The Washington herald., 1910-07-25

getting it caught in a feed chopper.
Pretty soon, when I was about fourteen.
I began to get real wages in the mine
I became checker. hired By the union 70
check the coal that came up and keep
the accounts Of the men. hadn't much
schooling. but was forced 20 study arith-
metic to keep the records OF 600 miners
and check or their coal. and then check
on with the company IN tons so they
could settle with the miners. Also, I had
TO keep the union records and make the
miners pay their dues each month.
Il must have developed me rapidly, for
the responsibility was heavy one TO
/ throw into a kid. I had 20 fire grown
men who were back in their dues, and
the least signal from me that the man
ayers were not paying right, meant a
strike OF 700 men. I felt this response
bility. and 1t kept me straight and busy.
The only time / had for baseball was
Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There
were seven small towns near by and we
all had teams. ! have walked time and
again eight 10 ten miles and back TO
play games. l was a catcher and third
baseman on the team. and showed so
much skill at the game that pretty soon
the miners would hire a man in my place
to check the coal in order to let me gn
away and play ball to win for the team.
I did not like the miners life. Il did
not seem to get a fellow any place, and
I saw men grow old and worn out and
| scarcely save enough to bury them. 1t
looked to me as II I ought to cultivate
my ability TO play ball. and I set TO work
in earnest. read IN paper that pitch
ers were the best paid players and de-
cided 10 pitch, although never had tried
it before. I pitched three games for
Coxville one fall. and the next spring I
was boosted for a job with the Terre
Haute club. I reported 10 the team. a
great big kid. I never had made a cent
out Of baseball. In fact, the only money
ever had made outside OF mining was
in acting as protector for fat boy. His
mother paid me 80 cents a week TO keep
the other kids from licking him. and
was so anxious to earn that 50 cents
that II no kid made a move at him 1
licked couple anyhow 70 earn my
money.
The spring I went to Terre Haute they
had eleven pitchers for trial and I never
had pitched but three games. I was de-
termined 10 make good, and the only
way I knew how was to work my head
on Finally they cut the squad to three
pitchers. wasn't pitching WELL but kept
winning and the miners all over the
district were pulling for me- The choice
came between me and a pitcher named
Custls, a good fellow and well known
was winning all my games and he was
losing most of his. but the management
decided 10 let me go. 1 was all ready TO
go back 10 the mines when some fellows
in town got up petition with 500 sig
natures. threatening 10 boycott the club
IL 1 was released. The management
weakened and was allowed to stay.
never worked harder in the mines
than I did there. 1 pitched every min
ute and watched the older pitchers work.
learning from them. Also 1 started 20
read and study and worked harder than
ever. Finally Omaha got me and be-
gan 20 be a real pitcher. 1 always want
ed to make good for the sake OF the
boys in the mines, who had stuck with
me all the way, and I always broke rec
ords at Omaha for number Of games
pitched. worked so hard hurt my arm,
and when St Louis got me I thought
was going back to the mines, 1 worked
the arm around into shape, and when /
got to Chicago it was all right.
Everything I ever have accomplished
has been due to hard work, and little
else. L have a great love Tor baseball.
and like 10 play the game. realize 1
owe q lot 10 Il. and I want to show II by
working all 1 can.
Copyright 1910. by joseph B. Bowles.)
irresponsible people ara a great trouble