The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-18
Rolled Barrels
 And Also Pitched
Roy Golden of St. Louis Cardi- nals Had Funny Career in
 Minor Leagues

Pitcher, Roy Golden, who has earn ed regular berth with the St. Louis Cardinals this. season, started his professional baseball career with the Richmond Ky, club of the Blue Grass league in 1908 as a pitcher and barrel roller. On days when the club did not play ball Golden and third baseman named Armstrong, after ward killed in a hunting accident, were required to roll heavy sugar barrels in a wholesale grocery store. In this dual role Golden received the munificent salary of $50 month. It was explained to the fyonng required players to be residents of the cities they represented. Appar- ently the only way to acquire resi- dence was to roll barrels. Golden and his teammate rolled for about two months. Then they found other players were acquiring residence by less strenuous methods, so they noti- fled the management they would move" unless the eligibility rules were changed, That ended the bar rel rolling, but not the job.
 It was the same year at Richmond that Golden first tasted the p1easure e of herodom. Early in his career here he pitched a twelve-inning 2 to victory over Lexington on which con- siderable money had been bet On emerging from the players dressing room over a barber shop across the street from the ball park he was pre- scented with a hat full of money. which had been passed around among the fans. The count ran up to near ly $25. including one $5 gold piece, Such contributions still are not un- common in the minor leagues.
 Golden, or "Goldy,' as he is known to his present terminates, was born at Cincinnati July 12. 1888. His family, ,afterward moved to Milford, Ohio, where they now live, his father being in the plumbing business. A brother. Earl, also was a pitcher un- til he Host his arm" at Waco in 1909. and now is connected with a life insurance company. -n
 AS a youngster Golden attended the public schools of Cincinnati, and later the high school at Milford, where he was a pitcher for three years, quit ting in his third year, in 1904. Prev iously he had tried out at second base, but his batting strength did not suggest an infield position, so pitcher he remained
 While working as clerk in the car pet department of the John Shillito department store at Cincinnati Gold en received his first money, $10, for winning big game at Waynesville b-, July 4, 1905, by score of to l. It was presented, not by the manage ment, but by a betting partisan of the Shannon Soakup hat store nine who had wagered on the game The Soakups did not bother to pay Gold en- but allowed him to pitch as a special favor, because he was a friend of an employe of the house
 By 1906 Golden had risen so he was allowed to pitch once in while for teams in the Saturday Afternoon league. of which Secretary John E. Bruce of the National commission was president, but still he was not good enough for. a regular. For these games he received s10. The follow ing year. still working in the depart ment store, he played with the Stand ard Oil semi-pros. in Saturday and Sunday games. getting s5 a game for pitching and S3 a day when on the bench.
 In 1908 Golden's years of afflueuce began with his salary of $50 a month at Richmond for pitching and rolline sugar barrels. When this rich offer came he qui. his department store job at SIP week besides what he earned for Saturday and Sunday games. but by the financial sacrifice he became regular ballplayer."
 Golden signed with Dayton for $125 month in 1909. but was re. leased in August and returned tc Richmond to help out in a figh, against Winchester for the pennant Fred Toney now of the Cubs. being with Winchester. The latter ciuF won the pennant by half a game or the last day of the season when rair averted an impeding defeat for Win. chester, while Richmond won the game 1t was necessary to win tc clinch the pennant if, Winchester was