Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-07-20

played our first game of cricket on the
Sydney grounds. | had been hugging
myself more or less over my ability
as cricket player and had put in a
lot OF practice on the deck alley during
the voyage, so | leave you to imagine
my disgust when l tell you that I
struck at the first ball bowled to me
and went out on little pop-up fly to
Fogarty. If you think the boys didn't
take advantage of my bad luck to guy
me numerically you've got another
guess coming. 1t didn't add to my
sheerfulness to have the AllAmericas
win the game, with a score of 67 to SO.
That afternoon l got into more
trouble. We played our second game
of ball in the presence of 5000 people
and the All-Americas won. with score
of z to 5. The batteries on that occa-
sion We're Baldwin and myself for the
Chicagos and Healy and Earl for the
picked nine. Surely my cup of grief
was full to overfiowing!
Next day we played our first game
with the Australian cricketers, and all
though we had IL men against their
IL We We're beaten badly, the Ameri-
cans making 81 runs, while the AUS
tralians ran their score up to lis. for
only six wickets The game began at
II in the forenoon, and was called at
four so that we might play another
game of ball, which, at the end of the
fifth inning resulted in a victory for
the All-Americas, both teams being
too tagged out to do themselves credit.
We didn't play any more cricket in
Australia. | was confident then, and
am still, that if we had been as strong
in bowling as we We're in fielding We
should have beaten the Australians at
their own crack game. AS it was. we
stood mighty poor snow against
these skilled players, and it is just as
we'll that we didn't insist on giving
them further opportunity to do us.
From Sydney We went to Melbourne.
There we met with the some cordian-
tralia neverto- be forgotten Joy. We
played our first game at Melbourne
December % in the presence of the
largest crowd that had ever assembled
on the Melbourne oval, the handsome
est grounds in Australia. 1t was per-
feet summer day even though it was
so near Christmas. The club house
balconies were packed with ladies in
warm weather attire and even the
roof had been pre-empted by those
who were anxious TO secure good
view of the game. The grand stand
was overlooking and great crowd en-
circled the field. 1t was certainly q
grand sight, and as I looked over tho
scene ] couldn't help feeling inspired
to go in and do my best, and suppose
every other man in both mines had a
similar feeling
1t turned out to be one of the best
exhibitions of the beauties of the
game of baseball ever given in any
country The playing was of the most
| daring and sensational character, the
| fielding sharp and brilliant on the
| part of both teams and the batting
| very heavy. Baldwin and Crane. the
respective pitchers, were on their
| best behavior, while the exhibition of
\ base-running given by several of the
BOYS stirred the onlookers to a pitch
| of enthusiasm that would have done
credit TO crowd of American fans.
1 Up to the seventh inning the score
| was tie, and then the Chicagos man
aged to get man across the plate as
a result of Burns three-bagger and
/ ;-,.e 81 o1o nd hny in
| eighth, the outcome of single by Sui.
Ivan and long right-feld hit fol
three bases by myself. Very foolish.
ly, tried to make home run on that
but was put out at the plate by
| Browns magnificent throw from the
field.
felt that such a splendid game
should 80 to Chicago, and it did. by Z
score of to 8. It was a great game
and / was mighty pleased to see tina
even though they did not know tn,
splendid American sport we'll enough
to keep track of 1t the crowd realized
that something above the ordinar!
was going on.
The next morning it was announced
at breakfast that the president desire,
to meet the boys in the big reading
room of the hotel on business mat
ter of Importance. When we had re
paired thither Mr.. Spalding rose an,
In a manner as dignified as if he wa
the bearer of intelligence that ha,
never been suspected up to that me
ment revealed the secret that we woul,
continue our trip around the world, re
turning home by way of Egypt, tn
Mediterranean and continental Europe
The announcement was met by storr
of applause that was rather star,
ling for Sunday morning. Mr.. Spald
ing then took the opportunity to sprin
q little health talk on the boys, no
that they were in especial need Q
such advice, but merely to obtai
their cooperation, he said
We played our second exhibition
game of baseball in Melbourne tn
day before Christmas in the presenc
of crowd of 5000 people. Ryal
pitched for the Chicagos and Gran
and Healy for the All-Americas, an,
| all thrao of thap, wora 1,orndod ,oo