Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-05-08
Continued FROM last week

"A. u. 5paiolng s1gneu up a team TO
go aroun the world. I was the first man
he asked to sign a contract and Capt.
Anson was the second. I was sliding
head first. and 7 hit a stone and cut a
ligament loose in my knee. I got a doc
tor and had my leg fixed up, and he said
to me: William, If you don't go on that
trip I will give you a good Leg I obeyed
and I have as good a leg today as I ever
had They offered to wait for me at Homo
lulu and Australia. Spalding said: Meet
US in England and play with us through
England, Scotland and Wales I did not
CO..
ED williamson, our old shortstop, was
a fellow weighing 225 pounds, and a more
active man you never saw. He went with
them, and while they were on the ship
crossing the English channel a storm
arose. The captain thought the ship would
go down. Then he dropped on his knees
and promised God to be true and God
spoke and the waves were still. They
came bach to the United States and Ed
came back to Chicago and started a sa-
loon on Dearborn street.
'I would go there giving tickets for the
z. NJ. c. A. meetings and would talk
with him. and he would cry like a baby.
I would get down and pray for him.
When he died they put him on the table
and cut him open n took out his liver.
1t was so big 1t would not go in a candy
bucket.
I'D Williamson sat there on the street
corner with me 26 years ago when I said
goodbye boys, I'm through.
frank Flint. our old catcher, who
caught for 10 years, drew 1920 a year
on ar average. He caught before they
had chest protectors and masks and
gloves. He caught barehanded. Every
bone in the ball of his hand was broken.
You never saw a hand like Frank had.
Every bone in his face was broken and
his nose and cheekbones, and the shoul-
der n ribs had all been broken.
Tive seen old Frank Flint sleeping on a
table in a stale beer joint and I've turned
my pockets inside out and said: You're
welcome to It old pail
'He drank on and on, and one day in
winter he staggered out of a stale beer
Joint and stood on a corner and was
seized with a fit of coughing. The blood
streamed out of his nose, his mouth and
his eyes. Down the street CAM a wom-
an. She took one look and said: MY
God, is 1t you. Frank? and the old love
came back.
..She called two policemen and a cab
and started with him to her boarding
house. They broke all speed regulations,
She called five of the best physicians and
they listened to the beating Of his heart
One, two, three. four, five, six, seven.
eight, nine, ten. eleven, twelve, thirteen,
fourteen-and the doctor said: He will be
dead in about o hours She said:
Frank the end is near and he said:
Send for Bill
They telephoned me and I came.
When 1 reached his bedside he said to
me: There's nothing in the life of years
g I care for now, / can hear the grand
stand hiss when / strike out. i can hear
the b~leachers cheer when l make a hit
that wins the game; but this is nothing
that a help me out now, and If the
umpire calls me out now, won't you say
q few words over me Biil?'
He struggled as he a years ago on
the diamond when he tried to reach
home-but the great umpire Of the uni
verse yelled: You're off, And the great
gladiator of the diamond was no more.
Frank Flint sat on the street corner
drunk with me rs years ago in Chicagoi
when I said, IN bid you goodbye. boys.
I'm going to Jesus. Say, men. did l win
the game of life or did they?"
OF the sincerity and the persistence
Iof the change OF heart which took
place at the Pacific Garden Mission in
Van Buren, street, there has been no
reason to question In the more than
one-quarter century that has trans
3pired since then. The event marked
the turning point in the mans career.
Mot Immediately did he give up the
only calling which at the time afforded
him a means Of livelihood. but at once
he began to plan for that change
which other subsequent years Of sacri-
fice led ultimately to his present pre-
eminence in the evangelical field.
The Pacific Garden Mission, famous
for other notable conversions, among
them that of Melville Trotter, the
greatest home mission worker In
america, still stands. and the veteran
Harry Monroe is In charge. as he was
uDon that NIGHT when there came to