Weekly Chemawa American., May 08, 1908, Page 13, Image 13

THE CHEMAl
The Quileute Baseball Team.
In the year 1899 I came to the Indian
Training School at Chemawa, Oregon,
it was in winter, and a game of football
was on, and it was a question to me as I
never saw that kind of fun before. I was
a young man 18 years of age and power
fully strong for my age, I liked the
game very much so I joined my Indian
brothers. When the football season is
over, then comes a basketball game. I
also tried that fun and made up the sec
ond team. When this basketball game
is over, then comes a baseball season.
One day the Boys went out to practice.
I went out, too,- to watch the players, so
I was on the side line. A ball happened
to come my way and I caught hold of it,
and threw.it to a man with a club, this
club was very much similar to the club
the fur seal hunters use. A game of
baseball was a question to me, then,
whether I could play it or not.
The next day I went out to see the
boys practice again, and I caught the
first ball in my life. I went out every
day to watch the boys practicing, ' and,
sometimes I'd get in and practice, too,
thinking that I could make a ball man
out of myself. But in a few weeks I
learned, but could not get higher than
the second team. The boys that were
pitching were as follows: Victor Gra
ham and Walter Reagan. Walter was
a splendid pitcher; he showed me the
first lesson of curving the ball, although
he was not much of a curve "pitcher"
himself, and today I am using some of
those curves.
I will not brag that I am a good pitch
er. Mr. Ernect Qbi here is a big fellow;
he appears to have such a good form
so that Mr. Jack Ward, our manager,
spotted him before he had '-been, at work
A AMERICAN la
ten minutes. Another month will tell
whether he has what he suspected.
.Young Ward may make a strong bid for
a regular position on the pitching staff.
There are several other youngsters to
be looked overand it may be that some
of them will show goods that will sur
prise the fans. Our record is good, and
we are known to be the best Indian base
ball team in the state of Washington, we
are looking for a big trip this year.
Work hard boys! Most of my old players
are out this year and new members in
their places.
Mr. Joe Pullen is an old player and
he will make things look different
around the secoVid station, and with an
ambitious youngster like Rex Ward to
develop on the short side of the bag,
satisfactory results will undoubtedly be
obtained. Mr. Frank Bennett is not
much of a batter, but he is a third base
man; but he says he will make things go
some. A size-up of our ball team at
this stage of the game is a "paper one,"
to a large extent for the reason that lit
tle real work was done last week. I feel
safe, however, in saying at this early
date that the team is much stronger
than it was last year.
The out-fielders may be a trifle weak
in base running ability, but will be there
with the club and also in handling the
ball. I could have written more in re
gards to the baseball affairs, but will
make an end.
Morton B. Penn.
u ,Tis easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows 'long like a song;
But the man that's worth while
Is the one that can smile
When everything goes dead wrong."