Evening star., 1940-01-28

driver SITS, and then joins Nc
Carthy in light lunch.
This is when they talk over any
business at hand. With the Yam
KEGS bowling along as they usually
are, however. there probably isn't
much business to be discussed.
Their eating place is run by the
Stevens brothers, famous caterers
at ball parks and racing plants.
Never Much of = Player.
Back in his early days Barrow
was a partner with Harry Stevens
in the then struggling business, but
he dropped it to devote himself to
baseball. He would have been a
millionaire now If he had stayed
with Stevens, probably, but he
wouldn't have been as happy.
He loves baseball and always has,
though he never was much of
player.
He was fair amateur pitcher un-
til he performed in a rainstorm one
day and got his arm permanently
warped. He says now that he wants
to stay in the game about 10 more
years and then retire to farm.
If there is anything that pains
him more than the annual cry,
Break up the Yankees" it is an
occasional report that he Is thinking
of retiring now.
There's only one thing that would
make him quit now" said one of
Barrow's intimates. If the Yankees
should be sold and the new owners
should start in telling him how to
run the club, he would resign on
the spot"
Born on Illinois Farm.
Barrow's vague talk about return
ing to the farm stems from his boy
hood
His father, a Civil War veteran,
was taking his family West by COW
cred wagon in 1868 to claim a Sec
ton of land when Edward Grant
was born. The event occurred at
at farm near Springfield, ILL., The
young Ed spent his youth on the
SOIL
He has been in and out of base
ball always, either as team man
ager or as league president For
seven years he was head of the In
ternational League. Once he quit
the game for two years to run a
hotel, and he operated fight club
in Philadelphia for another two
years But baseball always got him
back.
When he was promoting fights
in Philadelphia back in 1898 and
80 he recalls that Peter Maher was
his house fighter" and that there
was lonesome young Negro from
Galveston, Tex, hanging around
trying to get Barrow to put him
on. He called himself Jack john
son, and he later was to hold the
heavyweight title. f:.,s!-. ass!!
Rates Wagner Greatest Ever.
Joe Cans and Terry McGovern
fought for Barrow often, and he
recalls Jack Blackburn. who now
trains Joe Louis. as one Of the
greatest lightweights he ever saw
But Barrows favorite topic of
conversation is Honus Wagner, the
big, bow-legged Dutchman who was
discovered by him at Mansfield Cnow
Carnegie) Pa. and signed to play
for Barrow's Paterson. N j.. club
at the magnificent salary of 500
per month.
Barrow, who converted Babe Ruth
from great southpaw pitcher to
an even greater outfielder and then
handled the big fellow for many
year, insisted that Wagner was
the finest all-around ball player who
ever lived.
He is careful to emphasize the
all-around part of it, pointing out
that Wagner one season played
every position for the Paterson
team, even to pitching in one game
"Ill never forget how Honus
looked the first time I saw him.
He was a sight. He had been down
to the river having a throwing
contest with some of the other
Mansfield boys, and met him when
he came strutting back.
Bonus Rough When Rolled.
He had a derby hat crammed
on the back of his head and
chicken feather stuck over one ear.
"He looked funny, but, my, he
could play ball.
II sold him to Louisville for
$2,10O and it took them all one
year to find where he could play
best.
Il finally advised them to put
him at shortstop, and there he
stayed
One incident of those days recalls
vividly to Barrow the tremendous
strength of Wagner. There was a
bellicose pitcher on the Paterson
club who persisted in trying to pick
a fight with the friendly Dutchman.
Wagner evaded him for time,
but one day in the locker room the
pitcher finally took a swing at
Honus. 1t was mistake.
Wagner simply wrapped those
long arms of his around the fellows
waist and began to squeeze. The fel-
low hollered for time, and then his
eyes began to pop out. We just did
manage to pull Honus loose before
he committed murder. 1t was a
near thing"
Time Out for Wedding.
The life even of baseball mag
nate was trif1e uncertain in those
days, and Barrow's ability to WELD
his dukes was valuable item. Others
not so fortunately endowed by ma
ture had to take their chances.
One owner, Denny Long, Of the
Wilmington club, always kept six
shooter on the table beside him
while he paid of his players. One
day, while Texan was inside col
lecting his salary, the boys heard
Long let out yell and they barely
did break in and rescue him in time.
The Texan had Bowie knife in his
hand and already had sliced Long
once behind an ear.
And there was high romance in