Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-06-20

sporting columns, full of base
jail activities, prize fight bat
ties, and other classics of sport.
carried not line of 1t. 1t was game
that staggered the Imagination. 1t
was played In the most unique of
stage settings and on scale that
would dwarf the combined activities of
the big leagues. the bush leagues and
all the ssud-lot contests of the dia-
mond rolleri into one eleveninning
match
The playing ground was at sea and
its boundaries Tapped over the circu-
lar rim of ocean that stretched to ev-
cry point of the compass when. with
the most powerful glass, you swept
the horizon from a ship in its center.
Take the Polo Grounds of the New
York Giants, the white-ribbed grid
iron of Soldiers field at Cambridge,
the race track at Latonia, KY, the
polo field at Narragansett and the Ma
tional golf course at Shinnecock Hills.
Multiply them by thousands and toss
them into the center of this deep sea-
field. The resultant ripple would die
leagues away from its outer rim!
Modest Prize.
The game was the record battle
practice of the Atlantic fleet. The
field was the southern drill groundO
of the United States navy, seventy
miles out to sea from the Virginia
capes The prize, modest bit of
bunting. From the deafening roar
Of the FIRST twelve-inch gun, aimed at
the half.submerged hull Of the old
Texas in Tangier sound, to the last
G0pound steel projectiie, that tore
with the noisy rush Of a hundred rum
away freight trains through a NOV
Ing target six miles away, the days
piled up to total of ten.
There were dozen ships in this
unique lineup, flrst-class fighting bat
teships all, and on each was a team
ranging from 700 to 1000 men. For
the war-worn hickories Of Tyrus Cobb
and Honus Wagner they substituted
the gray steel tubes of twelveinch
guns. and for the horsehid Recovered
baseball they rang in shells weighing
$40 pounds The base lines were lanes
of dark green sea, fathoms deep and off
soundings, churned into fury by the
Quadruple screws of dreadnoughta
steaming at lively rate
The home plate was screen-coy-
cred target the size of the painted
sign advertising cigarettes In your To-
cal bah park. The home plate trav-
eled due north, and now due SOUTH
dipping and curtesying to the lazy
swell and at times careening to the
wind. 1t was not always well man.
nered home plate, and 1t was never
still. Between 1t and the pitchers box
10000 yards of sea! For your favorite
sport on shore substitute miles for
yards, tons for pounds, thousands for
each single man at play. and you will
grasp some significance Of this big
game
There were no bleachers and tower
ing grandstands packed full of straw
hated, shirt-sleeved humanity to
cheer the brilliant plays or to urge on
the under dog In this match. Every
man of the 10000 played his part be-
lore a gallery Of only wheeling sea
gu.is and handful Of observers. The
yes OF the bleacherites were missing,
sss- IN their place was gigantic roar
mat would have drowned the vocal ex-
plosions of worlds series contest.
No Gate Receipts.
- f~4
gate receipts at stake, no hero-wor-
snip, no great increase of salaries and
40 yistas of vaudeville contracts. In
thelr places was plaque of bronze to
De held for year, but the incentive
that spurred them on was the knowi-
edge that. II Waterloo was won on the
heids Of Elton. then truly the next
srear American naval victory will be
won by the annual game that the
navy plays ON the southern drill
grounds
The big game Is vastly more scien-
INC than football Its thrills are til
tanic even when compared with
ninth-inning rally. No golf course
ever boosted so unique a beauty of
surroundings Racing stables in their
palmy days never entailed such ex-
peEse or represented so MUCK arrested
capital No other game was ever
played on such scale or by the
united States government, and, final
~ tnere Is no other game whose for
tunes so directly affect tho 10000, 900
people Of this republic.
fou have seen the Yale bulldog and
ene Princeton tiger grapple GA the
sf'oaron? Substitute the Delaware
ana the Utah. You placed your wager
~ the Red Sox or the Giants when
.ael met TO fight out the worlds Sc
''es For the Giants send the Flor