The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-14

back his statement Denton told of the
glory of the old Attica team many.
many years ago. and how he was the
official umpire for that aggregation
This seemed to explain phenomenal
success of the Attica Blues. so no one
denied their claim for championship
honors. Then Denton went on to tell
how the team went to Wichita and
hunlbled the pride of the residents of
that metropolis by defeating their ball
team by jug handled score Attica
had curve pitcher, the first on exhi-
bition i'll this state When this tWirler
curved his rainbow spirals over the
plate and the batter lodged back three
feet to avoid being struck by the ball
Denton called strike and the mob
clamored for the umpire's blood Be
fore two innings had been played Den
ton was in grave peril at the hands of
the bleacners and the home team He
owes his escape to his wit in getti.g
call a few balls and strikes. The cap
tain saw and believed, we can never
beat that bunch" he whispered sadly
after watching a few slow, wide out
curves float over the plate. mo batter
living can touch that pitcher"
Kansas school boys slaughter a slow
curve ball nowadays, but at that time
it was an honor to umpire for such
team as that which represented Attica
and Mr.. Denton still speaks with pride
of the part he played in the eleva-
ton of his home town.
John Dawson, private secretary to the
governor. was accused the other day of
having once been member of the Pop
legislature. john denied the allegation
but admitted that he was once elected
to county superintendent on the Popu-
list ticket and then went on to relate
the fable of the three black crows for
the edificat1on OF his visitor and to il
lustrate the fallacy. of paying any at
tention whatever to Dame Rumor
Charles Sessions, Topeka reporter for
the Kansas City Journal, got "scooped"
Thursday on the news from the Baker
university commencement. Several
prominent Topeka people had the de-
gree of Master of Arts conferred on
them during the exercises AND when
Charlie received word of the night S
program he supposed that his name
written on the card was in the nature
OF an address and that the notification
of the degree was message for the
news columns of his paper. Secretary
Coburn broke the news of his blushing
honors to him the next day with many
q chuckle.
Governor Stubs came back from the
visit this week at the Quindaro, Baker
and Kansas universities full of his US
pal enthusiasm for and pride in
Kansas institutions. He started in to
tell Fred Vandegrift about his trip,
but they got sidetracked on ar argu-
ment as to which was the greater man,
George Washington or Ben Franklin.
The debate was worth the price of adj
mission. The governor thought that
Washington was the greatest man that
ever lived while Vandegrift, Il writer
himself, naturally sided with the author
| of Poor Richards almanac in this con-
test for the highest niche in the Ameri-
| can hall of fame. The governor held
/ the floor for ten minutes by sheer force
| of oratory and he quoted. from Wash
| iBgton's inaugural address until Van
| became groggy. Then the dean of
Kansas newspaper writer's came back
with a line of argument that was all
to the classics. His description of
| F'rankln's victory over Taileyrand in a
diplomatic battle was a masterpiece
The debaters finally agreed upon a com
promise whereby Washington was de-
cided to be the greatest president and
soldier of. the western hemisphere and
Franklin the greatest philosopher of the
past two centuries.