Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-06-04
CHAPTER XIX.
/ Relnstate Our Mascot.
ADRIAN c, ANsoN

baseball club without a mascot is
like ship without a rudder, Probably
some one viii rise to remark that
such a statement IS tommyrot, but It's
my honest opinion and I'm going TO
stick TO e. During those pennant-
winning years IN the early eighties
the Chicago clubs mascot was ono OF
our leading features. The first time
ever saw him he toddled into the
grounds logged out in a miniature
Chicago baseball uniform and every
body thought he Was so cute that we
adopted him as our mascot right on
the spot His name was Willie Hahn,
he said, and his parents lived in a
house across the street from the ball
grounds. Willie was about Ave years
old and he was 20 bright and win
some in his ways that the lady pa
,.trons Of the game took to him i'm
mensely. He was always on hand at
the home games and he was given the
freedom Of the grounds at all times.
After the Hahns moved from the
neighborhood It took US long time TO
recover from our loss. II was years
before | set eyes on our mascot
again. One day while was In my
billiard parlor IN Chicago, fine,
husky-looking chap came In and IN
troduced himself to me as our long
lost mascot. He had grown TO mans
estate and was In business for him
self and doing well.
Willie was succeeded by Clarence
Duval, little darkey ! picked up in
Philadelphia. Clarence was singer
and dancer from away back, and q
coon whose skill in handling the ba-
ton was something great. I've seen
many a crack bandmaster who could
MT hold candle to him. knew that
We we're in need of a mascot, so |
made proposition to Clarence, and
he took me up at once. logged
him out In blue suit with big brass
buttons and installed him In his new
position. don't mind telling you that
we played in great luck from the very
moment Clarence began to otiiciate.
But not for long. lie proved to be an
ungrateful little rascal, and when Yer
mona Jarbeau the actress, came along
and offered him q position in her com
pany he deserted US without word
of warning He was stage struck, any.
how and the chance to crafty his am
t,a 80 kA pf ah
OF Clarence's stage career | know lit
tie, but | do know that when he
sneaked into the grounds at Omaha
that day he didn't look as II prosperi'
ty had struck him very hard, Tom
Burns smuggled him into carriage,
bundle Of rags that he was, and when
he reached the ball grounds Clarence
made his appearance In his old posi-
tion, Just as II nothing had ever hap
pened to interrupt our friendly rela'
tions and ordered us to dress ranks
with all the assurance OF major gen
eral When the band struck up q
march he took his place In front OF
the players and gave such an exhibit
ton of baton swinging as made the nc
tual drum major turn green with envy
while the crowd shrieked Itself wild
with delight.
When we returned to tho car sent
for the deserter and asked him how
he had the gall to show UP after treat
ing us so shabbily,
Miss Jarbeau an me couldn'
agree, capn," he explained, with 8
grin all over his black face. "sne
done insisted on havin' de centah o
de stage all de time, an no self-re
spectacle Artists goin to stan dat.