The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-13

AHO0AO Tile SIlOutS VI your 1Il6uUS
BY reason of a letter received, /
discovered that / am not the only
Walter Perry johnson in America.
Another one lives in San Francisco
also discovered there was more
than one John w. Davis. Mr..
Davis. Democratic candidate for the
Presidency, wrote me a very kind
note, but the following congratula-
tions came from John w. Davis,
Presbyterian pastor in South
Carolina, who also signs himself
zone of your unknown friends"
His letter: "Among those who
desire to send good wishes is q
young Presbyterian minister
down here in Kingstree. Tits
entire town has eagerly followed
the games by telegraph and
radio. We were heartsick when
the breaks went against you, and
when the news flashed that John
son had gone in again to stem
the tide-we shouted and yelled.
After we learned what had q.
nally happened I doubt il any fans
were more nearly in a frenzy than
In this little town of 2,400 people.
After the results were all In, a
group of us went out to our new
athletic field. In our discussions
we drifted apart by possibly a hum
dred feet. In a few minutes one
of the men shouted at me, Hey.
parson, we're waiting for YOU" to
which I replied that was pausing.
TO thank the Lord for Walter John
sons victory.
Yesterday morning had been
praying that you would be called
in-Just as you were. / had not
prayed Tor such a long and sensa-
uonaI finish. do thank God that
You were able to come back. I
pitched when I was in college and
words fail me as try to tell you
how glad I am for you. What ever
business you engage in I wish YOU
good success. And may you so play
the game of life that when YOU
stand before the Umpire who never
makes mistakes. He may say: Safe:
because yon come in the name Of
Jesus %
Most readers will agree with
me that prayers must have had
something to do with the out
come Of that exciting week. OF
course 1 don't doubt but what
some good people also asked God
TO send victory to the Giants.
! don't imagine God hardly gets
down to such details as individual
ball clubs, but I. know that for my
ownself 1 would never have with.
stood the strain and the Giant bat.
tiers without. something more than
speed and curves. Call it what you
hke-confidence, will power, faith
or prayer-there is something that
comes to a man in a crisis that is
higher in power than mere human
strength.
II you happen to be a baseball
pitcher and you are tired and DOS
sibly discouraged, IL the opposing
players seem to solver your best de-
liveries and finally your arm, once
strong and tireless, gives signs Of
great distress is that myster-
ious. invisible driving power that
makes a man keep going on, with
the thought that he is positively
going to win?
Some people might attribute IL
70 prayer while others merely cali
It confidence At any rate I was
attitude on the part of so many
people interested in baseball and
the world series But I didn't
mean to sermonize on this subject.
AS for my own private life I am
not religious. in the sense that I
could be held up as a model church
member. We all have faults on and
off the baseball field. I confess I
have many. But my good parents
taught me few simple truths in
early life that / have tried to fol.
low and pass on to my growing
children. And if my actions, all
these years have faVorably infIu-
enced young fellows coming I'D,
then my pitching averages are real.
~ worth while and the teachings
of my father and mother have
done more for Americas national
sport than all my baseball records
wrapped in one.
Copyright. 1925. by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate.)