The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-03
THEY ALL CAN SEE
Father Lynch's Umpires Have
Had the Eye Tests.
1t Was No Pipe Dream the Club
Owners Had.
NOW HAVE DIPLOMAS.
Some Of Them Have Unusually
Acute Vision.
Others Have just Normal Pair
of Lamps.

N0W DIX April os-RT6SlQeuL i. j.
Lynch OF the National League has COM
piled with the wishes of the club own
erS of his organization and has made
an investigation as to the powers of
vision of his umpires. mot long agu
/ issued orders to the nine men of my
thoroughly tested said Mr.. Lynch,
land feel more than gratif1ed with
the outcome. Good eyes alone, 1
know, do not make good umpires; but
they are a good umpireS first and best
asset. The result of these examina-
tons should satisfy the public, club
owners and players that, if umpires
make unistakes-as they are bound TO
do-they are the result mostly of CIV
ing their decisions too quickly or from
bad angels on the playing field.
IT have not taken it upon myself to
pass Judgment on these certificates Of
eye tests with their technical terms,
but have submitted them to DR.. Royal
S. Copeland, one of the most eminent
oculists of New York city. He is a
noted authority on eye diseases, and
was for many years professor of oph-
Technology at the University of Michi-
gan, and is now dean Of the medical
college of Flower hospital and oculist-
in-chlef at this institution. At my re-
quest DR.. Copeland has carefully
studied the various tests and has
summed them up in the following auth
oritative and interesting report, which
give to you verbatim:
DR.. COpeland's Report.
Doctors differ about many things,
but they all agreed on the methods of
determining the seeing power of the
human eye. Test cards are uniformly
constructed and everywhere employed
in one way. Instruments Of precision
make 1t possible to examine the vital
parts of the visual apparatus, and the
system of recording the results of eye
examinations is universally employed.
THE oculists examining the umpireS
OF the National League are widely sep
arated geographically, but their reports
are written in language ineligible to
every specialist in eye diseases. These
reports indicate normal vision in every
case. and. in several instances. vision
far above the average.
Henry O'Day.
Taking up these reports seriatim, I
find that DR.. Douglas Amos Payne, of
Chicago, examined Henry O'Day on
January 18th and found perfect vision.
William j. KLEIN.
"Dr. Neil J. Hepburn, of New York,
and found the seeing power above nor
NAL.
William Brennan.
"Dr. James A. Quinn, of st. Paul.
examined William Brennan, on January
18th and found normal vision, with good
color perception.
w. F. Finneran.
"Dr. A. Harold CASTOR. of Erie, Pa,
examined w. r. Finneran on February
9th and found perfectly normal vision.
James e. tombstone.
"a similar report for J. e. tombstone
is made by Dr.. l. S. Hazard, OF New
ark, after a test on January 18th.
John j. Doyle.
Or Stephen A Maloney, of HoIyoke.
Mass, after an examination January
14th. reports the eyes of John J. Doyle
as perfect in every respect.
Nal Eason.
"Dr. w. w. Fisher. of Sunbury, Pa,
examined NJ. w. Eason on January
oath and found normal vision.
Charles Rigler.
"Drs. Hedges and Compton, of Char
louisville, Va. saw Charles Rigler on
February eth and report his vision as
unusually acute.
Robert d. Emslie.
''Dr. John H. Cormack, Of st. Thorn
port. He saw r. D. Emslie on Febru-
airy 10th and found his vision to be bet
ter than normal.
"All oculists reading these reports
must agree that the seeing power of the
National League umpIres is normal in
every instance. and that several of
them are blessed with vision consider
ably better than the average man pos
sesses. I doubt if the vision of nine
other men selected at random would
begin to approach this record. It tends
to convince me that the out-of-door life,
wide vistas. and instant vision requir-
ed Of the baseball devotee must IN
crease the efficiency Of the visual func-
ton. At least this theory offers an
| other argument in favor Of the great