Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1877 — The Newest Thing in Base Ball. [ARTICLE]

The Newest Thing in Base Ball.

The game of base ball between the Bostons and the Cincinnatis, at Cincinnati, was marked by an experiment of extraordinary interest in pitching a curved ball. A line running parallel with the line from the home plate to the first base bag was taken as a straight line for the trial On the Cincinnati grounds it runs north and south. The pitcher was placed at the south end of it, opposite the home plate. Midway between the home plate and first base was placed a section of a paling fence, one end resting on the line and the other pointing toward the infield, at right angles. This, of course, formed a barrier to the ball started on the west side of the line, unless it should cross over to the east side Another section of the fence was placed at right angles to the line opposite the first base, but being on the east side of the line. Then at the south end a board was placed on the end of the line. Bond, the pitcher of the Bostons, was placed on the west side of the board, and a little behind it, so that he was obliged to deliver the ball from the west side of the line. It was for him to demonstrate that the ball could be made to ’.eave his hand on the west side of the line, cross over the east side so as to avoid the fence on the west side, and recross to the west side to avoid the other fence. Bond at first sent the ball against the edge of the board, but after several trials he was able to clear that, and, sending the nail fairly aiound the middle barrier, landed it on the same side it started from at the other end of the line. The curve was not only visible to the eye, but it was shown beyond possibility of dispute.

The Crown Point Register is credibly informed that G. W Cass, who owns large tracts of marsh land in that county and two-thirds of that ob structing mill-dam at Momence, designs to lay a railway track from that dam to the Danvilli road and ship the stone composing it as fast as possible to market. When the dam is thus removed the drainage of the marsh will be facilitated, but to render it complete the upper portion of the rock bed of the river at Momence, or near there, must be blasted out and lowered. Then with straighten ing of the greatest circuits of the river channel and sufficient cross-cut ditches thro’ the marsh, the valley of the Kaukikee may soon be made quite valuable lai d. The startling news comes from Joy’s Run via Laporte Herald, that Enoch Edwards, living about seven miles south-west of Valparaiso, during a recent thunderstorm, was out in his fi< Id, with a corn-cutter in hand, and was cursing God because it rained. He had his arm uplifted, and was thus turned into solid stone, and still stands there, being so hot that no one can go within twenty feet of him The Messenger pronounces the story absolutely false. Enoch Edwards comes to town every Saturday to draw his rations.—Valpo. Messenger. A white woman of Oxford eloped wit h a negro, and her husband started in pursuit, breathing vengeance on the truants. He, however, overtook them at Urbana, Illinois, but instead of using powder and shot he tried persuasions, and at length his wife returned home with him. The negro lover was rich, and had given her some magnificent jewelry and clothing.