The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-09
Little Sunset

league contract Late that year the Apaches bought
@ Gin outright and his new contract called for twenty
again-she had never been strong since John Wesleys
birth-and nfelder Jones started of his last trip
weeks be WAS recalled by a telegram from a physician.
- Your wife dangerously III. Come at once. -
Vt the end Of the sixth day the doctor
out of the darkcned room and touched Jones the
'she wants TO sec you. he said
Doc, sad lonesey, ''you don 7 thiuk-it ism u
We can always hope, said the doctor "You
mustn excite her, remember
Jonesey went in and sat down on the side Of the
bed, taking the thin white hand in his own brown
well; little girl he said.
about the boy You re going away of East-among
couldu bear that. want you to-promise me that
you II take Johnny. with you-wherever. YOU go. -
Jonesey slipped to his knees his face hidden In
Don't talk n Like t4at'' he begged. lyon
mustn't give upl Why. what would do?'
The white hand found his bowed head, and began
to 'tF9ke 93o the he tangled red mop M o
,Joueaey promised
D..t.a Wherovea The you gSmoT always and 9%ays re
Mrs Jones died that night, and three days after
Hed and there Sat We" on fs the bench 1S With Re team
grave solemn eyed roundfaced little fellow to whom
who had known and liked Mrs Tones, offered to take
John Wesley, but Jonesey steadily refused
- promised his mother was the only answer
That was. how John Wesley Jones, aged five years,
him excess baggage. but that was before they
his father play ball Brick Jones jumped into favor
ball scribes always optimistic before the opening of
season. were thankful to find at least one man
shadow Of doubt
They christened John Wesley .tIittle Sunset
and he hone in glory reflected his father bril-
liant performance, and while Jones, Senior, cap
turing the newspaper men, Jones. Junior, making
F'He aint bad. kid said Pete Carr "And
'|Liko razor!'' said s'walrus'' Potter, the
Gus Bergstrom the mighty hitter and the highest
priced baseball player in the league voiced opinion
to lend Brick Jones one Of his bats and as the Terrible
Swede seldom noticed recruit Pete wondered what
One night at the hotel Bercstrom heard John wes-
.tYou re too little, said Jones. ''wait while,
park, taking John Wesley With him. "
I'VE take little walk said Gus.
versation would have suspected him of having
soft soft streak in his peculiar makeup but there was
been trying to forget for ten years without great
That walk brought them to tailor shop, and Gus
produced from his pocket two pieces of flannel,
'fI want for the kid two suits said Gus, and
Won make em yust like a bigleague uniform
Yes sir; yes, SIR Mr. Bergstrom,'' said the tail
or clustered by near contact with so much greatness
No said Gus IT ! kind Of adopted him
back to the park where the members of the team
practicing at running out bunts, " don say word.
John Wesley bobbed his head He too, knew how
''I.win have cap like yours7'' he asked:
:" BY 1mmlnyi said Be4rgstTom, 4T rom, slapping his
e 9 5 III ass Toa hG haGys the %o
The strange couple went back to the ball park,
t'Pipe that big boob Of swcdel'' said ''sea
Cow Hamilton the pitcher. f'Jones, III bet that
deO has as been fdd ang kid up Oh ice cream soda
''Yust a little secret have together" said
That night the Terrible swedo sent for pens ink,
and paper and laboriously sweated ont order for
spiked shoes and glove the same as you make for
me-" This done, Bergstrom addressed an envelope to
with their uniforms and equipment Slipping down
stairs, he dropped the letter into the box
John Wesley into his room and there fitted him out
Of the cap the tiny spikes the soes Of the
dollar shoes, ,.
Gus. ''I guess we show them other fallers, heys''
Next day the ball players swaTmed aboard their
made up, the porter saw strange sight. Gus Berg
I'll the ed 6 SosS6 S the
with Presidents and shaken his fists at millions OF
the caT painfay % sswng Buttons on pair EncEe1
S'That Yones he dom know that IL somebody
DON tx these pants, the kid won't have nothing tc
hitch his suspenders to- said Gus in lame attempt
family, the numbering Bergstrom placed his finger up
on the weak spot in the relation between father and
son. Charlie Jones had been good husband and
proud parent, but when it to caring for the daily
wants Of his small son, he helpless hen in
a duck pond Almost from the very first, Little Sun
set became the charge of the entire team and partcu
arv the charge Of the silent and sometimes taciturr
Bergstrom. IT with feeling Of relief that Jone
watched the process of adoption.
Little Sunset amazed the ball players bv his easy
acquisition Of all sorts Of baseball knowledge Like
his father, who fast making bg-leagle reputa
tion Little Sunset seemed to absorb tho intricate
problems of the game without an effort and before h
was seven years old. he knew every sign used by thu
team md could anticipate and interpret the team
method OF attack, play by play.