The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-04-11
Laurence Sherman Writes
Father About Ball Game
and Relay Race
HOME RUN KNOWN AS
50,O00-LIRE WALLOP
test Between Representatives of Two
nent Athletes Take Part in Relay.

That America 5 cadet aviators in Italy
have an opportunity for recreation from
their strenuous work of learning the air.
is shown by the following interesting let
ter which George f. Sherman has received
from his son, Laurence Sherman, describ-
ing an athletic carnival in which repre-
sentatives from two United States avia-
tion camps participated Writing under
date of March II, he says:
Yesterday was gala day for the west
camp We had the best ball game you
ever saw-a game you might read about
in a dime novel. We won by a score of
to 0, George Mackey getting a home
run in the fifth. 1t was really the only
hit our team got off the opposing pitcher,
Dick Alsworth. who formerly was with
Connie Mack. He surely did pitch Won
derful game, having a world of stuff and
bushel of speed. They had men on third
four times, three times with only one hit.
1t was a regular game, all right, and fur
nished more excitement than / have seen
since football days. That home run is
known all over Italy as the 50000-lire
hit. 1t was an awful wallop. The fellow
who caught Alsworth had to soak his
hand in salt and water for about three
hours last night before he could even bend
his fingers.
/ Before the game we had a relay race
and the other camp wanted to bet all
kinds of money at almost any odds. We
didn't have the nerve for they had Holden
N~.I r -
for them. However, we won the relay by
about a quarter of a mile | ran the
hundred and was lucky enough to get
away with it. | gave the next man five
yards and he increased the lead about
five more. This fellow also ran the 220
Then the two mile came. Brown of VIII
liams ran for us against Holden of Yale.
He ran a wonderful race and gave Nc
Donald, captain of Columbia, IA, an
awful lead. This was another 220. The
half was the last and they had Windnagle
but the lead was too much for anyone to
overcome so we won the race.
The funniest part of the ball game were
the natives. They all thought we were
crazy. Everybody was there, some COM
ing in hacks with liveried coachmen ct al
One hack-1 guess it contained Mr.. and
Mrs. Foggia themselves-sta driving
through center field. We had to stop the
game. An Italian general was among the
spectators, and here's hoping he couldn't
understand English. Everybody forgot
there was such thing as rank in the
army and several times the general was
told more or less forcibly to sit down.
It's fun to go to ball game now when
You can swear in three languages
French, Italian and honest-to- -Gawd talk.
We all went over to the west camp in
camions. 1t was a regular parade led by
the captain and the baseball team. We
who ran were lucky enough to ride up
front We had an Italian band, without
doubt the funniest aggregation that was
: ever gotten together. They had red uni
forms and most of them were old enough
to have played triumphal marches for
Caesar and Hannibal.
On March 9 they put the clock ahead
5 an hour The only thing it does for us
is to get us an hours extra sleep and
make supper an hour later. It's so dark
and cold mornings now that we can't take
{ advantage Of the hour on that end of the
5 day 1t will give us a couple OF extra
r flying hours, however, and that's what
5 really counts. Give my best regards to
everyone.
Il LAURENCE.