The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-03

! Merida twice a week to see the big
 games.
 | Or trip to Mobile, Marine saw a game 1 between two teams of ths Southern | league. He watched a sport with a | thin roll making his way through the crowd, making a handbook on the game. Some bet sl, some bet $2 or possibly go. Marines lip curled. In his country they stalxed thousands by a mere nod ges- | ture. And here-one had to go among
 the fans and solicit and wrangle for cop pers But the Americans did know how to play ball, even better than the won- lderful Fenix club. Ills country knew
 how to bet; America knew how to play.
 An, what shame that the two fine
 points of the game should be separated. Next day when Marine sailed for Pro- gresso six hard-handed young Americans sailed with him. The six were installed
 in various positions in the Marine busi- ness house. One dumped a typewriter at odd times, one drove a wagon about town and saw a good deal of the city; another bused himself with moving emp ty boxes from one room to another anI back again, Early in the tropic morn ings, before the easy-going citizens had moved from their hammocks, the six
 were out on improvised practice field,
 keeping themselves in trim and desper- ately coaching a half dozen natives, also Marine employees.
 Soon a formal application was sent to the president of the major league at
 Merida. asking admission of the Progress so team, and. crowning insolence. inclos- ing a challenge to meet the great, the undefeated Fenix aggregation for their first game. The application was taken as Ia joke Who ever heard of Progresso and were there nine men in 1t? No notice was taken of the challenge until MT. Ma rine went up to Merida. When asked to explain he mentioned that some of his boys had been practicing a bit and wanted
 to play Near the equator "crazy with
 the heat is a vital expression The
 league managers inquired of the temper
 ature at Progresso. Marine put 10 5000
 bills on the table and offered even money
 on his team. The bet was taken and
 another like it. Next day the newspa-
 pers announced the game for the follow
 ing Sunday.
 The Saturday before the game an
 American visitor was transacting busi-
 ness in Progresso. He missed the even
 ing train back to the capital and arose
 the next morning at a. m. to catch an
 early freight. Fastening through the
 quiet streets to catch the train, he saw the silhouettes of two stalwart men. car rying masks and gloves. Their stride be- ltiayed them as Americans The traveller forgot his train and stalked the strangers until four others joined them on the prac- tice field. He watched the men for an hour and in their prep saw the mad ness of Marine. The American made him. self known to the players They had bet all they could assemble on the after noon's game and advised their country man to do the same.
 The American was not weighted with funds An early train took him back to Merida, where he scraped together all his credit could stand. He walked intd the cafe where the native fans held fortE and casually mentioned bet. The Amer ican picked the best odds from the offers
 hurled at him and sighed for few thousand more to wager. He knew a Chinaman who conducted little shop
 where the American often ate The ce- lestial had never seen a baseball game. but the Americans enthusiasm made him
 bring out his pile and place it at three
 to one. His wife found out the bet. Then An Toy chattered at the American and swore by the bones of Confuscius that never again would he meddle with | the mad Melican game,'' but would 1 stick to fan tan.
 | An Toy, went to the game with the American, however. And he was some
 rooter. A high fly was always the signal l for an outporring of choicest Chinese re- gardless or the side that made the play. The higher the better was An Toys idea
 Chinaman howled only when he did. | The American had persuaded every one he wnow to bet on Progresso, and his I tense moments were many during the nine innings. But Progresso won by a
 score of to o. After gathering his