Iowa
Old Press
WILLIAMSBURG JOURNAL-TRIBUNE
Williamsburg, Iowa Co., Iowa
August 18, 1904
A GREAT BALL GAME
- The South and West Sides Lam-bast the East and North Sides in a
One Sided Game-
The ball game on Friday between the ex-players of the south and
west sides vs the north and east sides brought out a fair sized
crowd and furnished fun for over an hour to all who groaned with
laughter at the attempts and no attempts of the players. The day
was scorchingly hot and the boys sweat and fumed like
Senegambians in close proximity to an election booth. The south
and west siders had for their battery Os. Jones who pitched the
game and Arthur Williams who wore the mit and mask. And a strong
pair they made, too strong for the other fellows who were
represented by Bruce Hakes, pitcher, and T. J. Perry acted as
catcher. "Lish" Schooley was the umpire and when he
ordered the game to start he smiled at the motely crowd of
players who took their places on the diamond. They looked like
the proverbial "awkward squad" or a contingent of
Coxey's army. There was Tom Perry dressed in a clown's suit so
loud that the field of corn adjoining the ground was nearly
shocked by his presence. Then Frank Tomasek, decked in a gorgeous
suit with a horse bonnet on his head looked like the long eared
character in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Harry Hull
ambled around wearing mis-mated stockings as did Bruce Hakes. The
other players presented a fairly respectable appearance. The
toss-up for position gave the bat to the east siders who were led
by Harry Hull. Tom Perry went to the bat and failing to connect
with the curves of Os. Jones was struck out. Harry Hull hit the
sphere a feeble stroke but was dumped out on first by the clever
work of Henry Hughes. W. T. Evans was the next man at the bat but
as he persisted in swinging his club about two minutes after the
ball had passed, he was soon out and with him went the side.
The second half of the first inning showed at once that Hakes and
Perry were "easy"; the boys caught their balls full and
fair and sent them whirling through space at a lively [... news
clipping cut off here]
...not get to first. Fran. Jones started all right but Bruce
Hakes left him stranded between third and home[.] Emil Kolbe took
the stick and swung it after the fashion of the arm of a Dutch
wind-mill in a lazy breeze--and the side went out. The south
siders by this time were cheered up and when Leastrie [Least***]
took the bat he caught the ball fairly and made second on his
strike, and, while Perry was groping for the ball, he came safely
to the home plate, thus making the first score in the game. Os.
Jones soon tallied another and then Henry Hughes caught an easy
one from Hakes and sent it far beyond the farthest fielder's
reach; Henry then began a round of the bases, he showed the crowd
that be had a light heel and knew how to use it to good
advantage; his boldness soon led him to where he furnished the
most sensational play of the game: caught between third and home,
he nimbly worked back and forth between two fires and finally
landed on the home plate in a fog of dust developed by his
"side"[sic]. By this time Frisbe was halted on third
and this gave the bat to the east siders.
The remaining portion of the game was a repitition of what has
already been told. The south siders run in score after score,
they galled each other's kibes in making the home runs. They
fanned out their enemy at every turn or caught them while
stealing bases. In the despair which settled on the east siders
they determined to try a new pitcher and Emil Kolbe was pressed
into service; he was deliriously wild and nearly every man was
given his base on balls. The score ran up to nineteen for the
south side and two for the east siders when the game was declared
off at the end of the fifth inning.
THOSE WHO DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES.
1st Assistants to the Umpire:--H. E. Hull, B. E. Hakes and Emil
Kilbe.
2nd Assistants to the Umpire:--John Evans, Walter Evans and F. W.
Tomasek.
Water Carriers:--Joel Miller, Harve Manor and Joe Conway.
The T*ll*rs:--Frank Williams, Carl
[... news clipping cut off here]
[contributed by S.D.W., March 2004 - to contact the submitter send an email to S. Ferrall, be certain to mention the exact news article, date & county]