The Washington bee., 1911-08-26
ATHLETICS Versus
LEARNING
Story Of a Twirler and TackIer
By HUDSON C. EASTON

| his son when his boy left him in the
mountains Of Colorado to go east to
college, 81 want you to study your
larnin' hard and don't give too much
of your time to those games the boys
play at college. Out here when an
eddecated young man onct gets start
he can top those who haven't the ed
location. Now study hard and let the
other things 60"
When Johnny returned four years
later his father was very much dis
appointed in his record. He had taken
no hOnOrs, stood near the foot of his
class, but was the athletic hero Of the
season. AS a twirler he could send a
ball that few could hit; as a tackler
no man could get past him. JOhnny's
father was owner and editor of the
Rocky Mountain Globe. But the paper
during JOhnny's sojourn at college had
been running down. A rough element
had come into the town, which had
started with fine prospects, and so dis
turbed the condition Of things that the
better people were leaving, while no
new respectable settlers were coming
in.
Father" said Johnny, sit seems to
me that it's the duty of an editor to
make it hot for evil wherever his paper
is located"
"And get shot for doing it."
Better be shot than let the other fel-
low take the bread and butter away
from you. If the town dies our paper
dies"
Peter Weatherbee consented that his
son should write articles against the
evil disposed, thus awakening the bet
ter class Of citizens against them.
Johnny began by inveighing against
the indiscriminate carrying Of weap-
ons. Then he attacked certain men
who ran gambling houses, with others
who made offices of the said resorts.
Johnny" said his father, seems to
me you've weakened yourself. You
can't carry a revolver since you've
come down on the practice, and these
men you've been larrupin' II shoot you
down like a dog"
''They won't 90 for me, father. I'm
only an UndeFstrappeF They'll go for
you, at least till they find out that I'm
the man that's after them"
The next morning Johnny put his
desk in a room through which all must
go to his fathers office. He had hard
ly got settled when one Of the parties
attacked in that days issue Of the
paper came up the stairs.
"Where's old WeatherbeeT' he ask
ed. I'm gOin' TO kill the
"In there" interrupted Johnny.
The man was opening the door when
Johnny tackled him from behind. pull
ed him to the landing and threw him
down to the first floor, two fights be-
low. He was not killed outright. but
died in a hospital the next day.
$50 much for my football training
father" said Johnny. by and by I'll
try some other athletic features I
learned at college"
Johnny sat down to write some more
articles attacking other rascaIs. Over
his desk was a rosewood baseball in
laid with gold which Johnny had won
in college as trophy. When he was
rallied on his defenselessness he said
he could use that far better than a
revolver. During the morning he
heard a quick fOOtstep at the other !
end Of the hall There's lots in step. |
Johnny knew at once what this one |
meant Seizing his wooden ball. he |
went to the door. Some fifty feet /
away a man he recognized as a pal /
of the one he had thrown downstairs |
was coming with blood in his eyes as /
well as his step. Johnny twirled his |
trophy ball, landing it in the right |
eye of the conner and relieving it of |
all the blood there was in IT, /
The man didn't come any farther |
Indeed, he was taken to his home, |
where a doctor pronounced his case |
a fracture of the frontal bone. He !
died in few days.
These two novel encounters encour- |
aged the good citizens and somewhat |
shamed the bad ones. An athletic
gambler vowed he would take Johnny |
on his own ground. Meeting Johnny /
on the street. he suddenly tackled him /
with his right arm and began to rain 1
blows on his face with his left fist. /
But Johnny had been thus held often !
before He wriggled out like an eel
and landed a blow on his opponents
mug that capsized him. The man
started to run. Johnny followed him,
every now and then getting in a kick.
At last, after having several times
served as JohnGy's football. the man
gave out and could 90 no farther.
Those who saw the last kick the
gambler received differed as to the
Johnny sent him. Some said
it was ten feet. some fifteen. and one
man. who claimed to have measured
the distance with a tape line. declared
that it was just nineteen feet and
four inches.
The man suffered from q broken cOc-
eyx, which is the end Of the backbone.
This being the third man that John
nv had put "out of the fight" a num-
Der Of citizens called on him and told
him that they would see him through