The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-08-27
One-Armed
Ball Player
r. n. Allison Does Some Wonderful
Stunts in Handling the Sphere

Perhaps the most remarkable bas4-
ball player in this country is Robert
H. Allison, member of the baseball
team at Blackburn College, Carlinvill,
Illinoise Young Allison has only one
arm, but his remarkable playing, ii
spite of this handicap, has won for
him the captaincy of his nine. He
plays in the outfeld, and last seasoh
he did not have an error charged
against him in Is games in which he
participated.
1t is really like dropping a bail
into a deep well to get it out into his
territory. When he catches. a fly, o.
course he cannot throw the ball with
his glove on. And right there is where
he performs an extraordinary feat;
fiips it up in the air few feet, throws
off his glove, catches the ball again
with his bare hand, and shoots it to
the base in manner wonderful to BE-
hold. Although this performance
naturally occupies couple of seconds
young Allison makes up for the lost
time b. the speed and accuracy with
which he sends the ball to the in
field. In batting, too, he holds his
own with the majority of the other
players en- his team. He uses a regu.
lar bat and holds it pretty well up
toward the heavy end Last year he
made, besides numerous singles, four
three-baggers and two home runs in Is
games.
1t is not only at baseball that this
remarkable young man shines, how
ever. He is a tower of strength on
the college football team, playing
guard, can handle pick and shove.
as expertly as a two handed digger,
besides doing numerous other things,
and doing them well, in which the use
of two arms and hands is generally
considered essential.
When he lost his arm as the result
of an accident in a Pennsylvania coai
mine, at the age of 10, he seemed
hopelessly handicapped Shortly
afterwards, he heard of Blackburn
College, where young men and women
with plenty of grit and determination,
but not much ready cash, are given a
chance to work for their education
This seemed the place for him, es-
pecially as there were coal mines near
by in which it was probable he could
earn additional money at odd times
SO he entered the college and
short time later was offered a position
in one of the mines, working there
from 1 O'Clock in the morning until 7.
After cleaning up he had breakfast,
then went to lectures and classes at
the college.
In the afternoons he studied. His
sleep was crowded into the hours after
he stopped studying until he went into
the mine.S
His first position with the mine
was with the pick and shovel gang.
For a month he held his place with
the two-handed laborers. He then eA
pressed to the superintendent OF the
mine a desire to work in the electric
shop. The latter was interested, but
did not see how one-armed man
could drive rivets, which was the only
position open. Allison said nothing
more at the time. A few days later,
however, he presented himself to the
and told him he was
ready to demonstrate what he couid
do in the rivet punching line. He hal
had a long wooden handle made and
and fitted to the punch, such as Is
used by riveters. and in few minutes
the superintendent that with
this device he could punch rivets as
fast as any two-handed riveter in the
shop. But that was not all A couple
of weeks later he noted with interest
that every man in the shop had
wooden handle on his punch, having