Evening journal., 1915-05-06
Chief BENDER now
52-VEAR-OLD BABE
Greatest of Aboriginal Ball
Players a Star as Age
Comes On
ON RESERVATION
FOR SEVEN YEARS

While the real American is not as
prevalent in the national pastime as the
agood Indians who traced their ancestry
back to Ireland. Germany, England,
France and other foreign parts, the
Rborigine has nothing to be ashamed OF
in his baseball record. Ever since the
invention of the game Poor Lo has had
share in its glorics, and while few red
men have reached the heights of major
league fame, those few have been con-
spicuously successful.
1t is noteworthy that a majority OF
the great Indian players have been
battery men, and of them all "Chief"
Charles Albert Bender, late of the Ath-
lctics, ranks as the star. Bender. who
was 32 years old yesterday, has had
many rivals for the twirling honors Of
the Red Mans League, but he has easily
held the supremacy. Jim Bluejacket, the
big Cherokee, who jumped the Giants
and is now with the Brooklyn Feds, has
shown lots of class on occasions, but he
is afflicted with slumpitis, and is not
dependable. lineup and johnson, the
latter, like Bender, a Minnesota Chip
pewa, have also pulled off some brilliant
twirling stunts but they are not in the
same class with Charles Albert. Jim
Thorpe, the Olympic hero, is one of a
very few Indians whose baseball ambi-
tion has not led 10 the pitchers box.
Thorpe belongs TO the Oklahoma Sac
tribe. and his aboriginal name is Brave
Who Drags.a Rope. "chief" John T..
Meyers, the great catcher of the Giants,
Is a California lniun
"Chief" Bender was born in Brain
nrd, Mimi. May 5. 1883, and before
he stopped growing reached an alti-
tude of six feet and one inch. He
was Of noble Chippewa ancestry. and
II the paleface had kept off America
he would doubtless be mighty
chief and warrior Bender stuck
around the reservation until he was
about seven years old. when he was
shipped of to Carlisle, Pa, to sop
up some of the white mans educa-
ton. He absorbed much paleface
lore and learning. including a knowl-
edge OF baseball, football and sucn
branches He was one OF the star
athletes of Carlisle but was especial
ly proficient on the diamond and the
gridiron.
After a disagreement with the au-
thorities of the Indian School, Bender
packed his grip and walked over "a
the campus of Dickinson College,
where he was received with wild ac-
q claim
~ Benders career has been linked IN
.pmany ways with that Of Eddie Plank
"a the old hero Of Gettysburg When
Bender was pitching for Dickinson
Plank was developing into star
southpaw al Gettysburg College
Dicldnson's chief rival. Connie Mack
b went to see Eddie perform. and at
6ihe same time he saw Bender. The
fastute Connie not only grabbed Eddie
but before he left he had Bender's
signature attached 10 q contract. Thai
was in 1901, and Connie decided thai
the "Chief" needed a little more sea
Boning. so he sent him to Harrisburg
In 1913 Bender was recalled by Mack
and within a few years he had de
veloped into one of the creates
artists OF the mound. Bender stucl
With the Athletics until the close o
last season. when the Indian an'
Plank were turned adrift at the SAM
time Bender was at his best il
1910 when he won twenty-thre
games and lost only FIVE. On tn
mound Bender has always beel
stoical. cool. deliberate and crafty
"Old Reliable" was his middle name
and he was always dependable.