El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-14
Trials of Old Buffalo Team
in Shaking Hoodoo Told
-by cid PlaYer
BY Hardie Richardson, the Old Time
BeSelralI Star,

BY Hardfe Richardson, the Old Time
B1xelSaH Star,
In 1885 John ChsrmaB was manager
Of the Buffalo tenn i vas mighty
nifty combination oUl Ssde the pitching
staff but the t$v:rIersi SSs.re so rank
that hated to contenspiste. our finish
Invariably the team woS.i11 blow" be-
fore the ninth inning, despite its best
endeavor You see there was 50 much
leather chasing for both infielders and
0utfielders that everyone was thor
oughly winded before the stretch
There is nothing so disastrous to the
spirits of ambitious players as a long
continued slump Our slump stuck SO
l.ersistentIy that we finally passed the
stage Of worry or even shame. The
national pastime became a huge jest
Indeed If it hadn't been for the con-
sistency with which we continued to
lose the gang might not have stuck
together.
Shaking the HoodoO.
In his evaporation manager Chap
nan finally decided that he would
Stake the hoodoo by booking an ex-
hibition with some brush" outfit. He
selected Hamilton, Ont. as the object
Of our revenge, and we journeyed
across the border in high spirits. It
seemed all TOO good to be true, this
lamb of the Dominion wilderness. after
we ourselves had so often been led to
the slaughter.
That game proved the last straw.
What Hamilton did TO US was a shame
A couple Of brothers by the name Of
Wood formed the Hamilton battery,
and they were so far superior to ours
that the Canadians breezed home on
the chin strap. Chapman Immediately
came to the conclusion tha~ this pair
vas all he needed TO snatch the Bisons
cut of the rut So the Wood brothers
were then and there signed and or
6ered TO accompany US forthwith.
Our peace of mind, on reaching the
station that night was anything but
sweet tempered To add to the aggIa-
xation, the milk train by which we
were to make our departure was an
hour late Some suspicious character
had got it into his head that the club
hcodoo lay in the particular uniforms
we had that year. so plot was formed
TO rid us of the t.jinks" at the expense
of tiresome baggage Rowe and Force
engineered the trick. Some one on the
inside" lured US all down the track
TO see some alleged marvel Of nature.
While we were away Force and Rowe
took each satchel and after removing
the contents, spiked it to the station
platform. Then the uniforms were put
lack and the grips left as the various
players had set them down. No one
laid any attention to his grip until
the conductor shouted "al1 aboard"
Then 1 guess there wasn't some
scrambling. Rowe and Force had
nailed down their own bags and ap-
peared as much dumb-founded as the
others, as they wrenched and pried
against the spike The train began TO
move. 1t was seen that everyone would
miss 4ither the train or his baggage.
Finally Chapman tore open his satchel
ranked out his paraphernalia and
called upon the rest to do the same
Everyone caught the train but few in
the morning could boast a full outfit
he last glimpse we had of the station
platform showed US a gang Of young
urchins trying their strength against
the texture of our satchel bottoms.
Recalls Another Incident
BY the way this little railroad cpl
sode reminds me Of another in which
Guy Hecker and Pete Browning fig
lred. Both were members of the
louisville club. Louisville was playing
iis~Columbus and Phil Kneu was pitch
ing fr the Buckeyes" Hecker or
dered browning to use a light bat
Frowning refused and struck out. That
right on, the way to st. Louis, Hecker
threw b awnings bats-bag and all