Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1912 — PEERLESS LEADER OF THE CHICAGO CUBS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PEERLESS LEADER OF THE CHICAGO CUBS

By HOMER CROY.

Frank Chance Is “The Peerless Leader” to all America with W. J. B. just coming In sight around the bend. W. J. may be the last syllable when it comes to a w crown of thorns, but what does he know about first base? When it gets down to real peerlessness, Chance of Cook County has got the Lincoln leader lashed so tightly to the mast that he can’t move an eyebrow unassisted and unabetted. Frank Leßoy Chance (honestly) was born In California, was a catcher on the Washington College team and in the winter time lives at Glendora, same state. From the first pro. team he was on—-the Fresno (California) club —he was picked up and derricked to the Chicago Cubs, where he still sits with one hand on the throttle, the other on the sand lever and the safety clutch between his teeth. He is one of the most superstitious men in baseball, but having 13 for his lucky number. When on a Pullman it would take a straight-jacket and a new cable to make him sleep anywhere except in lower 13; if the club gets a car with only twelve berths he writes 13 on the door and doubles up in the stateroom. He refuses to change his shirt as long as the Cubs are winning; he’s very firm about this and cannot be won over with either pleading or powder. After the budding bruins have had a lucky streak he has to remove his Cluett with a kneaded rubber eraser.

~ Frank Chance is one of the beet dressers in baseball, considering it a public disgrace to be seen on the street without a Mason and Dixon line down each trouser leg and adjusting his tie before going down to breakfast with a sextant and a spirit level. Miss Edith Pancake of Chicago took a Chance and now he has a happy hearthstone and ladles* magazines on the center table. Chance Is the only man In the big league business who was ever elected captain of the team by the rest of the players, and since that he has framed four National league diplomas. Bdsldes that he has pasted up a lot of other records for posterity. It's just as well thsficold, unsparing truth be made public now as any time, for It must be remembered that a bird cannot fly away from Its tail. Well, here It Is, briefly and bluntly— Frank Chance is a D. D. 8.., but he is now trying to lead a noble and upright life! Every time you call him “Doctor” he heats up In the palms and begins to talk about his two orange groves in California. - A part of his comfortable fortune has been made out of the groans of men, the cries of women and the shrieks of children, but he has thrown away his forceps for the ash stifik and is honestly trying to bring pleasure and sunshine into the world by pulling down files instead of up molars. (Copyright 1911, by W. G. Chapman.)

Frank LeRoy Chance as Seen by Cesare.