The Ogden standard. [volume], April 28, 1917, 4 P.M. CITY EDITION, MAGAZINE SECTION, Image 22

About The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1913-1920

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
i THE STANDARD MAGAZINE SECTION OGDEN, 1 JTAH.
" II ' ' - ....... i ...,.-, . ' r -1
J&10 r ' U"Wer C y ii5;:?::' I A nxi JtffflB t0 fiS tl10 "yoanB PUnk leave home for tha He took sevcrnlmoro "healthy pokes" at It
. 2liV--,'' ' - ' vi i II &m WaKtL flrst tlme' that 3Urnmcr- Ho Earned a lot of baseball and
-J" rpic SVPFAK'F"CP r &jZ-' J I ' Y II tlgl NK yVflB?Svk 0f Rl1 neraona ,n tllc wor,d thc smaU ooy l he learned a lot of life and of manners, too
,v-' OrtMIMLK. d - a jilt II Sill B$friK35b the most dimcult to deceive. His joung Of, course, he had to be beaten up a couple of
I Young America Finds
I 1 His Level When He Is
; Properly Handled in
j Big Company.
I By J. B. SHERIDAN.
II J i
II fZ--mmP HIS ls tbo season of the year
I T j when boys In box-toed shoes
II anl coats that are padded '
l heavily about the shoulders,
I carry Bult coses out of the
I "bushes" Into the cities and
l j& start on careers that they
l I N- j think will land them fame,
fortune and the display pictures In tho newa-
l papers, liko Ty Cobb, Trls Speaker, Grover
I Cleveland Alexander and "Walter Johnson, Tho
baseball-playing: animal ls abroad In tho land.
Ij ' April 1, tho day of All Fools, ls also tho day of
l(j all baseball players. And, taken by and largo,
IB there arc few fellows who aro more foolish than
II I the "younff punk" who starts out to have bio
II first season In professional ball.
l "Tho joung punk!"
1 You know what a "young punk" Is?
III Of course.
HI You probably have one or two In your house.
It Almost every American family has one or two,
l or a succession of "young punks" about tho-
II ' bouse The "young punk" ls a boy between 16
HI and 21 years old, awkward, callow, hoarse-
Hj voiced. Inconceivably untidy, more lnconcolv-
Hl ably rude and most Inconceivably conccltod.
H When father hears that his "young punk" "
Hj I can pla a good gamo of baseball ho begins to
Hi ta-0 an Interest in him. Ho goes to see him
HI play. Regardless of whether ho ls or is not a
H good ballplayer, father thinks that ho ls a
H I coming Cobb.
i t "Say," father says to mother, "If that no-
1 account kid can play a good gamo of basoba'J
ho may make moro money than any of us over
i made "
"I always knew you never understood tho
i boy," Bays mother. "I always told you ho
H would b a credit to all of us some day."
1 "Mam, Bays father, "say, mam, ho told me
yesterday that ho wanted a now pair of baae'
m ball shoes. Slip him tho price, will you?"
M r "Give It to him yourself," says mother, "1
II havo Httlo enough to run tho house. I havo not
1 had a new pair of shoes rnysolf In two years,
and I have worn tho same coat for thrco wlt-
1 tors "
Hl "Novor mind that," says father, "this fellow
Hl ' may make a lot of money soon. Give him tho
H prlco of a pair of baseball shoes."
H "Hov much will thoy cost?"
Hl "Oh, two and a half, I guess," replies the
H fathor. "That ls what thoy cost when I was a
I
Hi
"Did you ever havo a pair of baseball shoes? 5
Inquires mother.
"I did not," says fathor, "My old man would
have killed mo If t asked for a pair.. But times
havo changed. Living ls faster, higher, 'better.
Slip him tho $2.60."
Mother Obeys Orders.
Mother sighB but oboys.
"Willie, dear," she says to tho "young punk,"
"I think you should havo a pair of baseball
shoes. Hero 1b $2.50 to buy them."
"Sav-a-ay, whut do you t'Ink I am," cricrf
Willie. "Two and a half for a pair of baseban
shoes? I'd hotter play In mo old slippers."
"Why, what ls tho matter with $2.50 for a
pair of baseball shoes? Your father said that
was what they cost when ho was a boy."
"Ah, whut does that old gink know about
up-to-date people?" asks tho young hopeful.
"He's back In tho old1904 porlod. Why, ho
wore CO-cont shirts and 25-cent neckties. ' Ho
bawled mo tho other day about my $7.60 silk
shirt, said ho wore 60-cent shirts in his time J
told him that I would bo tolling my kids, whon
thoy wcro wearing $15 shirts, that I woro $5
shirts whon I was a boy. Time moves. Pop ls
n mossbock."
"Why, Is not $2.60 enough," mothor inquires
pathetically,
, l"I should say not," growled "tho punk."
"What, then, docs a pair of baseball shoes
cost?"
"Sovon fifty for any sort of a decent pair
and $9,50 If a guy wants to be In the swim,"
camo the answer.
Mothor is shocked. But sho sighs and goes
deep into thc stocking In tho bureau drawer
and tnkco out $6 that sho had been painfully
saving for p. now frock.
"Bo In tho swim, Willie," sho says.
"All right," growl3 "tho punk," thrusting tho
monoy Into his pocket. "Now gimme carfare"
and lunch monoy, oo that I may go downtown
and bu: the shoes."
He buys a $5 pair of Bhoes and keeps tho
$2.50 for spending monoy. Ho lunches on pics
and buy? huge quantities of cigarettes. That
night ho plays pool for hours and buys not a
few "long beers."
Being well fed, sleeping all ho wants to sleec.
tho "jounk punk" becomes quite a lusty youth!
It must bo admitted that ho plays a fair gamo
of ball on tho lots. By and by some one askn
him to Join a uniformed- team. A business
house furnishes tho "suits."
Ftlhei loosens up He feels that ho may
havo a joung Cobb In tho house. Ho tellB
mother to food the animal well, to-lot him
kill
v jim mm '
1 x vwflmm iwmlili
sleep. He counsels heavily with the boy about
baseball. Every American father knows all
nbout baseball. Ho has read about tho granJ
tnlngs that the great players have aone for
their paronts, tho palaces and farms bought
Mth the savings of their first year In base
ball, etc. Ho has great hopes from tho
"young punk." Ho tells him how to hit and
lww to field, and what a great player his fathor
wa3 beforo him. He feeds him and clothes him'
and spends money upon him.
Gets PIrst Baseball Job.
After keeping him a year or two, tho "young
punk" la offered $125 a month to play baseball.
That ls probably more than his fathor has been
,ro T
getting a month. Father ovorlooka the fact
that while ho draws salary twelvo months hi
tho year, the "young punk" will draw salary
but for four and one-hnlf months in the year.
If ho docs think of it, his mind glldos off to tho
$10,000 salary of Cobb, the $12,000 of Alexander
and the $18,000 of Speaker.
Then comes a ticket for tho "young punk"
and a letter ordering him to report for train
ing. Nct day the papers bear a lino to thd
effect that tho "young punk" la somo punklna.
He has been offered a Job playing professional
ball. Good Judges who have seen him play say
that ho Is a coming Cobb. Father almost
b.irats with pride. Mother ls proud, too, but
very quiet. Her eyes aro moist, She dreads
brothers still call him "tho big stlfr."
By and by ho hurries in and eats rapidly. It
Is but S 30 and his train, the first he ever his
traveled on, leaves at 9 30. Ho Is afraid he will
b lute. Ho must wait, she says, to see his
father. Father comes In about 6. Son says he
will bo back In a fow minutes and rushes out.
He must say qood-by to the girl. He is so
proud of himself that ho has not much time
for hor that night. Secretly he ls thinking that
eho was all right for a "young punk," but the
groat ballplayer ho already Is will do hotter
Howovor, ho Is not adverse to giving her n
treat. Ho poses about 'In his now suit, shown
hor his tan shoes with box toes, and "beats If
for homo.
Father has made a hurried dinner and Is put
ting on his Sunday clothes The little brother
has had his face washed and a tlo put on. Ho
Is to carry tho "vallso." Vory shortly father
says, "Well. I guess we'd hotter be going: wo
may bo delayed on tho cars." Thoy prepare to
leac. Mother makes a brave faco of It, but
tho tears will trlcklo down cheeks that aro be
ginning to show signs of wear and tear.
It la an awkward moment for tho "youn7
punk." He says a rough good-by to tho sis
tors who have helped support him whllo ho has
been "studjlng to bo a ballplayer" Tho girls
can scarce contain their Joy. Once he wore
Mario's silk stockings to play ball In, and, nat
urally, rulnod them. Sho was a generous, affeo
tlonato girl, but sho novor can quite forgive
that. Ho owes Lizzie $3, and Llzzlo dearly do
slres a now hat. Sisters are not sorry to seo
him go
Kid brother Is already on the sidewalk with
the "allse." no has Invited, a playmate to go
along and help carry the bag Father moves
down the back steps. "The punk" comes out
of tho dining room Into the kitchen.
He finds his mother thero alone. She drops
her apron. Sho has been wiping away a tear
and holdj out hor arms to hor son.
"All right, mom," ho replies, shame-facedly.
"All right, pop, let's go!"
At the training camp ls a rough, uncouth npd
undisciplined lot. Those from tho larger cltlos
arc "fresh." They curso tho Jay town In which
they play and dcrldo tho ''yaps" who pay thorn
Iholr salaries. Somo stand or sit about tholr
boarding houses and insult tho girls who pass.
Somo run account with the local merchantj
and deoirj It "smart" not to pay for anything
they can got charged. One or two of thorn
"got In bad" with somo of the moro foollsn
young women of tho town. They loaf on tho
corners and spit tobacco all over tho sldo
walks. They glvo baseball and themselves a
bad reputation. They aro a sad lot of "young
punks." t
Not All Are Rude.
Not all of them, however, aro rude, wild and
silly. A reasonable moiety,1 perhaps moro than
hair, aro bred to do bettor. Among tho latter
is our "joung punk." Once away from tha
supporting father and tho adoring mother,
thrown upon his own rosourcos, ho la electrified
into oncigy and Into reliability. Not for noth
ing dd his mother deny horsolf food, rest,
clothes and raiment. Not for nothing has hla
father labored long and hardily.
Ills parents had given him power of arm.
strength of back and keenness of vision. He
had not hit more than two balls In batting
practice when tho veteran who managed the
club said to a friend:
"That big stiff looks llko he'd do."
"Ho sure takes a healthy poko at It," 6ays
tho friend, cpproingly
times by rustic strong boys, a girl or two had
to sot him In hjs placo; ho was fortunate '
enough to room with a voteran player who gave '
him plenty of good advice The umpires helped '
him by taking away some of his salarj. Tho j
opposing pitchers gave him much assistanco by
striking him out many times when a hit meant
a game won. His manager did much for him !
by keeping an Iron heel on his strong neck A ;
couplo of hotel keepers helped him by "bawling
him out for fair" when he got fresh In tho din- ' '
Ing room But tho boy was bred right, to go
right, and probably would havo gone right un- (
dor any conditions.
But ho was fortunate In the things that hap
pened to him. At his best, or at his worst, he
did not forget his mother's Instructions to re- '
memoer his religion. Ho might miss his daily !
prayers, now and then, but he never forgot uj j
go to church on Sundays. j
vL
Discipline Brings Out Manhood. 13
Tho riRor of baseball discipline did much to
bring out tho manhood that was In him. Old
Tim Maloney, a hero of thirty minor league
campaigns, grimly Insisted that his players
should not only bo in tho hotel or boarding
house at 11 p. m., but that they should also bs i
In bad. Then It was practice for three hours .
every morning and play and prnctico for five j L
hours every afternoon. Sun and air make man- j f
hood. K Is difilcult to live in tho open and re-
main "punky." j t
Facing powerful pitchers ovory day, keying f
yourself up to hit a basoball that shoots like a
bullet fired from a gam, Judging fly balls In the I
nlr and facing hostile and hissing crowds,
tightens tho nerves and tho sinews. Obedience '
to dlsclj'llne, cutting out clgaiottes, controlling
tho appetite, makes for manhood. '
So It waB that at tho end of five months the
"young punk" had become a sunburnt, hard
ened, clean-faced young man. Tho skin on hla
faco was llko tanned silk, tho knuckles on his
strong hands showed white against tho brown" :,
cutlclo about them. Tho mushy lines of the j
mouth h?d become firm and sot.
Ho sent $S0 to his mothor every month and f
lived on tho balance, $46. After his league sea.
son closed he was a member of tho club on a ;
barn-Btormlng trip that yielded him $100 When
he returned homo on October 1 ho was 15
pounds heavier than ho had been when ho loft. H
yet so well was tho flesh distributed that ha jg
seemed to be 20 pounds lighter. All the mueh 4 '
and fat, tho "punk," had gone out of his face.
His step that had been slow and lounging -nas
quick and springy. His mother was waiting "n J
tho front porch to greet him. IIo loaped up tho r
sters and tnnv hnr i.nun..i ki ..-ma S
""- ..v.., uiiaiMlliluu, Jli ilia Ullimt a
He had not much tlmo for tho mother that
evening. Ho had to seo tho boys and the girl.
Mother was abed when he camo home. Next ' s
morning, aftor breakfast, ho kissed hor and P J ,
a roll of bills in her hand. i
"I'll save it, with tho rest you sent, for you, !
son," sho said. f
"Yoiyil gave nothing," cried tho "joung '
P'rnk." if yon don't go downtown and npend i
every cent of that money on clothes for our- , ,
self, not for things for tho house, I'll novcr " j
Epeak to you again. Ever slnco I can remem- J, ,
her wo all have had clothes but you. Now. j -(
you are going to dress up like a duchess Don't f -,
worry about spending tho money. There ii '
Plenty more whore that came from."
We. who have passed tho 30s, and who havf
grown old and worldly and wise and godn Jiff ,
maybe, and grae, would give a good deal to 1)0 Jf j
once moro a "young punk." W
iff