Evening star., 1924-11-05

K IHO discovered Ty Cobb?
wv The question has been
argued for more than IS
years and with apparently no def
mite answer. Many men have
claimed the distinction and many
arguments have resulted.
Also, y is generally believed that
Cobb was born in Royston, Ga. He
was not. Cobb's birthplace was in
Banks County, Ga, and Banks County
is close to the Carolina State line.
His parents moved to Royston, a
small town near Augusta, when
Tyrus was a baby and Cobb spent his
boyhood in Royston.
His father was schoolmaster One
day, IS years after Cobb made his
major league debut, he received a
package. Inclosed was a faded man
uscript, yellow with age. Written in
long hand was an address. The hand
writing was free, easy. To an expert
in such matters the writer would ap-
pear as Il man who knew his subject
and who set down his ideas rapidly
and well. The address dealt with
education in the State Of Georgia, ad-
yocating more liberal education and
setting forth citations from history
to establish the point that education
Is the foundation of true democracy.
Written by Ty's Father.
The writer of the address was
Cobb's father. He delivered it be-
fore a State convention of educators,
and. according to the man who sent
Cobb the manuscript and who heard
Cobb's father deliver the address 40
years previously, the speech did a
great deal for the development of
educational facilities in the State and
was the finest address ever delivered
before a body of educators"
Cobbs father. as a result. became
one of the leading educators in
Georgia, and until his untimely death
did splendid work in establishing a
better system for the development OF
the school in his home State.
One of the. greatest women in the
world, in Cobb's opinion, was his
grandmother. She has always had
his keenest admiration.
Il never knew another woman like
her" he says. she had one of the
most remarkable minds, if not the
most remarkable ever came in con-
tact with. Her memory is fiawless.
Her intuition is far more accurate
than the logical conclusions of any
man / know. / have never found a
human being moro frank and at the
same time more diplomatic than she
is. Her insight into human nature is
uncanny."
An Ordinary Boy.
Cobb was an ordinary boy. He did
the things that other boys did in
much the same way. There was
nothing about him that would indi-
cate future greatness in any particu-
lar calling. He was the kind Of a
boy who. after he achieves high rank,
finds the neighborS remarking: You
don't mean to tell me it's that same
spindle legged kid what used to run
around here? I can't imagine it,
And he was a spindle-legged kid
extremely thin, gangGnE youth
He rode bicycle: he fshed he play
ed ball Finally he learned to swim
A negro taught Cobb how to swim
The colored man, working for one OF
the families in Royston, used to go
to the swimming hole. Cobb was
timid about the water. The negro
asked the boy to climb on his back
and he would carry him out. Cobb
did. The negro swan about with
Cobb's arms around his neck, his legs
pinned to his sides. He brought him
bach 10 shore- ne repeated lnlS tne
next day and the next Then, one
day, he carried Cobb to midstream on
his back. There he made him release
his hold Cobb, forced to swim OF
sink, discovered he could swim. he
swan back to shore, unassisted, and
he swan ever after.
Not Best Boy Player.
There have been many stories writ
ten about Cobb's accomplishments as
a boy. There are stories tending to
picture him as an infant prodigy
But Cobb had none of the outstand-