The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-04-26
srIcY sPAsMs
PLAY BALL What i Means to
America.

The very words themselves have
a familiar look, as of some long lost
friend who suddenly shows up again.
Could any other five letters Of the
alphabet be sIung together so as to
form another phrase so delightful and
lsoothing to the ear? What red
blooded American does not again
| feel that delicious thrill meandering
down his spinal oblongata. at the res
surrection of that long silent phrase,
drowned for more than year in the
lannon's grim roarY
For three days now, since the open
Hing of the leagues on April 23rd.,
this dream cry has been reverberating
from the Green Mounts of Vermont
to the Pine clad hills in Georgia, and
from the Atlantic's troubled swell
to the Golden Gate.
From the 9Th Of April, 1917, I'M
It'll November 18th OF the past year,
every real American felt cloud oy-
ENHANCING the national horizon;
smoke cloud, waited westward from
the battleields Of France. Many felt
this cloud even longer-dating back
to August. of 1914. Gradually, but
steadily it settled over the minds and
hearts of many and its contagion
spread rapidly over our entire coun-
try. The universal game of war had
superseded the national game Of ball.
4 That bouyant, -go-lucky, dew
lil-may-care and light hearted quality
SO characteristic Of most Americans
was sobered somewhat by this grim
mer and more ominous international
contest.
Now that season has closed.
The best team won, and the pennant
hangs in the clubhouse Of humanity
and justice, the property Of the allied
team.
| True, the contest is over, but its
effects may still be felt. Human
minds cannot so easily, Of their own
accord, set aside unpleasant occur
rences and oppressive recollections.
What method then may be suggested,
4 to Danish utterly any lingering feel
ings of melancholy, which might still
remain?
Just here our meditations are in
terrupted by once familiar but now
almost forgotten sound. A deep
throated. sonorous sound it is. Since
April 23rd we have heard it family
but unheedingIy. Fronm the Nation
al to the American it echoes 1t is
re-echoed by the Southern and Amer
lean Association 1t strikes the walls
of the Rocky Mountains and is hurl-
ed back at US from the Pacific Coast
League Senii-professionaf and ann
ateur clubs take it up and keep it
ringing in out ears, Suddenly from
out the doors of our H. B. M. A. we
find it taken up and hurled as chal-
Ilenge to other teams in Western Ken
lucky and in this last reverberating
echo we distinguish the meaning
PLAY BALL!
This then may be one answer to
the question of reinstating all the old
light-heartedness and vitality. And
why not? What can dispel worry,
care and years, better than seat IN
the bleachers under burning sun, a
bag of peanuts for company and the
musical PUNK of the ball in the
glove, caressing the ear? What can
produce greater exhiliration than the
crack of the bat meeting fast one,
or the slide into second, on close
. play?
What more stimulating exercise
could the brain receive than the pro-
cess of christening the umpire after
: questionable decision?
We give it up, we have heard no
better remedy suggested.
o
An American soldier writes to his
;, brother from overseas:
Gam sorry you voted for the six
!, months pay for discharged soldiers.
q We look at it with distrust. Our big
idea of rushing out Of the service is
: to avoid the laziness that insured in
: come, position, promotion and an ca
. sy berth always create. We fear
that big bonus or income for some
months will tend to pauperize, or
, y strengthen that erroneous impression
that some unthinking men already
have, namely that the country owes
them living. We are having it soft
over here, more SO than in civilian
t life. Nothing could be better for a
$ man than going to work the day he
9 is discharged"
We could tell him that those sixty
simoleons, bonus, furnished capital
for mighty little loafing over here.
4 Halfway From Where?
We find in one of the query col
umns of paper, this question and
answer:
Ques.-How long should wear my
dresses?
Answer your dresses halfway
L