Smyrna times., 1933-05-03
SIDE LIGHTS OF
NEW YORK CITY
Told By Walter Trumbull in
His Own Immical Way
of Doings in City
INTERESTING SKETCHES

Daft q warm SpOL III their NEAR -
for youngsters. / know that Lou
Gehrig, for example, recently broke
an engagement to go to a party at
a boys club. And when he got
there, with smiling good nature he
autographed books, cards and every
thing the kids offered him on which
to write his name. Gehrig, the man
Clark Griffith and many other base
ball men have frequently selected as
their all-star, all-time first base
man, is a modest, likable giant, who
has none of the sO-called bad hab-
its. Yet his baseball idol is Babe
Ruth, who has not always followed
the straight and narrow path. Be
cause he has been on the same team
with the Babe, Lou Gehrig has not
always had the recognition his abil-
ity deserves, and it might be only
natural if he felt some resentment.
But his admiration for Ruth is un-
colored by the slightest tinge of
pealousy. The Sultan of Swat has
no more loyal booster. Gehrig de-
clareS and believes that Ruth is a
grand fellow and the greatest ball
player that ever lived.
III
Ruth now sees humor in an expe-
rience he once had, but he didn't
laugh when it happened. He was
driving his car to keep golf en-
gagement at club which is pretty
well out in the country, and he was
hurrying. A small town motorcycle
cop chased and halted him.
He didn't recognize me-" said the
great man, in relating the incident
TO his friends, $50 I told him my
name"
'And what did he say them? in
quired listener.
HE said," roared the Babe, so
your name is Ruth? Well, what
business are you iR?"
To man who can't walk a block
or two in New York without tying
up traffic, this was a crushing blow.
1t is an experience to walk on a
busy thoroughfare in almost any
large city with either of those two
superlative showmen, Ruth or Jack
Dempsey. Before you have gone a
block, you realize that as far as
avoiding attention is concerned, you
might as well lead a lion on a leash,
or take an airing on an elephant
As a matter of fact, / saw an ele-
plant led through our streets for
advertising purposes, and it attract
ed considerably less attention than
have seen crowds display for both
the Manassa Mauler and, the Bam-
bino.
One more story about Ruth. When
he was making a picture in Holly
wood. certain news service as
signed a reporter to "cover him" i"
with instructions not to let him out
of sight from the time he rose until
he retired for the night, and to write
all he did. The representative of
the press took his job SO seriously
that he got on the Babes nerves.
He asked Ruth whether he did any
road work to keep in condition and
was assured that he did. Why then,
the reporter demanded, had he nev-
er seen the Babe on the road. 1t
was because, he was told, he did
not rise early enough. Ruth, he
was told, did his road work at 6
a. m. The news gatherer was
shocked to hear that he had been
missing something and announced
that he would be on hand the next
morning.
This was unwelcome news, but
the Babe and Artie McGovern, who
was with him, set an alarm clock
for 5:45 and struggled OUT into the
early dawn. They found the re
porter waiting. They started to jog
up the street and the reporter
logged with them. But then the
Babe increased the pace. AT the end
of a couple of blocks the news
hound was all in. He gasped a
question as to whether they would
return by the same route, was as
sured that they would, and. drop
ping breathless on a convenient
lawn, stated that he would wait for
them. The Babe and Artie McGov-
ern started on briskly, made a
couple of right angle turns, came
back to a side door Of the hotel, and
went back to bed. The reporter
waited two hours. When he next
saw the runners, he received the
combined apology and explanation
that, before they realized it, they
had covered twelve miles and had
caught a ride back.
@. 1898. Bell syndicate.-wNU Service