Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-08-16
UNIQUE EVENT
Chesterhill Base Ball Team Of 1851
Back for Reunion and Game on
Old. Home Grounds-All Men,
bers Alive After 40 Years

AT Chesterhill, Morgan county,
Ohio, during the past week base
ball "reminiscences have been in or
der, for on Aug. 9 there was a reun-
ion of the famous Chesterhill base
ball club of 1881, all the members
of which are living.
Persons of middle age or beyond
may recall that from 1880 to about
1890. that little village usually had
ball club that could hold it's own
with the best of amateur clubs and
that it played the clubs of the sur
rounding towns and cities. Some OF
it's players, such as Galen Hopes
J Charles ("Boxer") Gibbons and
Fred Reed and others, had much
more than a local reputation, as die
the team as whole.
Forty-two years ago, the Chester
hill base ball team was composed OF
L. T. Gray, 1b., captain; A. E. Glass
ford, c.; John w. Patterson, p;
| Charles E. Gibbons, 2b.; Jno. T
Fisher, 3b.; Chas. p. Yocom, S.:
w. G.. Fawcett, If; T. J. Palmer, c.
f.; John r. Curry, r.f. The official
umpire and scorer were Hon. B. F
Dutton and Frank l.. Hodgin re-
spectively.
| That team has fixed place in 10
cal history and tradition. Scattered
over the country are men who were
the small boys of that time. who re-
member how they believed it could
defeat any other team in the world
and who yet can give the details OF
games played by it and some exploit
of every one of that team
The reunion was the idea Of l.. T
Gray of McConnelsyille, who plan
ned it as efficiently as he once cap
/ tanned the old team. From their
| homes in various states every mem
Der wrote stating his intention tc
be present. At the last moment
circumstances prevented John w
Patterson from coming, and John r
Curry was seriously i'll. The other
seven came. A. E. Glassford of Tul-
sa, Okla, had the longest trip.
To say it was joyous time would
be putting it mildly Some of the
old team had not seen each other fol
more than 80 years and happy were
the greetings to each other and hap
py were the greetings to all of them
by the old residents. In the after
noon there was a gathering on the
street in the middle of town where
some Of the team practiced at throw
ing and catching as they had done
years ago.
Charles p. Yoco1n (of the old
team and wife entertained the
members of the team with those OF
the wives who could be present, and
some others of the old Chesterhill
boys, at royal dinner at their
beautiful home, and it was an oc-
casion never to be forgotten. The
incidents of the games of the
past were talked over, and the old
boys lived over again the days OF
more than 40 years ago. Letters OF
regret and remembrance from John
Patterson and John Curry were
read.
After dinner, the team went up tC
the old home of Eli S. Fawcett
where a group picture was taken al
the same spot where one of the team
had been taken AZ years ago.
/ 1t is a remarkable fact that every
one Of the nine players shown in
that picture of 1881 is still alive
More than that, everyone is married
/
respective wives are ali living.
During the afternoon, a four in
ming game was played on the old
base ball field south Of the fair
grounds Loren Carpenter was um-
pire and L. j. Denny was scorer
"Huldy" wv. 81 Hiatt and "Sam'
wv. So Fisher who had been on the
Chesterhill team after the middle
sos were substitutes for the two alb
sent members. The opposing team
was made up of local players and
some old Chesterhin boys.
The old team of 1881 had the outs
and lined up as follows: Aus. Glass
ford, c.; Charley dfbobns, p.; Lew
Gray, 1b.; "Huldy' Hiatt, 2b.; Tom
Palmer, 3D.; Charley Yocom, IS. /;
Will Fawcett, If; JOnn Fisher, CT.
!"Sam" Fisher, r.f.
] AS the boys of the old team took
their places, it seemed like revival
of the past, for they were on the
very spot that had been the scene OF
many of their victories of years ago,
There were spectators who in mem
ory could see a picture of the boys
in their uniforms of gray trimmed in
scarlet playing on the same grounds
AZ years ago, when they were ready
to meet all cOmers. The old boys
could not throw as true nor as far
nor hold the ball as-well nor make
the sure hits as in former days, but
/ Continued on page four)
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