Smyrna times., 1908-08-12
HISTORY OF BASEBALL AS
PLAYED BY SMYRNA BOYS
SMYRNIANS AND FORMER SMYR-
MANS WHO WERE IN THE GAME
Serial Story on the Old Time Baseball
Game Written by Thomas S. Start
-Boy-hood Franks Recalled.
[coNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.


would always be on the lookout for
No. boys, and usually found them
when they visited the mill pond at
Duck Creek, which was a splendid
place to swim in. The Duck Creek
crowd were always looking for trouble
and many royal battles have been
fought on the historic banks of the
old mill race. The Smyrna boys of
ten visited Duck Creek at night to
swim, and the Duck Creek boys had
plenty of opportunities to make it in
teresting swimming. They would
"sneak" up and steal the visitors
wearing apparel and make "beef
steaks" out of them. This "beef
steak" trick consisted in tying the
arms and legs of the underclOthing
in knots. These knots were so COM
plicated that it took both hands and
the teeth of the victim to unite them.
1t was very frequent and comic
sight to see a half dozen shivering
boys sitting on the old bridge at the
swimming hole" "chewing beef
in the moonlight, while a crowd of
Duck Creek boys gathered at safe
distance and made uncomplimentary
remarks about their appearance. One
night four boys "sneaked' through
the village of Duck Creek to the
swimming hole. - 1t was late and
they thought and hoped the Duck
Creek boys were in bed, where all
good boys should have been. The
Smyrna crowd left their raiment on
the bridge and had "gay old time. -
When they looked for their "pants and
shirts, " they had disappeared, only
their head gear remaining. They put
their hats on and waited on the bridge
until midnight, hoping those Dluck
} Creek imps would have come back,
but. unlike the much abused cat,
they did not. Nearby was a peach
orchard ,and in that orchard they
found some old peach baskets. The
bottoms were removed and at day
light a quartet of harmless, detected
boys "sneaked' through the back
streets of Smyrna, each wearing al
old straw hat and a peach basket
j. W. Oliver Enthu siastic Ball Fan
In the early seventies there resided
near town a man who achieved a n;
tional reputation as publisher, orator
editor and reformer. This gentl,
man was Hon. John W. Oliver, tn,
editor of Yonkers, N. Y. Statesman
In those days he was an enthusias
tic baseball "fan." His son, Edward
was catcher for the Smyrna club an
the father was usually on hand t
cheer the home club to victory.
few years ago Mr.. Oliver died a
Yonkers, N. Y, in his ninety-fft
year. ED" has gained an uviabl
reputation as a humorist. A fey
years ago the New York Heral
published the following interesting
article: Mr.. John w. Oliver, of Yon
kers, in his ninety-frst year ha
achieved the crowning triumph @
his long and eventful life as printer
orator, editor and reformer. Thoug
an Englishman by birth, he has save
American baseball. Experts have Ion
declared the game identical wit
the old english game of Rounder'
At an old time baseball love fea'
held in Mr.. divers home, "Rose Co
tage'' in the fifth avenue of Yonker'
Mr.. Oliver gave "reminiscences of bas'
ball as it was played eighty years as
in Baltimore between the years 18.
and 1834".
Baseball AS Played Eighty Years Ag
"I was two years old when n
parents brought me to this COUNT
from Conwall, where l was Dor
but l was so young that l have
ways considered myself full Amer
can. Baseball was the game Il
boys played when was eight yea
old, in Baltimore. although that wi
more than three-quarters of cen
ury ago l remember it well and CT
say that the name "Rounders" W
never applied to the game. 1t W
baseball pure and simple and We
innocent game it was then, bo
game. A dozen or more of us bo
would get together in an old fie
for a game. A couple of leade
were selected to handle the bat.
was thrown from one boy to anotht
Hand over hand they went up
handle of the ba and the "mar
whose hand reached the top of the b
first got first choice to bat. Then
leader selected their favorite play
of the crowd and the game begi
There were four bases the same as
CONTINUED ON EouRTh PACE