Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 184, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1918 — Page 2

FRED MERKLE HAS SUCCEEDED IN LIVING DOWN FAMOUS BONER WHILE WITH GIANTS

The bonehead plays that players • make live after them, according to the baseball oracle. But though bonehead plays may live, the players who perpetrate them may live them down, and this is just what Fred Merkle is doing—Fred Merkle of the famous episode that cost the Gi» ants a pennant when he forgot to touch —second, . r As he became a veteran in the service of the Giants his playing over a stretch of six or seven years overshadowed the memory of that bonehead play and the novelty of kidding him about it wore off, though the scribes often referred to it. Then came the season of 1916, which saw Merkle on the decline —or at least John McGraw thought so, for Fred was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Lew McCarty and that day, August 20, 1916, was one of the blackest days of his career. Last season Merkle bloomed out in

PITCHER ED KLEPFER IS NOW “OVER THERE”

Ed Klepfer, on the reserve list of the Cleveland club, isn’t over here any longer. He’s “over there” and Ed is “over there” to fight. He is one of two Cleveland Indians who recently arrived in France with a contingent of Uncle Sam’s khaki wearers. He is now Sergeant Klepfer, if you please. With Ed is Joe Harris, another former Cleveland player and some slugger. Joe had a terrific wallop in his bat while with the Indians and hopes to use it In helping knock out the kaiser. In a recent letter to Joe Wood, a former teammate, Sergeant Klepfer announces his safe arrival in France after dodging U-boats en route. He will pitch some games for the soldiers back of the lines. Klepfer and Harris are two of nine players lost by the Cleveland club in the National army draft and by enlistments.

Faeth to Continue Playing.

Tony Faeth, Milwaukee pitcher, has gone Into the army school for training mechanics near St. Paul and on visits of the Milwaukee team to St Paul or Minneapolis he will get furloughs and pitch for the Brewers until he completes his course and is sent abroad.

LEADING SLUGGER OF CUB MACHINE

the uniform of the Chicago Cubs, having been sold to the Weeghman combine in January of last year for a sum said, to have been $3,500. “What did the Cubs want with Merkle?” asked the fans. Merkle was through or McGraw would never have parted with him, they figured. But Merkle wasn’t through. He had a fairly good season with the Cubs last year—just fairly good, mind you—yet he proved to Manager Mitchell that he was still a mighty valuable ball player to have hanging around. Today there is not a question as to Merkle’s value. He is the leading slugger of the Cub machine and his playing around the initial corner for Mitchell has been an inspiration to every member of the team. Should the Cubs come through to a pennant this year Merkle’s work will be pointed to as one of the reasons •why. Merkle has lived down his bonehead play. He has come back as.few players ever came back and he deserves no end of praise.

BASEBALL STORIES

William J. Artz is a new umpire in the Eastern league. * • o So long as Shanks remains, the Griffs will have a utility staff. When John McGraw is in doubt he calls on Al Demaree and Al delivers. * * * Ed Barrow’s greatest weakness is a lack of reserve strength for his Red Sox. * * • Charley/Rlsberg doesn’t seem to be affected by the White Sox slump. This player has been hitting the ball. • * • The idea that Walter Johnson was losing his smoke has been revised. Walter can buzz them over as fast as ever. • * • Marty McGaffigan got tired of being called a Quaker and decided to go into the army along with the Fighting Iflsh. • • • The Boston Red Sox have signed Ford, an Infielder from the Tufts college varsity nine. He is a shortstop and second baseman. ♦ ♦ * The Tigers will try out First Base-., man Graham, who played good ball with Chattanooga, in the disbanded Southern association. * * • John Beall, the Milwaukee man, who has joined St. Louis, has so much confidence in his ability to stick that he moved his family to the Mound city. • * • Kester June is the name of a UnL versity of Virginia pitcher who has been taken on for a trial by the Cleveland Indians. He is a right-hander. - ♦ * • Fred Mitchell is making a strong bld to swipe George Stallings’ “Miracle” shoes. George has ’em tied In a hard knot and is stepping out a bit himself. * * • The New London club has been getting some wonderful pitching, and the average of runs scored against its twirlers Is the lowest in the Eastern league. ~'*** Walter Rousch, brother of Eddie Rousch, leading slugger of the National league in 1917, and Paul Cobb, brother of the famous Ty, are both members of the United States Marines team of Quantico, Va. • • •

The French have taken a great interest in baseball and already have caught on to our set phrases and expressions. “Glisser au over" means “the runner slid home.” “Foul” is translated “poulet,” and “fly" is “moucke."

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. INB.

FOURTEEN YEARS OF BIG LEAGUE SERVICE

“Red” Ames Still Good Enough to Hold His Meal Ticket. Player Who Won Fame as Pltchei*for New . York Giants la Depended Upon to Do His Share of Work for St Louis Cardinals. With fourteen years of major league pitching behind him, old Leon (“Red”) Ames, who won most of his fame as a pitcher for the Giants, is still good enough to hold a meal ticket in the big show. As a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was sent in a trade in 1915, Ames is depended upon to do a share of the pitching, and, with good support, he generally gives all comers a battle. : ?

Last season, when the Cards began to look up and play some real baseball for Milter Huggins, Ames worked In a total of 43 games and won 151 He was credited with ten losses. This season the red-headed flinger showed surprisingly good early season form, and in a game at Pittsburgh, May 2, he held the Pirates to two hits, both of which were registered against him in the first inning an<Tnetted Bezdek’s boys the lone run that won the game. That was something of a heart-breaker for a veteran like Ames—to pitch a two-hlt game and lose it One of the secrets of Ames’ success as a pitcher lies in the fact that he

Leon Ames.

knows how to pitch. He doesn’t cut loose too early in the season, and he saves his arm whenever he can. Pitching with one’s noodle as well as with the arm is a secret that Ames learned long ago. Ames broke into the big show at the fag end of the 1903 season, but did not really get his first tryout until the. next season, when he took part in 16 games. The next year he was ready for all the work McGraw could give him and succeeded in winning 22 games and losing but eight. That was his biggest winning year, although he always 'worked in many games and for a number of years ranked as the best pitcher in either league to go in and finish a game that was in danger.

CONNIE IS SWEET ON IRISH

Manaher of Athletics Has Array of Talent Possessing Reminders of “Ould Sod.” Connie Mack has a soft spot in his heart for ball players with Irish names. He won the championship with Eddie Collins, Jack Barry, Stuff Mclnnes and other sons of Erin. These stars have gone, but Connie has another array of talent that possesses good old-fashioned reminders of the “ould sod.” There is Walker, Burns, Shannon, Dugan, McAvoy, Geary, Shea and Holmes, and others. When you remember Connie Mack’s real name is Cornelius McGillicuddy, you won’t he surprised at his fondness for the Irish.

SILVER DOLLAR IS BIG ON A TRAINING TRIP

The White Sox were playing a long, extra-inning game at Chi-. cago. The sun was setting—one of those great, round red suns. It gleamed through the latticework of the upper at Comiskey park and shone directly into Right Fielder Shauno Collins’ face. As the latter came in for the last half of the thirteenth inning he was stopped by a fellow player, who asked: “What does that sun remind you of, Shauno?” Collins paused for a moment. Then he said: “It reminds me of a silver dollar on a trainingtrip; just about the same size.”

No Soft Job for Fohl.

It’s afjob that requires overalls and hard work that Lee Fohl, manager of the Cleveland Americans, will assume when the baseball season is ended in October. “No soft job for me during the winter months," Fohl said. “I am well over the draft age, but l am husky enough to do my share of hard work, especially as the government needs able-bodied men in the shops.”

WAR CRIPPLES WILL FIND JOBS

Britain Plans Suitable Instruc* tion to Suit Men for Work. TRAINING IS UNDER WAY London Exhibition Shows the Skill of Wounded—-Re-educs tion of Blind- > ed Soldiers—Wage Question f Is Solved. / London. —The soldier broken iHCffiv war will have his chines bf fu&Wfe em■ployment at work suitable to his maimed condition aZ'» at a wage that will enable him to ft//e without seeking charity. The q?ly reason for any possible failure of t’<e plan will be due to refusal on his part to take part in the training-.which has been provided for him. I The ministry of pensions and the ministry of labor are making every effort to provide suitable instruction and to obtain posts for the men as they are trained. Already courses of training are established In the engineering and building trades, the manufacture of aircraft, wholesale and retail tailoring, the making of leather goods, furniture making, diamond cutting, wood carving, toy making and many other trades.

An exhibition is now open in London in which are displayed the methods of training and the resulting variety of work turned out by the disabled soldiers or sailors. . During the early days, of the exhibition a conference of delegates from allied countries was held in which details of the after care, work and the treatments for the restoration of the wounded were givep. Plan for Aiding Blind. Sir Arthur Pearson described the methods in use at St, Dunstan’s for the treatment, training and re-educa-tion of blinded soldiers. He said that the actual re-education and training was divided into two sections, the classroom and the workshop, the men’s working day being divided between the two. Typewriting was taught in the classroom, while in the workshops the largest number of men were learning cobbling. Some men learned mat making only. Basket making, the oldest of the staple industries for the blind, was taught in many varieties. The other industry taught in the workshops was Joinery. The men of St. Dunstan’s acquired these industries in a quarter of the time usually supposed to be necessary to teach a blinded man a trade. Shorthand writing, by the aid of a machine which enabled the Braille characters to be taken down, was also taught, as was telephone operating.

Dealing with the provision of surgical supplies, Sir William Mac Ewen said that when a hospital fqr the limbless was established in Scotland they were told that, in view of the thou-

GRANDSON OF GENERAL LEE

Lieut. Robert E. Lee, U. S. A., grandson of Gen. Robert E. Lee, the commander In chief of the armies of the Confederate states during the Civil war, is fighting for the United States. Lieutenant -Lee has the mark as a military leader set by his famous grandfather as the goal of his efforts though he will be doing his utmost foi that Union which his grandfathei strove to destroy. General Lee’s farm as a soldier is secure, for he is rater by military experts as one of the greatest commanders the world has known. If Lieutenant Lee Inherits his military skiff there will be no ques tlon about his chances of being rated a military genius. z Maj. William Fitzhugh Lee Simpson a grand-nephew of Gen. Robert E i Lee, recently died while on duty lr France, according to a confirmed report received here. Major Simpson iwas in charge of the American .school of machine gunfire in France. No par ticulars of his death, except that 11 i war due to appendicitis, have been received. The Lees are in the fight.

sands of men who had lost limbs In the war, it would be impossible to get enough artificial substitutes unless aliens were employed. To meet the difficulty a skilled limbs committee of physicists, engineers and surgeons was formed, which had directed the production of limbs b/ wood carvers, pattern makers and mechanics in shipbuilding jArds and engineering shops, and thus tjjey had been able, by employing 4iome industry alone, to supply artificial limbs in sufficient quantities and quality to satisfy requirements. Methods of Treatment Prof. V. Putt! of Bologna dealt with the surgical treatment -pertaining to amputations. He described the methods of Dr. Giuliano Vanghetti, who first conceived the idea and the means of drawing living energies from the stump of an amputated limb and transmitting voluntary movements to an artificial member. It is now possible for a man who has lost both hands to use a knife and fork at table, dress himself and even shave with a safety razor. This miracle is due to the treatment known as cinematization, and the perfection to which artificial limbs have been brought. In order to obtain this voluntary movement the muscles are allowed to overlap the bone of the stump and are so arranged as to give two protuberances similar in shape and size to two small fingers. The muscles are so arranged as to give alternately the flexion and extension movements and where that cannot be obtained a rotary movement can be given. In this way artificial limbs, instead of being merely supports for the stumps, can themselves be manipulated. In another department a meat safe —of which one workshop has sent 250 to France—can be seen, and a touching side of this -exhibit was a tray of things for one-armed men—jigs of this and that sort to enable one-armed men to cut wood and wire, and to polish frames, rulers for one-armed clerks, billiard rests for the one-armed player, etc. The wage question has been a serious problem, but the difficulties have been largely solved. Up to the present very few of the trained men transferred to employment have failed to obtain wages of $lO and over per week. It is hoped that with the extension of the work of the department exchanges working under the ministry of labor the employer who considers that a man’s pension is an opportunity to cut wages will find himself badly left.

PRETTY SENORITA IS A “HE”

Discipline Causes Soldier From Jefferson Barracks No End of Trouble. Portland, Ore. —Discipline caused a soldier from Vancouver barracks no end of trouble here. The enlisted man, while on a furlough, went to a masquerade ball clothed as a Spanish dancing girl. After the ball, while walking to a restaurant for supper, he passed an officer, and promptly saluted. The spectacle of a rather' pretty “girl” saluting aroused the officer’s curiosity, and an Investigation revealed the true state of affairs. “It Is against the regulations for an enlisted man -to discard his uniform during war times,” said the officer. “Return at once to the barracks and report to your commanding officer.” The soldier followed discipline again and obeyed. The appearance of a “dancing girl” within the army precincts caused more trouble, and as the soldier’s uniform was in Portland it took some time to straighten matters out. After being threatened with courtmartial and other terrible things, the officers took pity on the soldier and let the incident pass with a reprimand.

BIG SPHAGNUM MOSS ORDER

Seattle Red Cross to Make About Twelve Carloads of Surgical Dressings. . Seattle, Wash. —Two hundred and fifty thousand sphagnum-moss surgical dressings, or about twelve . carloads, will be turned out by the Seattle Red Cross before September 1. Seattle has been asked to make half of the half million allotment for the Northwest. Sphagnum moss is gathered in the swamps on the north bank of the Columbia river near its mouth. The moss is assorted, thoroughly dried, and then for dressings.

LISTED AS SLACKER, BOY DIES AS HERO

Dayton, O. —Although government officials searched throughout the United States for John Rong of Montgomery county, whom they believed to be a slacker, Rong .died a hero on the battlefields of France. While reading the list of casualties of the American oversells forces a few days ago, reland friends found Rong’s name -with his Montgomery county address and hfshome address, Rome, Italy. Rong nad enlisted without notifying his board.

OFFERED POLISH CROWN

Here is a man who would rather be a brakeman in the;United States than a ruler in Europe. Peter Sobieski, 8descendant of King John 111 of Poland, says the wild beast of Berlin offered him a kingdom. Sobieski recently arrived in Oakland, Cal., from Arizona, where he has been working as a brakeman on a railroad. He has made application for enlistment with the United States army as an interpreter. Sobieski’s uncle, who lives in Los Angeles, two years ago was offered ’the throne of Poland under Germany’s dominion. He declined, preferring to remain a citizen of theUnited States. The job was then offered to Peter, who also declined.

HERE’S PRIZE ESCAPE STORY

United States Flyer in Germany'Sent Out With an Incubus, but Loses It. New York.—This story is told of an. American aviator, whose machine had been forced to land wittily the German lines and who was taken prisoner, but -returned a few days afterward to American headquarters, safe and sound, in his own machine: After his capture he was taken before the commanding officer, who informed him that they were desirous of obtaining certain information regarding the allies’ forces and had decided to send him up in his own machine accompanied by a German officer, who would shoot him instantly if he deviated from orders. Accordingly, he took his machine up, his Germancompanion sitting beside him with a. drawn revolver at his ribs. While in the air he began to ruminate on the much-overrated “Germap efficiencyfor, as he said, “I had, of course, determined that the German observer should never return to illslines, even-if it cost me my own life. I was thinking just liow I. could do it, when all at once I realized that the man beside me was not strapped in. I couldn’t help chuckling as I looped the loop.”

ROUSED BY DYING CHILDREN

Death of Six From Starvation in Germany Brings Attacks on Government. Amsterdam. —The death of six children at the German reform school in Tiefenort, Saxe-Weimer, from what practically amounts to starvation, although it is politely called “undernourishment" in the official reports, has caused widespread comment in Germany. Assailed in the grand ducal parliament for tolerating such conditions, the government put forth the diverting excuse that the children died from “tuberculosis brought on by deficient mental conditions.” This, says Vorwaerts in a scathing editorial,~ls “a disease that is likely to prove more serious and more mysterious than the influenza epidemic in Spain.”

HUSBAND, BROTHERS IN WAR

Pennsylvania Woman Has in All Thirteen Relatives In Service of the United States. Scranton, Pa.—Although her husband is in the army, her nine brothers are in the service and the husbands of three sisters are also wearing khaki, Mrs. Mary E. Cottrell of the North Scranton section doesn’t want a service flag displayed from her home. Ample satisfaction will come her way, she says, when she knows her husband and relatives have given effective aid to Unde Sam in - the trenches.

Indians Prove Patriotism.

Denver, Colo.—Denied a right to serve in the United States army, 100 Colorado Indians are doing their bit by working on the highways of this state. They are building modern roads over the trails blazed by their forefathers through forests of the Rocky mountain region. -