of Kent, on Monday, and her husband found a cheerless. cold hearthstone, no light and an abandoned cat looking for conso- lation. Finally he found a note saying:
 Ben: You will find us down at Pettin- gills from now until I get shelter"
 Mrs Bronson baked on Sunday trying an old brick oven. There were imprints on the bottom of the loaves that excited Mrs. Bronson. The bread was flat and nearly 20 inches long. Plain as day on the bottom was:
 May she rest in peace.' and "Died May in her thirtieth year. Glory halle 1ujah!'
 Mrs Bronson thought rate had decreed she must die but he recovered when neighbors broke the news to her that an old tombstone was doing duty in the oven as a bottom. Mrs. Bronson will not return to the house despite her hus- hands pleadingS. Ha
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
Hen Went With Fox.

From London Answers.
 A farmer in Cheshire, England. sus- pecting from the terrible racket in his hencoop that fox was raidng 1t, slipped bag over the henshde. When one of the farmhands entered the hen coop the fox sprang into the bag. Eleven fine fowls lay dead, four were badly maimed and had to be killed, and the un- harmed fowls caclxled loudly.
 The farmer took the fox and the dead folws and drove to Marbury Hall to show them to the Hunt Poultry Fund secretary.
 When the bag was opened, the fox ap- peared, hen walked out after the fox, an egg rolled out on the floor, and. of course, the farmer was puzzled The fox in his flight from the hencoop knocked the hen into the bag, where the egg was laid
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
T. B. Aldrich's Lost Nine.

From the Atlantic Monthly
 He knew Whitman and liked him per- sonally, although he would never admit that Whitman was a poet except in here and there a. single phrase. Many time has the present writer endeavored to convert MT Aldrich from this state of heather blindness as to Whitmans ge- nius, but the debates used to end H. logically with Mir. Aldrich's delightful story of a certain s9 which Whitman once borrowed from him-magnificently. but, alas. irrevocably-in Pfaffs restau- rant on Broadway.