The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-10-20
| AN ATHLETE WHO
won SUCCESS
College Boy Proved the Value
of Baseball skill.


JabezY'
"You bet"
"What ye goin' to do that for? He
won't 'arn nothin' except how to play
games. Them athletics takes all the
students time nowadays
'There are wus things m athletics.
Seems to me I'd ruther have my boy
git strong than git l'arnin', though
they're both good. l knowed a feller
onct that got his start in the world
from baseball practice. While he was
In college he KEEP up his l'arnin', but
KEEP up the athletics too. When he got
out into the world he found himself in
fix where the l'arin' wouldn't "a been
no use without the athletics.
"This was the way Of It:
when lived out in Nevada II was
a mighty rough country. Gamblin' an
minin' was the two perfeshions, gam
blin' bein' considered the more respect
able Of the two. There was two or
three lawyers. doctors an sich like in
the place an few editors. Mike Gal
lagher was runnin' the Diamond Drill
newspaper an tryin' to establish 1t by
fearless course. He was always at.
tackin' the wo'thless. an this way he
got the support of the thrifty. But he
had to do a good deal of fightin' an
wouldn't have nobody in his employ
that couldn't shoot. Ore day young
man just out O college came along and
asked for position.
"'Young man said Gallagher the
positions are all vacant just now. The
managing editor was killed last week.
an the "local' will be buried tomor-
row. For the next few weeks there'll
be pretty hot work for any one that
takes hold on the paper, for we're
bound to run the men that shot 'em out
o. the town. Can you shoOt?'
"'No,' said the young feller. Il never
had any practice
"'Well. then. | reckon I'll have to
give the position to the next applicant
"The young feller thought a spell.
then he said: I can throw straight
enough. ! was pitcher for the univer-
sity team and was counted the best
pitcher the nine ever had
THE young man had the edicat!on.
though the next applicant knew how
to fan the hammer and all quick
shootin' tricks. but larnin' was out Of
his line Gallagher TUX the college
man and set him to work at onct.
"The next mornin' there was siz-
zlin' article referrin' to certain man
who had shot the local editor. goin'
over his past history like harrow
over field Soon as the feller saw
the article he went to the Drill office,
climbed the stairs. and the first thing
the new employee saw was the muzzle
of cooked revolver comm through
the door. The next thing was an arm
and the next mans body. or course
they was comm mighty quick, but not
too quick for the editor. He caught
up an iron inkstand and. jest as the
mans face showed within the door, let
fly, takin' him plumb in the temple.
"Well, the next mornin' there was an
obituary in the paper rec0untin' the
circumstance and warnin' the man who
had killed the managin' editor that
enough of his record was known at the
Drill Office to land him In jail. When
the new editor met him on the street
that afternoon the feller was a-comin'
out of the Metropolitan gamblin' sa-
loon with two revOlvers strapped to
his hips. The editor had his pockets
full Of stones and. seein' his enemy
reachin' for his gun. got out two
FOUNDER rock and landed 1t in the mid
die Of his forehead. The feller drop.
ped like dead, but got OF with concus-
Kion of the brain. When he got well
he was warned by the committee to
light out, and he lit.
"But the end hadn't come yet. The
t0ughs didn't like the idea of new
feller comm in with what they consid-
cred a barbarous way of flghtin', 30
one of 'em-the meanest, low lived cuss
in the territory-give out that he was
goin' to down tho editor with the old
fashioned weapon-the revolver. The
next day the newspaper man was
walkin' along the street when he heard
q sharp cry. Look ont! He had to do
a pretty quick job Of thinkin'. which
was this way: Not SEEM an enemy In
front, he concluded there was one be-
hind and bullet was comm right on.
He wheeled like fash, takin' a stone
from his pocket as he turned, got his
eye on a man bringin' revolver to
bear on him and put stone right agin
the weapon. knockin' 1t twenty feet
away. Before the feller could draw
ag'in the editor sent another stone that
broke his jaw. This ended the scrim-
mage.
"The fact that the editor set an ex-
ample of goin' about armed-stones
wasn't considered arms--had a fine ef-
feet ON the community. The best cid-
zens declared that carryin' Of weapons
wasn't necessary or civilized, and the
committee posted notice for all to-
disarm. Any man that was caught
with weapons on him would be shot
down in his tracks. The Diamond
Drills circulation Increased rapidly.
"That was the way the young gradu.
afo Dot hia xtart in life and I rQCkOn