The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-23
KONETCHY WAS CANDY MAKER ONCE
New Pittsburgh Star Left Job Making Jelly Beans To
 Play Ball

St Louis, Dec. 23.-Nine and a half rears ago Edward J. Konetchy was designing marshmallows in g. canoy factory at La Crosse, Wis. To-day ne lss one. of the star players in the ttt- Na- sfonaI fIeague,= and after playing with The St Louis Cardinals for six and a half years he has just been swapped 10 Pittsburgh.
 s'Koney,'' only became a ball player by accident. Besides presiding over he destinies of the candy factory, ne also was famed as a fisherman, a hunter and incidentally as back lot bah player in La Crosse
 i've got two brothers who could beat me all hollow playing ball, de- rlared Koney, "ebut they can't see the city life. They'd rather take their boats out on the river and shoot ducks or go fishing than to play in a worlds 5 series game. I used to feel that way about it, too
 asI broke into the game in peculiar way I went to my foreman one day and asked him if he would give me a couple of weeks off. He asked me what for and told him wanted to try out with the La Crosse team that was being organized You've got an iron nerve" he shouted, ito ask Tor time off to look for another job- How ever yo11 go ahead and when you find out that you can't play ball you come back here and you can go to work making jelly beans again. Youd better stick to turning out all-day suckers and get your mind off this Eoolishness-"
 Koney however, went to the bali park daily. He acted ase part of The scenery for eleven days, he declares The manager often looks through or over him or around him, but never at him Koney posed ins the back ground until he felt like an old oak tree until one day the manager, who was Pink Haw1ey called him.
 ssMeet- me downtown,'' he whisper - Cd. he reflected ands seemed about to gay 'sthe old mill at midnight and bring the p-a-a-pers," but he said in stead, tat Mikes Bar
 Koney met him and Hawley signed him up at $50 a month. which was more than he made at the candy fac tory. Koney played with the La Crosse team two and a half years until he at sracted the eye of Jack Houston, a scout for the Cardinals and little la ter Manager McCloskey event to H1os4az and sfgned the big yeungster for St. Louis. Koney joined fhe team in Cincinnati.
 The news of the signing of Koney was printed and it was erroneously stated that he was Greek. The Greeks Of Cincinnati decided that it was mete that they honor -thefr Hef- feIlic player and all the Greek societies
 
 horsehoe almost as big as trolley car, and with the flare of a brass band they arrived at the ball park and marched onto. the grounds where they overwhelmed Koney under 8 shower of roses
 The Greeks were somewhat stag gered when Koney told them he was not a Greek, but a Bohemian. well, keep it anyhow the chairman of the occasion told him, and they found seats and watched the game, minus some of their enthusiasm
 Koney was sehristened -ftThe, Big Train by an admirer in St. Louis and the name stuck. He didn't know what the name meant until last week when he became inquisitive after sev- sraI years and asked a friend.
 What is this Big Train stuff?'' ask ed Koney. i've been hearing that name and reading about it for years and I never knew why they called me that"
 His friend told him that his imag- native admirer nickhamed him after he famous race horse ''McChesney,'' D who was christened the Big Train Dn account of his speed. Koney ap- peared satisfied with the explanation. Eoney is twenty-eight years old and Is built like a gladiator.
 
 Charleston, S. C.-Two new cases of smallpox on batt1eship Ohio on way