The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-07

first met Jim ORourke- There was l a keen rivalry. between the baseball clubs of Naugatuck and Stratford, Conn. I was induced to journey 10 miles from my home to catch for the Stratford club Jim O'Rourke was the regular catcher for the club, made up mostly of boys just out of the high l school. In this contest O'Rourke play 1 ed short and put up a game both at the bat and in the field that left a lasting impression on me The game Twas played on small, open field, close to the railroad, now covered with houses. tinued with amateur teams around his native city of Brid dgGport. I spent part of the year at Savannah, Ga, engag- ing in occasional games with an anna teur club and brought up at Middle town. Conn, in the fall of 1871, where the late Ben Douglass was organizing dation James H. O'Rourke was signed up for his first professional engage ment. We played together, but separ- ated the next season. O'Rourke going to Boston and I to the Athletics of Philadelphia
 On learning recently that O'Rourke had sold out his Bridgeport franchise, sent word that I would spend a day with him on my way to the league meeting in New York, and received word: "Come on the town is yours.'' Having played with Jim O'Rourke on the Boston club, travelled with him to Europe in 1874, and worked with him m0nDeF or the NaC1Ona1 board for eight years. I felt sure of a real welcome at Bridgeport, and was not disappointed on the arrival of the Boston train, with a real blizzard in O'Rourke and by Warren R. Briggs. MT. Briggs was famous Harvard catcher in the early '70s and one of the star players of the famous old Boston BeaconS.
 PARTY PHOTOGRAPHED.
 
 Bridgeport club, where MT. Briggs pro- duced one of the first masks used in 1876 and all admitted that Fred Thay- CT. the old Harverd captain, was the inventor. The young staff photo grapher of the Boston Globe induced the baseball triurnvirs to climb a mar row passageway and reach the roof of the clubhouse, used in the summer time as a roof garden, but now cov- cred with deep drifts of snow with the wind bowling in from the icy bay. MT. Briggs holding the relic of days gone by. After thoroughly satisfying the picture maker we returned to the c1ubrooms and compared fingers. MT. Briggs and the writer had several con- spicuous twists and swollen joints to Show that we had stopped foul tips catcher for many years and yet his fingers displayed no marks of battle.
 James H. ORourke, attorney-at- law was found printed in large let ters on a glass door after climbing a flight of stairs in the Meigs build ing. Law offices are closed to business on Saturday afternoons and we had the quarters to ourselves.
 tHThis is the king of professions" re- marked the veteran ball player as he settled down in a comfortable swing ing chair.
 The pictures on the walls were DOT traits of Chief Justice Fuller, Daniel Webster, Lincoln, Bob IngersoH, Long fellow, Garfield Gov. Fitz H. Lee and l Charles Sumner.
 I inquired what style of literature he liked most and O'Rourke answer Speare on the Side-''
 "I say, do you know believe there | thought" continued the lawyer. ..Gt l was only yesterday I was telling some | friends that Ross Barnes was a most | wonderful ball player, and the way he l smashing that ball into the ground | was a most remarkable performance. | which you had written the same | thoughts.
 COMPARISON OF PLAYERS.
 .I never, like to compare the players | of the past with the present, unless with men who had the pleasure of sec | ing the old boys at their best. The game has never produced more re- l markable ball players than William Ewing, Ross Barnes, George Wright, | Ed Williamson, Mike Kelley, Andrew Leonard and many more I could men ti"~
 e one asked me yesterday" said 1 / Rourke, eff I didn't think the play | CTS of today were more cunning than the old players and I answered.: Tn deed they are, especially when getting out of playing the game by claiming they are i'll or that they have lame salary wings ''
 .T never saw but two pitchers who could work, the raise ball after the days of Bobby Mathews and Jim Me
  of the present day, and even or McGinnity were not to be