The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-16
W0[VERT0N BLOWN
Into BALL GAME
New Yankee Manager Mixed
With. Gunpowder and
Quit College -

New York, Jan. 16-Right at the
outset Of this biographical delivery we
wish to assert that we are employing
no tnelegant slang curve when we
state that Harry Wolverton blew into
baseball back in 1896. In fact, he was
an accident. He was blown in, to
speak literally. The new manager of
the Yankees bears the distinction Of
being the only man ever hurled into
the, profession by an overcharge of
~gunpowder.
Harry was slamed into his baseball
career on an overstocked bomb that
in it's explosion attained dimensions
beyond the fondest hopes of the anna
teur black handlers who laid 1t. Fail
spected by q .combustible expert Nc
Namaraed Wolverton out Of college
and suddenly projected him into pro-
fessional baseball.
The story is told by a man who was
n student at Kenyon college, Gambler,
Ohio. many years ago, and parts of it
are admitted by the subject Of this
sketch now that the statute of limita-
lions protects him.
In 1895 Wolverton was pursuing an
education at Kenyon. He was a popu-
lar man at college. a member. of the
football team and the star pitcher of
the baseball nine. A student who was
not SO popular obtained possession of
a choice corner room in a certain dor
.mitory. That room should have been
inherited by a member of Wolverton's
class. but possession is nine points OF
the law. s.,
Wolverton and two companions were
appointed a committee on %transporta-
ton. Their job was to move the fresh
II o. of that oom. They tried
moral persuasion. Nothing doing. Al
last force was considered and the Guy
Fawkes method was considered.
We wrapped a ball of binding
twine around Il good sized charge OF
gun powder says Harry. and ran a
fuse into 1t through a pipe stem. We
figured that the charge would make
a report that would be acted upon by
u nan We deposited 1t in front OF
his door. hiked downstairs, ducked
across the campus and held our
breaths."
Was the bomb a ~success?" we in.
quired.
We'll. l only hope that 1 get as good
results next yea for Mr.. Farrell" re-
piled Wolverton. as reminiscent smiles
chased across his map.
w had just imagined that the
charge would just make a big noise.
Well. 1t let go like one Of those Sandy
Hook guns and fulfilled our vocal ex-
pectations in every way. Furthermore
it blew down the door and dug a hole
in the floor. a.,
I'VE might have got by on that. but
the dern thing tore out the side OF
the building; in fact it Just blew up
the college. There were no fatalities
but considerable excitement. We were
quite overwhelmed with the success OF
the thing. So were the college author.
tiles. The wreck drew such a crowd
that we had to make a detour and join
in ourselves. To have been missed
would have aroused suspicion.
Shortly after hat I quit college.
was all right in my studies and
wasn't expelled. However. the college
authorities conducted "a rigid investi.
cation and ip., g. few days myself and
two others received a quiet tip to
duck-a tip from the inside.
II was a pretty good pitcher in
those days and l turned to baseball by
writing to Tom Lotus Who then. man.
aged the Columbus team. LOTUS gave
me a job and there you have the whole
story of how l blew into baseball"