The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-06-02

most priced possessions medal wo
q that tournament as the best batter
he competition was open 10 all class
5 entered but fell TO him though n
vas but a boy OF rs.
Another member OF the Early RI,
rs. Detroit's first baseball club,
nember OF which--Gen. l.. s. Trov
raise the pennant, Is a
and In letter from the venerabl
Dr.. George l.. Field, who writes a
ollows:
Hon. Joseph NJ. Weiss: My
Dear Sir--I see by the papers that
on June IL that there is to be-
what Is styled flag raising" day,
when there Is to be a reunion or
the old ball players OF this city;
and have been wondering
whether my name would register
far enough back TO entitle me To
be considered one OF the bunch"
| was one OF the organizers OF
the Early Risers." which, IL
am not mistaken. was In 1858. We
played on what IL the widened
space which is the beginning OF
West Fort-st.
We were on the ground at
o'clock a. m. where "Old Man
Stone" was awaiting us with his
little cart in which he had big
tin can filed with hot coffee and
also supply OF doughnuts. One
cup OF coffee and two doughnuts,
five cents, In silver: no nickels In
those days. Then we began our
play, the Inner man being well for
tilted for the battle. Every little
while we would send a ball
through a Russell house window,
possibly breaking up some ones
early morning nap. as we'll as the
window. Then during the day
some time, our secretary would
call and ascertain the amount OF
damages done and foot the bill;
but In time that was not neces.
sary for we had learned Just how
much each particular window was
without any investigation. At
about Z o'clock we would scatter
10 our different homes In time for
our morning meal.
Shortly after this | became
member OF the old Detroit Club"
In 1868 the club numbered SO. and
OF that number. as near as | can
get at IT, l6 are still alive, and 20
have passed over TO the great ma.
jority; OF the other ~, | cannot
account for.
At that time the officers were:
President. DR.. J. NJ. Van Norman:
vice-president. Frank ]. Phelps;
secretary, j. NJ. l.. Campbell;
treasurer. w. c. B. Teller: direc-
tors. Eugene Robinson. X. n, An
derson. Geo. l.. Field. Andrew Nc
Pherson. d. NJ. Ferry.
alone am left of the officers Of
the Detroit ball club OF 1868.
Those were the days when there
was little IL any buying or paying
for players. or the SO members OF
our club In the year OF which
speak there were but two who re-
ceived anything In the way OF a
salary-Burroughs and Brown, and
what they did receive would not
have been sufficient TO support
them and they both worked In a
barber shop to make up the bal
ance.
II was at this time. too. when
the curved BALI was first pitched.
and which some OF our most
learned and competent engineers
and artisans claimed could not be
done. Among them were Mr..
Bartlett, an engineer OF high re-
pute. and Willard 8. Pope, presi-
dent OF the Detroit Bridge & Iron
works so these two men, with
several others, were invited up to
our club grounds to see the thing
demonstrated. Three sticks were
driven into the ground In an abso-
lutely straight line, and Harry
Burroughs pitched his ball to the
right Of the first stick. passed on
to the left OF the second. and
again to the right, and repeated
the experiment several times. to
the establishment OF those learned
men. who then went home to
study out what that ball was rub
bling against as II passed through
the air
wonder whether their eyes
would not bulge out could they
but see what was done with q
ball In these latter days?
Now II I have already said SUI
fcient to prove TO you that
really am one OF the "old guard
and entitled TO recognition at this
time. when the flag is to be raised
In memory OF Aud Lang Syne."
send along a pasteboard; I will try
and use II and Notwithstanding
the fact that | have retired from
active business and become a
loafer. I'll take day on. even
though I can't really afford IL.
Yours 'till DEATH"
GEO. l.. FIELD.
From the list OF amateur clubs no
It hand 1t seems probable that the e,
,rcises at the field will be preface
-, m noroda dnwp town