The Washington herald., 1914-07-12
Was
ANATUREFAKER A
So Says Little Booklet. Deal
ing with National
Game.
TEAM STANDING FOUND
Forty Centuries Ago Game Was
Played Near River

| The chap named Chadwick who claims
TO have discovered or invented baseball
about forty years ago. was a nature
falxir" or something on that order. ae-
cording to little booklet that came In
to our possession today.
] After remarking that Archaeology con-
| tribrtes It's testimony to the antiquity Of
bah playing" the booklet goes on to tell
US about a huge number OF stone slabs
that have been uncovered IN recent years
TO show that baseball became a popular
pastime shortly after Noah's ark cast
anchor on Mount Ararat.
Some of these slabs 'tis said, show the
picture OF a shortstop who had huge
paws. was bow-legged. and who talked
with 2 heavy German accent The writer
Of the article did not say whether this
picture was that Of Hans Wagner OF Of
his father
Forty centuries ago." seriously states
this little booklet. baseball was played
on the banks OF the Nile River. A leather
covered ball was used. II had a sewed
cUver. and Is on exhibition in the British
Museum. In London. and Is In a remark
able state of reservation"
The article failed to say whether IL
wss a Reach or Spaiding ball.
Furtner on the artcle Stale9s
IN the twelfth Egyptian dynasty. 4
coptie artist sculptured on the Benz Has
sen. a large number OF figures in the act
OF throwing and catching a baseball"
In another bit of sculpturing work that
goes 10 prove that baseball is a very an
cert game, Il Is said there are two
figures. one standing in front, and the
other behind. and that the figure IN the
rear is In the act of soaking the fellow
-.
NcGraw didn't spring any original stun
wheE he began getting himself hit from
behirc."
Team Standing Found.
The artiNe regrets that It cannot make
known the name OF the teams that won
the pennant IN 7Osi B. C, owing TO the
league standings for that year, and also
Chronicled the world series stun, is so
badly blurred that deciphering the chisei-
Ing has been impossible.
However. down near the bottom of the
slab. and listed after a heading World
Series Pitchers" there are some letters
that stand out above the BLUR. These are
Bee" Mat" and "Pi-." Many
persons may think that they recognize
these letters as being part OF the names
of certain pitchers. who have indignantly
denied that they have been pitching since
the game began.
In the sixteenth century" declares the
booklet, "the game of ball was very popu- |
lar In the courts of the princes OF Europe. |
especially in Italy and France. The |
Chinese have played ball from remote an !
tiquity. and the game had been known for |
senturies in Japan. The ancient Greeks |
prized the game very highly because II 4
gave them grace and elasticity" I
More Of the tablets that have been dis |
covered showed whether Bill Klein used |
to umpire back in the old days, nor do |
any make mention OF an umpire. How |
ever. IL is believed that they did have |
umpires in those days. because one OF
the slabs shows an object, shaped like a /
beer bottle, hurting in the direction OF the
COCO Of a person who is seen wearing a
blue cap and a blue suit. and whose
pockets are bulGing the same way that /
ones pockets bulge when ones pockets
ar- filed with basebalIs.