The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-08-05

~
"You Big Stiff; You Hit 200 Last
Season."
was battered, grizzled, W and
weary. Still young, his fine face
showed lines of care and worry and
a few gray hairs streaked his head. He
was SO and looked old. For a long
time he sat musing. Then he looked
up and smiled grimly.
"This business is making a crab out
of me-" he remarked.
Two years of managing a team of
recalcitrants proved enough to turn
Clarke Grif1th's hair from black to
white. Fred Lake said he aged five
years in leading the Boston American
team through five weeks of a spring
training trip.
If one could know all the pranks, all
the outbreaks and troubles of one ball
club in one season he would wonder
that any man responsible for the con.
duct of the team could keep his rea
son.
James A. Hart. when managing the
old Louisville team, had perhaps the
worst team from the standpoint Of
behavior and disregard of discipline
ever gotten together. Almost every
man on the team either was a drunkard
or a bad actor" It was almost laugh
able to hear Hart issuing orders.
Ramsey" he would say in the club
house, "You pitch on Thursday and IL
you win you can get drunk until Sum
day. when I'll expect you to be in uni.
form again."
That was the only a in which he
could handle the team-and his meth
cd worked. Ramsey would take his
two days off, but he considered it a
point of honor to report Sunday and
he would come to the grounds ready
for duty.
What Arson endured from sky
larkers such as Tom DAILY, Elmer Eos
ter, Herman, Ryan, Mike Kelly, Lange
and the now sedate Dahlen, only he
knows, and he mercifully has forgot
ten much of what they did to him.
Every new man or reporter, who So
iourned with the team risked not only
limb but life.
One spring the Chicago team had
been disrupting Texas and the south
west on the pretense of training, aud
reached Kansas City to finish the work
Of preparation for the On
April 1, the day on which pay COM
menced, Arson announced his inten-
ton of f1ning any man he caught Ia
king a drink OF keeping late hours.
The players did not fear Arson. but
they knew him we'll enough to realize
that the first one caught, at least,
would suffer heavy punishment and
no n desired to be the first. That
evening after the game not n play
er dared order wen a bottle of beer
sent to his room, and there was gloom
all over the training camp.
was busy in his room when Foster,
Ryan and several others Of the choice
spirits Of the team began to drop in.
as II casually. When the meek scribe
inquired what mischief was afoot, they
told him to 60 on writing and not get
inquisitive. A short time later a por-
ter wheeled an eight gallon key Of
beer into the room, the reporters pa
pers were brushed of the table, he
was informed he had. written enough
for that evening, the key was tapped,
and cards produced. The poker game
lasted until long past midnight and
the beer was consumed. Arson mean
time was camping in . chair at the
entrance of. the hotel. keeping grim
watch. Occasionally he would stalk
back to the barroom to make. certain
none Of his players dared take q drink.
The party in the reporters room
was continued every night, while An
son congratulated himself that at last
he had effectually curbed the rowdies
on the team. One evening when the
key was partly empty and the poker
game full, Foster wandered to the
open window and looked down four
stories.
"Well. I declare" he said in sur
prise, IF there isn't Captain Arson
seated by the doorway" Picking up
the ksg, he dropped It out the win
dow.
The key struck the Sidewalk 30 fest
! from whore Arson was seated. with .