The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 17

feW i your catchers. They use a mask, big pillow gloves and a cheat protector. None of our men dreamed of such a thing. Herbert Jewell of tho Jewell mills of this city was tho pluckiest man I ever saw behind the bat. I often told him he would meet with an accident, but he stood right under the bat with no protection whatever.

Cherokee Fisher and Mike Golden were pitchers with cyclonic speed and their catchers never used a mask SOME SUNDAY SMILES HE PITCHED THE William Arthur Cummings jp the FIRST CURVE BALL. Gives Some Valuable Advice Boys. Jl Ij If to (1 suited in much chaffing and then I went to work secretly. During the fall, when I was at boarding school I kept on practicing, for it was the dream of ray boyhood days. After I loft school in 1S05 I found that I could pitch either a raise or drop ball.

This encouraged me and I kept on. "On the Harvard game Archie Bush was at the bat, and I was afraid of bis prowess with tho bat. When he struck at the ball it eomed to go about a foot beyond the end of his stick. I tried again with l)he. tinie result, and then I realized that I had succeeded at last.

The rules in these days were that a pitcher had to keep both feet on the ground and not raiso either until after the ball left his hand. He 'also had to keep the arm close to his side and deliver the ba'll with a perpendicular swing. Some of the pitchers who have claimed to be the inventor of curving the ball, but who did not introduce it in their work until several years a'tterwaTd, had to deliver the ball on a level with their waist to make it curve at all. Keeping both feet on the ground while delivering the ball was a hard strain, as the wrist and second finger did a'l tho work. I snapped the ball like a whip and this caused mo to throw my wrist bone out: of place quite often.

During one season I was compelled to wear a rubber supporter the Whole time. I had great speed however, even if I was of light frame and apparently not powerful. "Well, to come back to my base ball career. I joined the famous Star club of Brooklyn in the following year and played wh'h them for four years. We did not lose a series of games in all thait time and won the amateur championship of America and Canada.

In 1S70 we defeated the crack Mutual team of New York by 2 1 to 12, and in 1S71, when they won the championship, we beat them 14 to 3. We did net do so well wiit'h the Atlantlcs, but we scored against them. I remember the Olympics of Washington who defeated the Ubieties Philadelphia, the Mutaals of New York and At lar.tlcs. When they came at us we beat them by 4S to 12. We batted their pitcher just as we wanted to.

In 1370 we played against the Cincinnati Reds, and they won by 14 to 11. We had them defeated two or three times, but the boys oouid not catch or throw because we were rattled. In all events we made them play hall ail through the game. In 1S72 I joined the Mutual team of New York and pitched every' day, not being relieved by anyone during the season. The team was composed of Charles Mills, catcher; Nat Hicks, catcher: Cummings.

pitcher: Joe first base; J. Hatfield, second base: linya. third base: Dick Pierce, short stop; McMuilen, left field: Dave Easier, center field: George Brdh'tel, right field. We finished third or fourth. In 1S73 I went to Baltimore.

We had MeVey, Scott Hastings and Bill Craver. eitchers. I was the only pitcher until August, when we got Brainard to help. E. Mills was on first base, T.

Carey on second base, J. Radcliffe on third base, Dave Force at short stop, T. York in left field, George Mall in center field and Lip Pike in right field. I think we finished second. In 1ST! I went, to the Philadelphia club with Hicks, catcher; Mack, first base; Craver, second bafe: Fulmer, 'third base; Hr.ldswon'h, short stop; York, left field; Eggler, eerier field, and George Beehtel, right field.

I pi'tclied all games but one during that season, and we finished fourth. In 1S73 and 1S76 I was witii the Hartford team. There I had a change pitcher in Tommy Bond, but he left us in July of 187G and I had to finish the season alone. Our team was the same in both years, with one exception, Higham taking A. Allison's place in right field in '7G.

We had Douglass, Allison and Harbridge. catchers; Bond and Cummings, pitchers: E. Mills, first base; John Burdock, second base; R. Ferguson, third base; T. Carey, short stop; T.

York, left field: J. Rem seii, center field; A. Allison, right field, in '75, and D. Higham right field in In 3S75 wo stood third In the race and in 1S7S second. In the following year I went to Lynn, and was sent as a delegate to the base ball convention at Pittsburg, where we termed the International association, which was the forerunner of the American association.

I was elected president cf the organization. I secured my release from Lynn in July and lin Ised the season with Cincinnati. In 1S7S I played in Albany, N. Y. My health then, became rather poor and I gave up ball playing and returned to Ware, my native place, and from th ere went to Athol, where I went into the painting and paper hanging business.

I staid there until last May when I removed to Brr.oklyn." After his retirement from the professional ranks Mr. Cummings did not touch a base ball for twelve years. He was invited to take part in a game that was olayed in Boston on April 13, Harry Wright day. and went to that city for this purpose. Fur this he only practiced half an hour in the lots near his homa and of course was in no physical condition to do himself justice in Boston.

The extra fifteen feet pitching distance, too, handicap pod him and he gave five cr six bases on balls in the two innings he officiated In the box. He did quite well, however, and found that with practice he could kec up his end in tho i. nor a chest pad." "To what do you ascribe tho lame arms that pitchers nowadavs surfer from?" was asked. "From the way they deliver the ball. 1 never had a lame arm in my life and it was because I pitched with an underhand swi ig.

I pitched day in and day out and if a pitcher of the present day did that he would not last very long. My delivery was done mainly with a snappy wrist throw and there was no chance Tor straining any muscles In the forearm or dislocating a bone in the shoulder. The frequent lameness of catchers' arms can bo nut down to the same reason. Doug Alli son, the most famous catcher of his period and who caught me at one time, never complained of lameness. He depended upon his wrist more than his full arm.

"What about batsmen, is there such a thing as a natural hitter and an educated one?" wa; asked. "There are natural batsmen and they are of course better than the others. Like other neeomnlishments tho man with the best facul ty for the one in question is one who has a natural instinct for it will he tho most suc cessful. Education Is a good help, iioueer. Lock at Captain Anson of the present Chicago team.

At first he was a stiff arm batter. The manner in which he grasped the hat with his left hand put the ball out of the line when he hit it. He made a sort of scoop with tho stick. His father taught him how to bat properly, but he was at the same time a natural batsman." "Now, Mr. Cummings," said the reporter, "won't you give the boys of this city some advice concerning pitching?" "Most willinglv," was the reply.

"First of all, get control of the ball. Start slowly and then increase tho velocity until you can hit a mark at any height four times out of five. Gradually increase your speed until you have as good command at your utmost speed as if you were delivering it slowly. Then get to learn the curves. Learn hew to finger "the ball.

Deliver it with a sharp twist and snap, which will cause the ball to revolve very rapidly with a rotary motion. The revolving sphere causes the air to revolve with it and the further it goes the more force is acquired to the rotary motion. The resistance of the air forces it out ot a straight line. Keep on practicing and you will learn how to twist the ball according to what kind of a curve you want, in or out. One can be done as well as the other.

Ycu can get a wider out curve than an in curve. A drop or raised ball is just as easily acquired as the curves. When you combine these with a combination of in and out curves you will be able to fool almost any batsman. To the boys I would say not to get discouraged, but to keep on practicing constantly and you will succeed. When you have done so.

have confidence in your skill. Don't get rattled, even when a batsman hits your delivery, for there are fielders behind you and you must not think that you can strike out every man. You will also soon learn how to pitch fcr pop files and when you have you'll find no trouble in getting a good engagement." Brooklyn can properly be credited with being the cradle of the national pastime. Mr. Cummings says nearly every club in the country during his days was composed of Brooklyn men.

When he was with the Hart fords eight players from this city were with him. The inventor thinks that local pride was more pronounced during his experience than at present. Mo matter where the men played they upheld the credit ot tho city as if they were native born. Even in such a comparatively small city as Hartford, an attendance of 10,000 and 15,000 was not infrequent. Throe quarters of the professionals came from Brooklyn.

Mr. Cummings tells some funny stories of his experience. "During one year," he said, with a smile, "the lav. makers forgot to mention pitching rules and the boxinen naturally were not restricted in their position. I thought of it one day in Boston and told my catcher, Nat Hicks, that I would try something new and to watch me.

When the game started I used a free and very low underhand delivery, causing the ball to sweep out wide as it got over the plate. Tho batsmen were bewildered and before they knew what the trouble was I struck out the first ten men. Then there was a howl. The game was stopped and every one looked up the rules, but none could be found to stop me and I had my own way: This started the reform in restricting pitchers and the present rules are the product of ms' work on that day." Another one he told was e.uout A. G.

Spalding, the present day base ball magnate and manufacturer, who was then pitching in Boston. "They were afraid of me, and as there was no rule concerning the size the ball. Spalding conceived the idea of putting in a ball that was a quarter of an inch bigger in circumference than the one I was in the habit of using. My hands are small and I had trouble in curving the large sphere. When Spalding came down here with his team I got square with him by substituting he nine inch ball sand as he was not familiar with it, he found the same trouble as I did in Boston, his hands being too big to properly manipulate the small ball.

The father cf the inventor, a sprightly old man, notwithstanding his silvery white hair, cirAr.MAN r. h. it.xi:. M. imc.

JOHN G.U.YtN, U'HUT l'i' FRANK NOIVJO Catcln'r. Id. was an Interacted listener to the conversation. He is a base ball enthusiast and can tell many interesting stories concerning the old time games when the Knickerbockers, who played on the Elysian fields in Hobjken and tho Eurekas of 'Newark were the most prominent clubs in this vicinity. Hr of the players personally and when the skill of the old timers came up in tho conversation he said with emphasis that the present day players are no whit better than those of his day; in fact he thought them not as good.

George Wright, a brother Harry, he ventured to say, was the most remarkable player that evi lived. In evorv department of the he was iv proficient. Wright was everywhere on the field and backed up every player. Often he saved an error by squatting beneath a man just in he was about to drop the ball. Many pLiyors nowadays make in pretense of backing up their associates; In fact they simply lock after their record.

Wright played for success hU team first. and all tho time. Itobcrt Ferguson, who died a few years ago in this city was another remarkable player. He v. at home in every inlield position.

Dick Pearce, Burdock," Chapman, rs Barnes. Jewell the White and Whitney brothers and others toj numerous to mention he raid could give many valuable hints players who draw big salaries nowadays. Mr. Cummings has a brother about i or L'U yeaiv oui, wno also famous nltcher. Last vear hn ,7,1 Ben Hur Athletic club and did line work I the box.

Ho is being trained by William, ji i i nutritious quality cf cheese. It is also a compound that aids digestion and abets assimila tion, whether the cheese be green, yellow, white cr orange. Many a country ha3 a cheese which Ls almost as dear to It as is its Hag and the cheese Is known by the country it comes from just as a man's character may be read and set forth in its true colors, warranted not to fade, by the cheese with which he suffuses his vesperlnal or meridian water biscuit. The discriminating diner Is as much a connoisseur In cheese as in wine. In fact he Is in the matter cf appreciation a veritable dock rat in cheese.

Therefore, cheese looked at from any standpoint. Is a luxury which, though not on a level with terrapin, is quite equal to it in its way. And it is when we turn it over in our minds and analyze It and look at it practically, theoretically, therapeutically and pathologically, that we cannot see why there should be an act of legislation to compel the authorities to supply it to all militiamen and convicts. A soldier who must have camembert on his hard tack is probably of so gentle and un warlike a temperament as to require lady's fingers and Ceylon tea to rest him in the pensive empurpled P. M.

after a skirmish with a body of strikers. If the soldier must look upon the cheese when it is yellow upon his plate the cheese In question should be Llmburger. which should ba used cn the ends of the bayonets as a means cf charging the enemy off the field without doing it bodily Injury. But why should the convict be compelled to eat cheese" If the commissioners are to convert him to the straight and narrow path in which he should go, through the benign and gentle influence exerted by cheese, why should not they go further and regale him with un canned plum pudding, caviare and chutney? If the convict must eat chees in compliance withi the rules and regulations of the institution, why would not it be a humane and beautiful deviation to supply him with a chafing disband thus place him in a position to renew his golden youth in a golden buck at the sweet hour of retiring? It does not seem to be a plan based upon principles of ordinary common sense to compel a man to ease cheese when he happens to be of a bilious and phlegmatic temperament. might do very well for those of nervous and consumptive tendencies, but to make all eat alike must strike the reasoning creature as absurd.

In fact, as absurd as It would bo to compel each and ever convict to take cod liver oil and bromide of potassium before retiring to the undownj couch. It is suspected, however, 'that this novel law was proposed by a member of the legislature engaged in the cheese industry, who would thus use his office as a means" of enriching himself and causing tho wolf to place his caudal appendage between his hinder members preparatory to drifting noiselesslv into the hence. If this fact can be proven, a law should be passed making it illegal for any member to propose a measure calculated to boom his business. Because if this cheese innovation should be followed by other legislators it is difficult to say where it would end. A dispenser of equines would want all convicts to be compelled to go forth like polo players, on horseback, to knock the stones about the quarry while he should have a horse left to realize upon.

If he should abandon the equine enterprise and embark on the tempestuous sea of the bicycle business he would favor a measure for relegating the horse to the background and putting the rubber Pegasus to the fore. The convicts would doubtless be pleased with such an innovation, but it would be a great burden to the state. Another member, in the business of selling oil paintings, might consider it his duty to have the state prisons decorated with works of art and become instrumental In having a law passed compelling the authorities to supply all prisoners with etchings and paintings by the acknowledged masters. The argument would be that these works of art would do a great deal toward the ultimate reformation of the inmates, who, having been rudely removed from their native haunts by the ungloved hand of the law, are unable to contemplate the art treasures of the barrooms of their liberty and are, therefore, suffering from a gnawing hunger Tor the beautiful. Thus the legislator would wax financially fat and place his business upon a high plane of success.

Other business men would seek the legislature as a means of forging ahead. A firm would be divided between a business manager to stay at home and deliver the goods and a legislative member to create a demand for the merchandise, and after a while the legislature and board of trade would be practically one, and the convicts would be eating guava jelly and loitering around under white silk umbrellas in the sun and wearing salmon colored silk underwear to keep off rheuma tism until every tninking man would consider our omy cnance ot prosperity to consist in keeping business and politics as far apart as possiuie. f. if The Pitcher's Dream. See the pitcher.

Note the smile on his base ball face. He dreams that he stands in the box and delivers a curve which mystifies the whole combination. Glance again at tho pitcher's base ball face. Do you net see a tinge of sorrow there? Why Is this? spfd on past tbe well catcher, popped I I'vvuiict. itl uii mi: uaav uau ca3 wlr? 8croe" an." a nlCo 7 tone in a cab by young lady on Vis left soreness ALKALI IKE HAT reminds me." said Alkali Ike, "l'i oi a remaric ot a tourist.

iw.Hh is now forgotten by deponent and must forever go unrecorded, "of the case of Hop Along, who wanted to go East." "Hop Along." repeated the tourist. "A lame man, 1 presume?" "Nope:" replied the alkaline citizen. maiden name, so to speak, was Hopkins A. hut in the course of human events part of it was rubbed off. similar to the way pebbles are worn smooth by rollin' around in the ripples, an' the rest of it sorter together again like a j'int snake does after bcin' brckc in pieces an' he became Hop Along." "I see!" "Jest sol Wal, this yere Hop Along hops alone; contended with the West for years an' not rattlln' his horns agin the sides of tho ccrral none.

He has been here in Hawville so leng that he regards himself as shook down an' settled for good, when without warnin' he fins a yearn sproutin' in his buz zom, as it were, that whisky won't satisfy. Ycu see. he's been born back thar in little old two by four, hide bound New England, whur it is all rocks an' hills an' seashore an' stinginess; whur they split pennies to make change an' it hurts their feelin's burcuz thoy can't collect ten per cent, interest on the debt of nature, an' the woods is full oi prim old I maids hangin' on trees lilt dried pawpaws, an "I am from New England said the tourist, mildly. if you "Then you know how it is sponded the ingenuous Isaac. Wal.

he left Connecticut when he was a cub of 14 cr sech a matter an' hadn't never even thought of goin' back till this yere homesickness comes upon him. He fights it, but it keeps on grow in' like boilin' rice. What is bred in the bone POOR HOP SLOWLY AND SADLY EMEROE3. is like a man In jail with the small pox bound to break out somehow an' Hop gits worse an' worse. He keeps his yearnin' to himself for a long spell, savin' riuthin' and mopin' around like a bull calf that had sucked in thunder.

"Homesickness is like love'. When either one of 'em gits a firm cinch on its prey he is like a gent in the qulles of an annyconder; he sees whur he is dead wrong an' kicks to the best of his ability, but it only twists the tighter. "Same way with Hop Along. He thinks of it by day an' dreams of it by night, an' at last his hankerin' to go East grows so strong he can taste it. He loses his appreciation for his daily grub an' hungers for the burdock greens an' clam chowder an' similar heathenish fodder of the East.

The prairie grass wavin' In the breeze reminds him a great plenty of the ocean an' a little raid that the white caps makes on a superfluous citizen recalls to him a gale at sea. He falls completely out of step with his feller men an' don't take no Interest in live topics at all. He don't even stray around when a new refreshment parlor opens up with a grand UU131 Ji iiee WD1SKJ. "Directly he begins to spend most of the daytime humped up in a chair in the shade of his wigwam gazin' wistfully off across the prairie like he was tryin' to view the other shore. Blme bye.

he gives out an' takes to cis Dea. tie gits sorter wrong in his head, too. He hain't what you'd call crazy; part of the time he is straight enough, an' agin ho knider wanders. Of course, his friends do the square thing by him; as soon as we find out what the matter is we try to hooraw him out of his fad. "Then, seein' that we can't bullyrag him out of his trouble, we do our best to cheer him up an' make him forgit it.

We gits up a lynchln' bee for his special entertainment, makln use of a gent who was sorter sufferin' for sech attention, but who might otherwise have been overlooked, an' makes poor Hop the high duke of the occasion, transportln' him to the scene of the festivities in a buggy full of pillows. It was as pretty a lynchin' as I ever witnessed, but the poor cuss didn't 'pear to take no interest in it, but jest looked sad an' sighed. 'It hain't no use, savs he, after we'd got him back to his lonely "bachelor home. 'It hain't no use. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

but it don't touch the spot. This yere yearnin' continners to rise up in my buzzom in spite of all can do, like tryin' to put the mainspring in a Water bury watch. 'Seems like I can't think of nothin' he pipes on In a gray tone of voice. want to see the hills an' rocks an' the sand an' the sea agin. I want to smell the salt an' taste the brine.

I hope you'll excuse me, gentlemen, an' won't thuik I'm hintin' at anybody yere, but I'd rather put the mouth of a pink lined shell to my ear an' listen to the sad an' solemn sound of the ocean than to hear the voice of my best friend invitin' me to take a snort of ten old lickor. Whv, sometimes. I have taken that old pickle bottle off from the shelf an' held it to mv ear an' tried to fool myself into believin' I was listening' into a shell: But it hain't no use: my homesickness won't be fooled. Oh, I wish I had a lobster! "Wo wagged our heads olentv sad n.n' sym pathetic as we trudged away. no r.vc ways about It.

savs I. tn of the prominent citizens. 'That thar poor dub Is g'ittin' worse an' worse, an' the lirst thing we know he'll either go srlbberin' ot.v nr break away from his good resolutions' an' stampede for the His malady is simply plumb foolish ness, says Grizzly Johnson, who is a sane. But that don't make no difference. He wants the East an' the ocean like the Texas man wanted his revolver which was like rrarin' Tophot.

I offer the suggestion that we raid the stores an' see if we can't uneur'ch some of them thar lobsters he's a pinnin' for." Accordin we makes search. None of the storekeepers 'pear 'to know what lobster is, much less possess any. an' we are plumb discouraged rill the genial proprietor of the Rough house restaurant makes a discovery in his memory. Lobster'." says he. 'I reckon I'm cursed with a can of that har animal, cr was, the last time I noticed.

I gits it a couple of years acKeu d.v mistaiie in a case of other canned goods an hain been able to git shot of it since. My patrons hain't proud, but when they seen the picture on tno run they all sa'ld they wasn drunk enough, to indulge in no sech lookin' varmint, an' the last I knowed it was klckln' aTound scmewhurs "He dlg3 It out, an' we examines it. 'I know so much about says I. 'This yere varmint is mighty weird an' unhcly lookin' 'pears to be bright red an' some fifteen or twenty feet leng, accordin' to the surroundin' landc io the pic ture. What part of the bur cussed monster Is in the can I hain admlrln Its appearance none, says the Hon.

Plunk Skee. 'I don't ohject to soakta' poor old Hop wiith whisky till he gits all kinds of snakes, but it shore fl ike playin' it mighty low down on feed him sech a diabollycal lookin' as this. He calls for lobster, all right but mebhy he's wanderin' in hds I inmrt an mind do i know what he is talkln' Tho urn thing looks like it was says Grizzly Johnson, who, as I'm sayin before, is plenty old an' wise. 'Thin yen; portrait is an exasrirvration trot, nn tn (ior.jv(, 110 innvcor. hllr'limflr l.

iKet 1m about a f. an' is simply a big salt water crawfish, nuthin' more." i. pon that we tramps off to Hop's shantv. cut. toe can of reptile open an' hands it to man.

the 'Hm is your lobster, old say I lunk. 'But I'm afraid the cussed th'ng is 'Oh. no, it says poor Hop, sniffln" it sinrnar to a bridal wreaxh. 'Ah 'Sme'ls to me a heap mere like an attack says Plunk, wrinklln' up his nc 'Ah That tastes like the says the sufferer with, a happy smile, when sives him a spoonful of the juice. Hub! says Plunk, sampMn' it.

'Tastes a D.anied more like your foot was ai. to make a short story long, as th roller says, poor ceases to regard us any more arter that, an' we leaves him alone iazin lovm'ly at his lobster an' takin' a sin now an then. "Nuthin' of importance baopens after that till alon towards three o'clock next mornin', when some stranger that is ridln' through the settlement hauls up in front of the Buzzard Rcost. wnur me an' Plunk an' others ot Hop's comforters is lodged, an' sets up a yell. 'Has the gent that resides in the shebang out at the west end of the street got any friends in this yere says he, when the heads an' gains begin to poks out of the windows.

'A heap mere than you have, when you come ho us out of bed at this untimely says plenty sourcar.tic. 'What do you think you saj he. carmlv. 'I'm rich an contented. But mebbv t.

will interest that that er er any cent's friends t. ladics 'No. Go on with your sickenin' 'Wal, then the Pit of Tawment 'pears to have broke lc ose hi his house. From what I could gather from the standpoint of a mere passer by, I jedge that several wildcats la engaged in skinnin' you friend alive, or else his wife is sorter matters with him I reckon it's the 'Did you go in an" 'Who, me? Not so's you eo uld notice it! I've been married, mj self, a great plenty, an have had the pleasure of ridin' seven miles through a hailstorm to git the rim of a skillet; filed off from my neck. Unh uh! When a gent an' the wife of his buzzom is engaged in determinin' which is the best man, your old Uncle Fuller jest passes by on the other side.

I hain't noways hawty. but I'm a heap says I. 'You hain't showed it thia time! The gent that lives thar hain't pos sessin' no 'I hain't testifyin' whose wife it is that ls peurin' the sad to says the stranger, cheerily. 'but if tharhain'ta good, old fashioned family row oin' on in that viller I never had the pleasure of listenin' to one. Wal, I reckon I'll bo ridin' "It hain't Ions till we have piled into our trappin's an' rushed off to investigate.

The stranger hain't lied so bad as he might have done, after all. like about seven of 'em was all. jumpin' onto the poor sick man at once," says Plunk, when we gits within a block of the house. "When we broke the door down an' charged in with our guns in our hands we could see by the moonlight that streamed in through, the place whur the door had been that the room looked as if Hop had been entertainin' a cyclone. The furniture was knocked this way an that, an' everything turned wrong side up hut the bed.

Nobody was to be seen, but thar was a scrarDblm' an groanin' under the bed, 'Who's demands Grizzly. 'The late Hopkins A. says a pal racked an twisted voice. 'Will you please git a cluto an pound me across the stummics about forty "With that, poor Hop slowly an' sadly emerges from under the couch, walkin' on his hands an' feet with his back down an' his abdoughmen bowed like a drummydary's hump. 'I am glad to see that you are well enough to play jokes on your says Grizzly, plenty grin, as he lit a match an' gazed at Hop.

reckon this yere is what you'd call a pun, burcussed if I see the 'This hain't no says Hop. 'I'm L'r "Some kind soul tears out an' directly brings Dr. Slade on the dead run, an' after a spell poor Hop is eased an auieted an' then he explains: Tnat thar lobster tastes so good an' I am so weak an' says he, feebly, 'that I HOP ALONG WAS HOMESICK. surrounds it all at one session an' soon drop off to sleep. Later, I'm dreamin' that I swaU lowed a whole gosh blamed torchlight procession, which winds up in a fight an' riot.

Taltt about nightmares! I had night elephants an' night crocckydiles an' night devils all at th same time, an' then some! I don't know what all happened, but I found myself tearin' an thrashin' around the room like a fitty cat in tt strange bag. The furniture was upset, the lamp broke an' the matches lost, an' I forgot whur I was at, which one of the boys I wa3 an what year it happened to 'But thar ls one thing I'm certain of. gen tlemen; I'm cured! I don't want to eo East no more! I have had a taste of the ocean, an one taste is plenty for me I don't want to go tiast: An' that is how Hop Along's homeslcknes was cured upon the homypathic principle." orn p. THE MUZZLED BEE. Bees in England are declared to be suffer ing from hydrophobia, and parliament is be asked to pass a law requiring persona wb.

keep bees to muzzle them. Exchange. An English law will soon bo passed. We hear from o'er tho sea, To put a good thick muzzlo on The festive honey bee. 'Tis all because the bee is mad And (lies on frenzied wing And all well know his buzz is not So bad as is his sting.

Tho bee that wildly flies around In dear old U. S. Should wear, according to the law, A muzzle night and day. Then no one e'er would fear his sting. And we'ro all certain that He might at will go buzzing round The presidential hat.

K.JC. MUNKITTRICK. The Reason lor It. Ed Leader Why did tho editor of the Kinetoscope put that wire fence around the stcve in his office? T. Rule Oh, to keep tho fire from going out, I suppose.

I'hiladolphiaNorth American. looks him r.o reptile enough as SI MUNKITTRICK the barber is a mortal, With a spirit most serene And his hair oil being bear oil. Isn't lard or vaseline. He's a socd one at a story, As around your head he pops, With a grip cn your proboscis While he lacerates your chops. Like a fiend he asks you questions, Such as "Does the razor hurt?" "Shall I trim your beard a little?" In a spirit most alert.

Oh, he loves to sell you lotion When ho capers round the chair Oh, the barber's, oh, the barber's Crowning glory's cutting hair. The Impressionistic Barber. That education of any kind is always conducive to social advancement is a proposition which cannot be ruthlessly cast aside like a pair of chaste, empurpled summer pantaloons. MMBl'ItGiEIl SlIOri.D B'K ON THE END OF Till BAYONET. whoso shriveled seat has been, so to speak, trefined by the perfidious and predatory moth.

The Manhattan Barber college of this city which was founded only one fleeting moon ago, is already lathering its way upward in a glory of deathless brilliantine, and is destined, if one may judge at so early a date, to take a high place among the educational institutions of the world, before the water melon shall again have vanished from the moonlit scene beneath tjie Ethiopian waistcoat. When It is considered that one may receive a complete tonsorlal education for the modest sumof itshduld not be a matter of surprise even to the unthinking laj man that the freshman class is already full and rejoicing, yea verily, unto overflowing. Men and women "are taking advantage of the opportunity thus offered to gain a liberal and polite education in a field that is as redolent of Joy as of pomade. Many a man who Is new a happy member of the freshman class is not preparing for the professional shop, but is taking the course with a view to perfecting himself in the art of colloquial phrase and becoming an acknowledged master of its subtlest mysteries. It is a conceded fact that the barber, who was born with the divine spark in his bosom, can.

In the hands of an ordinary tonscrial faculty, become more exquisitely polite than is the average courtier. It will, therefore, be seen that by paying particular attention to the esoteric mysteries which surround the gentle art of shaving he may unconsciously improve his table manners until he can eat asparagus with poetic grace, where he previously electrified the company by eating raw oysters with and off a knife. A man may also become proficient in the difficult operation of stropping tho razor and keeping It in prime order for the pur pose ci snavmg nimseu. Many a man cannot shave himself for the reason that he is unable to strop the razor without putting upon it the saw edge peculiar to a pair of cuffs whose teeth have been cut in a Chinese laundry. The only part of the shaving process in which the untrained amateur unconsciously shines is that wherein he fails ro ask himself the usual questions, which may be called a part and parcel of the business.

Many an adept who. had he lived in ancient Greece, would have been decorated with the laurel wreath; is unable to push, pull, project, propel or navigate the blade against the grain of his beard and leave the same two days under the skin, causing the face to assume the appearance of a porous plaster. He is not, in fact, to day able to perfcrm the same office without asking himself many questions such as he puts to the recumbent patron with motives purely mercenary. Thus, if be can shave himself without trying to sell himself something which he knows he doesn't want, he is certainly much better off than, when being shaved, he has to dodge the same interrogations at the imminent peril of becoming the recipient of an upper cut. There is not a member of the faculty of the Manhattan Barbers' college who does not frown upon the safety razor in about the same way that a soldier would frown upon a putty blower or a retired South Sea pirate would frown upon a steamboat pop corn peddler.

The Manhattan undergraduate will prune the face cr carve the hair of any applicant free of charge between the hours of 9 A. M. and 5 P. M. daily.

It is needless to say that between these hours the tonsorlal emulsion of soap and water melts into many a barbed hair race. Beside the usual studies of honing, stropping, there is a branch of tonsorlal etiquette which includes tho office for the shaving of the sick and the shampooing of the AD? STATU PRISON'S MirOItATED WITH WuP.Kri OF ART. convalescent. Then there is a professor whoso duty it is to make the familiar with the art. of compounding lotions far the face and brilliant ino to add verve and vigor to the mustache by which it is incarnadined, When the Manhattan Barber college has added a stimulus to learning and proved it self an educational success by defeating Princeton and Yale at bae ball and rowing, it is quite likely that tho Manhattan Plumber college will come upon the scone ot Intellectual activity ard bo in every way equal to the liarhers ooiicte.

even unto tne special cuukc in letters, which familiarizes the ton serial student with the art of stcry that he may entertain the patron with so rare a story that after he has been shaved ho will gladly nope or .1. being entertained bv tZ ri 1 equal force and merit. There cannot be the slightest doubt of tho OH 1 i i 1 i srsjfx IKE many other important discoveries that of the science c( curving a base ball was the result of an accident. It seems strange to say that through the Idle throwing of half a clam shell birth should Have been given to such an idea, but it is a fact, nevertheless, and the theory that developed In the mind of the in ventor, as be watched the curves of the shell while it sailed along in its irregular and snakey course, was put to practical use in base ball and successfully applied after tedious and constant practice. The man to whem this credit is due is a Brooklynite, William Arthur Cummings, who Hives at 26 Pleasant nlace.

a little thorouch fare that abuts into Atlantic avenue. He is mo luuwtjjjiauu lamer 01 curve pitciuug anu, when connected with some of the famous clubs of this and other cities, whose slcil, in the past, aroused so much enthusiasm and locai pride, his name was as prominently before the public as those of Captain Anson. Foutz, Kennedy, McCarthy and other equal CtJMMIXGS. ly famous exponents" of the game are non known. He Was ktlntvn fl5 rhrt Firw 'W'nnAt, I An Eagle reporter had an extended eonver f.

satinn with Mr rum. concerning his famous discovery and base uo.ii in general. Me is a modest and unassuming man, 4S years old. of slight physique and weighing in the neighborhood of 143 pounds. From his appearances it would ba bard to believe that he pitched in games day eg oiwi uu.y ana mat.

too, at a time when thirty and even more runs were frequently scored by a side. Yet, he says he experienced no a unusual ratigue. A pitcher in his dav S2 ffectivoness would have been neutral 1 lzod by a too frequent appearance in the box, ij would have stood little chance for an engage uuiumiBjs aitcgetcer is under the impression that a twirler nowadavs ha quite a sinecure, compared with those cf the olden times. Ho is an ntAritnlnirto tflllrn ,5 could keep a rcotero' club interested for hours aiunes oi old games that have b.en handed down in base ball history and with reminiscences of many diamonds. Mr.

Cummings was born in Ware, Mass on October 17, 1S4S. and played the old fashioned game that prevailed in the Bay state before ho removed to this city with his parents. In South Brooklyn he took part in many games with boy3 of his own age and speedily acquired a reputation that, was not confined alono to that section cf the citv. His first experience in a club of any not was with an organization composed of boys and cailed the Carrolls. after Carroll park.

He cannot remember the names of any of Us players, aside from Charles Wilcox, catcher and Rosa Pell, first baseman. The team was very successful against all comers. The most notable victory achieved was over the Excelsior club of Fort Hamilton, the players of which were young men, while none of the Carroll players were more than 16 years of age. Mr. Cummings says his team piaved a very strong game and defeated nearly every nine they opposed.

In the following year Mr. Cummings joined tho Star juniors, who won thirty seven out of thirty nine games. About this time Joseph Legg'ett of tile Excelsior club saw the boys at play and was so much impressed with the skill displayed by young Cummings and Eddie Booth that he secured the consent of their parents to have them join the Excalsiors, at that time the most prominent club in this vicinity. Cummings participated in the games played by the Excelsiors during part of ISKfi and 1S67 and pitched in a few of them. He say.1 he can remember the first game that be pitched quite well.

Brainard, who held a national reputation as a box man, failed to make his appearance and Cummings was substituted. He was a tall, slim boy, weighing bout 117 pounds. The Eurekas of Newark, THE THOMAS I'TtATT, riteher. sin c. RMiTir, Want Field.

N. against whom the Excelsiors were playing, was a strong club, composed of men weighing all the way from 150 to 100 pounds. Cummings' youthful appearance caused a smile of derision to appear ou the faces of the batsmen as they faced his delivery, hut ho had confidence in himself and as ho received good support, he beat them by 24 to 12. "I was a proud boy over the result, as you can Imagine," remarked the old time twirler. "I was taken by the Excelsiors when they went to Washington to play their annual game with the Nationals.

These contests were alternately played in Brooklyn and Washington. We played the Unions lirst. I pitched two Innings, the final score being 3C to 32. 1 was not put in against the Nationals on the next day, but I think we won the same. In tho following year we went to Boston and played such clubs as the Lowells, Tri Mouutaius and Harvard University.

"It was in a game against tho collegians that I first used the curve. I got my theory from throwing clam shells in playlns with boys. I saw that they curved to the right and left and I conceived the idea of trying to make a base ball do the same thing. After I a great deal of constant practice i aec.mi I pushed the feat. I received no encourage ment irom tiaso ball exports and was.

in fac laughed at, as no one thought it could be dono. I often became discouraged, but kept on. At times I would think I had It and some of my companions would get behind the catcher to watch tho ball. Sometimes they said they saw a curve and other times they thought it was straight. All of this re W.

A. V. lior; rr. ft or ATLANTIC BASE BALL CLUB, 1863. PKAnCK, JOSr.I'l! ST.M Sep.

First Hn o'iuui Mntint 1 IIAltI.KS 1 (iJIITH, Third llast joun r. Left game once mere. When asked if he thought tho present style of base hall was more scientific than that of his days, he replied: "I do not think so. 1 haven't seen mauv games lately, but those that I have did not impress me as showing many improvements. We used to have signals but our catchers did not take care cf thein as they do now.

I did all this myselr, and they were so simple, too. that no opposing batsman got on to thorn for that reason. I don't ce any blocking in batting to ri.ght field as some of the old batsmen used to do and they displayed much science in that. I think a pitcher ought to do the signaling, that is an experienced one, for he should know tile batsmen belter than any on "Fielding nowadays is no hotter than It was in my time; in fact, I don't think it Is as good. You must, remember we had a ball that contained two ounces of rubber.

It was extremely lively and when It was hit, it came along with tremendous velocity. Why, I remember many balls being sent over the Cap Itollno grounds into the next street, which would be an impossible feat with the present balls. Flies would be sent into the air for such a distance that the bull would appear like a little five cent rubber ball. No one vised gloves in either, uiul a sharp nit 0110,1 it hands. Baniie, wbo used to catch inc.

said to me the other day that tho talk of the present day sneed of pitchers is nonsense and that it is no better than that of our days. Ho should know, for i a ho hnd experience in those day and has caught present day twirlcra lu practice. Look at I all the R. 1. 1 the in.