The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-14
COMMERCIALS
AS COMmEDlANS
NINE INNINGS OF MlRTH AND
MERRlMENT At FORSYTH.
SCORE STILL IN DOUBT
Miles City Boys in Forsyth Uniforms
Ably Assist Locals In Providing En-.
tertainlng speciaiitIes for Rosebud
Fans-Johns There with Bells.

Nine Tong innings Of mirth, melody
and merriment were staged at the
Forsyth open-air theater Sunday after
noon with the Billings Commercials
and Miles City IN the title roles. The
entertainment consisted OF q large
number Of high class specialties in,
long distance running, high throws.
and seasickness. concluding with q
mirth-provoking b~urlesque on the
great national game Of baseball.
Full details Of the melange Of
monkey-work and music have not been
received as up to the time Of going
to press the score-keeper and his as
sistants had not vet reached an esti-.
mate as to the total number Of runs
secured, and it will doubtless be a
couple Of weeks before the tabulated
score showing the details can be pre-
pared. In accurate and unreliable
speculation places the figures at some
thing like 20 to IA in favor Of the Miles
City boys with the Forsyth uniforms.
Played in the twilight.
The defeat Of the boys in blue is
attributed mainly to their lack Of
condition for endurance contests and
high-hurdle jumping. The alleged
game was played on q gently I'M
dulating surface Of hills and hollows,
plentifully mixed with sand and holes.
and generously garnished with sage
brush and other vegetation Of the pro-
life type. Having neither stills, step
ladders, pontoon bridges or imple-
ments Of excavation, the visitors were
slightly handicapped, but at that, they
made a remarkably fine showing until
overcome by undue exertion at I'M
familiar stunts.
The feature of the game was the
fast work Of everybody. in fact all the
participants were running IN some
direction nearly all Of the time, and
some record time was made, chief of
which was the time Of the game,
which is estimated as running from
three o'clock until dark.
Johns, There With Bells on.
The umpiring was done by "Jeny'
Johns, who also kept score, %captained
both teams, and dia all the roofing.
True, one Paddy O'Flynn, a young
German barrister, played the part of
the umpire without any makeup, but
he was merely a f%igurehead "Jefy"
being the real power behind the
throne who gave tie decisions which
the future statesman ably seconded.
Unfortunately on n or two occa-
sions the latter thoughtlessly called
a strike on a home-talent specially
man before "Jeffy" had decided what
it was, but these breaks we're in
variably speedily rectiied, and every
lulA6 was 1OVC1y. LINN A0Asy
Miller" on numerous occasions caught
a few Of the %transients asleep at the
switch OF first base, where they were
tagged out by from four to ten feet.
but happily his jumps didn't e It be-
cause "Jeffy'' was looking the other
way.
umpirln0, Only an Incident.
But the Billings boys do not by any
means complain of the umpir1ng, for
It was Of a high class and was out
Of the ordinary: in fact everybody
admits he never saw anything like 1t.
And the umpiring in a game Of this
character is really but an incident.
and could have cut no figures in the
final results. Everybody was well
satisfied that he got his moneys
worth, for the whole thing was a re-
markable revelation in two ways:
First as showing the players strength
Of character in sticking to the finish.
and second, In revealing the possible
ties Of baseball as a vehicle for the
portrayal Of high class humor.
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