Evening star., 1933-03-01
RAIN STAYS AWAY
TILL AFTER DRILLS
Unfounded Measles Rumor
Excites Uncle CIark-ToWn
Holds Mardi Gras.
BY TOM DOERER.

X spite the arrival OF the
- wheeling, sneezing and
drizzling season at Camp
Griffith, your Uncle Clark's grand
Nationals will ease out of their
monkey suits today to mark the
fifth daily practice they have had
since their arrival seven days ago.
Rain, ever present here now, seems
to hold off long enough to permit the
boys to do their daily stint on Biloxi
Ball Park Field. On three of the five
training days the rocks and veterans
were just able to get back into the
confines of Biloxi Hotel headquarters
when Whizzing sheet of water came
tearing from the gulf.
But the boys have shown the bosses,
Griffith and his manager, Joe Cronin,
enough stuff to cause Griff and Joe
to say that if the boys would be as good
during the Lenten season as they have
been during the last few days, they
would expect nothing better The
rainy weather has not hampered the
conditioning of athletes, according to
Cronin, but caused the players to rest
more. bringing the drilling along at just
the right tempo for this period of the
exercises.
HDETTER weather might have
ID caused the boys to try too much,
causing limps and aches" said
Cronin.
And unless the youngsters stay out
too late at night, or wander around in
the rain" Griff contended, Il do not ex-
pect a casualty list because of the bad
weather. The vets know the ropes.
have no fear of them endangering their
health
But there is one player down with a
cold He is the rookie beanshooter,
Lloyd Cassell, the young man who lum-
bers up to the hill like Walter john
son, and lets them loose in the same
manner. Cassell has been abed for
two days, but is on the mend.
Il am only keeping him in bed to
prevent him from running around In
the rain hunting for picture post
cards" said Mike Martin. who is plying
him with pills, powders and slrups.
DUT Uncle's hat went soaring yes
ID terday afternoon when it was ru-
mored that either the Queen of the
Mardi Gras or one of her many maids
of honor was having luncheon in the
dining room with his array of base ball
talent. 1t wasn't the luncheon date
that caused Uncle's bonnet to fly OF.
1t was a pal one Of the girls was re-
ported to be bringing with her
The pal was a case of measles.
Get my ball players quickly!" shout
ed Uncle. Run EN- out in the air.
Where's Mike and his powders? lmag-
inc my ball club down with the
measles!"
But apparently there was no founda-
ton for the rumor and Uncle was
cuieted down by the proprietor OF the
hotel. who arranged matters nicely.
Last nights cold rain failed to retard
the carnival spirit in town, as King
DIberville, a role played by former
Lieut.. Gov Bidwell Adams, and his
queen reigned at the Mardi Gras fes-
tivities.
Griff's athletes wandered off singly
and by various exits to mingle with the
crowds in the streets-MisSissipp
from back over the bayous, from over
near the delta country and hundreds
from Pass Christian, Bay st. Louis,
Gulfport and other ports along the
Gulf coast, where King Carnival had
reigned for week.
DESPITE the pleadings and protests
- of Tony Ragusin, the Chamber OF
Commerce secretary, who now
wears an overcoat and bushes When
he is reminded that there IS notning
in the Biloxi Chambers literature wnlcn
refers to topcoat weather, some OF tns
members of the press party Journeyea
down to N'Yawlins to see the big Time
Mardi GraS.
Tony charged them with lack OF civic
bride and indicated that they will get
only a small platter of shrimp at tne
fro house marty next week.
However. Griff was loyal to Biloxi
Uncle, knighted as the Duke OF wash
ington." and your correspondent; named
his official sword bearer" trekkcd 70
all of the dinners. luncheons and al
fairs Yesterday. which included them as
members of the official party Wnlch
greeted King D'Iberville as the latter
stepped from aboard revenue cutter
at Biloxi Hospital dock.
Al MID bands, military parading py
n the seamen of the Coast Guard
Service. masked merrymakers and
a parade of floats, the big day to BILOXI
was ushered in. 1t lasted until the
wee small hours of this morning.
with the fun over, Griff's band OF
PLAYERS is hoping that the rainy season
might move along with the carnival
spirit and give them a chance 10 get
some tan on the backs OF their necKs'
some more spring to their legs and per,
NIT them to roll up their sleeves and
let some sunshine into the soup-pones.
While the damp weather is not both
ering the players in a serious way at
this stage of the game, it would be Just
too bad for the boys if batting practice
was being held. Cronln says that tne
weather would not do at all for hlttlhg
drill and hopes it will have changed
when his sluggers, headed by Helne
Manush and Goose Goslin, get to cainp.