Audubon County journal., 1911-05-25

@a'"A = 7 w
1t has always struck me that the story
told by A. G. Spalding, who was the
pitcher for the Forest Citys at the
time. is the most romantic. 1t NAV
lack substance, but it is SO picturesque
that l will give it.
Back in the early seventies" says
Spalding, Il was playing with the For
est Citys of Rockford, ILL.,, which was
that season one of the strongest teams
in the country. One day during the
summer we received letter from a
| man who signed himself Anson. 1t
! was written at Marshalltown. Ia, and
| Its object was to secure a visit from
the Forest Citys to Marshalltown. Mr..
Arson modestly stated in his letter
that they had a baseball team at that
place whose members were of the firm
and unanimous opinion that they could
under the most favorable circum-
stances play the Forest Citys several
close games. If we would fix upon a
few dates in the near future Mr. An
sons club would insure us warm
welcome to Marshalltown and lively
time while we tarried within their
hospitable gates.
The result was an acceptance and
the naming of date for the following
week. When the time came our team,
accompanied by half dozen Chicago
drummers, ran over to Marshalltown
to have some fun with the country
| team.
AS soon as we got to the hotel the
Chicago drummers began to look
around for some bets on the game.
no trouble to find numerous men and
| citizens of Marshalltown ready to
back their club at odds. The favorite
bet was even money that we would
not beat the home team two to one
BY the time the game began our
| players and the Chicago drummers
had covered about all the spare
money there was in the town, and ex-
citement ran high. Business was prac-
tically suspended for the afternoon
and everybody went to the ball
ground to see the great contest
"One-third of the home nine was
composed of tho Ansons. The old
man played first base, one son played
third and his other son guarded sec
ond base. And l assure you they made
formidable infield.
Before the drst inning was over
Anson pere almost scared me sense
less. l was pitching and the old man
was the first man to face me. The
ball was new and rather hard to
handle. The first ball delivered went
| dangerously close to Pa Anson's head
He lodged and then gave me look
which sent the blood to my heart III
rush. The look unnerved me, for
the second ball pitched hit him with
a dull, sickening thud' in the vicinity
of the short ribs
1T doubled him up for moment
and then he made dash toward me
with his bat in hand / am satisfied
now that l would have fed at his aw-
| full approach had my strength not
been paralyzed by the terror of the
situation. AS 1t was, my inability to
bulge probably saved me. Holding
bis bat in one hand and shaking the
other fist under my nose Mr.. Arson
shouted. Young fellow, did you do
that on purpose?'
| Il assured him on my honor that II
was an accident, and after receiving
an abject apology he returned to the
plate muttering and shaking his head
Throughout all the game thereafter
kept the ball we'll away from his gi-
gantic person.
We'll. We beat them. think by the
| score of IL to 8. The Ansons had lost
1 all the spare cash they could raise.
The town was filed with gloom that
night, for the Ansons were mighty In
that community and the citizens
mourned with the Ansons over their
loss"
Now shouldn't give 80 much space
to this story were It for the fact
that the author OF 1t Is so largely in
the public eye. has shown himself to
tnseparably connected with the rise
and progress OF the game In this
country. Famous as baseball play
er. successful as dealer in sporting
goods. q winner In the political field
all that Is going some: but when the
dnal glory Of literary genius is added
there's total for you! OF course
It adds lot to tho interest OF tho
story to know that my father always
declared 1t to be pure iotion. but that
doesn't lessen the authors reputation
as an artist. .s
When tho Rockford club came to
! town on tho neyer.to-be.forgotten 90