El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-22
rOM HARMON is of strenuous bent. I
He did not like things to stand |
tBy Bark q. sheppy.)

He did not like things to stand
still, much less himself. Also he
was dominated by a sense of fair play,
which can best be illustrated by the
relating of a little anecdote that the
fans OF Houston still love to tell, as
to how he had said to umpire Bush:
You're as big as me, but you don't
know how to use your dukes: I'll make
1t fair for yuh; wen use bats
whereupon the interference of the
players of both teams, reinforced by
q brace of cops put an end to hos
tilities.
Yes. Harmon stood for a square
deal, and he was a bit strenuous
about it, too. Not only did he give
square deals: he demanded them, and
he did not think he was getting one
with the Panthers. He had been
taken from his Texas, where he set
the circuit afire with his bIud geon,
his Small glove" and his flying spikes,
until they had proclaimed him the
greatest first baseman and all around
star that had ever graced a diamond
in the Lone Star state. And the scouts
of the bigger leagues had come down
to look him over and decided that he
was ripe" for work in fast company,
the bidding contest terminating when
Tom Kinealy had handed over his
check to the minor league magnate.
Harmon had been with the Painters
FIVE weeks now, and his name had not
found its way into the box scores ex-
cept as a ninth inning pinch hitter.
Eleven times he had walked to the
plate when the game was alreadS lost.
He had struck out. rolled measly little
infield grounders and popped up un-
missible flies. Not once had he made
clean hit. So he was sore. Plenty of
reason to be sore, he figured. Bill
Abbott sent away to the bushes as a
has-been and outfielders holding down
first base, while he was compelled to
adorn the bench. He saw hopes dwind-
ling every day; he would soon be
farmed out to some minor league out
fit, possibly to return next year, pos
sibly never. Just one chance in full
game was all he had wanted-just one
chance. Harmon was sore.
So that evening when he knocked at
the door of room 3O5, he greeted the
boss with an expression that was not
what could be called pleasant
Hi there, Harmon. I'm glad you
came. 1t saved me the trouble of
hunting you up. There's something
I've been wanting to say to you.'
You don't say
II do say. And 1 might as well get
it off quick. You're not what I had
expected you'd be; you've flunked
every time I sent you in. Your hitting
is what brought here. and now you've
fallen down flat, so I guess the best
thing would be to let you out for
good 1 haven't made the arrangement
yet, but I'll tell you tomorrow night
Needn't mind about coming out to the
park tomorrow. That's ALL
so that's all, is it, huh? You keep
me around here doing nothing and
then tell me I can't hit and fire me
before you give me one regular chance
Can't hit you big lubber, dye expect
anybody to hit when you. don't give
man a CHANGER
Chance? So that's what you're
kicking about? You got a dozen
chances and you didn't deliver. You
lost your nerve when you went up
there to bat. You haven't got any
fight In you. There's no use In pro-
longing this. You might as well run
along until tomorrow afternoon, when
you'll get your papers. We don't
want no yellow streaks in this outfit"
yellow streak? You smear-faced
galoot! No fight? If I can show you
1 got some fight in me, do 1 get a
CHANGER"
Sure. I'd make you regular first
baseman and give yer thousand
month during season. I'm always
ready to offer bets that amt going to
be taken up"
Remember what you said there
now, you bullyragging greaser. Let's
see whether you're willing to back up
what you just said. He flung soff
his coat Now go to it If you think
I'm yellow"
Surprised as he was, the big mana
ger nevertheless welcomed an excuse
to wallop the insulting recruit who
had branded him with such choice
epithets as "bullyragging greaser,''
"smear-faced galoot,'' ETC. Harking
back to the days when, before he took
on flesh, he had been near champion
of the welterweights, he set about to
make punching bag of the rawboned
Texan.
Straight let's. uppercuts and right