The Washington herald., 1911-10-01

that long One good feature would be that we could
settle once for all whether the ball teams of to-day are
faster than they fifteen twenty years ago If
you could get the old White Stockings for example
with Anson Pfefer Williamson, Kelly and that crowd
TO play the Giants Tigers Athletics it would certain
~ be interesting. The game would, doubt, be less
rough, as | suppose the base running would be over
clouds, so that could rubber soled shoes in
stead OF having ceats. At that, chap like McGraw
and many other players would have a hard time con-
forming to heavenly rules especially with such umpir
ing tO-days"
Fred Merkle who has a nifty turn Of wit and plenty
OF good humor unless some one happens to mention
touching second" thought the cergyman's prediction
timely His fancy led him to compose an imaginary
newspaper account of a game which something
like this:-"Paradise Park July t. 19--The cham.
pionshp game between the St Peters and the Arks in
the Celestial League, which is made up entirely of
former National Leaguers, broken up in the fifth
Inning to-day by what threatened to become riot
when Dude EsterbroOk had a set-to with Honest John
Kelly, who was umpring bases" &c.
Nevertheless, think that clergyman's dope is all
right" concluded Merkle. People so crazy about
baseball that if they were of it being played in
heaven they try harder to walk the straight and
path down here"
In giving reasons why he thought st. Paul would
be ardent fan If alive the Brooklyn divine said that
baseball spread big moral benefit over the nation in
that it teaches selfdscpline, team work honor and
fair play and the subsection Of the lesser to the
greater. He argued that the sterling example set by
professional ball players in their training their
honesty and the industry in their vocation attracted
millions of patrons who would not to see prize
night or bull fight. There may be something to
this, and yet if the notorious Bugs Raymond pitched
no-hit game he would receive just as much applause
as Walter johnson or MathewSOn perhaps more So
you cannot dig a great deal of logic there Some of
his other reasons more pertinent but think he
disregards the transcendent Why" Of the fan
namely his love of freedom
Did you watch the approach and arrival Of q
baseball thrOng and notice the change in each ndi-
vdua when he is outside the gates and inside? Out
sde he is excited, eager and anxious enough but he
pants with suppressed necessity of orderliness He
is under municipal regulations, within the pale of
toclal restrictions. Let him whoop and smash neigh
bOr'S hat and the police will lug him away with de-
spatch. But watch him now-inside! What does he
care for police PinkertOns? What of petty rules
for behavior? This is a big league ball park the
home of freedom. He knows that arrests are very
seldom made within that precinct. 1t is his endow
ment as an American citizen the right to YELL swing
his arms malign cheer the players and in general
get everything off his chest No forum, rooted un-
rooted, takes the peculiar place of ball park Nur-
tured in the sterling days of patriotism, the national
paStime has withstOod every nsdious attack snob
berry wealth. If Alexander Caesar became
tyrant he might abolish the Supreme Court but II he
tried to stop Bill Jones from fanning-in the park
the street. at his shop-not the Macedonian phalanx
or the Roman legion could keep said tyrants from
going to the bush league.
"Hi-Hi" Dixwell's End
Freedom of speech-there's psychology for
you. Let man talk his head of and he'll usually be
satisfied. And by the same token you rarely hear OF
baseball enthusiasts coming to blows over an argu-
ment Curtail that freedom of expression and you
would kill many blithe spirit and sour whole ma
ton. Just think of the tragic end Of General "HiHT
Dixwel once the most iustrious rooter in this broad
land but now crushed and withered flower spending
his last days in Boston hotel where his many
thousands of dollars can bring him soace. Nothing
In the annals of United States history is pathetic
than the ruthless manner In which "HtHfs" love Of
baseball was bludgeoned at Buffalo more than a
decade ago. Previous to that time General Dixwell
mad never missed game the Boston team played and
he accompanied it wherever it wandered over the
map. He was the best known man in Boston and his
lame spread to uttermost limits,