Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1883 — Kicking like Bay Steers! [ARTICLE]

Kicking like Bay Steers!

Ona might suppose, from the way the Goodland base ball boys, through their mouth piece, the Herald, are kicking about the result of the ball games, at the Remington fair, that they expected that little purse of twenty dollars, which they did not get away with, would have <‘set up in business” their whole town. The Herald says the game was virtually won by Goodland; and yet when the game closed, as the eighth inning, Rensselaer had 30 tallies and Goodland only 9, with the Comets still at the bat, witji only one man out!! Our boys, fvcoording to the Herald, are not only pnable to “cope with a good club, in an even game” but are lacking in common courtesy and common decency; while the fair association is accused of favoring them, either through “ignorance or cussedness.’ 5 -The specific charges made by the Herald, are to the effect that Repsselaer insisted upon playing with Goodland, while the latter were tired out with playiDg Remington, and that the fair officers, unfairly, decided in favor of Rensselaer, becauSe it vyas in the same county with Remington! This last chargb is too childish to be deserving of any notice at all. In regard to the other charge, namely: that our boys showed unfairness in, insisting on playing With the Goodland boys, While they were “tired,” we would say that, in the first place, so redoubtable a club as they claim to be,' ought not to have been completely “bushed” after having-done nothing more than beat the Remington boys, for that nine can't play for sour beans, anyhoAV; and, besides, there was no unfairness and no favoritism, as a few words of explanation will clearly shoiv. The facts, briefly stated, are about like this;

Oil Wednesday morning the Remington club proposed, that, as there would probably be but three clubs entered for the contest, the two first entered should play the first game, and the winning club should immediately play with the third club. i\ll the clubs agreed to the proposition,_and, upon inquiry, it was found that Rensselaer wa«» the last entered. Remington and Goodland accordingly played the first game, and at its conlusion, the Rensselaer club, very properly, came forward to play with Goodland. The latter now kicked against the arrangement they had previously agreed to, and demanded that the game be postponed until another day, thinking, probably, that if the point was decided as they wished, Rensselaer would not take the trouble to travel to Remington again, and the twenty dollars, which looked str vast in Good land’s eye 3, would be theirs, without further trouble. The fair superintendent, Mr. Rockwood, was, at first, disposed to favor Goodland in his decision, but having learned of the agreement, already mentioned, he very properly decided that the game must be played that day. The Goodland boys weke alloaved a rest of a full half hour, during which time they partook of such refreshments as their friends were willing to pay for, after which, the game was played, with results as already stated.

The Herald closes its tirade with the assertion that a club of old women is being organized in Goodland to play with the Rensselaer boys. We presume they will play about as good a game as the other Goodland club, and not do half as muoh whimpering when they get beat, either. • -The Comets are not . frightened, however. Having lately defeated a club com* posed of the choicest assortment ot buxom young school ma'ams ever got together in Northern Indiana, it is not to be supposed that a parcel of waddling dowagers, from Goodland, can strike ahy terror to their Spartan souls. They will stud their ears with cotton, and meet them without fear. In conclusion we will only add, that, whether the Rensselaer club “recognized their inability to copb with a good club, in an even game,” or not, they, at least, recognize no inability to cope with the Goodland nice young men, on any terms consistent with the rulos of the game. In proof of which we append the following challenge, from the president of the Rensselaer club, and invite the Goodland squealers to /put up or shut up.”