Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-17

not be going to see the wonderful match
between Philadelphia and New York, not
feeling the thrill that / do blaSe though
I thought I was and just steaming into
Philadelphia, with all the enthusiasm or
a twenty-year- old cub. Then, again. had
/ been rich l would never have come
to beautiful America as a worker, for it
Is only as a worker that one really gets
in touch with a country, and gets to
know its inner sanctuarieS, and then the
lovely friendships / have found, the fine.
free, noble characters 1 have met: If
sterner duties did not call me back
home, | should want nothing better than
to live and die here in Gods country, but
though that must not be, there is new
vigor in my tWO-scOre-year-Oldb bones, the
American blood has transmitted to my
veins, and when | do return across the
seas it will be with stronger than ever
democratic views, freshened and made
tmpregnable by contact with my next
best loved country after Scotland-Amer-
lea.
Still, what has this to do with base ball.
A lot, for base ball is your national game.
and 1t is not only game but it is
synonymous with American life; it typi-
fies your navy, it typifies your army.
When you go to war. you will do to your
enemies what the SoX of Chicago nave
done to the Cubs of the same city; no
reflection on the Cubs. even though my
money is on them, but who knows-the
American spirit may triumph yet; an up
hill game is always the greater honor to
win. Perhaps the Cubs will buck up and
win four straight. Suppose every British
er has insu!ar prejudices I had some
before came, but slowly the bright, sum
ny character of America is melting them
away.
/ am even beginning to think I like
American clothes-there is something dig
nified and full in their appearance; but
then you have got such a lot of good
looking men to carry them. Except, per
hapS. in my own country or Russia, l
never saw so many big, fine men in pro-
portion to the population. But now for
the base ball, or the editor will be blue
penciling all this stuff, which. however,
boils over all the time willynilly, so
square deal have l met since / came
here.
Here we are at the Quaker city, a city
that means much to a Brtisher. for it
is a standard name in our geography.
literature and song. After a lunch at
Green's Hotel, a most CHEEKY and to my
mind old world hotel with all the mod
reckoned to be one of the most up-to-
date base ball parks in America
The same enthusiasm, the same vast
crowds. though possibly not so many by
$4,000 as in New York, and another
glorious Indian summer day. The eX-
citement is tense, and there is a sub
dued roar when the bell rings, the signal
for the second game of the series to
commence MY HloIcy Is pH IulIducfpIlld
Loyalty to Chicago prompts this, 1 am
sure, as middle westerners want to see
the blazes pounded out of the fasteners.
The worst Of it is whatever | put my
money on, it invariably loses.
When in South Africa last year I put
my money on hot odds-on favorite. and
excess of zeal and dope on the part of
the owners caused the poor boss to go
mad and die in his tracks, and when a
certain winner. However. there is no
dope here-only the honor of winning, so
feel sure we are in for phenOmenally
exciting game. especially the Athletics
are on their home ground, and with one
up against them must surely play as
they never played before. Shall 1 see
some wild Quaker fans? T hope so. They
are mild, peaceable people as a rule but 1
expect base ball works the same spell on
them as it apparently does even on men
with gray hairs and three-fourths Of
their days spent. The widest fan in the
train was lean, tall old Yankee of six
ty-five, who never let up. "Oh. you
Giantsr" and ugh, you Athletics!' all the
way from Gotham to Philadelphia, as he
waved aloft a red pennant On cane.
The press stand is right on top and
one has q magnificent view Of the park
In New York we were on the ground