Evening star., 1925-11-30

catcher ran around the backstop II
fence. He vaulted the fence and caui
After the game (of course. Noosic
won, and there are no records to
disprove the statement "A man who
said he was Webb Clauss and man.
ager of the Leighton team offered the
fence jumping Moosicer a catching job
on Saturday afternoon at s. and eX-
penSes.
Turning Point in Career.
lis all pretty clear in my mind
about the IS and expenses and about
The eager acceptance of the red-headed
miner. for / was the catcher. and al
though some OF that red hair has long
since passed into the great beyond, I
still have enough freckleS left TO
prove my identity
That catch marked turning point
In my life. Just as in most lives. If
only you will dig deep enough. you
can find a significant incident that
altered their entire course.
For several years l had been work
ing in the mines in which my father.
James Jennings, was mine carpen-
ler. I was born in Pittston. Pa. but
when l was > years old our family
moved to MoOsic. another mining
Town three miles away. I was Il when
| started to work in the mines OF
Moosic.
Mine Work Not So Bad.
Many people have asked me how
my one can stand work in the mines
but II is not SO bad as you think 1t
Is dark there, of course. but you get
used to the eternal darkness. You
become accustomed TO the lantern
light and find your way about easily.
[ don't think it is any hardships for
he men nor for the mules that are
used to haul the coal. | never saw
mule that seemed to mind it in the
least.
Mining has its compensations-you
never get soaked by rain: there are no
biting winds in the Wintertime: you
never encounter sudden changes in
weather The temperature Is about
even the year around. and 1t is a re-
lief from the heat of Summer and the
cold of Winter. You appreciate being
down in the mines on blistering days
OF Summer and on the bitter days in
Winter. Il is always comfortable down
here. The mines hold dangers. but
you are in danger anywhere else.
S. Is Lot Of Money.
When I began working in the mines.
my salary was 90 cents q day. Later
his salary was increased TO S1.l0 a
day, and that was as high as I ever
got. When Webb Clauss offered me
So and expenses for a single game
I gasped. for that was almost as
much money as 1 could earn in the
mine all week. and imagine all the fun
| was getting out of it.
Playing ball was all lived for We
were lifted out Of the mine at o'clock
in the afternoon. our days work done.
As soon we were released we ran
home for a quick supper and then to
the foot of the hill, where we played
until we could no longer see the ball.
Base ball was the one great game
in that mining section. Pittston.
MOosic. Leighton. Wilkes Barre, Scran-
ton and all the mining towns nearby
went solidly for base ball. In the de-
scending darkness some of the games
best players were developed. Among
those who got their start in the mines
/ recall Mordecai Brown, Ed Walsh.
Stanley Harris, Jake Daubert, Bill
Coughlin, the Coveleskies, Harry and
Stanley: the O'Neills Steve and JIM
my: Larry Doyle, Chick shorten. Mike
McNally. Joe Boley. and the most
picturesque Of all umpires, Timothy
Hurst.
Would Make Great Team.
What pitching and catching staff
anu lIlllelu you COulu get OUT O1 lfllS
crew! Brown. Walsh and the Cove
lesllies to pitch, the O'Neills to catch.
Daubert, Doyle, Harris, Coughlin, Nc
Nally and Boley for your tnfleld.
My ball playing had not been con-
fined to MoOsic. Pittston. the place
of my birth, was three miles removed,
and ! went over there occa sionally to
catch for the Pittston team. The star
pitcher of Plttston was Tom Harris.
He had a fast ball and a roundhouse
curve. His curve was better than the
fast one. Tom never got to the big
leagues, but Tom taught his sons how
10 play ball, and the younger, Stanley. |
took the family name TO lasting fame |
by winning a pennant and world !
championship for Washington in his .
first year as manager. 1t was graft |
fying to me to sec the son. Stanley, !
accomplish what every man in base
hall aims for. l was always sorry !
that Tom, the father. could not get
into the majors, for he was good
pitcher and a fine man. We all liked
him.
When I accepted the offer of Webb
C'lauss ! thought I was all set. but
was wrong. My first venture into
seIni-professional ball was not without
considerable difficulties that l had not
'OreSeen.
copyright. 1925 in the United states
ard Canada by North American Newspaper