Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1888 — Page 6

BASE-BALL.

A'Highly Interesting Chapter on the American National Game. Some Noteworthy Episodes of the Fast Season’s Flay. Welch’s Trick—A Wonderful Triple Play—Death on the Ball Field. [NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE.] Henry Chadwick, the well-known baseball expert, was asked to tell about several of the remarkable episodes of the past season’s play, as he had witnessed them. “Just about the most noteworthy,” he replied, “was that which marked the game of May 21st, at Philadelphia, between the Chicago and Philadelphia nines. The game opened favorably for Chicago, but in the second innings

THOMPSON’S ACCIDENT.

a play occurred which virtually enabled the Philadelphia team to turn the tide of expected defeat into that of a wellearned victory. In thia innings, after two men were out, Flint, of the Chicagoes, hit a long high ball to the extreme end of the left field, on which he easily secured third base; but thinking that he could score a home run on the hit, instead of stopping at third, he continued on to the home plate. In the meantime McCarthy had run for the ball, with Wood after him to assist in returning it in, and though Flint had nearly reached third base before McCarthy could handle the ball in the out-fiek], so prompt was his throw in to Wood —half way down at left field —and so swift and accurate was Wood’s forwarding of the ball to the catcher, Clement, at home base, that Flint was landed out just before he reached the plate, the mcst enthusiastic applause greeting this fine piece of out-fielding. The Philadelphia team eventually won the game by 4 to 3, and chiefly from preventing flint’s home run as they did in the second innings. “Thompson, the noted right-fieldei’ of the Detroit team, was the victim of a rather amusing accident which occurred in the game played at Detroit . on July 5, between the Detroit and Boston teams. The accident occurred in the innings in which the Detroits virtually won the game. Rowe was on third base, and Thompson was at first. Thompson started to steal second base, and Rowe at the same time ran from third for home base. On the throw to second, Sutton, who had the ball, seeing that he could not throw the ball back in time to have Rowe put out at the home plate, turned his attention to catching Thompson between the bases. As the latter ran back to first base he made a big slide in, feet foremost, but did not slide far enough to avoid the ball, and consequently was put out. Just here came in the amusing part of the occurrence, for, while the players walked in from the field, Thompson lay at full length on the ground, making no effort to rise beyond a sitting posture. At first it was thought he was hurt, and some of the players went to him to rise; then it was, however, that it was discovered that he had torn his breeches in such a manner that it was impossible for him to get up, right before the grand stand, without making an awkward exposure of himself. Morrill, who was standing by Thompson, called to Richardson to bring him his coat, and a large water-proof coat was procured, and, with this covering him, Thompson walked to the club house and there changed his torn breeches

WELCH’S TRICK.

for another pair. The occupants of the stand were convulsed with laughter when they learned the true intent of Thompson’s accident. “In a game at St. Louis, last July, between the champions and the Metropolitans, Welch, the St. Louis cen-ter-fielder, played one of his characteristic tricks on the opposing players, which resulted in Nelson’s failure to score a run on Orr’s long three-base hit, and kept Orr on first base instead of his reaching third, as he might easily have done. It is a rule of play in base-

running when runners are on the bases for them to watch, the ball closely in the case of a long, high hit to the outer field, so as to be able to do one of two things promptly, and that is either to run on the apparent failnre of the fielder to get under the ball for a catch, or to be ready with one foot on the base they occupy to run to the next base the moment the apparently sure catch is made. In the case in question Nelson was on second when Orr hit a long, high ball to right center which really insured the scoring of Nelson’s run, and the giving to Orr his third base on the hit. But Welch, in running to catch the ball, tried a trick on the runners which succeeded admirably. As he ran out to get under the ball, though he saw that it was going beyond his reach for a catch, and would surely strike the fence at center field, he settled himself -with lifted hands in such a manner as to lead the runners to think that a catch would be certain. So Nelson waited on second base until the catch should be made, ready to start for third the moment the ball was handled. To his disgust, however, he saw it returned from the fence and picked up by W elch, and before Nelson could get a chance to leave second the ball was back in the infield, and Orr had to be content with a single base for his hit for three bags. “One of the best tests of a pitcher’s skill which the progress of a game presents is that afforded by the position in which the first man at the bat in an innings play makes a three-base hit, and obliges the pitcher to put forth his very best efforts in the form of skillful strategic play in the position, in order to prevent the base-runner from scoring his run. A striking illustration of this point was shown in the contest at Philadelphia on May 21, between the Philadelphia and Chicago teams. In the eighth innings of this game, while the Chicago team were within one of tying the Philadelphia team’s score, Sunday, the Chicago outfielder, opened the innings at the bat with a clean base-hit to left center field, on which he earned third base. Ferguson was in the box as the Philadelphia pitcher, and the point he had to attend to was to keep Sunday on third while pitching out the next three batsmen. He began by retiring Ryan —the next batsman—out on strikes. Sullivan came next, and after two strikes had been called on him he was retired on a foul fly. Next came Daly, and lie, too, after barely escaping being put out on strikes, was finely caught out on a sharp fly tip, and this left Sunday on third base, the innings play ending in a blank. It was a feat in strategic pitching well worthy of special record. “In the contest at Chicago, on Sept. 15, between the Chicago and New York teams, a point of play occurred which plainly pointed out the necessity for the introduction of an amendment to the rules regulating the position at the

RADFORD’S TRIPLE PLAY.

bat of players whose names are printed on the score cards. The play in question was as follows: The score card, in naming the order or batting, placed the names of “O’Rourke or Brown” as the occupant of the catcher’s position on the New York side, and the order of their batting as fifth on the list, while the names of Nelson and O’Rourke were placed eighth on the list as third-base players. That is, if O’Rourke caught, Nelson was to play third base, and if Brown caught, O’Rourke was to play third. According to the order as placed on the card, if O’Rourke played at third base he was to be the eighth striker, but if he played as catcher then his batting order would have been fifth. In the fifth inning O’Rourke, who had been playing third base, went to the bat after Connor, and in accordance with the order of the card was not in his proper position to bat. O’Rourke then hit the ball for a home-run, and as he came in Anson stepped upto the w pire and claimed that the run could not count as O’Rourke had batted out of order, and his appeal was granted, and the run declared no count. The New-Yorkers claimed that as both O’Rourke and Brown’s names were on the card for fifth place either had the right to bat; but this was not so, inasmuch as the position alone gave the right to bat, and as O’Rourke was down to play both as catcher and third base the order belonged to the position he filled; as that was third base, his batting order was eighth on the list. As it happened the loss of the run by the New York team did not result in that of the game, as New York won by 4 to 3. But the incident showed very plainly that the rule governing the play should be changed so as to give the legal order of batting under such circumstances. “On July 9 the Metropolitan team met the Cincinnatis on the home ’grounds, and on the occasion found themselves opposed to the strong battery fire of Pitcher Mullane, who on that day was in fine form for his best strategic work in the box. In addition td the effective pitching of Mullane, the splendid support given behind the bat by Catcher Baldwin was especially a noteworthy feature of the contest. But the Metropolitans also played a remarkably fine game, and the most striking feature of it was the splendid

triple play of Radford, who was playing second base for them on the occasion. Baldwin was at the bat, Carpenter at second base, and Tebean at third. Both the runners had taken ground in base running and were ready to start on the first fair hit Baldwin caught the ball square on the bat and hit a hot liner just as both the runners ran for their respective bases. But Radford caught the swift line ball beautifully, and touching second base with it before Carpenter could get back, promptly threw the ball to third base in time to cut off Tebeau. This put the side out by a model triple play, and Radford’s skillful performance brought out tumultuous applause. “One of the saddest events of the season of 1887 was the fatal occurrence at Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 13, which resulted in the death of young Edward Likely, of Lincoln.

A DEATH ON THE FIELD.

Ihe accident did not occur in a match game, but only while a party of ball players were practicing for a contest arranged for the next day. The party of, half a dozen or so were playing when young Likely took the bat and stepped up to the home plate for a hit. Harry Claskey was the pitcher, and he was sending in very swift balls. As Likely struck at the ball it just touched the bat near the handle and glanced off like a rifle shot to the batsman’s face, striking the latter with such force as to cause him to fall unconscious with his head striking the ground squarely on the top. He was taken up insensible and carried from the field to the nearest hotel, where he was promptly attended to by physicians. But he never rallied from the effects of the blow and fall combined, and within ten minutes time the poor boy was dead. He was a bright youth, just twenty-thiee years of age, and highly esteemed by his companions. Various theories as to the immediate cause of death were advanced, but it is probable that it was due mainly to the severe shock to the nerve center. The blow on the face was not alone sufficient to have caused death. It was the only actual death on the ball field last season “A curious incident happened in the contest of May 16th, at Bridgeport, Conn., between the Bridgeport and Danbury teams. It is a rule of the game that any ball hit from the bat can be legally caught, provided it is not caught on a rebound from the ground, and an object other than the person of a fielder. But if it is caught after rebounding from the hands or the person of any fielder engaged in the game the catch is a legitimate one. In the case in question a high ball was batted to the field, and both Lovett and Wilson ran to catch it. The ball as it fell first struck Wilson’s hands, but singular to relate, after he had three times failed to hold it securely as it rebounded from his hands, it went to Lovett’s hands, who was standing close by ready to assist in the catch. But Lovett similarly failed to hold the ball securely, and on the second rebound from his hands Wilson grasped it, and this time the catch was made, after five distinct failures to make the catch before the ball could reach the ground. “In looking over the striking events of the last season, mention should not be omitted of the records made in rapid base-running. Prizes had been offered for superiority in this matter, and the contests took place at Philadelphia on Oct. 17. The 120 yards run is very different from the same distance straight away, and records in this feat are novel. It is to be hoped that the contests be continued in coming seasons, as it will improve the game

AN UNUSUAL FLY CATCH.

and add a new feature of interest to the sport. Ferguson, of the Philadelphia team, won the first prize and made the record 14 4-5 seconds. ” A little boy of our acquaintance had had his use of shall and will so often corrected that one night in saying the Lord’s prayer he said, “Thy shall be done” in place of “Thy will be done. .Baby hood. The Yankee is equal to the occasion, be it what it may. A Yankee girl pays her way through Wellesley College by sewing on shoe buttons for the whole college.

THE PACIFIC ROADS.

A. Message from President Cleveland to Congress on the Subject. Astonishing Features of the Administration of the Affairs of the Companies. The Government’s Rights—Suggestions as to Necessary Legislation. The Cancellation of Unpatented Land Grants Is Urged Upon Congress. The following is the President's message transmitting the Pacific Bailroad reports to Congress: To the Senate and House of Representatives: On March 3 last an act was passed authorizing the appointment of three Commissioners who should investigate such railroads as have received aid from the United States Government. Among other things, the contemplated investigation included a history of the construction of these roads, their relations and indebtedness to the Government, and the question whether in the interest of the United states any extension of the time for the performance of the obligations of said roads to the Government should be granted ; and if so, the said Commissioners were directed to submit a scheme for such extension. The Commissioners were further directed by said act to report in full to the President upon all the matters gulmjikedio thaw, Rhd he wqs, by gajd act, required to foTWard Saia report to Congress, with such recommendations or comments as he should see fit to make in the premises. The commissioners, immediately after their selection, entered upon the discharge of their duties, and have prosecuted their inquiries with commendable industry, intelligence, and thoroughness. A large amount of testimony has been taken, and all the facts have been developed which appear to be necessary for the consideration of the questions arising from the condition of these aided railroads and their relations to the Government. The commissioners -have, however, been unable to agree upon the manner in which these railroads should be treated respecting their indebtedness to the United States, or to unite upon the plan best calculated to secure the payment of such indebtedness. This disagreement has resulted in the preparation of two reports, both of which are herewith submitted to the Congress. These reports exhibit such transactions and schemes connects a with the construction of the aided roads and their management, and suggest the invention of such devices on the part of those having them in charge for the apparent purpose of defeating any chance for the Government’s reimbursement, that any adjustment or plan of settlement should be predicated upon the substantial interests of the Government rather than any forbearance or generosity deserved by the companies. The wide publication which has already been given to the substance of the Commissioners’ reports obviates the necessity of detailing in this communication the facts found upon the investigation. The majority report, while condemning the methods adopted by those who formerly had charge of the Union Pacific Railroad, declares that since its present management was inaugarated in 1884 its affairs have been fairly and prudently conducted, and that the present administration “has devoted itself honestly and intelligently to the herculean task of rescuing the Union Pacific Railway from the insolvency which seriously threatened it at the inception of its work; that It has devoted itself, by rigid economy, by intelligent management, and by an application of every dollar of the earning capacity of the system to its improvement and betterment, to piace that company on a sound and enduring financial foundation.” The condition of the present management of the Union Pacific Company has an important bearing upon its ability to comply with the terms of any settlement of its indebtedness which may be offered by the Government. The majority of the commissioners are in favor of an extension of the time for the payment of the Government indebtedness of these companies upon certain conditions. But the chairman of the commission, presenting the minority report, recommends, both upon principle and policy, the institution of proceedings for the forfeiture of the charters of the corporations, and the winding up of their affairs. I have been furnished with a statement, or argument, in defense of the transactions connected with the construction of the Union Pacific Road and its branch lines, from which it may not be amiss to quote, for the purpose of showing how some of the operations of the Directors of such road, strongly condemned by the Commissioners, are defended by the Directors themselves. After speaking of a contract for the construction of one of these branch lines by a corporation called the Contract and Finance Com pan v, owned by certain Directors of the Central P'acific Railroad, this language is used: “It may be said of this contract, as of many others that were let to the different construction companies in which the directors of the Central Pacific were stockholders, that they built the roads with the moneys furnished by themselves, and had the road for their outlay. In other words, they paid to the construction company the bonds and stock of the railroad so constructed, and waiteduntil such time as they could develop sufficient business on the road built to induce the public to buy the bonds or the stock. If the country through which the road ran developed sufficient business then the project was a success; if it did not then the operation was a loss. These gentlemen took all the responsibility; any loss occurring was necessarily theirs and of "right the profit belonged to them. But it is said they violated a well-known rule of equity in dealing with themselves, that they were trustees, and that they were representing both sides of the contract. The answer is that they did not find anybody else to deal with. They could not find anyone who would take the chance of building _ a road through what was then an almost uninhabited country, and accept the bonds and stocks of the rood in payment. And when it is said that they are trustees, if they did occupy such relation it was merely technical; for they represented only their own interests on both sides, there being no one else concerned in the transaction. They became the incorporators of the company that was to build the road, subscribed for its stock, and were the only subscribers. Therefore, it is difficult to see how anyone was wronged by their action. The rule of equity invoked, which has its origin in the injunction, ‘No man can serve two masters,’ certainly did not apply to them, because they were acting in their own interests, and were not charged with the duty of caring for others’ rights, there being no other persons interested in the subject matter.” In view of this statement and the facts developed in the commissioners’ report, it seeme proper to recall the grants and benefits derived from the General Government by both the Union and Central Pacific companies for the purpose of aiding the construction of their roads. By an act passed in 1862, it was provided that there should be advanced to said companies by the United States to aid in such construction "the bonds of the Government amounting to 816,000 for every mile constructed, as often as a section of forty miles of said roads should be built; that there should also be granted to said companies upon the completion of every said section of forty miles of road five entire sections of public land for each mile so built: that the entire charges earned by said roads on account of transportation and service for the Government should be applied to the reimbursement of the bonds advanced by the United States and the interest thereon; and that to secure the repayment of bonds so advanced and interest the issue and delivery of said bonds should constitute a first mortgage on the whole line of their roads, and on their rolling-stock, fixtures, and property of every kind and description. The liberal donations, advances, and privileges provided for in this law were granted by the General Government for the purpose of securing the construction of these roads, which would complete the connection between our eastern and western coast, and they were based upon a

consideration of the public benefits which would accrue to the entire country from such construction. But the projectors of these roads were not content, and the sentiment which then seemed to pervade the Congress had not reached the limit of its generosity. Two years after the passage of this law it' was supplemented and amended in various important particulars in favor of these companies by an act which provided, among other things, that the bonds at the rate already specified should be delivered upon the completion of sections of twenty miles in length instead of forty; that the lands to be conveyed to said companies on the completion of each section of said roads should be ten sections per mile instead of five ; that only half of the charges for transportation and service due from time to time from the United States should be retained and applied to the advances made to said companies by the Government—thus obliging immediate payment to its debtor of the other half of said charges—and th t the lien of the United States to secure the reimbursement of the amount advanced to said companies in bonds, which lien was declared by the law of 1862 to constitute a first mortgage upon all the property of said companies, should become a junior lien and be subordinated to a mortgage which the companies were, by the amendatory act, authorized to execute to secure bonds which they might from time to time issue in sums not exceeding the amount of the United States bends which should be advanced to them. The immense advantages to the companies of this amendatory Act are Apparent, and in these days we may well wonder that even the anticipated puolic importance of the construction of these roads induced what must now appear to be a rather reckless and unguarded appropriation of the public funds and the public domain”. Under the operation of these Jaws the principal of the bonds which have been advanced is $63,023,512, as given in the reports of the commissioners ; the interest to November 1, 1887 is calculated to be $76,024,206, making an aggregate at the date named of $140,047,718. The interest, calculated to the maturity of the bonds, added to the principal, produces an aggregate of $178,884,759. Against these amounts there has been repaid by the companies the sum of $30,9.15,039. It is almost needless to state that the companies have availed themselves to the utmost extent of the permission given them to issue their bonds and to mortgage their property to secure the payment of the same by an incumbrance having preference of the government lien and precisely equal to it in amount. It will be seen that there was available for the building of eaah mile of these roads $16,000 in bonds of the companies, secured by a first mortgage on all their property and ten sections of Government land—to say nothing of the stock of the companies. When the relations created between the Government and these companies by the legislation referred to is considered, it is astonishing that the claim should be ma<’*< that the directors of these roads owed no duty except to themselves in their construction; that they regarded no interest but their own, and that they were justified in contracting with themselves and making such bargains as resulted in conveying to their pockets all the assets of the company. As a lienor the Government was vitally interested in the amount of the mortgage to which its security had been subordinated, and it had the right to insist that none of the bonds secured by this prior mortgage should be issued fraudulently or for the purpose of division among these stockholders without consideration. The doctrine of complete independence on the part of the directors of these companies and their freedom from any obligation to care for any other interest but their own in the construction of these roads seemed to have developed the natural consequences of its application, portrayed as follows in the majority report of the commissioners : “The result is that those who have controlled and directed the construction and development of these companies have become possessed of their surplus assets, the reissue of bonds, stocks, and payment of dividends voted by themselves, while the great creditor,the United States, finds itself substantially without adequate security for repayment of its loans.” The laws enacted in aid of these roads, while they illustrated a generous liberality and a generous surrender of the Government’s advantages, which it is hoped experience has corrected, were nevertheless passed upon the theory that the roads should be constructed according to the common rules of business fairness and duty, and that their value and ability to pay their debts should not be impaired by unfair manipulation; and when the Government subordinated its lien to another it was in the expectation that the prior hen would represent in its amount only such bonds as might be necessarily issued by the companies for the construction of their roads at fair prices agreed upon in an honest way between real and substantial parties. For the purpose of saving or improving the security"afforded by its junior lien, the Goverement should have the right now to purge this paramount lien of all that is fraudulent, fictitious, or unconscionable. If the transfertoinnocent hands of bonds of this character secured by such first mortgage prevents their cancellation, it might be well to seek a remedy against those who issued and transferred them. If legislation is needed to secure such a remedy Congress can readily supply it. I desire to call attention also to the fact that if all that was to be done on the part of the Government to fully vest in these companies the grants and advantages contemplated by the acts passed in their interests have not yet been perfected, and if the failure of such companies to perform in good faith their part of the contract justifies such a course, the power rests with the Congress to withhold further performance on the part of the Government. If donated lands are not yet granted to those companies, and if their violations of contract are such as in justice forfeits their rights to such lands, Ccngressional action should intervene to prevent further consummation. Executive power must be exercised according to the existing laws, and executive discretion is probably not broad enough to reach such difficulties. The California and Oregon Railroad is now a part of the Central Pacific system, and is a land-grant road. Its construction has been carried on with the same features and incidents wlrch characterized the other construction of this system, as is made apparent on pages 78, 79 and 80 of the report of the majority of the Commissioners. I have in my hands for approval the report of the Commissicners appointed to examine two completed sections of this road. Upon such approval the company, or the Central Pacific Company, will be entitled to patents for a large quantity of publio land. 1 especially commend to the attention of Congress this condition of affairs in order that it may determine whether or not it should intervene to save these lands for settlers, if such a course is justifiable. It is quite time that the troublesome complications surrounding this subject, which has been transmitted to us as a legacy from former days, should be adjusted and settled. No one, I think, expects that these railroad companies will be able to pay their immense indebtedness to the Government at its maturity. Any proceeding or arrangement that would result snow, or at any other time, in putting these roads, or any port’on of them, in the possession and control of the Government is, in my opinion, to be rejected—certainly as long as there is the least chance for indemnification through any other means. I suppose we are hardly justified in indulging the irritation and indignation naturally arising from a contemplation of malfeasance to such an extent as to lead to the useless destruction of these roads or to the loss of the advances made by the Government. I believe that our efforts should be in a more practical direction, and should tend with no condonation of wrongdoing to the collection by the Government on behalf of the people of the public money now in jeopardy. While the plan presented by a majority of the commission appears to be well devised and gives at least a partial promise of the results sought, the fact will not escape attention that its success depends upon its acceptance by the companies and their ability to perform its conditions after acceptance. It is exceedingly important that any adjustment now made should be final and effective. Those considerations suggest the possibility that the remedy proposed in the majority report might well be applied to apart only of these aiaed railroad companies. The settlement and determination of the questions involved are peculiarly within the province of the Congress. The subject has been made quite a familiar one by Congressional discussion. This is now supplemented in a valuable manner by the facts presented in the reports herewith submitted. The public interest urges prompt and efficient action. Grover Cleveland Executive Mansion, Jan. 17,1888

The office of liberality consisteth in giving with judgment.