The Indianapolis times., 1936-05-16

N#E#z#### n IlOJ Lne ghosts,
MA who, according to
the gentleman,
Williams were extremely
sociable and dem
ocratic and therefore most easy to
meet at any and all times.
Mr.. O'Keefe went on to explain it
was all matter of moods .. Cant
you just shut your eyes and see that
OLD master, Joe Cans, Shuff1ing out
OF his corner and ripping that Won
derful left hook to the body and
the head?"
shut my eyes and found the
sensation so unusual and pleasant
that in what is technically known
as jiffy [ was crumpled back in my
chair snoring in all the accepted oc-
taVes. l wish to say, too, l was
distinctly pleased that Cans did not
1ntrude on my sleep in any shape
or manner which would seem to
confirm all that has peen written
about his tact and consideration.
NF course, it is true that Cans
" was Baltimore'S greatest gift
to pugilism, even though he was
born in Philadelphia and there are
many people hereaboutS who re-
member him both as a tattered
urchin along the waterfront and
later as a blurred bolt or brown
lightning in the ring.
0F tInra sc To -
operates tavern here, and who was
a fair sort of fist thrower as a pro-
fesSional in another generation,
leaping to national fame overnight
by flooring Terry McGovern in an
informal bout on the stage of local
music hall Mr.. Tipman was the
champion of the newsboys at the
time and McGovern, uplifting the
drama, was meeting all comers after
the show.
II hit McGovern with a. right
hand in the second round" recalls
Mr.. Tipman, "and he went down
on all fours. This was as great a
surprise to me as it was to Nc
Govern. 1 jumped off the stage,
ran up the aisle and into the night
in my trunks. I didn't quit run
ming until got home. And all the
way home imagined I felt the en-
ragged breath of McGovern on my
neck"
MIR. TIPMAN was asked to join
1V1 the current paStime of picking
the five greatest lightweights of all
time and he obliged with alacrity,
not to say speed. . why that is
a very simple thing to do" he said.
Very simple. Cans, Cans, Cans,
Cans and Cans. They threw away
the mold after they made the
little Negro" 1t seemed to me 1
had heard that phrase before. BY
the way there must be lot of in
tereSting molds lying around the
country somewhere, don't you
think?
suggested to Mr.. OKeefe that
1t might be profitable if some one
organized an expedition to retrieve
all the molds of important people
that have been thrown away and
so into the business of reconstruct
ing the immortals the way those
professors do who rebuild sea
monsters, dinosaurs and java men.
That reminds me- said Mr..
O'keete, L will have myself a cup
of java, and 1 will resume my dis
cussion of the ghosts that fiutter
over this lovely old town. Who
knows but at this very moment the
room we are sitting in is populated
by the astral bodies of some of the
old Orioles? You know this is the
home of the old Orioles, don't
you?"
IVES, knew that. What's more.
l. knew this was the home of
Mr.. Ned Hanlon, who managed the
old Orioles and that Mr.. Hanlon,
verging on the eighties. was still
alive and kicking. That is, if he still
retained any of his old turbulence.
particularly as applied to umpires
He was still kicking 1t occurred to
me, then, that Mr.. Hanlon was the
gentleman to talk to about the
ghosts of the old Orioles.
The subject seemed to frighten
MIR. Hanlon. His aged knees shook
and beads of perspiration broke out
on his furrowed brow. Those guys
were tough enough to handle when
they were alive" he gaSped. Don't
tell me there's any chance of em
coming back now and raising more
hell. I'm very old man and I want
to live what is left of my life in COM
paratiye peace"
TN afraid Mr.. Hanlon's nights
Il will never be the same again
and that before turning in he will
always take a despairing look in the
clothes closet and under the bed i'm
palsied fear of seeing the cleaning
eyes OF Hughey Jennings, the flash
ing spikes of John McGraw and the
militant chin of Steve Brodie.
Baseball has gone long wav
since the days of these almost
legendary giants OF the diamond
their memory is still sacred. but
by a curious whim of fete this
same community was destined to
produce one man whose III diyidual
talents would overShadow all the old
Orioles. And this man, OF course
was Babe Ruth.