Year: 1874

The San Diego tNine" have re-
ceived "a rather fear-inspiring chal-
lenge from the Los Angeles Base Ball
Club to play a match game as soon as
possible. We are assured that there
being accepted. The Mines "muscle"
is not large enough yet to warrant
them in attacking such a prodigy as
this Club seems to be. However, think
ing that the description of the players
which accompanied the challenge may
prove of interest to our readers, we
give an extract:


"In order to keep up the regulation
of base ball in this city / have organ
lied club of which we may well be
proud. My pitcher has been prac-
ticing for several weeks, and though
throw ball with such swiftness that
it cannot be seen unless covered with
phosphorus, and often the friction
caused by its passing through the air
produces heat enough to burn the ball
to ashes, 50 that the astonished catch
er finds nothing in his hands but a
been engaged in breaking pig-iron in





his hands he allows two hundred
twelve hours day. They are now
ball gets by them it will be by trav-
ersing the atmosphere of an adjoining
county.


My first baseman is trying the diet
system to steady his nerves, and can
1nf nf 10 Ii hi IN,
the ahdamon all day without wincing.
He will never move his foot from the
sand bag unless in the way of duty,
and runner for first may light on
him like night-hawk on u FLEA, but
still he stands as immoyable as n
rock.


My second baseman has devoted
himself more especially for active SER
vice. He can stand on his head, catch
a ball with his feet, reverse his posi-
ton, knock a grasshopper of malvern
stock, or any other stock.


The third-baseman has been making
sour-krout, and riding velocipede,
to develop the muscles of his lower
limbs, which are immense and give
him the appearance of being troubled
with 'EIcphdntidsis.'



in his position that can be found this
side of the Suez Canal. He is short
himself, and has been living on pie
crust for six months.


My three fielders have been frisking
about the country all the past Sum-
mer, drinking angle-worm oil to give
suppleness to their limbs. They can
go on all-fours faster than Dexter or
NnI nj
timber that circus men die off like
sheep after seeing them perform"


No; we rather guess that challenge
won't be accepted immediately.-.Sdn
Diego Union.


We assure our San Diego friends
that this is nothing more than an in
genious game of "bluff" which has
been played upon them. The only ball
club of which Los Angeles can boast
is one composed of the young ladies of
the High School, who sometimes en-
ploy their half-hour recess with that
pleasant game. The "pitcher" throws
the ball by describing circle round
and round with the right or left arm Git
makes no difference which) like the
motion of a windlass-crank, and then
1ettlny 20 wnen she gets up good ve-
locity. The ball goes carreen;np
through the air with charnilne "a.
certainty of direction, and sometimes
lights on the head of an observer who
is standing behind the "pitcher," or it
passes through window of the school
house, or possibly, goes plunk into the
extended apron of the catcher" who
receives it with a little feminine squeal
that is perfectly killing to suscepti-
BILE young gentleman observer. There
is nothing "horny -fisted" about these
young ladies; none of them have hands
like a windmill, neither do they per-
form the gymnastics ascribed to the
second baseman of the wonderful nine.
No; Los Angeles is nothing if not
modest. We don't claim that wonder
full club, and would recommend our
San Diego friends to look further for
it. Try Santa Barbara.