Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-27
hotels, RESTAURANTS G. CAFES

until he's politely asked to work for
another three or four hours he has the
game Of life and the pleasant deviations
thereof sewed up in d paper bag. Either
he Tolls around the home town of the
club, surrounded by a gang of entertain
ing Worshipers. or he's rolling off to
some other nice burg on the vanished
cars. with the kind of eats tossed at him
all the time that the average man only
cops out about twice year If he's lucky.
and general environment of luxury and
-yes-reflnement that the average man,
whatever may be the nature OF his inner
inclination toward that sort of thing.
never can nail a chance to be surrounded
by from the time that he begins to shave
and hustle until they take him out in A
box and plant him over yonder on the side
of that little old snowy hill.
So don't worry about ball players. fell
lers. around Christmas or any other time.
And yet. it's kind of a pity that
| they don't know-that SO many of them
never can know-what a real good thing
they've got
One From Bill Wolfe.
One OF the really few grateful ball
players that ever l met up with was old
Bill Wolfe who used to heave for the
Washington club. Member Bill Wolfe,
with that wide. walrus smile Of his?
Haven't heard anything of Bill for some
years now. but wherever he is. why here's
happy New Year to him, and a lot OF
'em to come!
Bill. you remember, before he got into
the ball playing business. was n coal
miner down yonder in Pennsylvania.
Now. everybody savvieS what kind of n
game a Pennsylvania coal miner Is up
against. 1t isn't any sweetness and
light job. mateys. It's that old double
distilled. copperlined. HORSEPOWER Work
Work thing. And Bill. he knew II, Bill
did. Bill Wolfe. he was glad to get out
of coal mining. and into ball playing: and
William didn't hesitate any TO say SO
when. asked.
Well. one rainy forenoon, in the South
ern Hotel, in ST. Louis. when Bill was
with the old Washington club. group
of the gang sat around the hotel lobby
just knocking the Stufting out of things.
They all had a crouch on over this thing
called base ball. Base ball. 1t seemed.
TO listen to 'em, was on the fritz. and no
good. and all like that.
Now Bill laid out of this. Bill declined
to kick in. He stood and looked the
kickers over. But nix the chimc-in
for William. He didn't feel that way.
But Bits laying out of 1t sort of made
the others impatient. When there "A
knockfest a-going among ball players
they feel sorter suspicious OF the fellow
who sticks out of 1t. So, finally. one ot
the hammersmths said to Bill Wolfe, said
he:
Say. you We Rot pair VI 'I'PS WI
YOU haven't YOU? Well, then, what dye
think of this thing that were all roaring
about, hey"
Bill Wolfe. he spat contemplatively At
spit kit that was about nineteen feet
away-and made Il bulls eye-and then
said Bill:
Il hain't got nothin' L say. Buddy. M
that l know about 1T is that base bail
beats hell out O coal mimi and some
other things and you plugs and rough
necks ought t. know it,.
So here's to Bill Wolfe, wherever he Is!
He wasn't any first magnitude star. or
ANYTHING like that but there was some
thing else i'll the back Of his conk be-
sides gravy a la Bordelaise; and it's
kind of shame at that. that there arc
not more ball players possessed OF his
disposition.