Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-16

day anyhow, Dut -
isn't. any more irksome than any oth-
er position gets at times.
Gets outfield Job.
II was working for candy manu-
facturer In La Crosse, Wis, where l
was born on September 8, 1885. and
nlaying q little semi-professional Dall
On saturday afternoons and Sundays,
when the League team Of that city =
Ia. Crosse supported club IN the
wisconsin, Illinois Leagues needed an
Eoutfielder. / applied for the job.
had q bunch that could make good.
aMost OF the time as 'semipro' 1
had covered first. had pitched a
little. tom fact, had played every
position, on the nine.
.Old Pink HALEY was the manager
of the La Crosse club and he offered
me a sort of probationary contract
Of fifty dollars month. AT hrst
things did not look exactly rosy for
me. After climbed into uniform
and worked out with some Of the 9TH
er candidates was not quite so sure
that / could make good. They work
ed me at first base quite bit in the
ante-season practice games. but one
day a fellow named Spicer arrived
OF La Crosse from Chicago. He was.
a first baseman and began to believe
that the can would be tied to me.
II was quite sure of it when, about
three days before the league season
opened, HALEY took Spicer with the
club to cover first in an exhibition
game at Galesville, Wis. The fates
were with me, guess, for Spicer had
one of the worst days ball player
could have. He booted three or four.
didn't show anything at bat and lost
the game for the La Crosse club. He.
was released Immediately, and two
DAYS before the season began / was
assigned to cover first base.
The "Big Creek
81 have played there ever since, ex-
cept for an occasional day here and
there, when l have played in the out
field or pitched for the Cardinals.
For two seasons / pastimed with
the La Crosse club. Jack Houston,
the scout for the st. Louis team, saw
me play a couple of games and sug-
gested to John McCloskey, then man
ager Of the Cardinals, that he pur-
chase. me.
ION June ~, 1907, McCloskey drop
ped into La Crosse and paid either
$500 or 500 for my release. Joined
the Cardinals at Cincinnati on June
80, and the following day played my
first game of ball in the big league.
Somehow or other the story was
started in Chicago that McCloskey
had signed a big Greek from the tall
timbers of Wisconsin. The story
must have travelled around the circuit,
for we went from Cincinnati to Pitts
burg, and well remember that the
first day there / was sitting on the
bench before the game began and a
big floral horseshoe was carried on the
field.
Hank O'Day was umpiring. He
stood at the home plate and yelled to
McCloskey: Hey, Jack send that
big first baseman out here
Il didn't know what to make of it.
l didn't know any one in Pittsburg,
but / went forth At the plate fell
low was standing, waiting to make a
presentation speech. / afterward
learned that his name was Demas.
He greeted me cordially and began
speaking in Greek. guessed it was
Greek
81 did not want to accept things
under false pretenses and told him
that mistake had been made and
that l was not Greek My parents
were Bohemians, you know.
Receives a Wreath.
HE lookedA surprised, but came
right back with: Well, accept this
wreath, anyhow. We thought that
you were Greek, but as long as it is
here take it with our best wishes for
your success.