The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-11-17
Athletics Versus
Learning
Story Of a Twirler and Tackler
By HUDSON c. EASTON
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association

his SOD WueD Ills IVY ielt Qlm I'D tue
mountains Of Colorado to 90 east to
college. Il want you to study your
larnin' hard and don't give too much
of your time to those games the boys
play at college. Out here when an
dedicated young man onct gets start
he can top those who haven't the ed.
location. Now study hard and let the
other things CO."
When Johnny returned four years
later his father was very much dis.
appointed in his record. He had taken
no honors. stood near the foot Of his
! class, but was the athletic hero of the
season AS twirler be could send a
ball that few could hit: as tackler
no man could get past him. Johnny's
father was owner and editor of the
Rocky Mountain Globe. But the paper
during Johnny's sojourn at college had
been running down. A rough element
Id come into the town. which had
pa with fine prospects. and SO dis
Soed the condition of things that the
F5etter people were leaving. while no
} new respectable settlers were coming
in.
Father" said Johnny. lit seems to
me that it's the duty of an editor to
make it hot for evil wherever his paper
is located"
And get shot for doing it,
Better be shot than let the other fell
low take the bread and butter away
from you If the town dies our paper
dies
| Peter Weatherbee consented that his
son should write articles against the
evil disposed, thus awakening the bet
ter class of citizens against them.
Johnny began by inveighing against
the indiscriminate carrying of weap-
ons. Then he attacked certain men
who ran gambling houses. with others
who made offices Of the said resorts.
Johnny" said his father seems to
me you've weakened yourself. You
can't carry "A revolver since you've
come down on the practice. and these
men you've been larrupin' II shoot you
down like a dog
''They won't go for me. father. I'm
only an undprSrrapper. They'll go for
You. at least till they find out that I'm
| the man thar'S after them"
The next morning Johnny put his
desk in a room through which all must
| go to his fathers office He had hard
| ~ got settled when one of the parties
attacked in that days issue Of the
paper came up the stairs
| where's old Weatherbee?' he ask
ed. I'm gOin' to kill the
I'm there" interrupted Johnny.
The man was opening the door when
Johnny tackled him from behind. pull
ed him to the landing and threw him
down to the first floor two flights be-
low. He was not killed outright. but
died in hospital the next day.
$50 much for my football training.
father" said Johnny. by and by Ill
try some other athletic features
learned at college"
/ Johnny sat down to write some more
articles attacking other rascals. Over
| his desk was a rosewood baseball in
laid with gold which Johnny had won
in college as trophy. When he was
rallied on his defenselessness he said
he could use that far better than a
revolver During the morning he
heard a quick footstep at the other
end of the hall. There's lots in step.
Johnny knew at once what this one
meant Selling his wooden ball. he
went to the door. Some fifty feet
away a man he recognized as pal
of the one he had thrown downstairs
was coming with blood in his eyes as
well as his step. Johnny twirled his
trophy ball. landing it in the right
eye Of the conner and relieving it of
all the blood there was in it.
! The man didn't come any farther.
Indeed. he was taken to his home.
where a doctor pronounced his case
a fracture of the frontal bone. He
died in few days.
These two novel encounters encour-
aged the good citizens and somewhat
shamed the bad ones. An athletic
gambler vowed he would take Johnny
on his own ground. Meeting Johnny
on the street. he suddenly tackled him
with his right arm and began TO rain
! blows on his face with his left fist
But Johnny had been thus held often
before He wriggled out like an eel
and landed a blow on his opponents
mug that capsiZed him. The man
started to run. Johnny followed him.
every now and then getting in a kick.
At last. after having several times
served as Johnny's football, the man
gave out and could go no farther.
| Those who saw the last kick the
gambler received differed as to the
distance Johnny sent him. Some said
it was ten feet. some fifteen, and one
man, who claimed to have measured
the distance with tape line. declared
that it was just nineteen feet and
four inches.
The man suffered from broken coc-
cyx. which is the end of the backbone
This being the third man that John
ny had put tout Of the fight" num-
Der of citizens called on him and told
him that they would see him through
what else might be in store for him.
| Johnny said to them:
"While at college prepared my
self for my beginning here. But I
reckon that. having got rid Of the
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