davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
ONLY ONE
QUADRUPLE
PLAY MADE
Veteran Baseball Fan Recalls a
Freak Made In 1875

AS far as baseball history goes, there
was but one quadruple play ever made.
Triple plays are made every year, and
there have been unasgisted triple plays.
but there was Just one quadruple play.
and there may never be another
Under the rules now governing base
ball the opportunity for a four killing
could never happen. The quadruple play
was made a generation ago. and few OF
those who saw II are no y In the land
Of the living. According to Ben Dod-
son, an old time fan. who was present
on the memorable occasion, It took
place in New York In 1876, and saved
a game for the old Metropolitans Of
that ancient time.
AS nearly as can recollect," saws
Mr. Dodson; the Chicago club want
ed to catch train They had a Gus
tom in those days--it was last repeated
as late as 1882 In the National league
OF letting the underdog take two or
three punched innings. If so agreed,
thus saving time, az the winning team
didn't 60 TO bal az ali
IF any one disputes this assertion
files of 1898 an instance where the Chi
cago team permitted an adversary TO
bat for three successive asterisks. as
though each round had been the last
half Of the ninth for the victorious
club.
"On this occasion New York had the
best Of ii by a tab OF to 8. and IL
seemed a cinch 10 put out the game,
even allowing the enemy to take the
eighth and ninth in a bunch But the
Chicago team rallied desperately, and
it began TO look as if, according 10 the
understood agreement, the Nets would
have TO take their unused innings after
all
The hits came In punches. Chicago
had driven in five runs. Two men our.
bases full and four TO be put out ere
the seanee could legally close.
THE batsman drove a furious liner
knee high across the diamond Cover
ing short for the Nets that day was a
little stocky fellow named Gaskins, who
afterward became star Of the early
Giants.
THE ball sailed TO Gaskins. II SEEM
ed 10 drive his hands back as though
they had been struck with a malIet.
but nevertheless with his wrists back
between his knees. Gaskins held that
ball.
Like fash he touched second. get
ting runner who had left the middle
station. He fred across to first, and
the man who had been on the initial
; bag was pinned. The first baseman
ehucked over TO third. and a runner
who had been sliding for the plate
arose to learn that he was out and that
the quadruple play had been completed.
1T was so long ago and the games
were so poorly recorded in those days
that even the story OF the four killing
has passed from authentic archives.
Nevertheless II happened. and doubt
less the few old time players who were
in that game could reeouect the de-
tails
IAN I myself can clearly remember
after all these years is this: That the
circumstances were as I have said.
that the quadruple play was really
made and that it was an obscure in
fielder named Gaskins who pulled down
that ball"
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20

WHEN the football rules committee
members were struggling last
winter with the code. 10 the end that
the game might be made safer and the
players protected against serious in
jury. the forward pass was the rock on
which they split Some were in favor
Of abolishing it altogether after a more
or less unsatisfactory trial for three
OF four years. some urged that il be
limited behind the line Of scrimmage.
a was the suggestion advocated by
many experts. while others. and the
majority. as 1t turned out, fought for
its retention. with the removal OF some
OF the restrictions with which II had
been hedged about.
It is safe to say that the ruiemakers
are not yet through with what many
now consider the old man OF the sea 10
latter day football. The rule governing
its use may not be amended this win
ter. as che season is hardly enough for
a thorough and complete test. but ex-
perts do not hesitate to predict that in
due time it viii be modified in a more
or less radical way and limited 20 use
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
OUTLOOK FOR
ICE HOCKEY
IN PITTSBURG
Promoters Find the Professional
Game Too Risky and the ANA
teur Play Too Improbable.

No more glaring example OF the I'M
perative need of an international gov
erning body in hockey, one which will
be empowered with the same unre-
stricted authority enjoyed by the ma
tional commission In baseball. can be
had than the deplorable situation in
Pittsburg.
There is to be no hockey in what
once was one OF the most active cen
ters OF the sport In this country during
the coming season.
This is not due TO any lack OF inter-
est in the sport The fans OF that city
want hockey, but they want profess
sional hockey.
Up until last season they have been
educated 10 and fed on the faster and
more exciting play of the salaried
puck chasers, and when they were de-
prived OF this style of game and offer
ed the amateur game last year they
could not expect to be IS satisfied with
II and thrive as substantially on IT,
1t was made necessary 10 offer them
amateur hockey because OF the lack OF
some one body which would have juris-
diction over the players, both in this
country and in Canada.
Back in the season of 1903 hockey
IN Pittsburg started particularly early,
and a number OF the professional play
ers In Canada figured that they could
pick up some easy coin in that city for
a couple OF months and then Just as
soon as the season opened In Canada
pack their kits and leave the Pirate
promoters in the lurch.
This was predicted long before it
happened. and just as soon as the big
league season in the Dominion started
the majority of the players beat 1t
back. There were a few who had de-
cency TO stick II out, but II was neces-
sary for several OF the teams to Dor
row reserve players from the rest OF
the clubs In order to finish out their
schedules.
The players can hardly be blamed for
taking this advantage Of laxity on the
part Of the promoters Of the game. The
life Of hockey player is but very short
at best. The game is too strenuous for
them TO last long. and they are going
70 grab all the coin they can while the
grabbing is ripe.
II is time. however. that the promo
tiers in this country at least-Canada
doesn't have to worry as much about
II as yet-should get on the Job and
make Overtures to the Canadian off,
Gals concerning the forming OF some
sort OF substantial alliance whereby the
player guilty OF jumping his contract
could be blacklisted and a holdout
could be dealt with as they deal with
him in baseball, by not permitting him
10 play with any other team.
In Canada they have trouble with
contract jumpers. but they are never
troubled for the want OF players There
are hundreds OF them 70 be plucked.
OF course they are not all classy. but
PittsburT could not get any kind
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
Ambidextrous Rule at
Olympic Games Should
Puzzle Americans

AS the conditions now stand il is IN
derstood that the Swedes are going to
inaugurate the ambidextrous rule at
the next Olympic games-that is. in
such field events as the discus, javelin.
shot and hammer the competitors will
have 10 throw with the right and left
hands. the throws with each to be add
ed. the distance achieved to be the ath-
letes performance This may be ali
right for the Swedes. but what pur-
pose it serves 10 be ambidextrous al
putting the shot or other weight event
is hard TO understand
Since Milo Of Croton showed his
great proves az pitching the discus
at Athens and Polydamus of Thessalia
exhibited his wonderful accuracy at
aiming the Jayelin men threw things
with one hand, and il is their one sim
gle effort that has been recorded. Ev-
cry man has master hand. the same
as he possesses master eye. In ath-
letic exercises where the hand is most
~ used the performer at ell times
makes use Of the better OF the two.
Some men use the left hand. but the
majority use the right, but the man is
always sure TO bring INTO play the one
with which he has the more power. and
it is q fact worth remembering that
men all over the world today who spe-
cia.ize in field events have TO develop
one hand or one leg and keep continu-
ally practicing with that one TO main
tain their places in the front rank of
athletics.
That some athletes are endowed with
a master leg or one leg which is better
than the other is certain. and it does
not follow that right handed man al
ways finds MS right leg the strongest.
One notable case worth mentioning is
the holder Of the worlds broad jumping
record Of "a feet Tx inches. He is a
right handed man. yet he always took
of with the left leg
If This ambidextrous rule Is allowed
% prevail at Stockholm il may cause
lots of confusion TO the Americans. the
English and other nations that are old
In the practice OF track and field
sports OF course there is a long time
for men to get acquainted with this
new wrinkle, and maybe the English
and other nations that win have
word To say about the final makeup OF
the program may have this rule ex-
plunged. II it is not then the world
may as we'll begin to accustom itself to
the conditions
IN that case 1t might be consistent
70 have jumping contests. the jumpers
to take of with the right and again
with the left and to have races first
with the right side to the track and to
run the same distance with the left
side In. 1t would be also well that
fencers should be made to use the right
and left hands and that marksmen of
all classes should sight with the right
and left eyes in all their contests.
The introduction OF this new rule to
the Olympic meet illustrates the ridicu- |
ous things possible TO green devotees
In track and field sports when they get
The whip hand OF management in an in
affair. The Swedes are ten |
years old in athletics and are even vet
.rying to learn what other people have
Known for generations. yet the first
chance they get they introduce some
hing which il Onlyaa step backward,
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20

their fists, incased in nail studded
thongs. II was no uncommon thing
for a combatant to leave a nose OF an
ear behind on the arena. and when
Eurydamas OF Cyrene had his teeth
broken he calmly swallowed them and
made no sign lest his opponent should
chuckle and grow more confident of
success
The wrestling, too. was conducted on
equally strenuous lines Il was often
a struggle TO the death, as In tina ter
rible bout between Arrachion and his
antagonist Arrachion was on the point
OF being strangled when by a last des-
perate effort he broke of one OF his
opponents toes and won a dramatic
victory II was dearl. won, however.
for at the very moment Of his triumph
he died, aad the crown Of olive was
placed on his corpse
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20

causing the veins in his head to swell
he could break a stout cord girdling
his forehead as If 1t were a circle OF
thread
There were phenomenal jumpers
too in those long gone Oiympian days
says London Answers There was one
Phayllus. for instance. who in one
mighty leap cleared the amazing dis
lance of ffty-f1ve feet-more than
twice the worlds record jump of to-
day II is true that Phayllus had
weights and a springboard to help him
in his fl ght. but in spite OF such as
sistance the jump remains one to
marvel at. and one would think. i'm
possible to rival
The old Greek boxers were no less
doughty and formidable. and none but
a man Of bulldog pluck and muscles
of steel could hope 10 stand up against
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20

foaled a lilly, but so little did he think
of il or about It that he never went to
see It, and she and her dam ran wild.
no one even taking the trouble to wean
her until after she was a year old Her
owner never saw her until after she
was a year old. and then he was so at
tracted by her beauty that he took her
20 MS home stable. broke her to harness
and found he had a trOtter In her. He
sent her 20 a trainer the next season.
and she took a two-year-old record of
2:29A and attracted the attention of
David Shaw, her present owner. who
let no time pass until he had purchased
her. In the season just closed the
mare won close to $4,000. Her breeder
still owns her dam and has from her
two younger foals sired by Inoquette,
2:1o, and she is now again In foal to
Direction Spier.
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
Joan, 2.O6s, Looks Like a Champion

Horsemen generally look upon the
tour-year-old FLY Joan. 2:06lk. as a
promising candidate for a two minute
rotting record when she reaches the
ruh powers that should come to her
She not only possesses speed to a sen
sational degree. but she has also the
good manners. courage and soundness
which make such speed valuable Joan
has an unusual history Her dam.
Sarah W. 2;lsla. by Hal Bradin, was
used by a Pittsburg man for matinee
racing. A fall left her with a fractured
hip. and her owner turned her out on
his farm, almost forgetting that he
owned her. One day the owner of Di-
rection Spier. 2:ll1a. suggested that he
mate Sarah w with that horse. saving
that il would cost him nothing. and he
consented. The following spring the
mares owner learned that she had
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20

behind the line Of scrimmage. BY
limiting the pass to a zone OF twenty
yards and so preventing the long
heave down the field. which the
Yale eleven perhaps worked TO bet
ter advantage than any other team,
an effort was made to discourage
the reckless tossing about OF the
ball as a last resort measure as well
as to provide better protection for
the man receiving the ball. In do
ing this. however the usefulness of
the play was restricted TO some ex-
tent
In any case, the forward pass is
lot winning the favor OF the players
md coaches which its supporters so
earnestly hoped and expected It is be-
ng used. and with good results. by
some teams, bus its value lies more In
Is menace than its ground gaining
powers, except perchance at Pennsyi-
yania, where the coaches have been
Iuick to realize and take advantage of
IS effectiveness when used behind the
inc Of scrimmage.
Pass Makes Trouble For Officials.
When the rule was changed as II now
stands it was argued that n the scram-
,le for the forward pass there would
always be an element of risk. This. the
say. cannot be possible If
he officials OF the game insist that the
ule in regard 10 interfering with play
rs is strictly enforced. II is evident
hat officials have more on their hands
his season than they have encountered
n all the trials and tribulations which
ave oeen theirs in football.
Something about the use Of hands and
rms Will not come amiss while dis
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
REMARKABLE OLYMPIC ATHLETES

II We are to believe the records OF
feats performed on the Olympian plain
and In the sacred grove Of Alts. In
Athens, long before and long after our
Christian era began. Greece boosted
some athletes who could literally
make tracks round" their. successors
OF today
Where. for instance, would we find
strong man who could hold his own
with Milo OF Crotona, who thought
nothing Of carrying a four year-old
heifer on his shoulders through the
stadium Of Olympia and crowned this
muscular performance by eating the
animal in a single day? So sturdy
were Milo's legs that standing on an
oiled disk. the next strongest man in
Greece could not make him bulge a
fraction Of an inch, while by merely
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
A NEW SIDE TO AN OLD
STORY.

Until two days before the
tight Johnson had agreed to lay
down to Jeffries. Johnson found
. out that Little was around bet
ting on Jeff. and he sent word l.
Jeff that the frame up was of
and that the fight was going &c
be on the square. There were a
!. number OF busy meetings inside
the next ten hours, but Johnson
wouldn't listen TO reason. He
wasn't going TO see George Little
win any money, and 1t was all
. of. Then JEFF collapsed. No
wonder-a championship In his
pocket and have it picked"
Abe Atten. featherweight
/ champion OF America. gave ut
/. teranee 20 the above explanation
! II Jeff's defeat by Johnson re-
Gently. Tt is the silliest and most
absurd Of all the yarns set afioat
; since the Reno affair II does
not stand TO reason that Jeff II
! he expected Johnson 20 Tie
down" would take the negroes
I. unsupported word. especially in
!. view Of JOhnson's peculiar rec
ord where his word was the
only guarantee.
After Johnson had signed artis
eles TO box Langford in London
and coolly repudiated his sigma
: ture; after he had thrown over
Sam Fit trick. the man who
. took the egro out Of the free
lunch class and made 1t possible
for him TO enter on a roseate
. chicken devouring. auto riding
existence; after he had deserted
Little. who financed him in his
training for the championship
bout: after the negro had done
. all these things and shown that
his word was worthless, II is not
AT all likely that Jeffries would
. have accepted his unsupported
promise that he would Tie
. down"
on the contrary. had there
been such an agreement between
. the men Jeffries would have In
sisted that Johnson be tied up
with a contract supported by
sufficiently large cash forfeit to
insure strict observance OF the
stipulation. jeff is not so un-
sophisticated as Attell would
have people believe, and II he
felt that a purchased victory
was necessary he would have
; seen to il that the contract was
suitably backed by cash. phil
. delphia jack O'Brien invariably
; insisted hat cash forfeits be
posted by opponents who con-
sented TO take the count for a
financial consideration. and the
. deal always went through with
: out a hitch.
Those persons who bet on JEFF
|. ana are trying to explain his de-
feat BY stories OF dope" "dou-
bic cross etc. have utterly
failed TO make out q case. JEFF
was beaten by better man.
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
American
HOW THROW AND RECEIVE THE FORWARD PASS

cussing the subject Of the forward
pass. The player running with the
ball may ward of opponents with
hands and arms That has always
been the case.
Here comes something in the line
Of what has just been written which
should be grasped by every player
who takes part In a game:
No player while In the act of
catching a forward pass shall be
tackled. thrown pushed. pulled,
shouldered or straight armed until
he shall have caught the ball and
taken more than one step in any d.
rection, provided that any such in
reference. which is incidental to
bona fide attempt to catch or intereep
the BAH. shall not come within thi
prohibition"
Last Seasons Troubles.
In that category of evils Is define
everything which was put in use las
year to put the man catching the for
ward pass out OF commission before h
got his hands on the ball In effect
means that IL forward pass is merel
touched or fumbled by a player n
player on either side may even the
interfere with an opponent until IN
ball is actually in possession Of a play
er except in a bona fide effort to &c
the ball.
1t is not very difficult to tell the diff
ference between a bona fide attempt I
get the ball and a bona fide attenpt I
drop the man who is about to catch tn
ball. There have not been many G
those tricks this year by which player
in concerted attack got rid Of the ma
who was about to receive the BAN. /
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
Numbering Of eridiren Players.

In England football players are num-
bered. The innovation Is bound TO be
adopted in this country. It's only fair
tn spectators that some system where
by contestants can be easily identified
should be enforced The only objec-
ton to the scheme is that opponents
could identify opposing players. The
advantages and disadvantages Of this
system would be counterbalaneed, as
both teams could use the information.
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
Minnesota Establishes Rowing Camp.

Minnesota Establishes Rowing Camp.
The Minnesota State university has
established rowing amp on the
shores Of Harrison bay. at Minnetonka.
Under the direction OF Dick Grant
Grant has succeeded in acquiring a
large amount Of shore line and has
brought about the erection Of a sleep
Ing and dining cottage and laid out a
football field. which can also be used
for other sports Next year Grant
hopes 70 have a crew n race against
Wisconsin. While the movement may
result in the establishment OF a west
ern college rowing association like the
h'g eastern university meet at Pough-
keepsie, N Y.
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
The Stanley Hockey Cup.

They are having lliar ne with
the Stanley cup in H. re Wan
derers of Montreal asst season,
and that organizati longer an
active body The trustees OF the tro-
ply DO not just know how to transfer
the cup to Mr.. DOran. who seems TO be
the entire Wanderers club at present
and at the same time give credit 70 the
players who captured the trophy.
The Washington herald., 1910-11-20

Still Kicking About the New Rules.
Every day brings some new protest
against the intermissions between the
hrst and second and the third and
fourth playing periods. The coaches
don't like it. 7 slows up the game for
the spectators. and the doctors say 1t
doesn't help any.
Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1910-10-12
The DANCING Mania.

The dancing mania" of the middle
ages came on the heels of the great
plague known as the '"blach death -.
1t was some sort of nervous disease
and is now supposed to have been
what is known as st. V:tns' dance"
1t began in the year 1874 at Aix-ia-
Chapelle and spread all over Germany
the Netherlands and Italy The dan
GERS formed circles hand in hand and
appearing to have lost all reason. con-
tinued dancing, regardless of the by
ISLANDERS, for hours together until in
their wild delirium they fell to the
ground in sheer exhaustion. Painting
and foaming at the mouth. they would
suddenly spring up and begin the
dance again. TO be again exhausted,
and so on until they died. The mania
involved millions of people.
Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1910-10-12
SHINING the Land.

Go where you will throughout this
part of Texas, where the land is roll
ing and more or less broken, and you
will find the farms not in cultivation
and those that have been abandoned
skinned of the top soil, the fertile soil,
that is depended upon for feeding and
growing of crops. This has all come
about through Indifference or ignor-
ant methods OF farming. Many are pur-
suing this false and ruinous method.
Some have learned the better way:
they terrace. plant the slopes in oa,s
or grass to prevent the washing out of
the top soil. The soil on the slopes
when plowed, unless protected in some
way, can not Withstand the heavy
rains that come periodically: hence
the damage. You can take any of the
old abandoned farms throughout this
section and you will find the top soil
has been skinned off to the very clay.
and nothing but persimmon sprouts
Will grow upon it; and they will not
grow very we'll.
Improved methods of handling the
soil can and does prevent this soil
waste, and it will pay anyone owning
and .cultivating lands to study how to
prevent this destruction. Timbered
lands do not waste in this way. The
trees, shrubs, grass, etc, hold the soil.
But let ii once be celared and put into
with the burrows plowed
up and down the hill, and with no
or other means of pro
4 -
and skin the soil right down to the
clay. Practically all the fertility is
gone, and ground that was valuable is |
rendered useless.
The farmer who reads and studies is
lot going to let this happen to his !
and; but it is happening to hundreds
If farms all over this part of Texas.
Palestine Herald