Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 107, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1918 — Page 3

NAVY BALL TEAM MADE UP OF STARS FROM DIFFERENT BIG LEAGUE CLUBS

The picture shows a group of former big league stars who enlisted in the navy and who will play on the all-star navy team this year. The picture was taken on.the Harvard baseball field, where the men practice. Left to right: Herb Pennock of the Red Sox, Chippie Gaw of Buffalo, Lawton Witt of the Athletics, Arthur Rico of the Braves, L. V. Bader of the Red Sox, Tom Corkery, Mike McNally of the Red Sox, Del Galnor of the Red Sox and Leo Callahan. Seated, front :’ Earnest Shore and Jack Barry, manager.

PRAISE FOR BOB GROOM

Umpire Billy Evans, who has worked behind Bob Groom a great number of games since he broke into the American league, is of the belief that the former Brownie will be of much use to the Cleveland Indians this summer. It is the opinion of Evans that Groom showed about as much stuff last year as he ever did. Groom has fine Ifreed, a corking curve and a most deceptive spitte'r, which he uses only occasionally. * Evans believes that Fold will make much use of Groom as a relief pitcher since** his curve and spitter are often of great advantage in stopping a batting rally.

MATTY AND COBB DISAGREE

Two Masters at Variance on Benefits Derived by Ball Players in Ancient Game of Golf. Christy Mathewson, noted pitcher and manager, today comes with a big boost for golf, Insisting that golf is beneficial to any ball player, if not overdpne. In passing, it is Interesting to note that Ty Cobb, noted batsman, is a great lover of the ancient game, hut gave, it up last year as fee claimed it “dimmed” his batting eye. Thus we have the two masters disagreeing. Both are artists, one in deceiving the batter, and the other in “ruining” the pitcher. Ty says the “follow through” in golf is different from the “follow through” stroke In baseball, and that the perfection of one will be the detriment of the other. Matty already has advised a number of his youngsters to take up the game. Cobb, on the contrary, has tried to discourage it among the diamond tossers. So there you are.

WALTER CAMP PUTS MEN IN CONDITION

Walter Camp, the Yale advisory coach and football authority, is a hard working member of Uncle Sam’s training force in preparing the country’s athletes for war. Camp Is stationed at the government aviation school at the University of California, Berkeley, Cal., as an athletic instructor. They say he is of immense aid in putting the bodies of the young aviators in splendid form, which greatly increases their chances of coming unscathed through the severe tests required to make dyers capable of bolding their own over the heads of foes in Europe. Despite the danger, there is a fascination about flying and a daring work thrrf appeals to many American lads, who figure they can learn as well as did the men now flying abroad, and see no reasons why the feats of the past cannot be dnp’Wtad. Cere’s iuug Uulaing at New Haven has fitted him welt, for Ute work he is doing.

EVERS WANTED TO BE SCRIBE

Like a Lot of Other Athletes, Former Cub Player Nursed Ambition to Be Something Else. A lot of great athletes have nursed secret ambitions to be something else.

Bob Fitzsimmons wanted to be an animal trainer and used to keep a tame lion. Bat Nelson and Johnny Evers cherished similar ambitions. Both wanted to forsake the fields of sports and become writers. Bat took a whirl at it, but wasn’f much of a success. When Evers quits

baseball It wouldn’t be surprising to find him writing sport. He has the ability and knows a good story when he sees it. . . John L. Sullivan’s greatest ambWon was to be a farmer and when he left the ring he settled down on a little farm near Boston. Home Run Baker would rather be successful farmer than a great ball player. Hal Chase thinks more of his billiard playing than of his graceful work around first.

DIAMOND NOTES

Ping Dodie is not a Yankee. He’s an Italian. Right name, Plzzola. • ♦ • The Robins go South in the spring, to get the kinks out of their wings; • * • Taking Jim Thorpe to Texas the Giants is a disease with McGraw. e • • Outlook for the Mackmen Is as bright as a bird’s-eye view of Pittsburgh. -- • * • Carlisle Indians will play baseball this spring for the first time in a decade. • • • This Is the season when every ball team is a pennant winner and the manager can explain just why. /• • • * Some folks say the Cubs will win the rag. To be Frank, ’tls a long time since they’ve had a Change. • • • Pat Moran has a Chinese infielder named Lal Tin. He ought to cover lots of ground, being from China. • • • Des Moines of the Western league has purchased Outfielder Walter Sandqulst from the Washington Americans. '* • • Mike Mulcahy, who played on the Georgetown nine several years back, is trying for a place on the CampDevens’ team. • • • This daylight-saving idea' is sure to appeal to the baseball fan who is tired of having games called on hccount of darkness. • •» • Baseball will be played on the extensive scale in the army and navy training camps where more than 1,500,000 men are under military training. Supporters of the plan th get Sunday baseball for the East, see an opening. Army and navy teams will be permitted to perform .in and around Boston. * • • Clark Griffiths Senators think they have found a way to “outhoover Hoover.” They decided as means of getting in shape quickly to cut out the noonday lunch. Jack Lewis of the Newark Internationals, who has been reported sold to several clubs, is out with a statement that be will accept no diamond engagement this season. The Pirates have another Joe Jscison. He is Lee King, a Pennsylvania miner. He started, training in his bare feet, but Bezdek soon converted him to the use of baseball shoe*.

John Evers.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. IfENSSELAEft. IN~>.

SIX-FINGERED PITCHER

Agitation against the use of the so-called “freak” deliveries in baseball will have no effect on the most unusual style of boxmanship of Benjamin Pellowitz, Philadelphia school boy, whose unique pitching is natural. Pellowltz is fifteen years old. That old saying about the awkward boy, “His fingers are all thumbs,” acts with reverse Eng- » lish In this case, for it is on his two thumbs that Benny depends for his success in pitching. One is a growth of she other thumb. Gripping the ball with his two thumbs and first two fingers, Pellowltz discovered that he could control what he calls a “four-finger” curve that is difficult to hit safely

ANGRY FANS DO NOT SCARE CONNIE MACK

Athletic Manager Is Only Leader Who Dare Defy Bugs. Bqueamishness Not Found In Human Filament From Philadelphia V/hen it Comes to Disposing of Moat Popular Player. One of the distinctions wrenched from a reluctant fate by the indomitable Connie Mack is that of being the only leader In baseball history with nerve enough to defy home fans by selling popular players. Only recently was presented the spectacle of Branch Rickey worrying himself "«ick over the problem of what to do with a fabulous offer for Hornsby, a player who may prove to be overrated* or who may be caught In the draft age ere the 1918 campaign is over.

Common sense told Rickey that the absurd money proffer ought to be snatched up without debating the matter for more than a wink’s time, yet fear that the fans would accuse him of Wrecking the club’s pennant chances forced him to put" all thoughts of selling Rogers into the background — against his better judgment, it may be. No such squeamishness was to be found in the human filament from Philadelphia. Connie swung his mace on a world’s championship machine and wrecked it before the very eyes of the astounded mob. He has continued to dismantle it ever since, has jdenuded it of almost the last vestige of its former greatness. He survives, he has a bank roll and owns an inexpensive team and will be financially fortified better than most of its rivals. If the worst comes because of the war. However, Connie had his clientele on the trip when he smashed and battered down this great baseball club. He knew before he began the destruction that there was no comeback at him because of a third and even less enviable distinction that had attached to his Athletics—that of having been the only world’s championship team in modern history to go through the season a loser! Back into the teeth of the Philadelphia fans Connie hurled it, when reproached for breaking up his team. “What do you care?” he snarled. “I gave you a world’s championship club and you wouldn’t patronize it. Good night !" No St. Louis clubowner, about to sell a star, would have the moral support of a similar lack of popular interest to fall back upon. St. Louis fans have always given St. Louis clubs splendid support at the slightest encouragement. That’s why Rickey decides to keep Hornsby instead of the $65,000 more or less—that Weeghman threw on the table.

EDWARD BARROW APPOINTED PILOT OF BOSTON RED SOX

Edward G. Barrow, ex-president of jthe international league, photographed poon after his appointment as manager of the Boston Red Sox. This is not Barrow’s first experience as a manager. He led the Detroit Tigers in 1903 and part of 1904, hut his career has been almost entirely in the minors. Since 1911 he has been president of the International league, resigning in December because of a salary cut. The Bed Sox’s new leader is fifty years old. He succeeds Jack Barry, who is now enlisted in the navy.

ON THE BRITISH FIGHTING FRONT

Lookout man watching through the trench periscope for enemy movements while his comrades are overhauling a machine gun.

AMERICAN FACES DEATH TO GET OPPORTUNITY AS MANUFACTURER

Story of Meteoric Rise of Man From Poverty to Leading Builder of Airplanes in. England—Without a Penny, He Joins British - Army and Deliberately Breaks Rules to Employ Talents in More Effective Service.

- London.—With all of its cases of meteoric rises from poverty and humbleness to wealth and success, the United States furnishes nothing ’more striking than that of J. A. Whitehefid, president of the Whitehead Aircraft company of England, but it should be stated that Mr. Whitehead, though a Britisher now, has American citizenship papers and got his business training in San Francisco. Unknown two years ago, Mr, Whitehead now is one of the most prominent men in Great Britain, and in its industrial life is easily one of the most shining figures. He started his career two and a half years ago with no asset in the world except credit with a small hotelkeeper in a London suburb. Now he owns the biggest airplane factory in Great Britain and has under his ownership 450 acres of. factory buildings and airdromes. His first pay roll was $35 a week, with borrowed money. His pay roll now is $60,000 a week. He recently obtained permission from the treasury department of England to increase his capitalization by $5,000,000, and.so complete was the confidence of English investors in his ability to “make good” that the amount was subscribed before the bonds were issued. Airplane Yet in Infancy. Mr. Whitehead is a far seeing mam He says the airplane business, despite its magical development during war time, is just in its infancy; that when the war is over there will be flying machine services for mail and passengers and expresses all over the world, and that where thousands of machines are required now tens of thousands will be needed after the war. He predicts that the airplane industry will see the same wonderful transformation that the automobile industry experienced some twenty years back. Furthermore, Mr. Whitehead says that the day the war is over he will start machines on a flight to New Yorfe and he has no doubt that within a short time he will have established, in co-operation with others, a regular mail service between the metropolis of Europe and the metropolis of the western hemisphere. It is, of course, not possible to go Into details in describing the airplane works which Mr. Whitehead has built. It is~ one of the wonder spots of England. and the thousands of employees whom I saw at their work one day this week are turning out these “eyes of the army” at a rate-which may well cause alarm to the Huns, who perhaps as soon as anyone else realized that the great war would be won in the air. Mr. Whitehead believes that the war will he won in the air, and he says there is no question that the English manufacturer, supplemented by his American Industrial captain, will provide the machines which will give the allies an overwhelming superiority.' At a recent luncheon given at Mr. Whitehead’s home. Buccleuch house, on the Thames, he told privately the story of his marvelous career. This Is it: Sentenced to Be Shot. At the outbreak of the war Mr. Whitehead, then on the sunny side of forty, was in San Francisco just getting on his feet after a rather adventurous experience which had taken him te all parte of the world and in a way gave him the reputation, as he now humorously says, of a “black sheep."

The turning point in his career had come at Monte Carlo some years before. He received financial aid which enabled him to shift his course in life and take a turn for the better. As soon as war was declared, although lie had become an American citizen, he enlisted in a British regiment and came to England. He was at the battle of Antwerp, and there, after watching the work of enemy airplanes, reached the conclusion that airplanes would decide the war sooner or later. To get out of the army was not an easy task. He did it by insubordination, and when sentenced to be shot produced his American citizenship papers and said that he didn’t think the authorities would kill him. They didn’t. They T>ald very, little attention to his claim that he had committed a breach of discipline for the sole purpose of employing his talents in a more effective way to the service of his country. He was sent back home with a black mark against him, filled with chagrin, but glowing with confidence that he could manufacture airplanes on a big scale and be a factor in the determination of the world struggle. He had not a cent He had no friends who could help. His parents, quite naturally, turned a deaf ear to his overtures for aid. His first step was to go to the war office and, as he laughingly says, with true American optimism, ask for an order to build airplanes. When asked if he had a factory he replied that he had. Then he went out to look for one. so that the government authorities could verify his statement Commandeers a Machine Shop. Out in a London suburb, where he had a hotel man for an acquaintance, he found an old machine shop in which were a few lathes and some benches. He inspected it as well as he could through the borrowed a pot of paint and a brush and ladder and began to paint his name on the front of the building. He had it fairly well done when a man came along and said: “What are you doing there?” “I am painting my name on this building.” “And what are you doing that for? That’s my building." “Oh ! is that so? Then you are just the man I want to see.” > Mr. Whitehead took.the Owner of the building to the aforementioned hotel and bought luncheon for him. He told him of his’ airplane dream, and A’aughan Thompson —for that was the name of the owner—was impressed by it He said: “It sounds very good to me. If it will help win the war I am for it. I am 'going to the front tomorrow, and you can take the building and do what you want to with it And I have two" hundred pounds cash, and as I don’t expect ever to come back you can take that, too. and use it the best way you can. It will be at your disposal in a month.” Mr. Thompson went away. He, was killed, as he predicted. Just a year from that day. Contract for Six Flyers. Mr. Whitehead, being a skilled mechanic. put the old machinery in thq Thompson property In the best condition he could, made a few purchases on credit, and went to the air department with this proposal: “You may send your inspector to my machine shop any time you wish. 1 should like a contract to build six airplanes,

and they wilt be as good as any other maker In the country can give you.” They gave him a contract for thw six. An inspector reported that bls factory was of sufficient capacity for a trifling order of that kind, and thereupon the 450-acre Whitehead company began its career. < . On the strength of his order for six government machines Mr. Whitebead was able to make such purchases ad be needed for his small undertaking. He also borrowed $35 to pay two mechanics who helped him the first week. From that the industry grew. He surmounted obstacles that would have awed almost anyone, and did things which astonished the Severest business men of England. But he achieved results. He finished his six machines In far lens than the specified time, and" then he got a contract for a hundred. The works grew; and the orders grew also. He built a great airdrome facing a field of hundreds of acres, and, to the amazement of government officials who thought his field was no use as a training station because of the fact that a river flowed through it, he buried the river. He diverted a stream so that It is now not .to be seen on his property. The lunch which he gave the other day marked the end of the second year of active full operation. There is do telling whefe it will end.

HUNS HAVE NEW AIR DEVICE

Electrically Charged Wires Hung From Captive Balloon Menace Hostile Flyers. Amsterdam. —At Zeebrugge, the German naval and aerial base on the Belgian coast, the Germans have adopted a new method of catching hostile airmen. Toward evening, the frontier correspondent of the Telegraaf reports, the Germans send up 12 captive balloons without crews and attached to electrified steel cables. The electric barrier Is said to constitute a menace to all airnjen coming into contact with It. The Germans, it is added, have also manufactured a new and improved type of airplane. It is fitted with three propellers, one being so arranged that it can keep the airplane stationary above a certain point for a few minutes, thus permitting the bombthrower to alm with greater accuracy.

DAO TO HAVE SERVICE FLAG WITH FIVE STARS

Pittsfield. Mass.—There’s a service flag with five stars at the home of Paul A. Jones. But that’s not enough, he thinks. He is planning to add three more stars. Walter, the youngest, who will be eighteen soon, plans to enlist and two more sbns are in class . Al of the draft. Five are already in various camps throughout the Five of the boys have “war brides.”

NEW STYLE OF PATRIOTISM

Former Sailor Offers to Clean, Press and Repair Clothing for Drafted Men. *Dewey, Okla.-Aaron Hanning, former sailor, now owner of a cleaning-and pressing establishment, has offered to clean, press, repair and send home the clothing of any drafted men of this city and vicinity, when they exchange their civilian clothing for the uniform of Uncle Sam. In case the men have no home he will store their clothing and keepsakes tor them. All this is without cost.

MONARCHS OF CUBA

The royal palm trees of Cuba are protected by the government. Tl»x may not be cut or injured for commercial purposes. . Expert climbers are employed to remove the leaves and the seeds from which high-grade oil is manufactured. Tire trees are .over 200 feet high, and the manner of Scaling them is interesting. A dose view at how the climbing to done.