The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-27
TOUCHING SECOND
GgRs GR 9 " JOHN HVHHs AND HUGH FULLERTON

| the present day. a 1901 would have as
great a chance to succeed In any of the
professions as he would in baseball.
| Charlie Bennett. the once great catcher,
| who lost both legs in a railway accident
at the height of his career, illustrated this
fact In making bull. He was watching
| runner. trying to steal second, slid
straght al tho baseman. who was reach
ing to take high throw. The baseman
blocked him with one leg. caught the ball
and touched the runner out.
II could have beaten that myself" nut
tered Bennett in disgust.
without legs. Charlie?" inquired a
'Yes-without legs" snortrd Bennett
| angrily, "for I would have had brains
enough not to slide where he could block
my feet"
Besides interesting almost all classes
OF Americans. including every imported
race after the first generation, baseball
has an added interest which, to a great
and this is the element OF local popularity.
The game in America has reached an al
most fepdal stage. Each city possessing
ball team takes the same pride and In
terest In 1t and accords II the same
loyal support that the cities of medieval
Europe did TO their chosen bands of war
rior knights. To what extent this pride
and loyalty exists is scarcely understood
close race between teams representing
rival towns sometimes creating a condi-
tion not far removed from civil warfare.
one hundred over fourteen years OF age
in the United States who does not under
stand AT least the basic principles OF the
game and scarcely one naive born Amer
lean in a thousand who has not at some
time played the game. A canvass Of the
house of Representatives at Washington
made by the late Joe Campbell during
one session OF congress revealed the fact
that every man in the house understood
baseball and all except two had played
the game, One Of the two was crippled
and the other was partially blind Camp
bell obtained from each member q story
OF his baseball experiences. AT that time
there were seven members OF congress
who had played professional baseball, one
OF them being Senator Arthur Pugh Cor
man.
The extent TO which the game has
seized upon the people, regardless of
class, may be Judged by the fact that
the number OF persons who paid aduis-
sion to see major league baseball games
in one season exceeded the adult popula-
ton OF the United States. In one day Ca
week day) the total attendance upon
baseball games at l07 parks under or
ganized baseball was given at SAB, 200, and
the largest crowd was given at 24,S00.
How half million persons could leave
business for half day to attend games
was not explained These figures are
from the records of games In leagues un-
der the national agreement operated as
amateur. semi professional and college
games on that same day cannot be esti-
mated. Nor can any one tell accurately
how many baseball teams there are in
the United States The city OF Chicago
alone. with two major league clubs. and
twenty-six semi professional teams, has
registered over $50 baseball clubs. with
nearly $4,000 players, A close estimate
Of attendance upon baseball games In
Chicago one Sunday. with both the Amer
lean and National league teams playing
at home, showed that about 100000 per-
sons spent part OF Sunday afternoon
watching ball games. The scores of 27S
games played on that Sunday In and
around Chicago were received by one
newspaper This proportion OF interest
scarcely can be maintained throughout
the country. Chicago is Sunday ball
town and the game on that day Is the
chief amusement Of the people. And
every town and hamlet. city, college, al
most every church. young peoples So
ciety and club, every farm hamlet and
cross roads village has It's baseball team.
The extent 10 which the people nre
familiar with the game and interested
in II may he Judged by n story. A few
years ago the clubs representing Chicago