The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-05
BALL FANS IN CHURCH
By Hugh s. Fullerton. in Chicago Tri.

The Rev. Mir. Perkins tso-called be- cause that isn't anything like his real name1 is one of the shining lights ga, man noted for his high ideals and his good works.
 The Rev. MT. Perkins has a son who ally wound up as a baseball reporter and corking good one. Indeed he is almost as we'll known in his line as his reverend father is in his.
 being wise in his fathers line. but the Rev. Mr. Blank always has had quite an idea that he would have made auiite as good a baseball reporter as
 Thereby hangs a tale. Last year the son was an ardent and faithful with comiskey.but he couldn't see how how Commy's bunch ever could beat Mur- phys crew. His father. who attends baseball as often as there is no ser vice, or meeting of the guild. was a wild and woolly admirer of the Sox. and one of the most ardent believers that they could beat Anything on earth. And at home, instead of start ing a discussion on higher criticism, the father and son debated strongly upon the relative merits of the south and west side teams, and the debate waxed hotter and hotter as the post season series came nearer.
 Comiskey heard of it and was so biShiCQ bHdt ne bCHb IllS IllHIStGT seats for all the post-season ganes--and 1t is stated that the church services dur ing that week were adjusted to fit the post-season. schedule-up to Sum day.
 The Rev. MT. Perkins witnessed all the games. but on Sunday he was ab- sent. It is stated that the afternoon services were cut short and that with in a minute after pronouncing the benediction he was at phone inquir- ing the score.
 And that night he wrote to Com iskey letter of congratulation, and at the close he said:
 It appears to me unfortunate both casion that was forbidden by my calling to wager upon the outcome. Otherwise I should have won enough to pay off the parish debt"
 There was another fan who, on that memorable Sunday afternoon when the Sox cinched their claims for the worlds pennant suffered. He is one of the best baseball cranks in Chicago, a root CT for the Sox and an ardent supporter (although he didn't think so that day) to have a good and pious wife, wbo is one of the leaders in u little church up in Edgewater. This fan isn't particu- larly religious, but he respects and ad- mires his wife's stand in the matter, and during fifteen or twenty years of married life has assimIlated more or less of her beliefs and feelings. The post-season series, however, was too much for him. He attended five games, and admits that he was plan ming to attend morning services with his wife and maze sneak to the ball park in the afternoon. Luck. however, was against him. A special afternoon nounced, and his hope of seeing the deciding game was evaporated He knew he could not offer any excuse that would satisfy his wife. and that feelings. So he decided to makeNa mar tyr of himself and attend the special services.
 It Is not believed that the service did him much good. His mind was away down on the baseball field.
 He was sitting there. picturing the great throng on CImmy's park. the ex- citement, the noise. the enthusiasm, and pulling hard for the Sox to win.
 He wasn't even giving thought to twice his wife had to pull his coat tails to get him to stand up.
 Suddenly he saw Deacon Morris arise and tiptoe into the vestry. He for five minutes he had been wonder ing If he dared slip out and ask what the score was.
 About five minutes later Deacon Nor ris tiptoed back up the aisle, smiling, and sat down just across the aisle
 The fan slipped along the pew. leaned out and an instant later the worshippers in the surrounding pews heard him ask in stage whisper:
 What's the scorer"
 And without a flicker of hesitating Leacon Morris whispered back SO he could be heard by half the church:
 'Sox got 'em beat in the sixth"
 For just an instant everybody looked 1ta vi rAfWa t-k1 CT by accident or design, no one knows, remarked:
 Let us sing the long meter dox- ology."
 But there Is a minister out on the northwest side who made himself one of the most popular men in the dis trict on that same Sunday afternoon when all Chicago and most of the world waited to hear the news.
 There was a meeting of the Bible Class called for 4;SO in the afternoon. This class Is the biggest thihe in the church and almost all the men and women, especially the young ones. are members.
 That Sunday afternoon the lecture room of the church was crowded and the minister was late. He usually started things off. and then turned over blaming and helping only when needed or called upon. So the meeting was opened without him.
 shortly thereafter he came in, red from rapid walking. and beaming with smiles. He sat down until the hymn was finished, and then, walking for ward. remarked:
 Ladies and Gentlemen: have glor- ious news for you. The White Sox are champions of the world--I stopped to learn the score, feeling that we could study better If we knew"
 And the class broke into cheers.