Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-06-17

ne puts away tIlc AdSISA A
the better his control. I'm not joking
drinking actually improved his pitch-
ing, But it didn't have the same ell
feet on other players with our clup-
there was the devil to pay. NO more
Barneys for me-
Undismayed by the judgment OF
Parke, the manager of the Cincinnatls
grabbed Larkin, Dragging: conserve
mel can handle any player who lsnt
actually bughouse."
Balloon observed. It wasn't alto
gether what Barney Larkin did, al
though that was "a-plenty." 1t was
what he did to the Cincinnati team.
When they next appeared in the East,
one Of the sporting writer's SAID that
nothing so disorganized had come out
of Ohio since Coxey's army. Gladly
the 'load of wild OATS" as Barney had
come to be called, was given his un-
conditional release.
He was now officially designated a
Stree agent" But where had his free
dom taken him?
There was sure way to trace Bar
ney Larkin. He loved the spotlight;
no near statesman or Thespian OF the
chorus sought the bright white light
more persistently. Barney was either
in the newspapers or seeking to break
into print. Most generally he found
the scribes in a receptive frame CT
mind. Barney Larkin was to the
sporting writer's what Harry Thaw
was to the sob artists for a col
umn any dull day. And the story,
nine times out Of ten, got on to the
wire and Travelled over the country.
iris Ford sent out an IS. o. S." to
Barney Larkin, the sporting editor of
the North Star acting as transmitter.
The scribe wrote story about Bar
ney, rehearsing his exploits with
horsehide and highball, and winding
up with the query:
elias anyone seen Barney? Is he
far from the madding crowd of fans
humping along on the water wagon,
or is he mixing up drinks and pitching
with his old-time abandon and ne'er
failing skill? We rcpeat-has anyone
seen Barney Larkin?"
Back flew the answer: "Barney is
in our midst"
1t came from Punxsutawney, state
of Pennsylvania.
The rest was merely the correspond
ence of diplomacy, at which Tris-tram
Carling-ford was lineal descendant
of Charles Maurice Talleyrand. The
elimination was a telegram from
Larkin, sent collect, reading:
"Come on and get NE"
The manager of the Giant-killers
took the first train for Punxsutawney,
ly located northeast of the Smoky city.
He took with him corpulent roll of
yellow bills. iris Ford knew that he
must buy Larkin's release-not from
the outlaw club. but from the trades
men of Punxsutawney.
Up Center street and down the shady
side, Ford and Barney tramped MAX
ing more calls than the letter carrier.
There were the clothier, the shoe-store
man, the haberdasher, the laundry, the
barber, every bar in town, and both
hotels to pay, and the express COM
pany. Barney owed the express COM
pany for transportation charges on a
bulldog! The one thing that saved
the enterprise from complete insol.
vency was the departure of the daily
train for Pittsburgh at one o'clock in
the afternoon.
iris Ford did not leave Punxsutaw,
ney altogether In a cheerful attitude
of mind, Notwithstanding he had cap
TIRED his quarry, for the directors Of
the outlaw club came to the train in q
body and thanked the big-league man.
ager because he was taking Barney
out of town. Even to the man of iron
nerve this was disquieting.
In the manner told was Barney Lar
kin brought to the Giant-killers' ball
yard. His first appearance, notably
unlike most pitching inaugurals, was
an unalloyed triumph.
Facing Detroit, which club was then
going strong, he let the Tigers down
without a hit. But 'twenty-seven men
went to bat, and of these Barney
struck out fifteen-a record comment
ed upon to this day. In the last inning,
with two out and that demon batsman,
"the Georgia persimmon," at bat. Bar
ney walked toward the grand stand,
stopped, and then motioned the crowd
to go home. "All over!"' he insisted.
The fans roared IN delight-and
roared louder still when he struck the
champion batter out. From that mo-
ment Barney Larkin was the idol of
the fans. There were times, many
times, when he caused Bill Dart. who
was fighting disease and death in the
hospital, to be forgotten by the heart
less rooter. The eccentric left-hander
was keeping the Giant-killers in the
hunt for the pennant.
Also, he was keeping iris Ford
awake nights. No such prize problem
in manhandling had been put up to
Ford in the twenty years of his man.
agement. Unerringly iris had sized