The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-19
TRUE FANS DO MUCH TO PUT
 BASEBALL ON A BETTER BASIS

he has ball park of his own at his summer home in Long Island Changing the subject, he said:
 Say, Mike, I'm on first base .se other day and a fellow behind me hits one on line -
 If that stuff is all you've got to talk about" interrupted Donlin, "Tm going"
 So it Is in all lines of profession. Your wcrl1 and topics concerning 1t cannot be made a recreation. I am sure that 9v per cent of ball players want to be civil but every one of them who is written or talked about to any great extent must run gauntlet of foolish idolatry that bores him to death.
 LIKES PLAIN FOLKS
 Like plain folks, for they are the salt of the earth, and like to mix with them. met bunch of railroaders one day and had good time We were stranded on Labor Day, 1912. between Cincinnati and Pfttsburg and did not get off to play q game. In the afternoon they had a caboose on the rear of our train. and l went back to have a smoke. Brakemen, flaginen, conductor and the rest were dandy fellows. I lay down in a bunk and smoked. No one talked baseball. I re- member one fellow asked:
 Say, Bill. ever hear that off ag'in. on az in, gone agin, Finnegan report in the super?'
 Sure thing" responded Bill.
 Well. here's another one,'' offered the "brakesie''
 '"The night was dark and stormy.
 We couldn't see the stars,
 We broke in two at Downyville,
 And piled 'em up at Mars.'
 That kind of stuff made it a happy aft ernoon for me. They knew who I was, but never opened their mouths about baseball. It was fishing hunting, rail- roading, every subject but baseball. They gave me part of their lunch and tobacco and entertained mo with humble but royal hospitality all the way. They are the kind of strangers I like to meet.
 My aversion to talking baseball with every hotel lobby dude meet does not mean that I do not retain my love for the game. But the whirr of the mill machinery, the shouts of the worllmen and the hurndrum Of the daily routine would hardly afford the mechanic an evenings recreation. love the game so that nothing could ever have taken me away from it.
 I could have entered upon a political career in Allegheny county, Pennsyl- vania, 10 years ago but loved baseball better.
 William H. Coleman, now a member of Congress from the western Pennsyl- vania district, came to me one day after a game and said:
 "Honus. the republican committee of this great county offers you the nomi- nation for sheriff.
 told him that knew more about hanging up base hits than murderers. Aside from the chance to be a sheriff. baseball has afforded me some strange opportunities in other lines. Show people have several times wanted me to do a turn, but the one big opportunity in my life was when I had chance to be- come an African king
 RECEIVED OFFER TOO LATE My love for fild life and adventure might have found the proposition suit able. but the terms did not reach me until 10 years after they were made. A prominent Pittsburg missionary who was doing work among the African natives in 1905 was warm baseball fan. He relates that on Christmas day mail boat came up the Niger river and among the packages was one containing Pitts burg newspapers of the date of Septem- Der 5. It contained an account of Pitts