The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-16
LAKELAND AS seen
BY Sporting EDITOR
LOUISVILLE POST

Harry Bloom. sporting editor of
the Louisville Post sends the follow
ing interesting story back to his pa
per about conditions here:
Only seven of the Colonels who
trained at Fort Myers last spring
are in training at the Lakeland
camp this year, and about the first
thing they did. was to forget that
comparisons are supposed to be
odious and made notes on the con
ditions at their new quarters.
The results weren't odious from
a Lakeland standpoint at any rate.
The unanimous opinion of the bunch
is that they Jared much better in
putting up at Lakeland than they
did last year.
Hotel accommodations are improved
their ball park is better. and the
town itself is much more attractive
in appearance. 1t has eight miles
Of street paved with brick and as :.
phalt. whereas last year the Colonels
were continually busy digging sand
out of their low cuts.
The team is quartered in the
fremont hotel, and when they woke
up the first morning they learned
one of the reasons why this place is
called Lakeland. Those who were
fortunate to have rooms fronting in
that direction saw, hardly farther
away than across the street, Mirror
lake. As can be guessed, its name
was derived from it's almost oil like
surface when not disturbed by the
wind. Every detail of the far shore
is duplicated upside down in the
surface Of the water.
Hauled the Infield
Fortunately for the Night Riders,
Lakeland Is one OF the highest spots
in the State Of Florida and is blessed
with q few beds Of clay. 1t also
claims the proud distinction of hav.
ing q few swells in the surface Of
the earth, which have been cour-
teously called hills. But the fact
that this clay was available has
made the infield a great improve
ment over the grass tufted sand
course which the Fort Myers field
presented.
Because OF the unstable sand be
meath the clay, II could not be rolled
down with a steam roller, but hand
rammers worked on 1t under the
guidance Of Groundkeeper Joe Frye.
The outfield OF sand is passable, and
has been rolled with a FIVE ton af-
fair. In the infield the balls take
true Eclipse Park bound. but in
the garden they quickly lose life.
One reason the entire field wasn't
finished before Saturday was be-
cause labor was reticent. On the
way to the ball park is a negro col
ony called Teaspoon Hill, possibly
named from the fact that it's inhab-
itants do SO much work that they
might have been born with silver
spoons in their mouths. When of
fered the chance to aid Joe Frye in
solidifyingt he clay they displayed
remarkable timidity. 1t was only
after strong pressure was brought to
bear that they screwed their courage
to the working pitch.
A grandstand completed before the
Colonels arrived has been screened
and rooted II seats 600 people-59s
to be exact, and is also larger than
the Fort Myers stand. II contains
real live press stand, with telegraph
wires. which will eventually connect
with the city Of Louisville, Ky.
The clubhouse occupied by the
Night Riders was known as the Fine
Arts Building during the fair days,
and this purpose hasn't been entire
ly overlooked by the Night Riders
as Phil Bean here practices his fine
art Of massaging. The shower baths
water here is heated by pine knots,