Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-26
I'm THE SPRING AN
OLD MANS FANCY"
Turns to Baseball and Those
Who Played 1t Half a
Century Ago

AL REACH. the dean of Philadelphia base
"A ball players never would talk about
himself, and now that he's pretty close to
eighty it's too late to begin. But II you
catch him i'm the right mood. say when the
first aromatic tang of spring tinctures the
warm breeze creeping through tho partly
opened window in his apartment. he may
gossip of other old-timcrs, as he did for us
one day last week.
During Al Rcachs long connection with
tho firm Of Reach & Rogers owners OF the
Philadelphia National League Club do
not recall single occasion where he fingered
in the lmcght or granted an interview. lie
left all that sort Of thing TO Colonel Rogers.
who was lawyer and an expert eNplaincr OF
the various reasons why the peunant hungry
public should bc content to "wait until nest
year Reach as a player had always been
50 intimately connected with championship
ball II probably would have panied him TO
extinction to have to stand up and explain
away failure But, apart from that, he was
always "talk-shy," and he did his best work
with bat in his hands
on that morning last week when we
entered his shell and got him out---crediting
the spring breeze, as we've said, with an
assist--he made us promise that we would
not talk about him unduly. and We mean to
Keep our word. But you never can tell
where question will lead you. For in
stance, hanging on the wall of his room was
relief metal, which seemed as likely II
subject as anything in sight to take us away
from Al Reach, but when we asked about it
he said: There you go first time up {!
That was one of the last things turned out
at my trade. You know | was an iron
molder In Brooklyn before came here"
THAT was long time ago" we said
Yes" said he, NEARLY sixty years n long
time ago" lie looked far off over the roof
tops and repeated, drcalrily. "a long, long
time ago.
An Old Scrapbook
On the table before US was an old scrap
book, which we borrowed when we left and
from which We mean to reproduce some rare
old baseball stuff later. Turning the pages
idly while the veteran was busy with his
day-dream, saw and mentioned a name
which called the dreamer back a few years
nearer to the present
ooh. Arle Latham" he said, and smiled
Any one who knew Latham would smile
at mention of his name. lie was one of the
earliest and funniest comedians of the dla-
mond. Germany" Schaeffer. better known
to this generation, was dignihed pomposty
compared with Arlie. He was irrepressbe.
Latham" said Al Reach, getting up from
his chair and initiating the sprighty walk
of the gay lad of whom he was speaking
came into my sporting goods store at 23
South Eighth street one day--in 1882, /
think--and introduced himself like this
say, MT. lleacH, 10 you want 10 nlre good
ball player" lie twirled around in front of
me like n ballet dancer and snapped his
fingers like castanets."
Here the veteran gave a close and nimbe
imitation Of his visitors antics.
"I don't know anything about YOU I said
How good are your oh, no no how good
am ~ says he. (IIere the veteran pranced
about the room like two-year-old, enap-
ping his fingers and shaking his head) 'Oh
no no how good am ~ Well | said
| can you batT oh! no no = says he (more
| dancing business), can ! bat? Can 1 bat
| oh! no no! II you're SO good said I
| what kind OF an arrangement could / make
| with your lie stood still long enough "a
| give me his terms. Ill work for you' he
| said, for SI5 MONTH AN right 1 told
him I'll give you trial.
"Then he began his dancing again, wilder
| than ever before. 'IIo. ho ho! says he
| can ! batT Now l had In my store at tina,
| time a swinging seat or bench hung to the
| ceiling with chains--you know the kind OF
| thing ! mean; they use them on porcbes
even now. Well, Arlie pranced around unit
| he was In front OF that swing and he backed
| right into II 30 hard that he went completed,
| over But he landed on his feet and danced
| around to the front again. cracking hi,
fingers and crying 'Ho no ho! can bat
~ ~ a. q ~ srss M hlxs1 i