Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-25
BY Johnny EVERS

! the boys, VINO ldQ peen my Ir16nQ:
from the time we were all kids" to
gether, rode from Trpy to Albany OF
the trolley car with me They were
escorting me off to- the big league
where | was to play, although l haG
never yet seen a big league game
| The first one l ever saw was tht
contest in which ! played as a mem
Der of the Chicago CUBS the next day
Not being an experienced traveller
l did not know anything about Pull
mans, so when j arrived in Albany
where l was to catch the train t
New York, bought lot of cigars
boarded the smokingfcar and settled
myself as comfortably as l could fol-
the night. The 80 OF 40 fellows who
had come over from Troy gave me g
farewell handshake aid was on my
way to the big league, even though
my style Of travel Was not very i'm
,pressive. From 1 O'clock in the morn
ing, when the train left Albany, until
$50, when it reached New York,
smoked steadily, rapidly reducing my
supply of cigars. i did not get wink
of sleep and smoked until the smoke
came out of my eyes,;
Sees Labor Day Parade.
A cousin of mine met me at the
train in New York and went to Jer
sey City with me, helping with my
bag and acting as guide, which ]
needed. had a little breakfast there
and then caught the 5 O'Clock train
for Philadelphia My tough luck still
hung to me when / reached that town,
for l landed in the middle of the, La
Dor Day parade on September s, 1902
and they had rule that no one could
cut through the procession. This was
enforced by the police and lost an
argument with a copper while trying
to sneak between the files. As a re
suit was an unwilling spectator OF
that parade for two. hours, all this
time standing on the curb with my
grip in my hands. Finally reached
the old Continental hotel, where the
Cubs were stopping, worn, dirty and
very weary. III ~. e-u.,.
Y For years I HAD Followed the base,
ball news carefully in spite of the fact
/ had never seen big league game,
so that when / saw Bobby" Lowe
standing outside of the Continental
knew him at once from pictures of
him in the newspapers. OF course,
Lowe did not recognize me.
Evers Reports to the Cubs.
'1s Selee around?' asked him.
Lowe looked me over and / guess /
presented a pretty tough appearance
after my hard night, for he said:
Yes, he's inside, but he's pretty
busy just now, and you won't be able
to see him"
However, 1 went along inside the
hotel, and l found Selee very busy
doing nothing and sitting on settee
In the lobby while doing it. No one
was even near this busy fellow, but
suppose Lowe had figured me a nut
from my sorry appearance and thought
to steer me away from the manager.
weighed only los pounds at the time,
and the nights ride without sleep,
combined with my long wait for the
parade to pass had not served to make
me look any huskier. Both games
were scheduled for the afternoon, and
! still had some time before the team
started to the park.
Meets Manager SeIee.
Who are your" Selee asked me. -
I'm Evers from the Troy club" ]
announced rather huIibly.
Are you the kid that Bacon was
to throw in with Hardy?"
II guess So" admitted.
Have you had anything to eat or
have you slept?"
S@'fNot lately" answered.
Here's the key to ROOM" he said,
moving over to the desk and getting
one from the clerk. go upstairs and
take sleep. I'll send a uniform up
to you. The first game is at o'clock
and we leave for the park at IT,
had hardly lain down on the bed
and dosed when bellboy knocked
on my door
Here's the uniform Mr.. Selee sent
up" he said and he threw in a set of
Cub spangles, the first l had ever
seen.
Trip to the Ball Park.
Every big league uniform had the
players name pasted inside of it. /
have discovered since, and, as turned
the one handed me over and examined
it, / found on tag the name. LANCE"
81 1t was Bill Lange's uniform, and II
would easily have held two players
my size. When got into it / looked
more as if were going to die any
minute than / had before. although |
had looked badly enough then. In
those days the teams dressed at the
hotel and took the bus to the park.
In adjusting this uniform, so much too
big for me, as we'll as l could | was
five or ten minutes late and kept the
bus waiting.
Here's Johnny Ward" said one of
the players as l appeared.
Starting already" they shouted in
chorus.
1t seems that when johnny Ward
was in the league he was always late
and kept the bus waiting. SO that this
soon became the PLAYERS expression
for hardness, Just as the rush of q
player for the dining room or DINING
car or the berths in sleeper is still
called Pulling Lave Cross" Durins