Evening star., 1909-08-29
LATHAM TELLS ABOUT
OLD ST. LOUIS DAYS
Won der Ahe Fined Him About
$1,000, 900, but Never COL
Iected a Penny.

Latham was here on the last trip with
the Giants he became reminiscent and re-
counted some Of his experiences with the
Browns.
IF am in base ball." said he. It'll
am eighty years old there never will be
anything half SO funny to me as Won der
Ahe's actions on the bench. We used to
kid him SO much he got to thinking that
we were making faces at him while out
in the field. So he got pair of field
glasses through which to detect US maxi
ing faces. One day he picked up the
glasses and looked through the wrong
end. Curt Welch out in center field look
ed two miles away. and Chris yelled In
Welch could get back into the scene Of
action.
Things like that were coming UP every
minute. One Of the best things was to
watch Chris squirm when one of our side
hit a fly ball out into the field. He usu-
ally sat at the end of the bench. and
would use SO much body English pull
ing for the ball to fall safe that in most
cases he finished In a heap on the
ground.
convulse all of our fellows except Comis-
key. He would smile little, but never
allow his attention to get of the game
Of ball.
Loyal to Players.
with all Of Wonder Ahe's eccentrici-
ties, he was loyal to his players. and in
that connection I wonder IL the story of
Comiskeys 5000 bunt has ever been told.
Well, anyway we were playing in Brook
lyn in IS or 80. and at the end OF the
third game of a series at the old park
down near Sheepshead Bay our team was
mobbed and stoned on account of WIN
Iyyl to- t,1 x1x,tr In
the ninth inning I was on second, Rob-
inson was on first and Comiskey at the
bat, with one out. We needed one run
to win, and Comiskey did the unexpected,
laying down fine bunt toward third.
THE play was close at first, but they
got Comiskey. While the umpire-only
one arbitrator in those days-was look
ing at the close finish at first l cut third
base by twenty feet and was nearing the
plate just as the decision was being made
thing a little. / came from second in
time much too short to permit of any
likelihood of having touched third. So
had to back pedal little and draw the
decision at the plate down fine. l was
called safe all right, and the game was
won. The crowd roared. and the Brook
lyn club officials came onto the field and
told the umpire that l had cut third. or
course he hadn't seen me do 1t. SO all he
could do was to allow the run.
when we got into our bus to go back to
the city. 1t was quite nasty riot The
papers were full of the story, and excite
ment was running high for the next days
game. But there was where Won der
Ahe's loyalty was displayed. He wouldn't
let us go to the grounds at all. Nearly
10000 people were out to see the last
game, and he forfeited his share of the
gate receipts-about So. 3.5O0-as well as be-
ing fined $1,5OO by the league for failing
to y>lo Lyc <an ON ho
'Doz poys OBJ mine might be kilt, was
all he said In his excuse.
Living on the Past.
II had a long visit with Won der Abe
down in ST. Louis last week." went on
Latham, "and I found the old boy living
on the memories of the past.
One Of the first questions he asked me
was IL /. remembered the day l ordered
the flowers for myself and sent the bill
to him.
.Arlie,' sold Chris, I have fined you
over millioA dollars and never collected
And that is Srue. We were all pets Of
his. but. Of couhse, Commy is the one he
will remember LONGEST. He has dozen or
more pictures OF Gomiskey on the walls
of his rooms.
all gone now"
Latham is as alert as tever in looking
for the humorous side On things but he
says he hasn't received IA message in
many years that provoked as much an
noyanee and mirth as oneNvon der Abe
IT was living at Lynn. Mass" said
Latham, land l recommended during the
winter that Chris pay s1.5o0 fdS young
player 1 had picked out. He wired me
$500 to make the deal, and the tmessage
was signed by not only Won der &he. but
also the other two officers of the s.. Louis
club. Diddlebock and MuckenfussA
1.-The Western Union manager thought
those three names were college ye!l SO
he wouldn't pay me the money unNl
hunted up a well known lawyer. who MAS
also a fan and knew the names Of the 81.
Louis officials. Come to think of 1t. 1T
does seem phony to see at the bottom OF
telegram Won der Abe, Diddlebock.
Muckenfuss.'