Audubon County journal., 1911-05-25

eAe WHole toWn turned out to receive
tnem. There was certainly hot time
III the old town that night. shall
never forget the feeling of envy that
filled my youthful breast when / saw
how those fellows We're treated while
| i. who was only member of the
Junior nine, couldn't come in for q
slice of it.
Just before we went to Notre Dame
Sturgis and | were promoted to the
hrst nine, and 1t was proud day for
us when we took our places with the
team. With father playing third
base, my brother at centerfield and
myself on second base, the Anson
family was fairly we'll represented on
that pioneer organization, and as the
team held the state championship for
several years it Is only fair to infer
that the Ansons did their share of the
good work
While We were at Notre Dame
I'm not saying that our absence had
anything to do with it, although lots
OF other folks did say so-that Mar
shalltown team struck a hoodoo. 1
shall never forget how hot | was
when the news came to US at school
that the Des Moines team had gone to
Marshalltown and captured that flag,
which we had all come to regard as
our own exclusive property. am not
saying that studied very hard on
any day, but l don't mind telling you
that quit altogether when that tough
news came, and so did Sturgis. From
that time until the close of the year
We spent all our recreation periods,
and any other time we could manage
to appropriate, in hard practice. Our
chief aim in life at that moment was
to snatch that trophy from the hands
Of the enemy.
About the first thing l did after l
reached home was to start In to re-
organize the home team Everybody
was feeling mighty glum over the fall
down OF the club, but put on cheer
fu} front and soon succeeded in reviv-
Ing some of the old symptoms. Father
took of his coat and jumped right In
with whoop. and It wasn't long be-
fore we had things humming. didn't
wait for anybody to ask me to assume
the direction of the business: I waded
night In on my own responsibility. and
no one seemed to object. When re-
call the arbitrary manner In which I
run that ball business 1t makes me
smile: no czar or sultan could have
been more absolute. How those ma
ture citizens submitted to be dictated
to by mere boy like myself Is moro
that I can understand. l guess my
nerve must have hypnotized them
When thought It was time to turn
the trick we challenged the Des
Moines team for the trophy, and it
was arranged that we should go to
the capital and try to capture 1t. When
We went to the railroad station to
take the train almost the entire popu-
lation Of the town turned out to see
| us off and I realized the big RESPONSE
btlity the Anson family had shoul-
/ dered SO cheerfully. 1t made me shud-
der to think what would happen
should We be obliged to return with.
out that trophy For just a moment
weakened; wondered If hadn't
been just a little bit fresh In putting
myself into such position
Only moment. however: my nerve
came back as quickly as 1t went, and
with 1t an extra supply that made mo
feel the victory was already ours.
.Get ready for big blowout tonight"
called out as the trainspulled out. At
that momentsthe possibility of defeat
never occurred to me. That trophy
was already won and once again in
the possession of its legitimate own.
ers.
Fortunately for me, 1t turned out
that way. We carried that conquering-
hero front right into the heart OF the
hostile hosts that awaited us. On our
arrival at the capital we found almost
as much excitement as we had left be-
hind us. Our preparation to retake the
trophy had been no secret, and the
Des Moines team knew that the battle
would be hot one. Never was game
more fiercely contested. Excitement
ran SO high that we were on the point
OF being mobbed several times
don't mind telling you that the Arson
family came in for lions share Of
the popular criticism. Father was at
his best that day and really played a
game that would have qualified him
for membership on league team He
and were on the bases and Sturgis
was in the field doing splendid work.
II was a great day for the Anson boys,
including dad
We won, too. When we returned to
the old town that night, with grimy
faces and throats semi i-paralyzed by
constant yelling, the proprietor of the
Anson house carried that coveted silk.
en- trophy pinned safely to his shirt
front. At first sight Of that symbol
OF our victory the Marshalltown pub.
lice went into spasms OF delight We
were welcomed as heartily and as
voctferously as IL We had saved tho
town from some ruthless invader. II
there had been any keys to offer us /
am sure we. should have had the free
dom Of the. city. AS II was. we had