You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters

by Ring Lardner

  CHAPTER V

  THE BUSHER'S KID

  _Chicago, Illinois, July 31._

  FRIEND AL: Well Al what do you think of little Al now? But I guess Ibetter tell you first what he done. Maybe you won't believe what I amtelling you but did you ever catch me telling you a lie? I guess youknow you did not Al. Well we got back from the East this A.M. and Idon't have to tell you we had a rotten trip and if it had not of beenfor me beating Boston once and the Athaletics two times we would ofbeen ashamed to come home.

  I guess these here other pitchers thought we was haveing a vacation andwhen they go up in the office to-morrow to get there checks they shouldought to be arrested if they take them. I would not go nowheres nearComiskey if I had not of did better than them others but I can go andget my pay and feel all O.K. about it because I done something to ernit.

  Me loseing that game in Washington was a crime and Callahan says sohimself. This here Weaver throwed it away for me and I would not besurprised if he done it from spitework because him and Scott is palsand probily he did not want to see me winning all them games when Scottwas getting knocked out of the box. And no wonder when he has not gotno stuff. I wish I knowed for sure that Weaver was throwing me down andif I knowed for sure I would put him in a hospital or somewheres.

  But I was going to tell you what the kid done Al. So here goes. We arestill liveing at Allen's and his wife. So I and him come home togetherfrom the train. Well Florrie and Marie was both up and the baby was uptoo--that is he was not up but he was woke up. I beat it right into theroom where he was at and Florrie come in with me. I says Hello Al andwhat do you suppose he done. Well Al he did not say Hello pa or nothinglike that because he is not only one month old. But he smiled at mejust like as if he was glad to see me and I guess maybe he was at that.

  I was tickled to death and I says to Florrie Did you see that. And shesays See what. I says The baby smiled at me. Then she says They issomething the matter with his stumach. I says I suppose because a babysmiles that is a sign they is something the matter with his stumachand if he had the toothacke he would laugh. She says You think yoursmart but I am telling you that he was not smileing at all but he wasmakeing a face because they is something the matter with his stumach. Isays I guess I know the difference if somebody is smileing or makeing aface. And she says I guess you don't know nothing about babys becauseyou never had none before. I says How many have you had. And then shegot sore and beat it out of the room.

  I did not care because I wanted to be in there alone with him and seewould he smile at me again. And sure enough Al he did. Then I calledAllen in and when the baby seen him he begin to cry. So you see I wasright and Florrie was wrong. It don't take a man no time at all to getwise to these babys and it don't take them long to know if a man isthere father or there uncle.

  When he begin to cry I chased Allen out of the room and called Florriebecause she should ought to know by this time how to make him stopcrying. But she was still sore and she says Let him cry or if you knowso much about babys make him stop yourself. I says Maybe he is sick.And she says I was just telling you that he had a pane in his stumachor he would not of made that face that you said was smileing at you.

  I says Do you think we should ought to call the doctor but she says Noif you call the doctor every time he has the stumach acke you mightjust as well tell him he should bring his trunk along and stay here.She says All babys have collect and they is not no use fusing about itbut come and get your breakfast.

  Well Al I did not injoy my breakfast because the baby was crying allthe time and I knowed he probily wanted I should come in and visit withhim. So I just eat the prunes and drunk a little coffee and did notwait for the rest of it and sure enough when I went back in our roomand started talking to him he started smileing again and pretty soon hewent to sleep so you see Al he was smileing and not makeing no face andthat was a hole lot of bunk about him haveing the collect. But I don'tsuppose I should ought to find fault with Florrie for not knowing nobetter because she has not never had no babys before but still and allI should think she should ought to of learned something about them bythis time or ask somebody.

  Well Al little Al is woke up again and is crying and I just about gottime to fix him up and get him asleep again and then I will have to goto the ball park because we got a poseponed game to play with Detroitand Callahan will probily want me to work though I pitched the nextto the last game in New York and would of gave them a good beatingexcept for Schalk dropping that ball at the plate but I got it on theseDetroit babys and when my name is announced to pitch they feel likeforfiting the game. I won't try for no strike out record because I wantthem to hit the first ball and get the game over with quick so as I canget back here and take care of little Al.

  Your pal, JACK.

  P.S. Babys is great stuff Al and if I was you I would not wait nolonger but would hurry up and adopt 1 somewheres.

  _Chicago, Illinois, August 15._

  OLD PAL: What do you think Al. Kid Gleason is comeing over to the flatand look at the baby the day after to-morrow when we don't have no gameskeduled but we have to practice in the A.M. because we been going sorotten. I had a hard time makeing him promise to come but he is comeingand I bet he will be glad he come when he has came. I says to him inthe clubhouse Do you want to see a real baby? And he says You're realenough for me Boy.

  I says No I am talking about babys. He says Oh I thought you wastalking about ice cream soda or something. I says No I want you to comeover to the flat to-morrow and take a look at my kid and tell me whatyou think of him. He says I can tell you what I think of him withouttakeing no look at him. I think he is out of luck. I says What do youmean out of luck. But he just laughed and would not say no more.

  I asked him again would he come over to the flat and look at the babyand he says he had troubles enough without that and kidded along fora while but finally he seen I was in ernest and then he says he wouldcome if I would keep the missus out of the room while he was therebecause he says if she seen him she would probily be sorry she marriedme.

  He was just jokeing and I did not take no excepshun to his remarksbecause Florrie could not never fall for him after seeing me because heis not no big stropping man like I am but a little runt and look at howold he is. But I am glad he is comeing because he will think more of mewhen he sees what a fine baby I got though he thinks a hole lot of menow because look what I done for the club and where would they be atif I had jumped to the Federal like I once thought I would. I will tellyou what he says about little Al and I bet he will say he never seen noprettyer baby but even if he don't say nothing at all I will know he iskidding.

  The Boston Club comes here to-morrow and plays 4 days includeing theday after to-morrow when they is not no game. So on account of the offday maybe I will work twice against them and if I do they will wish thegrounds had of burned down.

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, August 17._

  AL: Well old pal what did I tell you about what I would do to thatBoston Club? And now Al I have beat every club in the league this yearbecause yesterday was the first time I beat the Boston Club this yearbut now I have beat all of them and most of them severel times.

  This should ought to of gave me a record of 16 wins and 0 defeatsbecause the only games I lost was throwed away behind me but instead ofthat my record is 10 games win and 6 defeats and that don't include thegames I finished up and helped the other boys win which is about 6 morealltogether but what do I care about my record Al? because I am notthe kind of man that is allways thinking about there record and playingfor there record while I am satisfied if I give the club the best I gotand if I win all O.K. And if I lose who's fault is it. Not mine Al.

  I asked Callahan would he let me work against the Boston Club againbefore they go away and he says I guess I will have to because youare going better than anybody else on the club. So you see Al he isbeginning to appresiate my work and from now on I will pitch in myregular turn and a hole lot offt
ener then that and probily Comiskeywill see the stuff I am made from and will raise my salery next yeareven if he has got me signed for 3 years and for the same salery I amgetting now.

  But all that is not what I was going to tell you Al and what I wasgoing to tell you was about Gleason comeing to see the baby and what hethought about him. I sent Florrie and Marie downtown and says I wouldtake care of little Al and they was glad to go because Florrie says sheshould ought to buy some new shoes though I don't see what she wantsof no new shoes when she is going to be tied up in the flat for a longtime yet on account of the baby and nobody cares if she wears shoes inthe flat or goes round in her bear feet. But I was glad to get rid ofthe both of them for a while because little Al acts better when they isnot no women round and you can't blame him.

  The baby was woke up when Gleason come in and I and him went right inthe room where he was laying. Gleason takes a look at him and says Wellthat is a mighty fine baby and you must of boughten him. I says What doyou mean? And he says I don't believe he is your own baby because helooks humaner than most babys. And I says Why should not he look human.And he says Why should he.

  Then he goes to work and picks the baby right up and I was a-scared hewould drop him because even I have not never picked him up though I amhis father and would be a-scared of hurting him. I says Here, don'tpick him up and he says Why not? He says Are you going to leave him onthat there bed the rest of his life? I says No but you don't know howto handle him. He says I have handled a hole lot bigger babys than himor else Callahan would not keep me.

  Then he starts patting the baby's head and I says Here, don't do thatbecause he has got a soft spot in his head and you might hit it. Hesays I thought he was your baby and I says Well he is my baby and hesays Well then they can't be no soft spot in his head. Then he layslittle Al down because he seen I was in ernest and as soon as he layshim down the baby begins to cry. Then Gleason says See he don't want meto lay him down and I says Maybe he has got a pane in his stumach andhe says I would not be supprised because he just took a good look athis father.

  But little Al did not act like as if he had a pane in his stumach andhe kept sticking his finger in his mouth and crying. And Gleason saysHe acts like as if he had a toothacke. I says How could he have atoothacke when he has not got no teeth? He says That is easy. I havesaw a lot of pitchers complane that there arm was sore when they didnot have no arm.

  Then he asked me what was the baby's name and I told him Allen but thathe was not named after my brother-in-law Allen. And Gleason says Ishould hope not. I should hope you would have better sense then to namehim after a left hander. So you see Al he don't like them no betterthen I do even if he does jolly Allen and Russell along and make themthink they can pitch.

  Pretty soon he says What are you going to make out of him, a ballplayer? I says Yes I am going to make a hitter out of him so as he canjoin the White Sox and then maybe they will get a couple of runs oncein a while. He says If I was you I would let him pitch and then youwon't have to give him no educasion. Besides, he says, he looks nowlike he would divellop into a grate spitter.

  Well I happened to look out of the window and seen Florrie and Mariecomeing acrost Indiana Avenue and I told Gleason about it. And youought to of seen him run. I asked him what was his hurry and he says itwas in his contract that he was not to talk to no women but I knowedhe was kidding because I allready seen him talking to severel of theplayers' wifes when they was on trips with us and they acted like asif they thought he was a regular comeedion though they really is notnothing funny about what he says only it is easy to make women laughwhen they have not got no grouch on about something.

  Well Al I am glad Gleason has saw the baby and maybe he will fix itwith Callahan so as I won't have to go to morning practice every A.M.because I should ought to be home takeing care of little Al whenFlorrie is washing the dishs or helping Marie round the house. Andbesides why should I wear myself all out in practice because I don'tneed to practice pitching and I could hit as well as the rest of themen on our club if I never seen no practice.

  After we get threw with Boston, Washington comes here and then we go toSt. Louis and Cleveland and then come home and then go East again. Andafter that we are pretty near threw except the city serious. Callahanis not going to work me no more after I beat Boston again till it isthis here Johnson's turn to pitch for Washington. And I hope it is nothis turn to work the 1st game of the serious because then I would nothave no rest between the last game against Boston and the 1st gameagainst Washington.

  But rest or no rest I will work against this here Johnson and show himup for giveing me that trimming in Washington, the lucky stiff. I wishI had a team like the Athaletics behind me and I would loose about 1game every 6 years and then they would have to get all the best of itfrom these rotten umpires.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _New York, New York, September 16._

  FRIEND AL: Al it is not no fun running round the country no more and Iwish this dam trip was over so as I could go home and see how littleAl is getting along because Florrie has not wrote since we was inPhilly which was the first stop on this trip. I am a-scared they issomething the matter with the little fellow or else she would of wrotebut then if they was something the matter with him she would of sent mea telegram or something and let me know.

  So I guess they can't be nothing the matter with him. Still and allI don't see why she has not wrote when she knows or should ought toknow that I would be worrying about the baby. If I don't get no letterto-morrow I am going to send her a telegram and ask her what is thematter with him because I am positive she would of wrote if they wasnot something the matter with him.

  The boys has been trying to get me to go out nights and see a showor something but I have not got no heart to go to shows. And besidesCallahan has not gave us no pass to no show on this trip. I guessprobily he is sore on account of the rotten way the club has been goingbut still he should ought not to be sore on me because I have win 3 outof my last 4 games and would of win the other if he had not of startedme against them with only 1 day's rest and the Athaletics at that, whoa man should ought not to pitch against if he don't feel good.

  I asked Allen if he had heard from Marie and he says Yes he did butshe did not say nothing about little Al except that he was keepingher awake nights balling. So maybe Al if little Al is balling theyis something wrong with him. I am going to send Florrie a telegramto-morrow--that is if I don't get no letter.

  If they is something the matter with him I will ask Callahan to sendme home and he won't want to do it neither because who else has he gotthat is a regular winner. But if little Al is sick and Callahan won'tlet me go home I will go home anyway. You know me Al.

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _Boston, Massachusetts, September 24._

  AL: I bet if Florrie was a man she would be a left hander. What doyou think she done now Al? I sent her a telegram from New York when Idid not get no letter from her and she did not pay no atension to thetelegram. Then when we got up here I sent her another telegram and itwas not more then five minutes after I sent the 2d telegram till I gota letter from her. And it said the baby was all O.K. but she had beenso busy takeing care of him that she had not had no time to write.

  Well when I got the letter I chased out to see if I could catch the boywho had took my telegram but he had went allready so I was spending$.60 for nothing. Then what does Florrie do but send me a telegramafter she got my second telegram and tell me that little Al is allO.K., which I knowed all about then because I had just got her letter.And she sent her telegram c. o. d. and I had to pay for it at this endbecause she had not paid for it and that was $.60 more but I bet if Ihad of knew what was in the telegram before I read it I would of toldthe boy to keep it and would not of gave him no $.60 but how did Iknow if little Al might not of tooken sick after Florrie had wrote theletter?

  I am going to write and ask her if she is trying to send us both tothe Poor House or somewheres with her telegrams. I don't
care nothingabout the $.60 but I like to see a woman use a little judgement thoughI guess that is impossable.

  It is my turn to work to-day and to-night we start West but we havegot to stop off at Cleveland on the way. I have got a nosion to askCallahan to let me go right on threw to Chi if I win to-day and notstop off at no Cleveland but I guess they would not be no use becauseI have got that Cleveland Club licked the minute I put on my glove.So probily Callahan will want me with him though it don't make nodifference if we win or lose now because we have not got no chance forthe pennant. One man can't win no pennant Al I don't care who he is.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 2._

  FRIEND AL: Well old pal I am all threw till the city serious and it isall fixed up that I am going to open the serious and pitch 3 of thegames if nessary. The club has went to Detroit to wind up the seasonand Callahan did not take me along but left me here with a couple otherpitchers and Billy Sullivan and told me all as I would have to do wasgo over to the park the next 3 days and warm up a little so as to keepin shape. But I don't need to be in no shape to beat them Cubs Al. Butit is a good thing Al that Allen was tooken on the trip to Detroit or Iguess I would of killed him. He has not been going good and he has beenacting and talking nasty to everybody because he can't win no games.

  Well the 1st night we was home after the trip little Al was haveinga bad night and was balling pretty hard and they could not nobody inthe flat get no sleep. Florrie says he was haveing the collect andI says Why should he have the collect all the time when he did notdrink nothing but milk? She says she guessed the milk did not agreewith him and upsetted his stumach. I says Well he must take after hismother if his stumach gets upsetted every time he takes a drink becauseif he took after his father he could drink a hole lot and not neverbe effected. She says You should ought to remember he has only got alittle stumach and not a great big resservoire. I says Well if the milkdon't agree with him why don't you give him something else? She saysYes I suppose I should ought to give him weeny worst or something.

  Allen must of heard us talking because he hollered something and I didnot hear what it was so I told him to say it over and he says Give thelittle X-eyed brat poison and we would all be better off. I says Youbetter take poison yourself because maybe a rotten pitcher like youcould get by in the league where you're going when you die. Then I saysBesides I would rather my baby was X-eyed then to have him left handed.He says It is better for him that he is X-eyed or else he might get agood look at you and then he would shoot himself. I says Is that so?and he shut up. Little Al is not no more X-eyed than you or I are Aland that was what made me sore because what right did Allen have totalk like that when he knowed he was lying?

  Well the next morning Allen nor I did not speak to each other and Iseen he was sorry for the way he had talked and I was willing to fixthings up because what is the use of staying sore at a man that don'tknow no better.

  But all of a sudden he says When are you going to pay me what you oweme? I says What do you mean? And he says You been liveing here allsummer and I been paying all the bills. I says Did not you and Marieask us to come here and stay with you and it would not cost us nothing.He says Yes but we did not mean it was a life sentence. You are gettingmore money than me and you don't never spend a nichol. All I have todo is pay the rent and buy your food and it would take a millionare orsomething to feed you.

  Then he says I would not make no holler about you grafting off of meif that brat would shut up nights and give somebody a chance to sleep.I says You should ought to get all the sleep you need on the bench.Besides, I says, who done the grafting all last winter and without noinvatation? If he had of said another word I was going to bust him butjust then Marie come in and he shut up.

  The more I thought about what he said and him a rotten left hander thatshould ought to be hussling freiht the more madder I got and if he hadof opened his head to me the last day or 2 before he went to Detroit Iguess I would of finished him. But Marie stuck pretty close to the bothof us when we was together and I guess she knowed they was something inthe air and did not want to see her husband get the worst of it thoughif he was my husband and I was a woman I would push him under a st. car.

  But Al I won't even stand for him saying that I am grafting off of himand I and Florrie will get away from here and get a flat of our own assoon as the city serious is over. I would like to bring her and the kiddown to Bedford for the winter but she wont listen to that.

  I allmost forgot Al to tell you to be sure and thank Bertha for thelittle dress she made for little Al. I don't know if it will fit him ornot because Florrie has not yet tried it on him yet and she says she isgoing to use it for a dishrag but I guess she is just kidding.

  I suppose you seen where Callahan took me out of that game down toCleveland but it was not because I was not going good Al but it wasbecause Callahan seen he was makeing a mistake wasteing me on thatbunch who allmost any pitcher could beat. They beat us that game atthat but only by one run and it was not no fault of mine because I wastooken out before they got the run that give them the game.

  Your old pal, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 4._

  FRIEND AL: Well Al the club winds up the season at Detroit to-morrowand the serious starts the day after to-morrow and I will be in theregiveing them a battle. I wish I did not have nobody but the Cubs topitch against all season and you bet I would have a record that wouldmake Johnson and Mathewson and some of them other swell heads look likea dirty doose.

  I and Florrie and Marie has been haveing a argument about how couldFlorrie go and see the city serious games when they is not nobody herethat can take care of the baby because Marie wants to go and see thegames to even though they is not no more chance of Callahan startingAllen than a rabbit or something.

  Florrie and Marie says I should ought to hire a nurse to take care oflittle Al and Florrie got pretty sore when I told her nothing doingbecause in the first place I can't afford to pay no nurse a salery andin the second place I would not trust no nurse to take care of the babybecause how do I know the nurse is not nothing but a grafter or a dopefiend maybe and should ought not to be left with the baby?

  Of coarse Florrie wants to see me pitch and a man can't blame her forthat but I won't leave my baby with no nurse Al and Florrie will haveto stay home and I will tell her what I done when I get there. I mightof gave my consent to haveing a nurse at that if it had not of beenfor the baby getting so sick last night when I was takeing care of himwhile Florrie and Marie and Allen was out to a show and if I had not ofbeen home they is no telling what would of happened. It is a cinch thatnone of them bonehead nurses would of knew what to do.

  Allen must of been out of his head because right after supper he sayshe would take the 2 girls to a show. I says All right go on and I willtake care of the baby. Then Florrie says Do you think you can takecare of him all O.K.? And I says Have not I tooken care of him beforeallready? Well, she says, I will leave him with you only don't run into him every time he cries. I says Why not? And she says Because it isgood for him to cry. I says You have not got no heart or you would nottalk that way.

  They all give me the laugh but I let them get away with it because Iam not picking no fights with girls and why should I bust this Allenwhen he don't know no better and has not got no baby himself. And I didnot want to do nothing that would stop him takeing the girls to a showbecause it is time he spent a peace of money on somebody.

  Well they all went out and I went in on the bed and played with thebaby. I wish you could of saw him Al because he is old enough now todo stunts and he smiled up at me and waved his arms and legs roundand made a noise like as if he was trying to say Pa. I did not thinkFlorrie had gave him enough covers so I rapped him up in some more andtook a blanket off of the big bed and stuck it round him so as he couldnot kick his feet out and catch cold.

  I thought once or twice he was going off to sleep but all of a suddenhe begin to cry and I seen they was some
thing wrong with him. I gavehim some hot water but that made him cry again and I thought maybehe was to cold yet so I took another blanket off of Allen's bed andwrapped that round him but he kept on crying and trying to kick insidethe blankets. And I seen then that he must have collect or something.

  So pretty soon I went to the phone and called up our regular Dr. andit took him pretty near a hour to get there and the baby balling allthe time. And when he come he says they was nothing the matter exceptthat the baby was to hot and told me to take all them blankets off ofhim and then soaked me 2 dollars. I had a nosion to bust his jaw. Wellpretty soon he beat it and then little Al begin crying again and keptgetting worse and worse so finally I got a-scared and run down to thecorner where another Dr. is at and I brung him up to see what was thematter but he said he could not see nothing the matter but he did notcharge me a cent so I thought he was not no robber like our regulardoctor even if he was just as much of a boob.

  The baby did not cry none while he was there but the minute he had wenthe started crying and balling again and I seen they was not no use offooling no longer so I looked around the house and found the medicinethe doctor left for Allen when he had a stumach acke once and I givethe baby a little of it in a spoon but I guess he did not like thetaste because he hollered like a Indian and finally I could not standit no longer so I called that second Dr. back again and this time heseen that the baby was sick and asked me what I had gave it and I toldhim some stumach medicine and he says I was a fool and should ought notto of gave the baby nothing. But while he was talking the baby stoppedcrying and went off to sleep so you see what I done for him was theright thing to do and them doctors was both off of there nut.

  This second Dr. soaked me 2 dollars the 2d time though he had not didno more than when he was there the 1st time and charged me nothing butthey is all a bunch of robbers Al and I would just as leave trust apoliceman.

  Right after the baby went to sleep Florrie and Marie and Allen comehome and I told Florrie what had came off but instead of giveing mecredit she says If you want to kill him why don't you take a ax? ThenAllen butts in and says Why don't you take a ball and throw it at him?Then I got sore and I says Well if I did hit him with a ball I wouldkill him while if you was to throw that fast ball of yours at him andhit him in the head he would think the musketoes was biteing him andbrush them off. But at that, I says, you could not hit him with a ballexcept you was aiming at something else.

  I guess they was no comeback to that so him and Marie went to thereroom. Allen should ought to know better than to try and get the best ofme by this time and I would shut up anyway if I was him after gettingsent home from Detroit with some of the rest of them when he onlyworked 3 innings up there and they had to take him out or play the restof the game by electrick lights.

  I wish you could be here for the serious Al but you would have to stayat a hotel because we have not got no spair room and it would cost youa hole lot of money. But you can watch the papers and you will see whatI done.

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 6._

  DEAR OLD PAL: Probily before you get this letter you will of saw by thepaper that we was licked in the first game and that I was tooken outbut the papers don't know what really come off so I am going to tellyou and you can see for yourself if it was my fault.

  I did not never have no more stuff in my life then when I was warmingup and I seen the Cubs looking over to our bench and shakeing thereheads like they knowed they did not have no chance. O'Day was going tostart Cheney who is there best bet and had him warming up but when heseen the smoke I had when I and Schalk was warming up he changed hismind because what was the use of useing his best pitcher when I had allthat stuff and it was a cinch that no club in the world could score arun off of me when I had all that stuff?

  So he told a couple others to warm up to and when my name was announcedto pitch Cheney went and set on the bench and this here lefthanderPierce was announced for them.

  Well Al you will see by the paper where I sent there 1st 3 batters backto the bench to get a drink of water and all 3 of them good hittersLeach and Good and this here Saier that hits a hole lot of home runsbut would not never hit one off of me if I was O.K. Well we scoreda couple in our half and the boys on the bench all says Now you gotenough to win easy because they won't never score none off of you.

  And they was right to because what chance did they have if this thingthat I am going to tell you about had not of happened? We goes alongseven innings and only 2 of there men had got to 1st base one of themon a bad peg of Weaver's and the other one I walked because this blindEvans don't know a ball from a strike. We had not did no more scoreingoff of Pierce not because he had no stuff but because our club couldnot take a ball in there hands and hit it out of the infield.

  Well Al I did not tell you that before I come out to the park I kissedlittle Al and Florrie good by and Marie says she was going to stay hometo and keep Florrie Co. and they was not no reason for Marie to come tothe game anyway because they was not a chance in the world for Allen todo nothing but hit fungos. Well while I was doing all this here swellpitching and makeing them Cubs look like a lot of rummys I was thinkingabout little Al and Florrie and how glad they would be when I comehome and told them what I done though of coarse little Al is not onlya little over 3 months of age and how could he appresiate what I done?But Florrie would.

  Well Al when I come in to the bench after there 1/2 of the 7th Ihappened to look up to the press box to see if the reporters had gaveSchulte a hit on that one Weaver throwed away and who do you think Iseen in a box right alongside of the press box? It was Florrie andMarie and both of them claping there hands and hollering with the restof the bugs.

  Well old pal I was never so supprised in my life and it just took allthe heart out of me. What was they doing there and what had they didwith the baby? How did I know that little Al was not sick or maybe deadand balling his head off and nobody round to hear him?

  I tried to catch Florrie's eyes but she would not look at me. Ihollered her name and the bugs looked at me like as if I was crazy andI was to Al. Well I seen they was not no use of standing out therein front of the stand so I come into the bench and Allen was settingthere and I says Did you know your wife and Florrie was up there in thestand? He says No and I says What are they doing here? And he says Whatwould they be doing here--mending there stockings? I felt like bustinghim and I guess he seen I was mad because he got up off of the benchand beat it down to the corner of the field where some of the otherswas getting warmed up though why should they have anybody warming upwhen I was going so good?

  Well Al I made up my mind that ball game or no ball game I was notgoing to have little Al left alone no longer and I seen they was notno use of sending word to Florrie to go home because they was a bigcrowd and it would take maybe 15 or 20 minutes for somebody to get upto where she was at. So I says to Callahan You have got to take meout. He says What is the matter? Is your arm gone? I says No my arm isnot gone but my baby is sick and home all alone. He says Where is yourwife? And I says She is setting up there in the stand.

  Then he says How do you know your baby is sick? And I says I don'tknow if he is sick or not but he is left home all alone. He says Whydon't you send your wife home? And I says I could not get word to herin time. He says Well you have only got two innings to go and the wayyour going the game will be over in 10 minutes. I says Yes and before10 minutes is up my baby might die and are you going to take me out ornot? He says Get in there and pitch you yellow dog and if you don't Iwill take your share of the serious money away from you.

  By this time our part of the inning was over and I had to go out thereand pitch some more because he would not take me out and he has not gotno heart Al. Well Al how could I pitch when I kept thinking maybe thebaby was dying right now and maybe if I was home I could do something?And instead of paying attension to what I was doing I was thinkingabout little Al and looking up there to where Florrie and Marie wassetting and before I
knowed what come off they had the bases full andCallahan took me out.

  Well Al I run to the clubhouse and changed my cloths and beat it forhome and I did not even hear what Callahan and Gleason says to me whenI went by them but I found out after the game that Scott went in andfinished up and they batted him pretty hard and we was licked 3 and 2.

  When I got home the baby was crying but he was not all alone after allAl because they was a little girl about 14 years of age there watchinghim and Florrie had hired her to take care of him so as her and Mariecould go and see the game. But just think Al of leaveing little Al witha girl 14 years of age that did not never have no babys of her own! Andwhat did she know about takeing care of him? Nothing Al.

  You should ought to of heard me ball Florrie out when she got home andI bet she cried pretty near enough to flood the basemunt. We had it hotand heavy and the Allens butted in but I soon showed them where theywas at and made them shut there mouth.

  I had a good nosion to go out and get a hole lot of drinks and wasjust going to put on my hat when the doorbell rung and there was KidGleason. I thought he would be sore and probily try to ball me out andI was not going to stand for nothing but instead of balling me out hecome and shook hands with me and interduced himself to Florrie andasked how was little Al.

  Well we all set down and Gleason says the club was depending on me towin the serious because I was in the best shape of all the pitchers.And besides the Cubs could not never hit me when I was right and he wastelling the truth to.

  So he asked me if I would stand for the club hireing a train nurse tostay with the baby the rest of the serious so as Florrie could go andsee her husband win the serious but I says No I would not stand forthat and Florrie's place was with the baby.

  So Gleason and Florrie goes out in the other room and talks a while andI guess he was persuadeing her to stay home because pretty soon theycome back in the room and says it was all fixed up and I would not haveto worry about little Al the rest of the serious but could give theclub the best I got. Gleason just left here a little while ago and Iwon't work to-morrow Al but I will work the day after and you will seewhat I can do when I don't have nothing to worry me.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 8._

  OLD PAL: Well old pal we got them 2 games to one now and the serious issure to be over in three more days because I can pitch 2 games in thattime if nessary. I shut them out to-day and they should ought not to ofhad four hits but should ought to of had only 2 but Bodie don't coverno ground and 2 fly balls that he should ought to of eat up fell safe.

  But I beat them anyway and Benz beat them yesterday but why should henot beat them when the club made 6 runs for him? All they made for mewas three but all I needed was one because they could not hit me with ashuvvel. When I come to the bench after the 5th inning they was a notethere for me from the boy that answers the phone at the ball park andit says that somebody just called up from the flat and says the babywas asleep and getting along fine. So I felt good Al and I was betterthen ever in the 6th.

  When I got home Florrie and Marie was both there and asked me how didthe game come out because I beat Allen home and I told them all aboutwhat I done and I bet Florrie was proud of me but I supose Marie is alittle jellus because how could she help it when Callahan is dependingon me to win the serious and her husband is wearing out the wood on thebench? But why should she be sore when it is me that is winning theserious for them? And if it was not for me Allen and all the rest ofthem would get about $500.00 apeace instead of the winners' share whichis about $750.00 apeace.

  Cicotte is going to work to-morrow and if he is lucky maybe he can getaway with the game and that will leave me to finish up the day afterto-morrow but if nessary I can go in to-morrow when they get to hittingCicotte and stop them and then come back the following day and beatthem again. Where would this club be at Al if I had of jumped to theFederal?

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 11._

  FRIEND AL: We done it again Al and I guess the Cubs won't never want toplay us again not so long as I am with the club. Before you get thisletter you will know what we done and who done it but probily you couldof guessed that Al without seeing no paper.

  I got 2 more of them phone messiges about the baby dureing the gameand I guess that was what made me so good because I knowed then thatFlorrie was takeing care of him but I could not help feeling sorryfor Florrie because she is a bug herself and it must of been prettyhard for her to stay away from the game espesially when she knowed Iwas going to pitch and she has been pretty good to sacrifice her ownplesure for little Al.

  Cicotte was knocked out of the box the day before yesterday and thenthey give this here Faber a good beating but I wish you could of sawwhat they done to Allen when Callahan sent him in after the game wasgone allready. Honest Al if he had not of been my brother in law Iwould of felt like laughing at him because it looked like as if theywould have to call the fire department to put the side out. They hadBodie and Collins hollering for help and with there tongue hanging outfrom running back to the fence.

  Anyway the serious is all over and I won't have nothing to do but stayhome and play with little Al but I don't know yet where my home isgoing to be at because it is a cinch I won't stay with Allen no longer.He has not came home since the game and I suppose he is out somewhereslapping up some beer and spending some of the winner's share of themoney which he would not of had no chance to get in on if it had not ofbeen for me.

  I will write and let you know my plans for the winter and I wishFlorrie would agree to come to Bedford but nothing doing Al and afterher staying home and takeing care of the baby instead of watching mepitch I can't be too hard on her but must leave her have her own wayabout something.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 13._

  AL: I am all threw with Florrie Al and I bet when you hear about it youwon't say it was not no fault of mine but no man liveing who is anykind of a man would act different from how I am acting if he had ofbeen decieved like I been.

  Al Florrie and Marie was out to all them games and was not home takeingcare of the baby at all and it is not her fault that little Al is notdead and that he was not killed by the nurse they hired to take care ofhim while they went to the games when I thought they was home takeingcare of the baby. And all them phone messiges was just fakes and maybethe baby was sick all the time I was winning them games and balling hishead off instead of being asleep like they said he was.

  Allen did not never come home at all the night before last and whenhe come in yesterday he was a sight and I says to him Where have youbeen? And he says I have been down to the Y.M.C.A. but that is not noneof your business. I says Yes you look like as if you had been to theY.M.C.A. and I know where you have been and you have been out lushingbeer. And he says Suppose I have and what are you going to do about it?And I says Nothing but you should ought to be ashamed of yourself andleaveing Marie here while you was out lapping up beer.

  Then he says Did you not leave Florrie home while you was getting awaywith them games, you lucky stiff? And I says Yes but Florrie had tostay home and take care of the baby but Marie don't never have to stayhome because where is your baby? You have not got no baby. He says Iwould not want no X-eyed baby like yourn. Then he says So you thinkFlorrie stayed to home and took care of the baby do you? And I saysWhat do you mean? And he says You better ask her.

  So when Florrie come in and heard us talking she busted out crying andthen I found out what they put over on me. It is a wonder Al that Idid not take some of that cheap furniture them Allens got and bust itover there heads, Allen and Florrie. This is what they done Al. Theclub give Florrie $50.00 to stay home and take care of the baby and shesaid she would and she was to call up every so often and tell me thebaby was all O.K. But this here Marie told her she was a sucker so shehired a nurse for part of the $50.00 and then her and Marie went to thegames and beat it out quick after the games
was over and come home in ataxicab and chased the nurse out before I got home.

  Well Al when I found out what they done I grabbed my hat and goes outand got some drinks and I was so mad I did not know where I was at orwhat come off and I did not get home till this A.M. And they was allasleep and I been asleep all day and when I woke up Marie and Allen wasout but Florrie and I have not spoke to each other and I won't neverspeak to her again.

  But I know now what I am going to do Al and I am going to take littleAl and beat it out of here and she can sew me for a bill of divorce andI should not worry because I will have little Al and I will see that heis tooken care of because I guess I can hire a nurse as well as theycan and I will pick out a train nurse that knows something. Maybe Iand him and the nurse will come to Bedford Al but I don't know yet andI will write and tell you as soon as I make up my mind. Did you everhear of a man getting a rottener deal Al? And after what I done in theserious too.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 17._

  OLD PAL: I and Florrie has made it up Al but we are threw with Marieand Allen and I and Florrie and the baby is staying at a hotel here onCottage Grove Avenue the same hotel we was at when we got married onlyof coarse they was only the 2 of us then.

  And now Al I want to ask you a favor and that is for you to go and seeold man Cutting and tell him I want to ree-new the lease on that housefor another year because I and Florrie has decided to spend the winterin Bedford and she will want to stay there and take care of little Alwhile I am away on trips next summer and not stay in no high-price flatup here. And may be you and Bertha can help her round the house when Iam not there.

  I will tell you how we come to fix things up Al and you will see that Imade her apollojize to me and after this she will do what I tell herto and won't never try to put nothing over. We was eating breakfast--Iand Florrie and Marie. Allen was still asleep yet because I guess hemust of had a bad night and he was snoreing so as you could hear himin the next st. I was not saying nothing to nobody but pretty soonFlorrie says to Marie I don't think you and Allen should ought to kickon the baby crying when Allen's snoreing makes more noise than a holewagonlode of babys. And Marie got sore and says I guess a man has got aright to snore in his own house and you and Jack has been grafting offof us long enough.

  Then Florrie says What did Allen do to help win the serious and getthat $750.00? Nothing but set on the bench except when they was makeinghim look like a sucker the 1 inning he pitched. The trouble with youand Allen is you are jellous of what Jack has did and you know he willbe a star up here in the big league when Allen is tending bar which iswhat he should ought to be doing because then he could get stewed fornothing.

  Marie says Take your brat and get out of the house. And Florrie saysDon't you worry because we would not stay here no longer if you hiredus. So Florrie went in her room and I followed her in and she saysLet's pack up and get out.

  Then I says Yes but we won't go nowheres together after what you doneto me but you can go where you dam please and I and little Al will goto Bedford. Then she says You can't take the baby because he is mineand if you was to take him I would have you arrested for kidnaping.Besides, she says, what would you feed him and who would take care ofhim?

  I says I would find somebody to take care of him and I would get himfood from a resturunt. She says He can't eat nothing but milk and Isays Well he has the collect all the time when he is eating milk and hewould not be no worse off if he was eating watermelon. Well, she says,if you take him I will have you arrested and sew you for a bill ofdivorce for dessertion.

  Then she says Jack you should not ought to find no fault with me forgoing to them games because when a woman has a husband that can pitchlike you can do you think she wants to stay home and not see herhusband pitch when a lot of other women is cheering him and makeing herfeel proud because she is his wife?

  Well Al as I said right along it was pretty hard on Florrie to have tostay home and I could not hardly blame her for wanting to be out therewhere she could see what I done so what was the use of argueing?

  So I told her I would think it over and then I went out and I went andseen a attorney at law and asked him could I take little Al away and hesays No I did not have no right to take him away from his mother andbesides it would probily kill him to be tooken away from her and thenhe soaked me $10.00 the robber.

  Then I went back and told Florrie I would give her another chance andthen her and I packed up and took little Al in a taxicab over to thishotel. We are threw with the Allens Al and let me know right away ifI can get that lease for another year because Florrie has gave up andwill go to Bedford or anywheres else with me now.

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _Chicago, Illinois, October 20._

  FRIEND AL: Old pal I won't never forget your kindnus and this is totell you that I and Florrie except your kind invatation to come andstay with you till we can find a house and I guess you won't regret itnone because Florrie will livun things up for Bertha and Bertha will becrazy about the baby because you should ought to see how cute he is nowAl and not yet four months old. But I bet he will be talking before weknow it.

  We are comeing on the train that leaves here at noon Saturday Al andthe train leaves here about 12 o'clock and I don't know what time itgets to Bedford but it leaves here at noon so we shall be there probilyin time for supper.

  I wish you would ask Ben Smith will he have a hack down to the deepo tomeet us but I won't pay no more than $.25 and I should think he shouldought to be glad to take us from the deepo to your house for nothing.

  Your pal, JACK.

  P.S. The train we are comeing on leaves here at noon Al and willprobily get us there in time for a late supper and I wonder if Berthawould have spair ribs and crout for supper. You know me Al.

  CHAPTER VI

  THE BUSHER BEATS IT HENCE

  _Chicago, Ill., Oct. 18._

  FRIEND AL: I guess may be you will begin to think I dont never do whatI am going to do and that I change my mind a hole lot because I wroteand told you that I and Florrie and little Al would be in Bedfordto-day and here we are in Chi yet on the day when I told you we wouldget to Bedford and I bet Bertha and you and the rest of the boys willbe dissapointed but Al I dont feel like as if I should ought to leavethe White Sox in a hole and that is why I am here yet and I will tellyou how it come off but in the 1st place I want to tell you that itwont make a diffrence of more then 5 or 6 or may be 7 days at leastand we will be down there and see you and Bertha and the rest of theboys just as soon as the N.Y. giants and the White Sox leaves here andstarts a round the world. All so I remember I told you to fix it up soas a hack would be down to the deepo to meet us to-night and you wontget this letter in time to tell them not to send no hack so I suposethe hack will be there but may be they will be some body else that getsoff of the train that will want the hack and then every thing will beall O.K. but if they is not nobody else that wants the hack I will paythem 1/2 of what they was going to charge me if I had of came and roadin the hack though I dont have to pay them nothing because I am notgoing to ride in the hack but I want to do the right thing and besidesI will want a hack at the deepo when I do come so they will get a peaceof money out of me any way so I dont see where they got no kick comeingeven if I dont give them a nichol now.

  I will tell you why I am still here and you will see where I am tryingto do the right thing. You knowed of coarse that the White Sox andthe N. Y. giants was going to make a trip a round the world and theybeen after me for a long time to go a long with them but I says No Iwould not leave Florrie and the kid because that would not be fare andbesides I would be paying rent and grocerys for them some wheres and menot getting nothing out of it and besides I would probily be spendinga hole lot of money on the trip because though the clubs pays all ofour regular expences they would be a hole lot of times when I feltlike blowing my self and buying some thing to send home to the Mrs andto good old friends of mine like you and Bertha so I turned t
hem downand Callahan acted like he was sore at me but I dont care nothing forthat because I got other people to think a bout and not Callahan andbesides if I was to go a long the fans in the towns where we play atwould want to see me work and I would have to do a hole lot of pitchingwhich I would not be getting nothing for it and it would not count inno standing because the games is to be just for fun and what good wouldit do me and besides Florrie says I was not under no circumstance togo and of coarse I would go if I wanted to go no matter what ever shesays but all and all I turned them down and says I would stay here allwinter or rather I would not stay here but in Bedford. Then Callahansays All right but you know before we start on the trip the giants andus is going to play a game right here in Chi next Sunday and after whatyou done in the city serious the fans would be sore if they did notget no more chance to look at you so will you stay and pitch part ofthe game here and I says I would think it over and I come home to thehotel where we are staying at and asked Florrie did she care if we didnot go to Bedford for an other week and she says No she did not careif we dont go for 6 years so I called Callahan up and says I would stayand he says Thats the boy and now the fans will have an other treat soyou see Al he appresiates what I done and wants to give the fans faretreatment because this town is nuts over me after what I done to themCubs but I could do it just the same to the Athaletics or any body elseif it would of been them in stead of the Cubs. May be we will leavehere the A.M. after the game that is Monday and I will let you know soas you can order an other hack and tell Bertha I hope she did not go tono extra trouble a bout getting ready for us and did not order no spairribs and crout but you can eat them up if she all ready got them andmay be she can order some more for us when we come but tell her it dontmake no diffrence and not to go to no trouble because most anything shehas is O.K. for I and Florrie accept of coarse we would not want tomake no meal off of sardeens or something.

  Well Al I bet them N.Y. giants will wish I would of went home beforethey come for this here exibishun game because my arm feels grate andI will show them where they would be at if they had to play ball inour league all the time though I supose they is some pitchers in ourleague that they would hit good against them if they can hit at allbut not me. You will see in the papers how I come out and I will writeand tell you a bout it.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Chicago, Ill., Oct. 25._

  OLD PAL: I have not only got a little time but I have got some news foryou and I knowed you would want to hear all a bout it so I am writeingthis letter and then I am going to catch the train. I would be sayinggood by to little Al instead of writeing this letter only Florrie wontlet me wake him up and he is a sleep but may be by the time I get thisletter wrote he will be a wake again and I can say good by to him. Iam going with the White Sox and giants as far as San Francisco or maybe Van Coover where they take the boat at but I am not going a roundthe world with them but only just out to the coast to help them outbecause they is a couple of men going to join them out there and untillthem men join them they will be short of men and they got a hole lot ofexibishun games to play before they get out there so I am going to helpthem out. It all come off in the club house after the game to-day andI will tell you how it come off but 1st I want to tell you a bout thegame and honest Al them giants is the luckyest team in the world andit is not no wonder they keep wining the penant in that league becausea club that has got there luck could win ball games with out sending noteam on the field at all but staying down to the hotel.

  They was a big crowd out to the park so Callahan says to me I did notknow if I was going to pitch you or not but the crowd is out here tosee you so I will have to let you work so I warmed up but I knowedthe minute I throwed the 1st ball warming up that I was not right andI says to Callahan I did not feel good but he says You wont need tofeel good to beat this bunch because they heard a hole lot a bout youand you would have them beat if you just throwed your glove out therein the box. So I went in and tried to pitch but my arm was so lame itpretty near killed me every ball I throwed and I bet if I was someother pitchers they would not never of tried to work with my arm sosore but I am not like some of them yellow dogs and quit because Iwould not dissapoint the crowd or throw Callahan down when he wanted meto pitch and was depending on me. You know me Al. So I went in therebut I did not have nothing and if them giants could of hit at allin stead of like a lot of girls they would of knock down the fencebecause I was not my self. At that they should not ought to of hadonly the 1 run off of me if Weaver and them had not of begin kickingthe ball a round like it was a foot ball or something. Well Al whatwith dropping fly balls and booting them a round and this in that thegiants was gave 5 runs in the 1st 3 innings and they should ought toof had just the 1 run or may be not that and that ball Merkle hit into the seats I was trying to waist it and a man that is a good hitterwould not never of hit at it and if I was right this here Merkle couldnot foul me in 9 years. When I was comeing into the bench after the3th inning this here smart alex Mcgraw come passed me from the 3 basecoaching line and he says Are you going on the trip and I says No Iam not going on no trip and he says That is to bad because if you wasgoing we would win a hole lot of games and I give him a hot come backand he did not say nothing so I went in to the bench and Callahan saysThem giants is not such rotten hitters is they and I says No they hitpretty good when a man has got a sore arm against them and he saysWhy did not you tell me your arm was sore and I says I did not wantto dissapoint no crowd that come out here to see me and he says WellI guess you need not pitch no more because if I left you in therethe crowd might begin to get tired of watching you a bout 10 oclockto-night and I says What do you mean and he did not say nothing moreso I set there a while and then went to the club house. Well Al afterthe game Callahan come in to the club house and I was still in thereyet talking to the trainer and getting my arm rubbed and Callahan saysAre you getting your arm in shape for next year and I says No but itgive me so much pane I could not stand it and he says I bet if you wasfeeling good you could make them giants look like a sucker and I saysYou know I could make them look like a sucker and he says Well why dontyou come a long with us and you will get an other chance at them whenyou feel good and I says I would like to get an other crack at them butI could not go a way on no trip and leave the Mrs and the baby and thenhe says he would not ask me to make the hole trip a round the world buthe wisht I would go out to the coast with them because they was hardup for pitchers and he says Mathewson of the giants was not only goingas far as the coast so if the giants had there star pitcher that farthe White Sox should ought to have theren and then some of the otherboys coaxed me would I go so finely I says I would think it over and Iwent home and seen Florrie and she says How long would it be for andI says a bout 3 or 4 weeks and she says If you dont go will we startfor Bedford right a way and I says Yes and then she says All right go ahead and go but if they was any thing should happen to the baby while Iwas gone what would they do if I was not a round to tell them what todo and I says Call a Dr. in but dont call no Dr. if you dont have toand besides you should ought to know by this time what to do for thebaby when he got sick and she says Of coarse I know a little but notas much as you do because you know it all. Then I says No I dont knowit all but I will tell you some things before I go and you should notought to have no trouble so we fixed it up and her and little Al isto stay here in the hotel untill I come back which will be a bout the20 of Nov. and then we will come down home and tell Bertha not to getto in patient and we will get there some time. It is going to cost me$6.00 a week at the hotel for a room for she and the baby besides theremeals but the babys meals dont cost nothing yet and Florrie should notought to be very hungry because we been liveing good and besides shewill get all she can eat when we come to Bedford and it wont cost menothing for meals on the trip out to the coast because Comiskey andMcgraw pays for that.

  I have not even had no time to look up where we play at but we stopoff at a hole lot of places on the way and I will get a chance to makethem giants loo
k like a sucker before I get threw and Mcgraw wont be sosorry I am not going to make the hole trip. You will see by the paperswhat I done to them before we get threw and I will write as soon as westop some wheres long enough so as I can write and now I am going tosay good by to little Al if he is a wake or not a wake and wake him upand say good by to him because even if he is not only 5 months old heis old enough to think a hole lot of me and why not. I all so got tosay good by to Florrie and fix it up with the hotel clerk a bout sheand the baby staying here a while and catch the train. You will hearfrom me soon old pal.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _St. Joe, Miss., Oct. 29._

  FRIEND AL: Well Al we are on our way to the coast and they is quite aparty of us though it is not no real White Sox and giants at all butsome players from off of both clubs and then some others that is fromother clubs a round the 2 leagues to fill up. We got Speaker from theBoston club and Crawford from the Detroit club and if we had them withus all the time Al I would not never loose a game because one or theother of them 2 is good for a couple of runs every game and that is allI need to win my games is a couple of runs or only 1 run and I wouldwin all my games and would not never loose a game.

  I did not pitch to-day and I guess the giants was glad of it becauseno matter what Mcgraw says he must of saw from watching me Sunday thatI was a real pitcher though my arm was so sore I could not hardly razeit over my sholder so no wonder I did not have no stuff but at that Icould of beat his gang with out no stuff if I had of had some kind ofdecent suport. I will pitch against them may be to-morrow or may besome day soon and my arm is all O.K. again now so I will show them upand make them wish Callahan had of left me to home. Some of the men hasbrung there wife a long and besides that there is some other men andthere wife that is not no ball players but are going a long for thetrip and some more will join the party out the coast before they get abord the boat but of coarse I and Mathewson will drop out of the partythen because why should I or him go a round the world and throw ourarms out pitching games that dont count in no standing and that we dontget no money for pitching them out side of just our bare expences. Thepeople in the towns we played at so far has all wanted to shake handswith Mathewson and I so I guess they know who is the real pitchers onthese here 2 clubs no matter what them reporters says and the starsis all ways the men that the people wants to shake there hands withand make friends with them but Al this here Mathewson pitched to-dayand honest Al I dont see how he gets by and either the batters in theNational league dont know nothing a bout hitting or else he is sucha old man that they feel sorry for him and may be when he was a bout10 years younger then he is may be then he had some thing and was apretty fare pitcher but all as he does now is stick the 1st ball rightover with 0 on it and pray that they dont hit it out of the park. If apitcher like he can get by in the National league and fool them battersthey is not nothing I would like better then to pitch in the Nationalleague and I bet I would not get scored on in 2 to 3 years. I heard ahole lot a bout this here fade a way that he is suposed to pitch and itis a ball that is throwed out between 2 fingers and falls in at a righthand batter and they is not no body cant hit it but if he throwed 1of them things to-day he done it while I was a sleep and they was notno time when I was not wide a wake and looking right at him and afterthe game was over I says to him Where is that there fade a way I heardso much a bout and he says O I did not have to use none of my regularstuff against your club and I says Well you would have to use all yougot if I was working against you and he says Yes if you worked like youdone Sunday I would have to do some pitching or they would not neverfinish the game. Then I says a bout me haveing a sore arm Sunday andhe says I wisht I had a sore arm like yourn and a little sence with itand was your age and I would not never loose a game so you see Al hehas heard a bout me and is jellus because he has not got my stuff butthey cant every body expect to have the stuff that I got or 1/2 as muchstuff. This smart alex Mcgraw was trying to kid me to-day and says Whydid not I make friends with Mathewson and let him learn me some thinga bout pitching and I says Mathewson could not learn me nothing and hesays I guess thats right and I guess they is not nobody could learn younothing a bout nothing and if you was to stay in the league 20 yearsprobily you would not be no better then you are now so you see he hadto add mit that I am good Al even if he has not saw me work when my armwas O.K.

  Mcgraw says to me to-night he says I wisht you was going all the wayand I says Yes you do. I says Your club would look like a sucker afterI had worked against them a few times and he says May be thats right tobecause they would not know how to hit against a regular pitcher afterthat. Then he says But I dont care nothing a bout that but I wisht youwas going to make the hole trip so as we could have a good time. Hesays We got Steve Evans and Dutch Schaefer going a long and they isboth of them funny but I like to be a round with boys that is funny anddont know nothing a bout it. I says Well I would go a long only for mywife and baby and he says Yes it would be pretty tough on your wife tohave you a way that long but still and all think how glad she would beto see you when you come back again and besides them dolls acrost theocean will be pretty sore at I and Callahan if we tell them we left youto home. I says Do you supose the people over there has heard a boutme and he says Sure because they have wrote a lot of letters asking meto be sure and bring you and Mathewson a long. Then he says I guessMathewson is not going so if you was to go and him left here to homethey would not be nothing to it. You could have things all your own wayand probily could marry the Queen of europe if you was not all readymarried. He was giveing me the strate dope this time Al because he didnot crack a smile and I wisht I could go a long but it would not befare to Florrie but still and all did not she leave me and beat it forTexas last winter and why should not I do the same thing to her only Iam not that kind of a man. You know me Al.

  We play in Kansas city to-morrow and may be I will work there becauseit is a big town and I have got to close now and write to Florrie.

  Your old pal, JACK.

  _Abilene, Texas, Nov. 4._

  AL: Well Al I guess you know by this time that I have worked againstthem 2 times since I wrote to you last time and I beat them both timesand Mcgraw knows now what kind of a pitcher I am and I will tell youhow I know because after the game yesterday he road down to the placewe dressed at a long with me and all the way in the automobile he wasafter me to say I would go all the way a round the world and finely itcome out that he wants I should go a long and pitch for his club andnot pitch for the White Sox. He says his club is up against it forpitchers because Mathewson is not going and all they got left is a mannamed Hern that is a young man and not got no experiense and Wiltsethat is a left hander. So he says I have talked it over with Callahanand he says if I could get you to go a long it was all O.K. with himand you could pitch for us only I must not work you to hard because heis depending on you to win the penant for him next year. I says Did notnone of the other White Sox make no holler because may be they mighthave to bat against me and he says Yes Crawford and Speaker says theywould not make the trip if you was a long and pitching against them butCallahan showed them where it would be good for them next year becauseif they hit against you all winter the pitchers they hit against nextyear will look easy to them. He was crazy to have me go a long on thehole trip but of coarse Al they is not no chance of me going on acct.of Florrie and little Al but you see Mcgraw has cut out his trying tokid me and is treating me now like a man should ought to be treatedthat has did what I done.

  They was not no game here to-day on acct. of it raining and the peoplehere was sore because they did not see no game but they all come around to look at us and says they must have some speechs from the mostprommerent men in the party so I and Comiskey and Mcgraw and Callahanand Mathewson and Ted Sullivan that I guess is putting up the moneyfor the trip made speechs and they clapped there hands harder when Iwas makeing my speech then when any 1 of the others was makeing therespeech. You did not know I was a speech maker did you Al and I did notknow it
neither untill to-day but I guess they is not nothing I can doif I make up my mind and 1 of the boys says that I done just as well asDummy Taylor could of.

  I have not heard nothing from Florrie but I guess may be she is to busytakeing care of little Al to write no letters and I am not worring nonebecause she give me her word she would let me know was they some thingthe matter.

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _San Dago, Cal., Nov. 9._

  FRIEND AL: Al some times I wisht I was not married at all and if itwas not for Florrie and little Al I would go a round the world on thishere trip and I guess the boys in Bedford would not be jellus if I wasto go a round the world and see every thing they is to be saw and someof the boys down home has not never been no futher a way then TerreHaute and I dont mean you Al but some of the other boys. But of coarseAl when a man has got a wife and a baby they is not no chance for himto go a way on 1 of these here trips and leave them a lone so they isnot no use I should even think a bout it but I cant help thinking about it because the boys keeps after me all the time to go. Callahanwas talking a bout it to me to-day and he says he knowed that if I wasto pitch for the giants on the trip his club would not have no chanceof wining the most of the games on the trip but still and all he wishtI would go a long because he was a scared the people over in Rome andParis and Africa and them other countrys would be awful sore if the 2clubs come over there with out bringing none of there star pitchersalong. He says We got Speaker and Crawford and Doyle and Thorp and someof them other real stars in all the positions accept pitcher and itwill make us look bad if you and Mathewson dont neither 1 of you come along. I says What is the matter with Scott and Benz and this here lefthander Wiltse and he says They is not nothing the matter with none ofthem accept they is not no real stars like you and Mathewson and if wecant show them forreners 1 of you 2 we will feel like as if we wascheating them. I says You would not want me to pitch my best againstyour club would you and he says O no I would not want you to pitchyour best or get your self all wore out for next year but I would wantyou to let up enough so as we could make a run oncet in a while so thegames would not be to 1 sided. I says Well they is not no use talkinga bout it because I could not leave my wife and baby and he says Whydont you write and ask your wife and tell her how it is and can you go.I says No because she would make a big holler and besides of coarse Iwould go any way if I wanted to go with out no I yes or no from heronly I am not the kind of a man that runs off and leaves his family andbesides they is not nobody to leave her with because her and her sisterAllens wife has had a quarrle. Then Callahan says Where is Allen at nowis he still in Chi. I says I dont know where is he at and I dont carewhere he is at because I am threw with him. Then Callahan says I askedhim would he go on the trip before the season was over but he says hecould not and if I knowed where was he I would wire a telegram to himand ask him again. I says What would you want him a long for and hesays Because Mcgraw is shy of pitchers and I says I would try and helphim find 1. I says Well you should ought not to have no trouble findinga man like Allen to go along because his wife probily would be glad toget rid of him. Then Callahan says Well I wisht you would get a holdof where Allen is at and let me know so as I can wire him a telegram.Well Al I know where Allen is at all O.K. but I am not going to givehis adress to Callahan because Mcgraw has treated me all O.K. and whyshould I wish a man like Allen on to him and besides I am not going togive Allen no chance to go a round the world or no wheres else afterthe way he acted a bout I and Florrie haveing a room in his flat andasking me to pay for it when he give me a invatation to come there andstay. Well Al it is to late now to cry in the sour milk but I wisht Ihad not never saw Florrie untill next year and then I and her couldget married just like we done last year only I dont know would I do itagain or not but I guess I would on acct. of little Al.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 14._

  OLD PAL: Well old pal what do you know a bout me being back here in SanFrancisco where I give the fans such a treat 2 years ago and then Iwas not nothing but a busher and now I am with a team that is going around the world and are crazy to have me go a long only I cant becauseof my wife and baby. Callahan wired a telegram to the reporters herefrom Los Angeles telling them I would pitch here and I guess they isgoing to be 20 or 25000 out to the park and I will give them the best Igot.

  But what do you think Florrie has did Al. Her and the Allens has madeit up there quarrle and is friends again and Marie told Florrie towrite and tell me she was sorry we had that there argument and letby gones be by gones. Well Al it is all O.K. with me because I canthelp not feeling sorry for Allen because I dont beleive he will be inthe league next year and I feel sorry for Marie to because it must bepretty tough on her to see how well her sister done and what a misstakeshe made when she went and fell for a left hander that could not foola blind man with his curve ball and if he was to hit a man in the headwith his fast ball they would think there nose iched. In Florriesletter she says she thinks us and the Allens could find an other flatlike the 1 we had last winter and all live in it to gether in steadof going to Bedford but I have wrote to her before I started writeingthis letter all ready and told her that her and I is going to Bedfordand the Allens can go where they feel like and they can go and stay ona boat on Michigan lake all winter if they want to but I and Florrieis comeing to Bedford. Down to the bottom of her letter she says Allenwants to know if Callahan or Mcgraw is shy of pitchers and may be hewould change his mind and go a long on the trip. Well Al I did not askeither Callahan nor Mcgraw nothing a bout it because I knowed they waslooking for a star and not for no left hander that could not brake apane of glass with his fast 1 so I wrote and told Florrie to tell Allenthey was all filled up and would not have no room for no more men.

  It is pretty near time to go out to the ball park and I wisht you couldbe here Al and hear them San Francisco fans go crazy when they hear myname anounced to pitch. I bet they wish they had of had me here thislast year.

  Yours truly, JACK.

  _Medford, Organ, Nov. 16._

  FRIEND AL: Well Al you know by this time that I did not pitch the holegame in San Francisco but I was not tooken out because they was hittingme Al but because my arm went back on me all of a sudden and it wasthe change in the clime it that done it to me and they could not hireme to try and pitch another game in San Francisco. They was the biggestcrowd there that I ever seen in San Francisco and I guess they must ofbeen 40000 people there and I wisht you could of heard them yell whenmy name was anounced to pitch. But Al I would not never of went inthere but for the crowd. My arm felt like a wet rag or some thing andI knowed I would not have nothing and besides the people was packedin a round the field and they had to have ground rules so when a manhit a pop fly it went in to the crowd some wheres and was a 2 baggerand all them giants could do against me was pop my fast ball up inthe air and then the wind took a hold of it and dropped it in to thecrowd the lucky stiffs. Doyle hit 3 of them pop ups in to the crowdso when you see them 3 2 base hits oposit his name in the score youwill know they was not no real 2 base hits and the infielders would ofcatched them had it not of been for the wind. This here Doyle takes aawful wallop at a ball but if I was right and he swang at a ball theway he done in San Francisco the catcher would all ready be throwingme back the ball a bout the time this here Doyle was swinging at it. Ican make him look like a sucker and I done it both in Kansas city andBonham and if he will get up there and bat against me when I feel goodand when they is not no wind blowing I will bet him a $25.00 suit ofcloths that he cant foul 1 off of me. Well when Callahan seen how badmy arm was he says I guess I should ought to take you out and not runno chance of you getting killed in there and so I quit and Faber wentin to finnish it up because it dont make no diffrence if he hurts hisarm or dont. But I guess Mcgraw knowed my arm was sore to because hedid not try and kid me like he done that day in Chi because he has sawenough of me since then to know I can make his club look rotten whenI am O.K. and my arm is good. On t
he train that night he come up andsays to me Well Jack we catched you off your strid to-day or you wouldof gave us a beating and then he says What your arm needs is more workand you should ought to make the hole trip with us and then you wouldbe in fine shape for next year but I says You cant get me to make notrip so you might is well not do no more talking a bout it and then hesays Well I am sorry and the girls over to Paris will be sorry to but Iguess he was just jokeing a bout the last part of it.

  Well Al we go to 1 more town in Organ and then to Washington but ofcoarse it is not the same Washington we play at in the summer but thisis the state Washington and have not got no big league club and theboys gets there boat in 4 more days and I will quit them and then Iwill come strate back to Chi and from there to Bedford.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Portland, Organ, Nov. 17._

  FRIEND AL: I have just wrote a long letter to Florrie but I feel likeas if I should ought to write to you because I wont have no more chancefor a long while that is I wont have no more chance to male a letterbecause I will be on the pacific Ocean and un less we should run passeda boat that was comeing the other way they would not be no chance ofgetting no letter maled. Old pal I am going to make the hole trip cleara round the world and back and so I wont see you this winter after allbut when I do see you Al I will have a lot to tell you a bout my tripand besides I will write you a letter a bout it from every place wehead in at.

  I guess you will be surprised a bout me changeing my mind and makeingthe hole trip but they was not no way for me to get out of it and Iwill tell you how it all come off. While we was still in that thereMedford yesterday Mcgraw and Callahan come up to me and says was theynot no chance of me changeing my mind a bout makeing the hole trip.I says No they was not. Then Callahan says Well I dont know what weare going to do then and I says Why and he says Comiskey just got aletter from president Wilson the President of the united states and inthe letter president Wilson says he had got an other letter from theking of Japan who says that they would not stand for the White Sox andgiants comeing to Japan un less they brought all there stars a longand president Wilson says they would have to take there stars a longbecause he was a scared if they did not take there stars a long Japanwould get mad at the united states and start a war and then wherewould we be at. So Comiskey wired a telegram to president Wilson andsays Mathewson could not make the trip because he was so old but wouldeverything be all O.K. if I was to go a long and president Wilson wireda telegram back and says Yes he had been talking to the priest fromJapan and he says Yes it would be all O.K. I asked them would they showme the letter from president Wilson because I thought may be they mightbe kiding me and they says they could not show me no letter becausewhen Comiskey got the letter he got so mad that he tore it up. WellAl I finely says I did not want to brake up there trip but I knowedFlorrie would not stand for letting me go so Callahan says All right Iwill wire a telegram to a friend of mine in Chi and have him get a holdof Allen and send him out here and we will take him a long and I saysIt is to late for Allen to get here in time and Mcgraw says No they wasa train that only took 2 days from Chi to where ever it was the boat isgoing to sale from because the train come a round threw canada and itwas down hill all the way. Then I says Well if you will wire a telegramto my wife and fix things up with her I will go a long with you but ifshe is going to make a holler it is all off. So we all 3 went to thetelegram office to gether and we wired Florrie a telegram that must ofcost $2.00 but Callahan and Mcgraw payed for it out of there own pocketand then we waited a round a long time and the anser come back and theanser was longer than the telegram we wired and it says it would notmake no diffrence to her but she did not know if the baby would make aholler but he was hollering most of the time any way so that would notmake no diffrence but if she let me go it was on condishon that herand the Allens could get a flat to gether and stay in Chi all winterand not go to no Bedford and hire a nurse to take care of the baby andif I would send her a check for the money I had in the bank so as shecould put it in her name and draw it out when she need it. Well I saysat 1st I would not stand for nothing like that but Callahan and Mcgrawshowed me where I was makeing a mistake not going when I could see allthem diffrent countrys and tell Florrie all a bout the trip when I comeback and then in a year or 2 when the baby was a little older I couldmake an other trip and take little Al and Florrie a long so I finelysays O.K. I would go and we wires still an other telegram to Florrieand told her O.K. and then I set down and wrote her a check for 1/2 themoney I got in the bank and I got $500.00 all together there so I wrotethe check for 1/2 of that or $250.00 and maled it to her and if shecant get a long on that she would be a awfull spendrift because I amnot only going to be a way untill March. You should ought to of heardthe boys cheer when Callahan tells them I am going to make the holetrip but when he tells them I am going to pitch for the giants and notfor the White Sox I bet Crawford and Speaker and them wisht I was goingto stay to home but it is just like Callahan says if they bat againstme all winter the pitchers they bat against next season will look easyto them and you wont be supprised Al if Crawford and Speaker hits about 500 next year and if they hit good you will know why it is. SteveEvans asked me was I all fixed up with cloths and I says No but I wasgoing out and buy some cloths includeing a full dress suit of eveningcloths and he says You dont need no full dress suit of evening clothsbecause you look funny enough with out them. This Evans is a greatkidder Al and no body never gets sore at the stuff he pulls some thinglike Kid Gleason. I wisht Kid Gleason was going on the trip Al but Iwill tell him all a bout it when I come back.

  Well Al old pal I wisht you was going a long to and I bet we could havethe time of our life but I will write to you right a long Al and I willsend Bertha some post cards from the diffrent places we head in at.I will try and write you a letter on the boat and male it as soon aswe get to the 1st station which is either Japan or Yokohama I forgotwhich. Good by Al and say good by to Bertha for me and tell her howsorry I and Florrie is that we cant come to Bedford this winter but wewill spend all the rest of the winters there and her and Florrie willhave a plenty of time to get acquainted. Good by old pal.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Seattle, Wash., Nov. 18._

  AL: Well Al it is all off and I am not going on no trip a round theworld and back and I been looking for Callahan or Mcgraw for the last1/2 hour to tell them I have changed my mind and am not going to makeno trip because it would not be fare to Florrie and besides that Ithink I should ought to stay home and take care of little Al and notleave him to be tooken care of by no train nurse because how do I knowwhat would she do to him and I am not going to tell Florrie nothing about it but I am going to take the train to-morrow night right back toChi and supprise her when I get there and I bet both her and little Alwill be tickled to death to see me. I supose Mcgraw and Callahan willbe sore at me for a while but when I tell them I want to do the rightthing and not give my famly no raw deal I guess they will see where Iam right.

  We was to play 2 games here and was to play 1 of them in Tacoma andthe other here but it rained and so we did not play neither 1 and thepeople was pretty mad a bout it because I was announced to pitch andthey figured probily this would be there only chance to see me in axionand they made a awful holler but Comiskey says No they would not beno game because the field neither here or in Tacoma was in no shapefor a game and he would not take no chance of me pitching and may beslipping in the mud and straneing myself and then where would the WhiteSox be at next season. So we been laying a round all the P.M. and I andDutch Schaefer had a long talk to gether while some of the rest of theboys was out buying some cloths to take on the trip and Al I bought afull dress suit of evening cloths at Portland yesterday and now I oweCallahan the money for them and am not going on no trip so probily Iwont never get to ware them and it is just $45.00 throwed a way but Iwould rather throw $45.00 a way then go on a trip a round the world andleave my famly all winter.

  Well Al I and Schaefer was talking to gether a
nd he says Well may bethis is the last time we will ever see the good old US and I says Whatdo you mean and he says People that gos acrost the pacific Ocean mostgenerally all ways has there ship recked and then they is not no morenever heard from them. Then he asked me was I a good swimmer and Isays Yes I had swam a good deal in the river and he says Yes you haveswam in the river but that is not nothing like swimming in the pacificOcean because when you swim in the pacific Ocean you cant move yourfeet because if you move your feet the sharks comes up to the top ofthe water and bites at them and even if they did not bite your feetclean off there bite is poison and gives you the hiderofobeya and whenyou get that you start barking like a dog and the water runs in to yourmouth and chokes you to death. Then he says Of coarse if you can swimwith out useing your feet you are all O.K. but they is very few cando that and especially in the pacific Ocean because they got to keepuseing there hands all the time to scare the sord fish a way so whenyou dont dare use your feet and your hands is busy you got nothing leftto swim with but your stumach mussles. Then he says You should oughtto get a long all O.K. because your stumach mussles should ought tobe strong from the exercise they get so I guess they is not no dangerfrom a man like you but men like Wiltse and Mike Donlin that is not hogfat like you has not got no chance. Then he says Of coarse they havebeen times when the boats got acrost all O.K. and only a few lives lostbut it dont offten happen and the time the old Minneapolis club madethe trip the boat went down and the only thing that was saved was thecatchers protector that was full of air and could not do nothing elsebut flote. Then he says May be you would flote to if you did not saynothing for a few days.

  I asked him how far would a man got to swim if some thing went wrongwith the boat and he says O not far because they is a hole lot ofilands a long the way that a man could swim to but it would not do aman no good to swim to these here ilands because they dont have nothingto eat on them and a man would probily starve to death un less hehappened to swim to the sandwich ilands. Then he says But by the timeyou been out on the pacific Ocean a few months you wont care if you getany thing to eat or not. I says Why not and he says the pacific Oceanis so ruff that not nothing can set still not even the stuff you eat.I asked him how long did it take to make the trip acrost if they wasnot no ship reck and he says they should ought to get acrost a long infebuery if the weather was good. I says Well if we dont get there untilfebuery we wont have no time to train for next season and he says Youwont need to do no training because this trip will take all the weightoff of you and every thing else you got. Then he says But you shouldnot ought to be scared of getting sea sick because they is 1 way youcan get a way from it and that is to not eat nothing at all while youare on the boat and they tell me you dont eat hardly nothing any way soyou wont miss it. Then he says Of coarse if we should have good luckand not get in to no ship reck and not get shot by 1 of them war shipswe will have a grate time when we get acrost because all the girlsin europe and them places is nuts over ball players and especiallystars. I asked what did he mean saying we might get shot by 1 of themwar ships and he says we would have to pass by Swittserland and theSwittserland war ships was all the time shooting all over the ocean andof coarse they was not trying to hit no body but they was as wild asmost of them left handers and how could you tell what was they going todo next.

  Well Al after I got threw talking to Schaefer I run in to Jack Sheridanthe umpire and I says I did not think I would go on no trip and Itold him some of the things Schaefer was telling me and Sheridan saysSchaefer was kidding me and they was not no danger at all and of coarseAl I did not believe 1/2 of what Schaefer was telling me and that hasnot got nothing to do with me changeing my mind but I don't think itis not hardly fare for me to go a way on a trip like that and leaveFlorrie and the baby and suppose some of them things really did happenlike Schaefer said though of coarse he was kidding me but if 1 of themwas to happen they would not be no body left to take care of Florrieand little Al and I got a $1000.00 insurence policy but how do I knowafter I am dead if the insurence co. comes acrost and gives my famlythe money.

  Well Al I will male this letter and then try again and find Mcgraw andCallahan and then I will look up a time table and see what train canI get to Chi. I dont know yet when I will be in Bedford and may beFlorrie has hired a flat all ready but the Allens can live in it bythem self and if Allen says any thing a bout I paying for 1/2 of therent I will bust his jaw.

  Your pal, JACK.

  _Victoria, Can., Nov. 19._

  DEAR OLD AL: Well old pal the boat gos to-night I am going a longand I would not be takeing no time to write this letter only I wroteto you yesterday and says I was not going and you probily would beexpecting to see me blow in to Bedford in a few days and besides Al Igot a hole lot of things to ask you to do for me if any thing happensand I want to tell you how it come a bout that I changed my mind andam going on the trip. I am glad now that I did not write Florrie noletter yesterday and tell her I was not going because now I would haveto write her an other letter and tell her I was going and she would beexpecting to see me the day after she got the 1st letter and in steadof seeing me she would get this 2nd. letter and not me at all. I haveall ready wrote her a good by letter to-day though and while I waswriteing it Al I all most broke down and cried and espesially when Ithought a bout leaveing little Al so long and may be when I see himagain he wont be no baby no more or may be some thing will of happenedto him or that train nurse did some thing to him or may be I wont neversee him again no more because it is pretty near a cinch that some thingwill either happen to I or him. I would give all most any thing I gotAl to be back in Chi with little Al and Florrie and I wisht she had notof never wired that telegram telling me I could make the trip and ifsome thing happens to me think how she will feel when ever she thinks about wireing me that telegram and she will feel all most like as if shewas a murder.

  Well Al after I had wrote you that letter yesterday I found Callahanand Mcgraw and I tell them I have changed my mind and am not going onno trip. Callahan says Whats the matter and I says I dont think itwould be fare to my wife and baby and Callahan says Your wife says itwould be all O.K. because I seen the telegram my self. I says Yes butshe dont know how dangerus the trip is and he says Whos been kiding youand I says They has not no body been kiding me. I says Dutch Schaefertold me a hole lot of stuff but I did not believe none of it and thathas not got nothing to do with it. I says I am not a scared of nothingbut supose some thing should happen and then where would my wife andmy baby be at. Then Callahan says Schaefer has been giveing you a lotof hot air and they is not no more danger on this trip then they is inbed. You been in a hole lot more danger when you was pitching some ofthem days when you had a sore arm and you would be takeing more chancesof getting killed in Chi by 1 of them taxi cabs or the dog catcherthen on the Ocean. This here boat we are going on is the Umpires ofJapan and it has went acrost the Ocean a million times with out nothinghappening and they could not nothing happen to a boat that the N.Y.giants was rideing on because they is to lucky. Then I says Well Ihave made up my mind to not go on no trip and he says All right thenI guess we might is well call the trip off and I says Why and he saysYou know what president Wilson says a bout Japan and they wont standfor us comeing over there with out you a long and then Mcgraw says Yesit looks like as if the trip was off because we dont want to take nochance of starting no war between Japan and the united states. ThenCallahan says You will be in fine with Comiskey if he has to call thetrip off because you are a scared of getting hit by a fish. Well Al wetalked and argude for a hour or a hour and 1/2 and some of the restof the boys come a round and took Callahan and Mcgraw side and finelyCallahan says it looked like as if they would have to posepone the tripa few days un till he could get a hold of Allen or some body and getthem to take my place so finely I says I would go because I would notwant to brake up no trip after they had made all there plans and someof the players wifes was all ready to go and would be dissapointed ifthey was not no trip. So Mcgraw and Callahan says Thats
the way to talkand so I am going Al and we are leaveing to-night and may be this isthe last letter you will ever get from me but if they does not nothinghappen Al I will write to you a lot of letters and tell you all a boutthe trip but you must not be looking for no more letters for a whileuntill we get to Japan where I can male a letter and may be its likelyas not we wont never get to Japan.

  Here is the things I want to ask you to try and do Al and I am notasking you to do nothing if we get threw the trip all right but if something happens and I should be drowned here is what I am asking you todo for me and that is to see that the insurence co. dont skin Florrieout of that $1000.00 policy and see that she all so gets that other$250.00 out of the bank and find her some place down in Bedford tolive if she is willing to live down there because she can live therea hole lot cheaper then she can live in Chi and besides I know Berthawould treat her right and help her out all she could. All so Al I wantyou and Bertha to help take care of little Al untill he grows up bigenough to take care of him self and if he looks like as if he was goingto be left handed dont let him Al but make him use his right hand forevery thing. Well Al they is 1 good thing and that is if I get drownedFlorrie wont have to buy no lot in no cemetary and hire no herse.

  Well Al old pal you all ways been a good friend of mine and I all waystried to be a good friend of yourn and if they was ever any thing Idone to you that was not O.K. remember by gones is by gones. I want youto all ways think of me as your best old pal. Good by old pal.

  Your old pal, JACK.

  P.S. Al if they should not nothing happen and if we was to get acrostthe Ocean all O.K. I am going to ask Mcgraw to let me work the 1st gameagainst the White Sox in Japan because I should certainly ought to beright after giveing my arm a rest and not doing nothing at all on thetrip acrost and I bet if Mcgraw lets me work Crawford and Speaker willwisht the boat had of sank. You know me Al.

  Transcribers Note:

  Original spelling and grammar has been retained.

  G.M.