Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-07-11
BASEBALL nUMOR.
This Brand Is Purely English and
Wholly Unconscious.
THE WAY We PLAY THE GAME.

I'VE VIM W. w. ~ss"0s
A British Writer, Whs Msst Have En-
eevntsrsd . curisvs Spseiss Of "Fan."
Describes the Fine Points q the
Crest American Spsrt.
One OF the most Illuminating apprs-
Citations Of the national game IL that
contained In q book on America writ
ten by Hon. Chillingly Butler Stout, 4
gentleman of British extraction who
Ii evidently . trained student Of Amer.
lean life.
Hon. Chillinsly Butler-Stout nat
urally felt that no picture Of life on
this side Of the water would be com.
plets without q description Of our ma.
t1Onal game-a view which We are
glad to indorss 40 eminently correct.
He therefore devoted several pages
Of informed comment to It which the
average American In particular will
read with admiration and gratitude.
Hon. Chillingly Butler-stout began
this part Of his work by the state
ment that the mysteries Of baseball
were generally supposed to be too pro-
found for any foreigner to penetrate.
But the writer was no ordinary for
eigner, and baseball had no mysteries
for his trained eye. Witness the fol-
lowing marvellous description OF the
organization Of the game:
"A number Of clubs representing DIFF
ferent cities Of the U. s. A. and
manned presumably by natives Of the
respective cities Join to form q league,
and throughout the spring and sum-
mer months a lively contest IL under
way for the championship Of the
league, or. as 1t Is popularity referred
to, the banner. Two teams of nine
men each take the field. The men on
one team. known as the outs dis
tribute themselves about the feld.
while one Of their number In the cen
ter, known as the pitcher losses the
ball to a comrade at one end, known
O. the catcher The men on the
other team. known as the ms take
turns at shifting at the ball 40 It ID
tossed past them by the pitcher. The
object is to hit the ball and to reach
the 6rst station before the ball can
DO returned by a member Of the op-
posing team to bis comrade at that
station"
There u an authoritative air about
this statement that carries conviction.
No one could mistake the Hon. Chill
lingly Butler-stout for n Of those
travellers In foreign lands who zee
things on the wing and induiGs In
generaliztions about the country a.
inapt % they are hasty. He has
plainly gone carefully into the subject
Of American baseball, and the result
IL q conservative statement that must
commend itself to all thinking people.
But the erudite writer has more to
say:
"sometimes the ball Is struck 30 hard
as to enable the runner to advance to
the second station or the third sta
ton or even to complete the circuit
of the field and make what Is called a
home rum '
1.-THE various stations are known
az first SACK second SACK third
sack and home plate To decide
whether the runner reaches the sta
ton before the ball there IL an OH.
cial known as umpire who passes on
all other disputed questions as they
arise. Decisions are frequently very
close, and partisan spirit runs high
among the spectators. There are
cheers when the umpire cries
Saved! There are loud cries Of pro
sest when the umpire declares q ball
fouled or out Of bounds Clever
plays are always applauded, and after
a peculiarly difficult catch the stands
ring with cries Of Well f1elded: well
caught, indeedv"
How vivid, yet how exact, II that
description! As n reads those mar
velous lines Of the Hon. Chilling
" Butler-Stout he can almost hear the
umpire calling out Saved" as the
runner reaches the first, second or
third station" as the case may be,
aud the enthusiastic cry Of "Well
caught, indeed" from the wild eyed
excited mob Of Fans on the bleachers
% the fielder manages to engulf an
unusually difficult 6y.
There has been in the past some
criticism Of British books on America.
Dickens and Kipling, as well as divers
other notables, have been charged with
viewing this country with eyes jaun-
diced by British prejudice. But In
the case Of the Hon. Chillingly Butler
Stout such criticism Is silent. His
genial and instructive criticism leaves
room for nothing save admiration
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Pspys and the Geek Maid.
There was a servant problem In the