Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 243, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1918 — Page 3

INTERESTING FRENCH SOLDIERS IN THE POPULAR AMERICAN GAME OF BASEBALL

American Soldiers With an Autombbile Load of Y. M. C. A. Sportinfl Goods for Men on Duty at the Front.

The birth of baseball on one section of the French line where the game had. never been seen before, Is described in an interesting report by a Y. M. C. A. secretary 'in charge of a foyer du soldaL ■ “The paraphernalia at my command,” he writes in telling of how the great American game became popular, “consisted of a backstop, an Indoor baseball dnd two bats. The bases were im-provised-by-sawing a plank Into four squares. - As I walked out of the foyer one evening with that equipment under my arm, the lounging groups of. French soldiers cast sidelong glances of curiosity and scorn. It was evident they were not optimistic in regard to the success of the innovation. “After I had established the home base, there were only two Pollus audacious enough to show that they entertained somfe degree of listless interest in what was going on. I began batting the ball at the backstop, knocking out a few base hits into the wire netting. Then suddenly wheeling about, I threw the ball at one of the spectators. He dodged it, but another Pollu went after It and threw it back at me.

Becoming Interested. “I swung at the ball, but it passed me, and the Poilus laughed to see me carried around by the momentum of the swing bat. Others had been attracted by that time, and it was evident that interest was beginning to grow. "The man who had thrown the ball back volunteered to pitch, and after a while lie was able to land the ball near enough to the bat to enable me to give it a wallop that sent it way out into the field. “There were some who by this time had become sufficiently interested to accept an Invitation to do outfielder work, and after 15 minutes of batting I yielded the bat to another. "Some of the Poilus got onto the knack of batting very quickly and this, of course, engendered an ambition to surpass one another in sending the ball to a great distance. “I had taken, position in the field and chased the ball with a far greater liveliness than would have sufficed under ordinary circumstances and always took care to pull off some sensational or amusing acrobatic stunt to win as many laughs as possible. Recruits came ‘flocking to us by this time and in a short while there were enough Poilus jin the game to constitute two teams. ISo, taking the ball on the next fly, I walked Into the home base and called ,the other players about me. “Then I proceeded to give explanations for a corner-lot championship congest, with drawings on the ground, and (everybody lending an open ear and eye, Ibut nearly all of them scouting the possibility of making a ‘go’ of it. Then we began to choose sides and place the players. Forgot to Rim, "The first batter to hit the ball forigot to run. The fielder who should have fielded the ball, yielded to his impulses st football and kicked the ball as far as he could, end the first baseman started to run around all the bases to home plate. A country circus clown could not have wanted a better combination to amuse an American audience. But after five minutes of explanations I had succeeded in pushing the batter to first base; in convincing the first baseman that It wasn’t his turn to run, and in filling the fielder with chagrin that he had lost a good chance to hurl the ball against the moving physiognomy of the batter.

“After this, some of the players began to grasp the principle of the play. Having one or two allies was a great help. They were able to cuss out their comrades much better thah I, for their mistakes and it enabled me to save my voice for the important crises in the I play, when a third baseman might istart to run home, or the second base;man, having found a friend, renounced mil interest at a critical moment with 'two on base and a line drive toward (second, to engage in a conversation that lasted for at least three minutes. Interest Kept Up. • "By this time, an audience of at least a hundred had gathered around and the blatant Indifference of this second baseman compelled him to retire from the game before the hoots and Jeers of the crowd and particularly of his teammates. At the end of an hour and a Half the game was well en route and [the crowd kept up the interest for an-

other hour —in fact, they played until it began to get dark. “They agreed, at the end, that it was ‘interesting,’ once one knew the gamd, and they volunteered to come around the next evening. They held good to their promise, too. The next night they started in in earnest, needing but little direction, and playing with the keenest interest. After two or three nights they developed into'lovers of the game, and as long as those troops were in town we were sure of .having a ball game every clear evening from 6 to 8.”

MATHEWSON IS NOW CAPTAIN

Idol of Baseball Fan* for Mirny Year* Has Been Given a Commission in the Army. Most recent picture of Capt. Christy Mathewson, one of the greatest ball players the national game has produced, who was given a commission In the chemical warfare service of the

Captain Christy Mathewson.

United States army. For years Matty’s prowess as a pitcher for the New York Giants, his late managership of the Cincinnati Reds, and his genial personality both on and off the diamond had won for him a soft spot in the heart of every ball fan throughout the country.

ONE RECORD FOR SCHALK

Ray Schalk, the star maskman of the White Sox, established a new world’s big league record for continuous service when he caught the first game at Shibe park on August 24. This game was the one hundredth of the season in which he had been behind the bat and made the sixth straight, year he has caught 100 or more games a season. He started in the century class in 1913, and in 1914, 1915,1916, 1917 and this year duplicated the feat The previous record was held by George Gibson, then with the Pirates, who caught 100 games or more a season for five consecutive years.

CHINESE TAKE TO BASEBALL

Thousands of Chinks Playing American Game—Want in on Any International Series. * ■ While we have been hearing so much about the advance of baseball In England, France and Italy, don't forget that, another one of the allied countries also Is booming It A newspaper man recently arrived In this country from China says thousands of Chinese are playing the game and that the contests put on in Shanghai often draw more than 5,000 persons. If there’s ever to be an international world's series this newspaper man, whose name is Graham Barrow, says China wants in on it

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

CAN BASEBALL GAME REGAIN OLD PLACE?

Will National Pastime Be as Popular After the War? Magnate* Will Have Tough Tim* In Rebuilding Team* When Great Struggle I* Ended—Big Star* Are Not Coming Back. Unless pdace is declared before another summer rolls around baseball is going to have a tough time regaining the high standard it has attained after long years of operation. Under the ruling of Secretary Baker, not to mention the change of draft ages, there will be no baseball next season. Baseball is nonessential and must take a back seat until the olive branch is waving over this turbulent globe of ours, says a writer in an exchange. In the meantime, with the oncoming generation engaging In baseball in a purely amateur way, the magnates will be up against It when the time rolls around to rebuild teams, for there won’t be enough talent available to pad a crutch. It Is reasonable to figure that a certain per cent of the players who have their John Hancocks on contracts now will return to the game when peace returns to the world. Yet, compared with the few w r ho will come back retaining their old-time efficiency, there will be dozens of players in all classes of leagues who will be unable to return to the game. Others will not return to it because of the fact that baseball will have lost its glamour for them. The big stars —the boys like Cobb, Collins, Speaker and Alexander —who have been paid enormous salaries, have laid by enough o's this world’s goods to keep them for the rest of their days, and they are not coming back to labor on the diamond for greatly reduced salaries, which are bound to follow the war.

For the same reason a goodly per cent of the players who up to a year or so ago were the coming ellglbles for big league jobs will pass up their baseball aspirations for other lines, and the incentive for the youngsters will not be as. great. Baseball will finally come back as strong as ever, of course, but it will take time. The powers that be hung on as long as they possiß!y could for this very reason. They foresaw that a cessation of operations would be a terrific body blow. They have said so many times. There is nothing that could have happened to the baseball business which could have hurt It more.

During the reconstruction period, which Is going to involve nearly every country on the globe, baseball will have to go through a reconstruction period of Its own, and baseball will weather the tough days ahead because the public will realize what it is up against and will be tolerant. No game Is more red-blooded than baseball as a sport or pastime in peaceful days, and people will want plenty of red-blooded amusement after the war is over. So the magnates need not go about hanging crepe on each other. The future of the game is bright enough, and it will be much better off for having gone through the fire. This view of the baseball situation is of course contingent only upon a lengthy continuation Of the war.

FAMOUS RUNNER IS HONORED

“Ted" Meredith Has Been Promoted to Commander of Flying Squadron in' France-

“Ted" Meredith.

“Ted” Meredith, University of Pennsylvania’s great miler, has been promoted to commander of a flying squadron In France. Meredith has distinguished himself In air battles with the Boche and Is recognized as one of America’s best flyers. He enlisted at the outbreak of the war.

GEO. KRICK GOING TO ITALY

Texan Sporting Writer to Take Up Duties as Physical Director for Y. M. C. A. George Krick', well-known In the South as a baseball player, manager and league organizer and now a sporting editor of Fort Worth, Tex., will leave for Italy soon to take up his duties as Y. M. C. A. physical director, giving particular attention to baseball activities. Krick was an organizer of the Texas league and was its first secretary. He also organized the Jacksonville dub of the South Atlantic league.

A Bird in the Hand

(Special Information Service, United States Department Of Agriculture.) —juMkeYs for holiday markets.

FATTEN TURKEYS FOR THE MARKET

Finish Fowls When Demand Is Keen and Price Correspondingly Attractive. EXCELLENT PLAN OUTLINED ... ' ■ > .i i / New Com Can'Safely Be Fed If Fowls Are Gradually'Accustomed to It— Birds Always Make Best’Gains on Free Range. The true test of expert turkey raising is to be able to market a large percentage of the annual crop in the pink of market finish at a time when the demand is keen and the price correspondingly attractive. In fattening turkeys for the market an excellent plan is-to begin early in October to feed night and morning, only feeding enough at a time so that the birds go away still feeling a little hungry, and gradually increasing the quantity until they are given all they will clean up three times a day during the week before marketing. By the latter feeding is meant that they are fed until they leave the feed and walk away. Some turkey raisers feed oats during the first part of the fattening season, gradually changing to corn as the weather becomes cooler. Previous to the war, wheat was used in the same jnanner as oats. The majqrity, however, begin feeding heavily on com about November 1, and since turkeys are not accustomed to such heavy feeding, scours often result, especially if new com is used. New corn can be fed safely if the turkeys are gradually accustomed to it by feeding lightly at first and more heavily afterward. Confining turkeys during the fattening season to prevent their using so much energy in ranging has been tried to some extent, but with very little success. Those confined to a pen eat heartily for two or three days, but after this they lose their appetite and begin to lose flesh rapidly. On allowing them'free range again, they pick up rapidly and are soon eating as heartily, as ever. The better method is to allow them free range, as it keeps them in good, healthy condition, and they are always eager to be fed. Nuts From the Range.

Nuts of various kinds are a natural fattening feed picked up by the turkeys on the range. Of these beechnuts, chestnuts, pecans and acorns are the most commonly found by them. Many turkey growers in Texas depend solely upon acorns for fattening their turkeys, and when these nuts are plentiful the birds are marketed In, fairly good condition. The marketing season for turkeys Is very short, running from the middle of November to the latter part of December. Most turkey raisers sen their birds alive to poultry dealers, who either dress them or ship them alite to city dealers. Farmers near the city markets, and particularly those In the middle. Atlantic and New England states, often dress the turkeys and either sell them direct to the consumer or to city dealers. In some sections shortly before Thanksgiving there Is held what Is known as turkey day. On the day before the event every turkey grower in the neighborhood kills and dresses his turkeys and the following morning brings them Into town, where they are bld on and purchased by whatever buyers choose to be there, the birds going to the highest, bidder. In sections in which turkeys are grown In large numbers, as in Texas, dressing plants have been 'built by poultry- dealers, who buy the birds alive and dress them for the various city markets. In such cases practically all the turkey raisers sell to these dealers, who often send buyers out Into the country to gather up a drove of several hundred birds by stopping at each farm as they pass, weighing

The Round-Up of a Turkey Drive.

whatever turkeys the farmer may have to sell, and adding them to those already collected. Six or eight men can drive a flock of 1,000 turkeys 10 to 12 miles a day. As soon as possible after the turkeys are received at the dressing plant they are killed, dry-picked, cooled and packed in barrels or boxes for shipment Kilting and Dressing. In killing and dressing turkeys oh the farm they should first be deprived of feed for 24 hours, but given plenty of fresh, clean water in order to clean the crop and intestines of all feed. When ready to kill, the bird should be hung up by the feet; holding the bird | in one hand a sharp, narrow-bladed knife is used to sever the veins in the throat by making a small cut inside the mouth on the right side of the throat fit the base of the skull. After making this cut and bleeding begins, the knife is thrust up through the groove in the roof of the mouth and into the brain at the back part of .the skull. On piercing the brain the bird gives a peculiar squawk, the- feathers are loosened by a quivering of the muscles, and death Is instantaneous. In dry-picking the feathers should be plucked Immediately, and if the bird has, been properly stuck they come out very easily. The tail and large wing feathers are removed first, after which the body feathers are pulled out When the turkeys are to be marketed locally or are to be shipped but a short distance they are cpoled tb a temperature of about 35 degrees Fahrenheit by hanging In the open air, provided the weather Is cool enough; otherwise they are plunged into ice water and kept there until thoroughly cooled. After cooling they are packed undrawn in boxes or barrels. It Is Inadvisable for the producer without proper refrigerating facilities to ship dressed turkeys, as losses from improper cooling and from their being exposed to warm weather during transit are liable to occur. Aside from this it is seldom profitable to ship turkeys any great distance except in carload lots; when this is done the turkeys are cooled to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, packed In boxes or barrels, and shipped in refrigerator cars.

TURKEY POINTERS

One of the most important steps toward success in turkey raising is the proper selection of breeding stock. Birds for breeding should be selected for -vigor,' size, shape, -strong' bone, early maturity arid . color of plumage. Turkey hens will usually lay about 18 eggs in their first litter, while those that do not have to be set can be broken up on becoming broody and made to lay a second and sometimes a third litter. The high mortality common In young poults Is usually due to some of the following causes: Exposure to dampness and cold, improper feeding, close confinement, lice, predatory animals, weakness in the parent stock.

Provide Plenty of Water. Water receptacles for poultry should be large enough to hold plenty of water to last at least 24 hours, so the fowls will never suffer from lack of water. Drinking ’ vessels should be carefully rinsed when fresh water is given. If water Is supplied Irregularly, the hens will likely drink too much at a time. It should not be exposed to the sun’s rays In summer or be allowed to freeze in winter If this can be avoided. A flock of 50 hens In good laying condition will require four to six quarts of water a day. Shade of some kind should be provided for poultry, and this can often be advantageously furnished by planting fruit trees (such as pear, plum, cherry and apple) In the yard. Dispose of Cockerels. One good way to dispose of the cockerels that you are weeding out Gt flocks is .to can them.

LONG HOLY PLACES

Shrines That Are Held in Verier* ation by Moslems. AN True Follower* of Mahomet Eager That Their Last Resting Plaeo Shall Be Near Tho*e of Their Great Apostle*. Near to the resting place of the first , great apostles of their faith It is the dearest wish of all pious Mohammedans to lie after death. The shrines of Najaf, Kerbela and Kazimain, the restlug places of All. Hussein, and the seventh and ninth Imams, lie on the edge of the desert in the country British troops now occupy in Mesopotamia. One often meets a corpse on the road packed in a long crate or bundle of palm leaves and slung across the back of an ass, says Edmund Chandler, the press representative in the Mesopotamian forces. The pilgrim behind is taking his relative to swell the population of the cities of the dead by which these sanctuaries qre surrounded. Of the three shrines, Najaf Is the richest, and to some minds the most sacred. Like Kazimain, it is approached by a horse car line. The cars are not of the pattern of those that ply in European cities. I believe the few British soldiers who have seen them rank them with the Clock tower in the mosque as first among the lions of Mesopotamia. > In peace time the dead come from a wide radius. The donkey with the bundle like a big carpet bag on its back, draped in wattle or nch silk, according to the means of the pilgrim, may have come all the way from Bokhara. A few years ago a corpse arrived from the Persian embassy at Paris.

The rich as a rule are buried in the shrine itself. The fee for interment in the mosque is $250. For burial outside the walls of the city the pilgrim pays anything from four to ten rupee (two to five dollars), according to the distance he has come. Many pilgrims buy houses in Najaf, and thus the place is gradually becoming a city of the dead. Nine houses out of ten have graves in them. Sometimes the building is nothing else than a tomb. Najaf has proved impregnable to Wahhabi and Bedouin. It is believed to be fabulously rich. There are two stores of treasure. The old treasury has not been opened since the visit of Shar Nasir-ud-Dln, 50 years ago. It is buried In a vault and built over with brick and lime, with no door or key or window by way of entrance. The new treasure is In the keeping of the kiliddar—gold and silver, and jewels, and precious stones, silks, and shawls, and pearled curtains. One of the first giffe for the shrines to reach Bagdad, after our troops entered the city were four curved swords of gpld, with diamonds on the sheath and hilt They had been dispatched from Constantinople to Bagdad when the British menace was regarded as a madman's df earn, and bore the inscription, “From the servant of all pious Moslems, Enver Bey.” No doubt they were intended to symbolize the might whereby the Turks would defend the city against their hated foes, the Christians;

Runs Her Own Canteen.

Mrs. Scott Lee, an aged negro woman, is happy because she has found a way at last to cheer the soldiers on their way as they pass through here en route from camp to coast for overseas service, according -to-an Ashtabula dispatch to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Mrs. Lee, who lives near a railroad track, looked wistfully at the troop trains as they sped through, wondering if there was any way In which she could make a long trip more pleasant for the men. But the trains went through so fast she almost despaired until she finally bit upon a scheme that works to perfection. She got a long pole, and to it she fastens bundles of magazines and lunches, and as the trains whiz past she stands on the station platform and reaches her gifts to the men as they lean from the car windows.

Carrier Pigeon Mystery.

The authorities of Albany, Ore, and everywhere else are trying to decipher this message: “P-n-7-3-a-r-il-w.” It was written on a piece of notepaper brought here by a strange carrier pigeon, which died very soon after it was found on the street The bird was identified as a species of California desert quail, not found in any part of Oregon save possibly in the southeastern • portion. The bird refused food and water and was exhausted. A piece of string which bound tha message to the bird's leg was olive drab in color and might have been unraveled from an army uniform.

The Indian's Idea.

John Batt a full-blood Cherokee Indian of Cherokee county, Okla, being drawn in the draft of selected men, was sent to Camp Travis, Tex, for training. After he had been in camp for several days, he was haled before the adjutant for falling to salute an officer, arid the following explanation for his default: .. “Me live at Welling. When me meet man there maybeso speak to him one time. No speak any more to same man all day. Down here me salute it every time me pass it man.”—Everybody's Magazine