The Washington times., 1934-02-01

figures tH LILS uuChPGH yuHCC' NCLt
In series tOiA appear Monday.
BY GINO SINH
Unusual men have unusual hob
bies.
Jack Ferrall, Agriculture Inter
bureau Duckpin League czar, but
better known as the "Old Timer"
is just such man.
A person of wide interests and
remarkable gifts, a Mussolini with
the gentleness and understanding
Of a st. Francis of Assist and the
humor of a Josh Billings" his
hobby is as extraordinary as his
personality.
It is book binding, and he turns
out better work than many a pro-
feSSional.
His room is lined with books he
has bound himself, many Of them
being Scrap-books Of his own writ
ings and news items which inter
ested him. especially articles of his
pet, the Aggie bowling league.
A lot of the material for the
present biographical sketch comes
from a Scrap-book, prepared and
bound by him.
Born on Cloudy Day
John Alphonsus Ferrall first
saw the light of day near Leon
ardtown, Md, July Z, 1880. He
was actually born on July 4, 1880.
at 3 a. M, but the early part OF
the week was cloudy, so that it
was no. until the seventh that he
actuall.' saw the light Of day.
Thirty-five years later he wit
messed his first bowling match
and two months later had Joined
the army of duckpinners.
Jacks family moved to Wash
ington in 1887, and he Int as far
as the grade schools. getting job
at the age of Is and devoting the
me- % years to correspondence
and evening school studies while
working as messenger boy, clerk,
Showcard writer, salesman, Stenog-
rapher and secretary. He h been
with the Department of Agricul-
ture since 1906, and is now a in
cipal clerk in the Division Of Fruit
and Vegetable Crops and Diseases,
where part of his work is editing
the divisions News Letter.
He was dragged to the bowling
alleys in 1915 to fill in with the
Bureau of Plant Industry team:
In those days it was not a ques-
ton of getting out five bowlers.
but merely lining up five men
for the matches. In 1916 he was
nominated for the position Of
captain of the team and, think
ing it an honor, accepted.
Vain Attempts
Finding out differently, he has
spent the past 18 years trying
in vain to get some one else to
captain the Plant Industry quint
which, incidentally. has not fin
ished out of first division since
he took charge. Four times it has
won the Glass C singles in 1921.
nant. He also captained the In
dependent Agriculture eague pen
nant winners in 1924. and tour
nament Glass c champion about
the same time. He finished sec
ond in the w. C. D. A. Class c
doubles with Rose) in 1913, and
wo nthe Glass C singles in 1921.
losing the all-eventS by a single
pin! In 1928 he carried off In
terbureau high set by a single
pin! In 1928, he carried off In
terurban high set with a 1874
count, quite a respectable figure
in those years.
His banner season, however,
was with the Sports Writers in
1882 when he averaged lot
and took down both high game
and high set honors.
He came into the bowling spot
light back in 1927 when he
started a series of bowling
matches involving the exploits
and experiences of the Old
Timer and the Kid. A hundred
or more of these sketches ap-
peared in the Star, Times, Duck
pin, and other papers between
1927 and 1888.
"They were the outcome of
desire for more bowling" ex-
plains Jack, "and were put out
in a form originally designed
for golf and baseball sketches.
These bowling stories in the
beginning were based on ac-
tual experiences of George B.
Holmes and myself, in practice
and league games. George has
been associated With me for
years in handling the affairs
Of the Agriculture Interbureau
League, and while J have been
referred to now and then as
the car of the outfit, George
is the man who runs every
thing-including the bOwlerS.
am just a front for him
thaSsall."
Editors note-That'S Jacks
storyD
Writing was not a new thing
for Jack, however. Totally deaf,
he has for many years been a
regular contributor to the Volta
Review, Auditory outlook, An
nouncer and other magazines for
the deaf and hard of hearing, and
probably his short stories and es-
says have had a wider circulation
than those of any other writer for
the deafened in the world. He
is a rabid baseball fan, too, and
has written on this subject for
newspapers and magazines.
Griff Saves Life
IGr nu.rn ...., I;Rn IN NIorI Grif.