The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-27

sing in the little log cabin back In
Iowa where was born. And bow
ca my face in my hands and God
painted on the canvas Of my recol-
lection and memory the scenes Of
other days. and the faces which had
long since passed to dust In the little
graveyard on the hillside over by the
little creek where used to swim and
hsn; And man stepped out and said:
DO you want to come down here
ana hear some fellows who have done
time in the penitentiary and who are
now going square. fellows that used
10 be booze-hoisters. girls that used to
married and living good lives through
the power OF the gospel Of Jesua
7 I-~-.. E-.-.>. Sss.Si J>,,,,srrYt. M
4 St yssx,SSss2 u n & VI tiirH bhhtS-A.
and If I'd tell you the names you'd
recognize every one of them-"Boys,
we have come to where the roads
part: bid you good-by"
Some of the fellows laughed and
sneered some said nothing. But one
fellow gave me a word of encourage
ment and pushed me toward the arms
of Jesus Christ and the path which
has lei me here to this platform.
I've been thirty years getting here.
It's long trip from little log cabin
out In Iowa to this tabernacle. It's
u
hardships and battles and struggles.
] said: II bid you good-by boys
and went down to hear the story
liked il, and one night stagger-
ed TO the front and fell into the
arms of Jesus Christ and said: II
am sick and tired of sin, Lord:
want to go square. will you please
help mer''
] went over on the West SiGs in
Chicago and Joined the Jefferson
/ parS Presb,r erian church. was
keeping company with girl named
Nellie Thorn pson. Hcr name has seer
Mrs. SUNDAY since the 9TH Of SEP
tenber. 1883. married Nell and
she was a Presbyterian that's why
a Catholic, I'd have been a Catholic.
was hot on Nell's trail---thats ALI
MY ma was a Methodist, but Lam .
Presbyterian.
Went SQUARE.
We had couple or three days of.
l didn't want the boys to see me Ne
cause / was afraid of the horse-laugh
they would give me for going square.
for II appeared in the newspapers all
over the country.
/ | walked down on a Wednesday
morning and | put my KEY In the
wicket gate and the first fellow 10
greet me was Mike Kelly. Mike HAD
a heart in him as big as woman.
He came up to me and grabbed me
by the hand and said
"Bili, religion amt my long suit
but II ever I can help you. here's nv
NIT, and Old keii' won't knock. Here
she is. my boy, I'm proud of YOU
Up came Cap Arson. up came Ed
Williamson. up came every member
of that famous old Chicago team. one
of the hest teams that ever cravled
. int me
We went through the season with
only eleven men and won the cham
pionship We didn't have az many
men on the whole team as they have
pitchers on the average Major league
team nowadays We only had two
Decentralization and Mccormick
and we'd alternate them---two pitch
ers
And every member Of that team
came up and gave me the gladhand
There wasn't a fellow on tina, team
that knocked me.
Ny felt a like a milestone had roll
ed of my heart
That afternoon we were playing
the old Detroit team and we were
neck and neck for the championship,
and these games were going to settle
lit. ! was playing right field Clark
son was pitching.
Oh. We have got some fine pitch
ers ncwadays--sNsiter Johnson IL a
EcraekcrJack, Alexander is good
one. Babe Ruth IL good one.
Sharkey is an excellent pitcher. Every
club has one or two good pitchers
but nobody. In my opinion. has ever
qualified us better pitcher than
Ciarkson. lie was craker3ack.
tell you ] have seen them all.
and hs Is the only one I have ever
seen that could do this. I have sseen
"A
/ have eeen the speed and the curves,
but he was the only fellow that could
ever do this He was the only pitch
er that could ever pitch a hall that
would go down and then up. With
an overland motion he could make
| 'er go down and then up He used
to let Il go off the end of his finger
nail. He'd get it like that. and when
she went by you-good night. The
thermometer would fall two degrees,
Poor John died up in Massachusetts,
in an insane asylum. Cigarettes
broke down his health I have known
him to smoke eight and ten boxes OF
them in a day. ] used To- room with
John. The water would be stalnta
with nicotine when he'd take q bath.
Baseball History,
John was pitching and Mike was
| catching and was playing right
field We had them beat In the last
| half OF the ninth inning. three to two.
! Charlie Bennett. the old catcher
| fChariie went out hunting and got
off the train to get some lunch ard
the train started before they thought
1t would and Charlie slipped and Tell
down end had both his legs cut OFF.
Charlie lived out In Detroit, He was
converted at a meeting one mighty
we'll Charlie was at bat We had
them beat three to two in the last
half of the ninth inning. Charlie had
three balls and two strikes on him.
He hatted right handed and usually
| hit to right field.
/ l ho.lered to John: zone more and
we've got EN-
| | can see John as he dug a hole in
| the box Charlie couldn't hit a high