Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26
By Daniel w. Gallagher
Cap Peleg Hake of the
Lucy P.
Spoke on the topic of
baseball; he

Spoke on the topic of
baseball; he
TALK er yer Giants and White Socks. of old
i Cy Young in ther pitchers box. of howin'
fans and Their team that wins, er cheers and
shouts when er game begins. Why say! yer
ought ter have been with me ter ther game out
thar on ther briny sea! Played by fishes? Why
Sartinly!
That was baseball! Yer doubt my word.
Ask my fellers; each of EN- heard ther whole
thing through Each of EN- saw Their struggle
on. Twas cold and raw when mornin' dawned
on Their banks that day; then Their sun come
out, and where we lay | could hear those cod
fish on evry hand rootin, rootin' ter beat ther
band
listened long ter ther int derbate. Tipped
off Their crew and gut my mate ter hear ther bit
er baseball dope He left off splicin er bit er
rope come ter ther side, and cried ter me- Cap.
unlmber Their trawls!' says he; but wouldn't
have it. Made up my mind that cod and had
dock would burned soon find if er ornery game
was ter be played, I'd be on hand when ther
hits were made
THEIR Goldfish swooped ter ther Lucy P. One
of 'em cried, why, bless me- See if that
amt Hake, our oldtime friend! How be yer,
Cap?" / had ter fend 'em off er bit. If they
hadn't Stacked, ther sides of Their schooner
would have been cracked.
"Hooray!" they shouted Yer jest in time.
Bet yer darby ter yer last dime on ther Goldfish
team! We're out ter play ther Mixed Fish team
Put out yer kedge! Yer standin' now on Their
very edge of ther sidelines thar. That is Their
stuff Knew yer wouldn't think it er bluff. We
want yer here 'longside. yer know, ter see these
critters 81 We show
We dropped our Hedges fore and aft Frum
in Their distance there come er raft er fish. |
vow by my anchor lights never was witnessed
such wondrous sights! Millions of EN-, and,
say, ther noise was like perdition! Ones equer-
poise would hardly stand fur such er skit but
er course yer uncle used ter it.
Sharks and founders and horned things,
cusk and sculpins and fish with wings, haddock
and eels and pesky whales, ev'ry kind of er
chap with scales. Wish you people upon ther
land could see ther whale! He was their grand
stand They swarmed erpon his stretch er
blubber, so ther whole caboodle of EN- could
rubber, making comments on this and that
Jest how er teller should hold his bat. Scarcely
settled themselves at all, when they sot up
cry Come on. Play BALL.
Ground Their field, fur er field it was / calls
it one er course, because there were bleachers
shown motley crew, with Their bases sot,
'twixt me and you. / give em buckets with
leads ter weight, so ter stand Their tide, and Their
old hum plate was er painted buoy that they
made us haul frum one of ther tubs that held er
trawl.
Their Goldfish team first hove in sight. They
were given cheers. all right, all right We sized
em up and formed Their bunch. They all ap-
peared like er goodly bunch er baseball tossers.
Their tails they bent and sailed right in fur
play intent.
ZAP HAKE!" they hollered l heard Their
call. Good old Cap Hake, chuck out Their
ball!'' Then realized they would honor me-
We searched erbout on Their Lucy P. Gut out
oakum and wound it round with piece
tape till Their thing was sound. l stepped ter
ther side and hove it out
They received it with lusty shout, and one
of ther critters sleek and fat ter Their plate
with his pesky bat. Don't know where they
gut Their thing. Twas er piece er oak with
leather ring fixed on Their end, held thar
by nails that it would fit Their fishes
tails.
Don't think they knew how ter play ther
game' Say! those fellers would put ter shame
some of ther critters yer see each year cutting
swathes in ther atmosphere.
Their Mixed Fish team er funny crew.
Scuttle my butts those fellers knew ther
points er playin' Their game, you bet, slammn'
ther ball Der ther waters wet Spinnin' ther
yarn-well, | might say, speakin out in er
baseball way that Their pitcher caused Their
Gods ter fuss, when they found that he was
octerpus. His eight arms had fair control.
Plenty of it, why, bless my soul! ev'ry time
with an inning by, he'd give each one of his
fips try usn' this ter serve drop, t'other
one fur his inshoot crop, always shown er
good command so that MANY er Stalwart cod