The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-15

Little Rock, March 14-(Special.) )-ln one drawer of his desk, dedicated espe- cially to that purpose. Clark Miller, the biz. good-natured secretary of the South ern Baseball association, has huge, unwieldly package of letters of all shapes sizes and colors and bearing many leg ends To make estimate-a very con- servative estimate-there are probably ZOo of them, although Secretary Miller has never stopped to count them These are the communications from gentlemen In various parts of the United States who nroffer President Kavanaugh their serv- fees AS umpire in this baseball league.
 During the winter The Age-Herald printed story to the effect that the Southern league should use the double umpire system this season and the let ters have been coming in ever since.
 From Portland Me, to Los Angeles, Cal, come pouring in these applications for a job compared with which a post tion in a dynamite factory is mild and monotonous existence.
 The great majority of the letters are from young fellows who have more or
 
 anxious to branch out and show their ability in one of the minor leagues. These are sent a courteous reply and told that there are no vacancies and with this they are usually satisfied. But there are also some delicious specimens of humor embodied in these communications.
 One applicant writes that he has never done any umpiring but that he has ref creed any number of prize-hghts, which he believes requires a great deal more skill and gray matter.
 Another writes that he has never um- hired much but announces that he is absolutely fearless and will see that the players are kept In absolute subjection. One letter which is prized very highly is from minister, who fain would for sake the pulpit for the diamond. He writes at considerable length of the reformation that he would inaugurate were he appointed an arbiter of play q would allow no rough unseemly conduct on the part of the players" he writes "Rowdyism I would suppress with an iron hand. Any player guilty of ungentlemanly conduct would instantly be put off the field and heavily fined. By carrying out these reforms I am firmly persuaded that I could do as much good to the cause of religion as in my pull pit"
 These ideas meet with President Kay anaughs emphatic approval and it was only because he Lad some misgivings as to the divines ability to put them into execution that the latter did not get the appointment he sought.
 One of the prize applications is that of J. Ira Davis. better known as "slats' J. Ira is one of the best little press agents in the business and he devotes his time | exclusively to boosting j. Ira Davis 1 game.
 "slats" has a letter-head that is a marvel. Ii is laueled "Slats in Char scteristic Poses" and that describes 1t pretty well. It represents J. Ira in four different attitudes on the ball field, In | the act of calling man out at the | plate. holding aloft his right hand as l he calls a strike ana other dramatic at titudes. J. Ira is nothing if not dra- | matic.
 "sats', is pretty well known in the 1 southland. as he umpired in the Southern | league for a portion of the season of 1907 | and he wasn't a bad sort of an umpire l at that. He is very anxious to come | back and in his communications on that l subject modestly subscribes himself, The