The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-05-27
TOLD ABOUT BASE BALL
DR.. q. F. MCRAW HARKS
BACK MANY YEARS
Story of "CycIone Cellar" That
Was Very Popular With
Military Men

After IN absence Of thirty two
years, Dr.. D. F. McGraw, q former
resident of this city, has returned TO
Mankato. the scene of his boyhood
days. He is now located in Philadel-
resident of this city, are here to
spend several days. 1t was the pleas
ure of r. Z. Brown. old schoolmate
of Dr.. McGraw, and a representative
OF The Free Press to have a very
pleasant visit with the doctor yes,
terday afternoon at the Saulpaugh
hotel. It was indeed a pleasure to sit
and listen to the two former school
mates relate their boyhood pranks
when they both attended the Old
Union school.
In the course of the conversation,
DR.. McGraw remarked as he looked
at Mr.. Brown with a merry twinkle
in his eye; Say Bob, come to think
Of it, you and / were at one time
members of the same military out
fit"
That's right, doctor, we were both
members of old Company F., You
were Captain, and l believe that
was a lieutenant, were you not?"
That's right, Bob. We did tote
swords then didn't we. But say, do
you remember my cyclone CELLAR"
Mr.. Brown let his mind go back in
! retrospect through the years, but
he failed to recall any severe storms
during the first national guard en-
campment in this city that would
necessitate the use Of a Cyclone
cellar.
Turning to the scribe, DR.. McGraw
said that he supposed that he ought
to explain that during the first state
encampment ever held in this city,
the mercury lowered continuously
near the hundred mark, and caused
a great thirst especially among the
officers office II had la! an ice ice. box at my
and dug a hole and placed it in the
ground and filled with ice, and
something that since the Volstead
act does not exist. l called it my
cyclone cellar. Every time that
cloud appeared in the sky, some
member of the staff would take
refuge in the cellar. Do you re-
laugh between the two old friends
was admission that they both had
an intimate acquaintance with the
storm cellar. Continuing DR.. MrGraw
said: Let me see / believe that
George w. Mead was the first cap
tain, S. w. Burgess was the second
one to take command, then / was in
command Of Company F for a while
and then, W. l.. Comstock. now
Returning here after a thirty two
years absence is like being dropped
into some strange land which has
advanced beyond all expectations. If
did not at intervals see the word
'Mankato' on the buildings, / would
not know that it was the same Man
kato in which I spent some of my
best days. Why the only~old land
mark left is the Clifton House That's
had base ball teams that could play
the game. Do you remember the
Battles here in town made up of us
school boys. Then there was the
Cobb River Farmers club. the Was
eca Champions and the st. Paul Red
Caps. The. people ST Mankato put up
silver ball as a trophy. Whoever
won this ball for three successive
seasons could keep it for all time.
Our team went out to get the bacon
and we did. The last 1 heard of that
ball it was in the possession of Theo-
dore Williams, for he was secretary
Of the Mankato team. Ed Bradley
pitched, Clayton Warner played
short, Isaac Dean first base, Bart
Martin second, Frank Adams third,
John Shaubut right field played
third base. Ed Bradley was mayor of
the town then, and he bet on all of
the games and backed us UP at every
stage of the game. That was along
during the years 1872 to 1876. Those
were good old days, and things have
changed greatly since then, but I
do love to meet old friends and talk
over the good old days in Mankato,"
said DR.. McGraw in closing.
DR. McGraw says that the first
train that ran into Mankato carried
the Rep Caps Of st. Paul to this city
and the train remained here until the
close of the game and took the st.
Paul players back to that city. The
Pioneers of Mankato came out vic
torious that day. The ball grounds
then were about where the intersec-
ton of Carroll and VAN Brunt streets
now are located. The train was in
charge Of Conductor Messer and Will
liam Monte was engineer. This was
a big event in the sporting annals Of
Mankato. but the silver. ball trophy
| remained in MankatO