Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 202, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1910 — Page 3

HE mayor of Skyscraper City had been laboring the whole day with many of the problems that devolved upon him as one responsible for the welfare of ten or twelve thousand people. All these had been problems different from those which commonly arise in

the administration of the affairs of a municipality. In the first place, Skyscraper city had no unemployed to provide for. It had no prisons, no poorhouses, no hospitals, nor any of the many other public institutions that are part of the average American city. And, furthermore, it was not periodically rent by political strife. The population, nevertheless, was a most exacting one and in this respect Skyscraper City was unlike the average American municipality. In most communities the people will stand idly by and see the politicians divide the loot of officeholding without even looking to their personal interests. In Skyscraper City, however, let a window be broken, let the voice of a radiator be raised in plaintive protest against too much steam, or let the water supply be affected by too little pressure and the mayor is instantly besieged by angry constituents demanding this or that official’s removal from office. These were some of the annoyances that had wearied Skyscraper City’s chief magistrate. Even while he sat back in his chair, gazing at the celling and pondering upon the designs In the decorations, the chief of police walked in and announced that he was so unfavorably impressed with the people at No. 1511 Fifteenth street that he would recommend their enforced departure. “They are always breaking some law or other,” he exclaimed indignantly, “and I want to get rid of them. They haven’t paid their taxes, either, lor the last month, and, what’s more, they have a barrel of gasolene in their possession, which is a violation of the law." So a writ of deportation was issued and the chief of police withdrew exultantly, making wav for the head of the health board. "In Tenth street,’ 1 said that dignitary, “I find there is u leak in the sewer pipe. I am having the sanitary squad remedy it” The mayor was still endeavoring to determine which individual design in the celling would hit him on the nose were it to fall, or which particular design his n&le would hit if he were to rise and meet tl\e. ceiling, and the health board officer went out.

Skyscraper City

And then the fire chief came in with a grievance, and the head of the department of water, gas and electricity and other officials. So the whole day passed, and so does the whole year pass for the mayor of Skyscraper City. “A strange sort of place indeed, this city,” you will say. "Where is it?” Skyscraper City, to enlighten you, is a übiquitous community located in every part of the TJiited States where land has become so valuable that, instead of capitalists building over a large area, they build in a limited space, and straight toward the clouds. In plain words, it is none other than the great modern skyscraper, with its population as great, in many cases, as that of a third class municipality. “But the mayor,” you will say. "Who ever heard of a mayor of a building?” Yes, the mayor. You have heard of a superintendent of a building, and if the superintendent of a skyscraper housing from five to twelve thousand people has not as much right to the title of mayor as the chief executive of a community of, say one thousand, spread along a couple of streets, where the city limits are marked out by fence rails and stone walls, then the United States is not a democratic country. Building operations can’t go on with the spirit of emulation that now holds between contractors without the Skyscraper City of a few years hence being in sore need of a real munclpal administration, with a mayor, aldermen and all the other public servants that make annual elections necessary. It has them all now under different names. , There are, for instance, the members of the health department, which sanitary body consists of a corps of able bodjed women, equipped with mops and palls and compelling voices. That corps of women alone is Sufficient to suggest an analogy between Skyscraper City and a representative American municipality, and should give the former a lasting right to the name of a thriving city.

Policemen on Patrol.

Then there are the members of the police department, whose main duty in the suppression of criminality is to see that no one walks off with any part of the buftding or its contents. These are the watchmen, who patrol continuously night and day, and the main differences between them and the police of your recognized city are that they are paid less and are, perhaps, not subject to periodical charges of graft. Nor do they have to parade for composed of the electricians and aswho stand out In the sun, doffing their hats and smiling approvingly, the while patting each other on the back in appreciation of the department they have developed. What mors heroic and picturesque body is there than the fire department, with its red shlrted or blue shirted, or any other color shirted, men, ready and eager to grapple with flames or anything else, under any conditions and at every moment? In Skyscraper City the fire department consists of an efficient band of men as well trained as the firemen of a large municipality and equipped with all the latest devices for combating flames. And there is the department of water, gas and electricity, the latter composed of the elecrlcians and assistants in the engine room. These large buildings do not depend upon outside sources for their electricity. They have thoroughly equipped plants for manufacturing their own. As far as the water department is concerned, one New York skyscraper has a pumping station that is capable of supplying sufficient water to furnish a city of 350,000 people. Now here is where the similarity between the skyscraper and the recognized city is made strongly apparent. Skyscraper City often has within its boundaries establishments which can supply every need of a hungry, thirsty, dirty, naked citizen. No need to die of starvation were you to be confined for life In Skyscraper City while its restaurants are able to get a dinner together. Its case would banish all fear of longing for something to render the throat and stomach more comfortable without hope of receiving It. Its haberdashery and tailor could clothe you in the latest fashion; its shoe store would attend to the task of keeping your feet well shod. Its baths would be ever ready to open their arms to you. Your every want for things procurable only in a confectioner’s shop would be filled, while you would merely have to go downstairs should you feel that your happiness might be enhanced by

a fragrant cigar. The fruit stand is on the main floor, left. Suddenly in the course of a busy afternoon the confectionery which you might have bought at Skyscraper City’s progressive shop might cause some restlessness on the part of your teeth. You merely have tq go to 12th street, which is Skyscraper City’s twelfth floor, and have the trouble remedied by the dentist. Or perhaps some fruit from the stand below might result in a little disturbance in your interior mechanism; you will find a doctor on Bth street. An occasion might arise where you might require the services of a lawyer—a bad account or any of the many little things that simply will crop up in everyday life. Skyscraper City just swarms with these eminent practitibners. The law will always be sure of Interpreters so long as Skyscraper City rears upward.

Population Over 10,000.

All the stores in this “city” are located in Main street—nothing unusual for municipalities of its size. In one particular case this street is more than three hundred feet in length, and is traversed daily by thousands of people. More than twelve hundred residences are located in this “city,” each being labelled on the front door with the name of the inhabitant and his business. These residences are specifically termed offices, and each one is visited a number of times during the day J)y the postman. Of course, it would take one postman a good many hours to cover the entire route of the “city.” Consequently the streets are divided into territories, so Skyscraper City may be said' to have its own postofflee department In this particular “city” one street Is inhabltated by more than seven hundred people. This “city” has fortyone streets, the entire population being more than ten thousand. There is one thing in this same city of which the Inhabitants may well be proud. It is the transportation system. It consists of twenty-three ele vators, the combined capacity being about ten thousand people an hour. Transportation in these cases is both quick and safe. There is no mortality in connection with this transit system. An elevator in one of the latest of New York’s skscraper municipalities travels 648 feet into the air, all the way up to the fortieth street, and this without the inconvenience of changing cars, which is more than can be said of New York City’s car lines at times. These elevators can carry twenty-five hundred pounds at a speed of six hundred feet a minute, which means rising with some rapidity. Again, In the method of summoning the fire department or the police department the similitude between a municipality and Skyscraper City is maintained. In the big cities, when a policeman is desirous of bringing about a meeting between some recreant citizens and the Judge at the court he summons an appropriate conveyance by ringing up headquarters from a little box on the corner. The fire department may be required, and it is similarly called. In one Skyscraper City in Chicago there it a system of signals, possible of operation from any part of the premises, which permits of an official getting in touch with his subordinates at any instant. And so far as the postal department is concerned, there is the letter chute, running to every floor, which might be said to correspond to the letter boxes installed at various points throughout American cities. So the Immense building operations of the times are surrounding residents of real cities with these twentieth century municipalities, with all the officers and laws, in different form, of a regularly chartered city. There is nothing missing, not even the facilities for traveling home from work, without leaving the confines of the buildings, for some of these skyscrapers have private entrances to subway and elevated lines. And all must not necessarily be work here any more than in any other city. If the inhabitants of this modern institution wish to take recreation some Skyscraper cities afford an opportunity by having palm gardens laid out on the roof.

Quite True.

Bill—He says his books are his best friends. Jill —Well, he can turn ’em down when he gets tired of 'em without offending ’em.—Yonkers Statesman.

All Are Sinful.

We are all sinful. Therefore whatever we blame in another we shall find in our own bosoms.—Seneca.

PLAYING FOR SINGLE RUNS WING PENNANTS

JOE TINKER OF CHICAGO CUBS SAYS HIS TEAM WON THREE CHAMPIONSHIP FLAGB BY GOING AFTER SOLITARY SCORES. BY JOE TINKER. (Copyright. 1910, by Joseph B. Bowles.) Playing for one run at a time, and snaking sure of that one, is the way to win at baseball. The day of big baiting averages is over, and the team that can advance runners steadily and work together at the bat, and on the bakes, is the winner. In the first place the pitching has become so good that one run counts for twice as much as it did even ten years ago—and* the first run in a game counts for more than that o I think a team wins that has a good man, especially a good waiter, who also can hit, leading off. If the first man up in a game gets to first, is sacrificed down, and either of the next two batters can get him home, that game is almost \Von right there. The other team is handicapped, is unable to play as resourceful and mixed up a game as it could do if ahead, or on equal terms, while the team that is leading can take chances and vary the style of attack, standing a much be ter chance of making more runs simply because it can afford to take chances, while the other team must play a desperate defensive game, play close and take desperate chances to cut off runs. The Cubs have won three pennants by playing for one run at a time, because their pitchers have always held the other teams down to low scores, and I think we have the best team at making the one run that ever was organized. The way to get that one run is to have a resourceful attack, and to. keep outguessing the other team all the time and never allow the style of play to become machine-like. By that I mean to hit the first ball when the pitcher is expecting you to wait, to wait when he expects you to hit and to wait him cut to the limit if he shows any signs of unsteadiness. We frequently wait out pitchers for three or four innings, perhaps without getting a hit or a base, and then switch the system and hit the first ball that comes over. We fight all the time to get that first man on bases. Then, if the opening is made, we change the game and try to surprise the other team. If they are creeping in, expecting bunts, we may switch and play hit and run. It is merely trying to do the ■unexpected, and our whole scheme of attack is based on getting one run across. I think we have been so successful at this because we have a perfect signaling system. Each batter has three signals with the three men

Joe Tinker.

ahead of him, and three with the three who follow him. Ordinarily Chance permits us to use our own judgment as to what to do at bat and on bases, but if he gives a signal from the bench it is carried out. If he signals hit, the batter hits, if bunt, he bunts, and it is that working together and hitting together that has won for us. No matter how good a player may be, he is worthless to a club until he learns to forget himself and his batting average and hit for runs. It is team work and team hitting that wins games. "

O’Rourke to Play One More Game.

Expressing a desire to round out 40 years of professional baseball playing, .James H. “Orator" O’Rourke of ’Bridgeport (Conn.) League, lawyer, 'former owner of the Bridgeport team, and one of the oldest, if not the oldest professional player in the country, will probably catch one game for New Haven during the present season. When the Bridgeport man spoke of his desire, Cameron said he would be pleased to have him play in any game the veteran might find convenient. .This will make O’Rourke’s thirtyeighth year in basebalL He says he wishes to play one game a year as long as he is able to do so.

Naps and Reds Agree to Play.

The Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Naps will play a series of seven games for the championship of Ohio after the season ends. This arrangement was made between Business Manager Bancroft of the Reds and Vice President Bernaro of the Naps. It will be the first season that the teams have met in such an nffytr since the Naps trimmed the Reds, in 100 a,

ONE OF BROOKLYN’S BRIGHTEST STARS

When Manager "Bill” Dahlen commenced to “reconstruct” the Brooklyn team at the beginning of the season, about the first player he secured ; was outfielder Wheat from the Mobile team of the Southern league. Wheat has certainly made good. He is near the top of the list of the National i League sluggers and his fielding has been equally as good.

THE classification legislation in the National association national agreement will be revised at the annual meeting of that organization in -Chicago next fall. The system may not undergo radical change, but there will be modifications that will do away with abuses and injustices that have arisen in the course of the development of the game, to individual minor leagues in all sections of the country. The major leagues are interested in the matter, because the draft prlco of the player is determined by the rank of the minor league of which the club to which he belongs is a member at the time of his selection, but the parties of the first part in the agreement will have no part in the new grouping of the minor leagues. This power is delegated to the minors by section 5 of Article 6 of the national agreement, which reads as follows: The National association shall have the classification of its leagues and the adoption of a salary for its clubs according to such classification and it agrees to withdraw protection from any league which allows any of its clubs to exceed the salary limit prescribed for leagues of Its classification. The succeeding section fixes the price for selecting a Class A player by a major chib at $1,000; if a class B player at $760; 'tit a Class C player at SSOO, and of a player “from a club of lower closs,” at S3OO. The quoted words were manifestly employed in expectation of the creation of classes below D and are assuredly sufficiently elastic to Include the rest of the letters of the alphabet However, it is apparent that although the National association has sole control of the grading of its leagues in rank, three classes—A, B and C —must be retained in order that the drafting rights of the major leagues under Section 6, Article 6, may be exercised at the price fixed for each of these ranks. “Are the Tigers out of the pennant running this year? Decidedly not,” said Manager Hughey Jennings the other day. “We’ve got to work harder than ever before, that’s all. Who do I think will win if we fail to get in at the finish. Well, frankly, I like the looks of the Red Sox. The Red Sox team has even chances with the Athletics of landing first in the race, despite the big handicap the Connie Macks now have on Taylor’s men. As long as this Red Sox smash-bang hitting continues nothing in the world will stop the team. Great pitching by a remarkable pitching staff such as the Athletics have will win a pennant, sometimes, but when you have to choose between a team that is playing great ball in the field and hitting fairly well behind wonderful pitchers, and a team that is bubbling over with confidence which has resulted from a long stretch of victories is able to start a batting rally which means everywhere from three to four singles to six or eight bits with doubles and triples scattered among them, and has a couple of great left-handers, who seldom pitch three, four or five hit games, but who never get hammered out of the box either, why, give me the chaps who are hitting and who have the confidence. It would be a great thing for Boston to wii the pennant, and if we cannot climb in there, why, my best wishes to Pat Donovan’s team.” 1 President Lynch has been closely observing the work of his umpires. He Is fairly well satisfied with the way they are performing, but is anxious to Improve the staff as much as he can. Next year he expects to have two or three new men of intelligence and

Left Fielder Wheat.

good Judgment. “In order to get highclass men for the position,’ said the league chief, "it is necessary to maker the work attractive. Intelligent mem will not stand for constant daily abuse on the field, and I am doing my best to eliminate the use of bad laguage by players. If we can hush up the rough! fellows it will be easy to get a fine class of men to do the umpiring, for it is interesting work. I think we are making progress along that line. Every case of profane or obscene language used to an umpire calls for a fine or suspension, and this rule is being rigorously enforced.” Mr. Lynch Is very earnest In his desire to make the game clean and attractive to the best people, and he is succeeding la his Intention. More than $6,000,000 will be paid out this year in salaries to baseball players. This does not inclue the mous expense of keeping parks In order. buying supplies and paying travel ing expenses. The total expenditure for the baseball of the two big leagues during the season this year will run 1 close to $10,000,000. n Baseball is a paying institution. August Herrmann, chairman of the National Baseball commission, predicts that this season will pay eight per cent, on the money Invested in baseball. “Baseball is the greatest business In the land,” he says, "it 1b a progressive business and is continually growing." Paul Smith, left fielder of the Canton team of the Illinois-Mlssouri league, was purchased the other day by President Murphy of the Cubs for SSOO. James Murphy, a brother of the president, located the nineteen-year-old player on a scouting trip. Smith Is six feet one Inch tall, weighs 190 pounds, and has been batting close to the .320 mark. It is his first year in professional baseball and he will remain with Canton until the Missouri league season closes.

AROUND THE BASES

Jack Sheridan has been created the tutor of the young 1 “arbitrators" of the American league. Ban Johnson could not let the veteran get away from Mm and made a new Job for the man has been calling balls and strikes In the league ever since the start ten years ago. The baseball fans of St Paul are watching and waiting for the blow-op of that Minneapolis club, and If the bottom of the Miller sack does not out within the next two weeks there will be several suicide tricks turned In the city of the Saints. Pitcher Walter Manning, who »>«■ been with the New York American league club since 1908, has been re* leased to Rochester of the Eastern league. Lawrence McClure, the former Amherst college twirler, has brm turned over to Jersey City. Lord, who was recently traded by the Naps to the Athletics for Inflelder Rath, is killing the ball for m»i* He made four hits in the first game of a double-header the other day against his former teammates just to show McGuire’s poor judgment. All of the White Stockings went “swimming" the other day shortly aft. er they had reached Detroit. They didn’t return until supper time. Even then there wasn’t, .life enough in the : squad to start an argument