The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-09-04
BASE BALL CLUB
ORGANIZED FOR THE
COMING SEASON
Citizens Pledge Handsome Fund At
initial Conference.

supper at the City Restaurant in honor
of the base ball team. The voluntary
subscription of $2,375.OO made by bust.
ness men present at the banquet, tho
ugh only a small part of what will be
required to finance the club, is enough
to assure that it will be success, that
is, providing the other business men
of the community contribute in pro-
portion, and it is reasonable to believe
they will
Welsh has been fortunate for many
years in having good base ball team.
Considering thes ize of the town its re-
presentation has been above the aver
age. The writer has been familiar with
Southwest Louisiana affairs for more
than twenty years, and we are pleas
ed to state that our first introduction
to the community was through base
ball game. We were favarably impress
ed by their superiority. Therefore
when anyone mentioned Welsh our
first remark was:
Must be good live town for they
have a stiff ball team A base ball
team and brass band are two unmis.
takeable ear marks of a live communi
ty. There are live communities who do
not have these things, but there is no
dead community that does, you can
put that down assboni fide.
The local club has always been com.
posed of exclusive home material and
they have been able to finance them.
selves with very little assistance from
the citizens This has sufficed for the
past but not for the future. During the
past few years the National sport has
come into Southwest Louisiana with
great vigor. Neighboring towns have
gone into it on larger scale, until,
in order to maintain its base ball
standing Welsh is forced to do some.
thing.
The team must have an experience
ed manager and some outside players.
Its home players must have the time
that is required for practise, It must
have equipment. The park must be re.
arranged and equipped and grand.
stand built. 1t will take a considerable
sum of money to put the deal across
but it will be we'll worth the price.
To those who bt.ve no interest in
the national game this talk will lack
appeal. but to the base ball fan the
proposition is of deepest interest.
There are good Americans who are
not base ball fans, but there is no base
ball fan who. is not good true Ameri-
can.
Base ball is clean sport. 1t is moi
only entertains but it helps to build
the community spirit, which is the life
OF the community. In order to thrive
it must be of the winning kind. In or
der to win it we must have the proper
material and management. Boys who
work six and 0ne.half days a week in
the store or shop cannot be expected
to win against professional ball play
ers, who practice and play ball daily
With the start that has been made
there is no doubt about Welsh beins
on the base ball map the coming seas
on.
Regarding the supper at the Cit
! Cafe, itw as great. Chicken was tn,
foundation and around it Messrs. Du
miot and Preiean gathered a sprea,
OF all the appetizing dishes procurable
They are due much credit for the grea
spread, which was by no means Hoe
verfest.
The idea which originated with DR.
B. J. La Cour, was put into operatio,
through the efforts of Messrs. F. G
Seward and G. E. Myer, all leadin,
spirits in base ball annals. The bas,
oall team as guests enjoyed it emeu
sely.
After the eating speaking was indul
ged in at the direction of toast mas
ter DR.. La Cour, many complimentary,
remarks being passed to the base bal
team. This speech making finally LEI
up to the voluntary subscription 70
the coming season and to the selection
OF officers for the organization. The Of
ficers selected were M. L. Prentice
President; Sherman Carter, Vice Pres
r. G. Seward. Secretary and Treas
}. L. Watkins and O. J. Toups, men
Ders OF the board of directors.
These officers and directors are a
business men who have plenty Of hus
tie and ability. Their selection spell
the success of the movement
1t is pleasing to note how the ia
mers of the community are intereste
In this base ball club, number {
them having already volunteered to
notch subscription.
/ ---0----
Notes of the Game.