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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. LIURSDAY, AFKJL 38,1907. CRACKERS AND BARONS ARE WATCHING THE SKY SPORTING PAGE EDITED BY PERCY H. WHITING It has been a cold, soggy stay in the slag city. Monday the crowd was ice-bound, Tuesday it rained, and Wednesday it tried to snow. If it hadn’t been for Monday’s victory the dejection in camp Cracker would have been rather fierce. The news that Charley Frank had asked waivers on Pitch ers Cry stall, Long and Fritz gives fans something of a line on the Dutchman’s team. It Rhows for one thing that he will count on the four pitch ers he had last season—Breitenstein, Phillips, Guesc and Man uel, a quartette whoso aggregate ages ' would be something (though not much) less than a thousand years. Breitenstein is the “fox” of the league and a wonder. But he is old and naturally on the down slant. The same is true of Phillips—only more so. “Whitey” Ouese is another veteran and a wonder in his way. He has every known (and some unknown) curves, but with them all he combines a faint heart. As long as the sailing is smooth “Whitey” can fan them all, but when things get squally Guesc is so busy looking for a good place to land that he just chunks the ball over and anybody can find him. Moxie Manuel is the only “comer” on the Pelican staff and he has a long ways to come before he will be a really first-class twirler. Don’t put the Pelicans down as anything really easy. They are far from that, for Frank has a brilliant (though erratic) in field and an unusually good outfield. If his team can hit it will go pretty well to the front; but a pennant winner!—well, no, not without a lot of luck. Speaking of fnint-henrted pitchers, they’re a queer lot. The league bns a raft of them. Most of them have everything in the world which makes a pitcher famous, and yet they lack the cour age to do their best stunts. . Atlanta lost several games last yenr because her pitchers were not “game.” This yenr, though, things are likely to be dif ferent. The Cracker, team is one which will play hard behind any kind of a twirler and will help to pull any of them' out of the hole. If the Atlnntn pitchers show the right kind of courage this year the Crackers will have a good road team. For nothing short of an earthquake could-rattle the rest of the bunch. Apparently the weak part of the Birmiugham team is the in- Pete Lister is no star. He fields fairly well but is green and rather raw in his actions at but. Lew Walters is a steady man at second, but his first yenr in a town is usually his best and someway he doesn’t hit. lie is one of the unfortunnteR who usually hits the ball smack ou the seam—only to see it shil into a fielder’s hands. Oylcr is a brilliant shortstop—rather too brilliant in fact, though a good man for all that; but Montgomery at third ap pears to be on the down start. Ball players tell me that Montgomery is “all out.” If ho is, Vaughn is itf a fix. field. That much for the infield. The outfield is a good one. Carlos Smith is ns good as any of them and so is Molesworth, while Gardner will do very well, though bis playing against the Crackers has not been notable. The Smoke-Town catching nnd pitching staffs nre as good as any, and the team stacks up well with the best. It will take a lot of luck to give Birmingham another pen nant, but it will take more than a lot of hnrd luck to keep, them out. President Baugh tells me that his team this year will be fit exactly the salary limit—no more and no less. To get there they had to cut $15 off the salary of an old player, but the Barons will be right at hard pan when the player limit goes in force. Speaking of the limit, it goes into effect May 10th. That date will find the Atlanta team in Memphis on their sec ond road trip. Montgomery May Be Out of League Before Season Ends By PERCY H. WHITING. Birmingham, Ala., April 18.—What about Montgomery? There seems to be a firm belief In this end of Alabnnfa that the Monties are sure losers this year and that un less something unexpected happens, Montggmery will be out of the league before the end of this season, nnd that Chattanooga, Mobile or any of the rest of them can get the franchise ut a bar gain. There Is no attempt anywhere to hide the fact that Montgomery Is weak. Everybody started out the season by piping off the Pretzels for tali-enders and they now promise to live up to ex pectations. Of course that prediction does not go provided the team Is strengthened. And evidently the Montgomery management Is attempting to do something tiling that line. ' Ratchford nnd Ball have been added to the infield. And both of them are good men. But it Is hard to see how they can pull the Pretzels «»ut of the rut. Even when the Montgomery team was going strong last year, which It actually did for a while, the attendance was not much to brag about. What it will be with the team strictly on the blink will be hard to tell. Nobody wishes Montgomery anything but the best of luck. The team bus made a good tight against numerous disadvantages, it deserves to land well up In the first division and Southern League fans hope that It will. But they say here that unless something unex pected happens right soon there will be a shift In the Southern League circuit— and one which may leave the league bark where It was in 1902. If Montgomery does happen to jump the game it will not make any particu lar difference to anyone outside Mont gomery. Mobile and Chattanooga would positively full over each other to get 1?. Chattanooga Is on record as wanting It, and Mobile would doubtless be glad to get It, provided It did not come too high. Probably this Is another false alarm. The end of every season finds a pre diction out that Montgomery Is going to quit. But It seems more like the real thing this time. Birmingham, Ala., April 18.—Thursday night will find the Atlanta team hitting the rails for Montgomery. j And if a Cracker in the crew is sorry he has kept very still about it. It isn’t that they love Montgomery more but Birm ingham less. Sewcmee Tigers Will Play Tech Saturday ► The Sewanee Tiger* come down from their mountain den* Friday and Sat urday to tackle the Yellow Jackets in their nest The Tigers are not sup posed to be as strong as they were last season, but '‘dope” on baseball is very unreliable. The Yellow Jackets are not over confident in their winning, and will do their best to down the Tigers. Hightower will be out of the game and Stewart will hold down the sec ond sack, with Derrick on first. A double-header will be played Sat urday. the first game beginning at 2:30 o’clock. LafUte will pitch both games Saturday, if he is able; If not, he will be relieved by Robert’. Brooks will be on the firing line Friday. The pitcher* w|II alternate in %e field. GEORGIA WILL PLAY SEWANEE AFTER THE GAME GEORGIA WILL LEAVE FOR A NORTHERN TRIP. Spoclal to Tho Goorsrlnn. Athens, G«„ April lS.-The ge W . n „ team rcachcil Athens Thursday mornimr nnd will piny Georgia Thursday afternoon on Ilerty Held. Sewnnee does not look very strong this year, for Howard rec-ntl. won two games from her. 7 Coach Stouch will probably have tho fol lowing line up for Georgia: Martin. t « • Derrick, 2b.; McWhorter, cfBrown c* Hodgson, If.; Watson, rf.; Graves 'ti,’ Cobb, lb.; Brown or Foley, p. ’ 3b • After this gome, the Georgia team win son, 8. C.; April 23, Washington un',1 £2' Lexington, Vs ; April a. Virginia Institute, Lexington, Va.; April n Ssn Anns polls, Md.; Apri l 25. George Washing ton university, Washington. D. ('.• Anrll >: nnd 27. University of Virginia In chariot .i. vllle, Va. His Wife Never Returned. Special to The Georgian. Brunswick, Ga., April 18.—j. p. Willis, an old resident of Brunswick! has been placed, In the Insane section of the county Jail and will be commit ted to the Insane asylum In a few days. Sir. Willis was deserted-by his wif. about a year ago, who went on a visit to Liverpool, their old home, and would never return. The grief was too much for the, old man. The baseball season of 1907 Is now in full blast and the opening which wss hailed with delight by all fsne throughout tho length and breadth of tho land, is hero dopicted. The gentlemen at the right of the ball are Pitcher Amei and Manager McGraw of the Gisnte. RAIN-THEN MORE RAIN IN GREAT SMbKY BURG, BUT DRY TIME ANYWAY THE CUBS’ ...COLUMN... By PERCY H. WHITING, Birmingham, Ala., April 18.—More rain. And still no game. Brat! Cussl Thunder! Fiddlesticks! Another cuss! And then some that we don't dare print. We knew the answer at breakfast time Wednesday morning. Nothing but a red-hot sun and a lot of wind from sunup to "play ball” would have ren dered the diamond playable. And neither eventuated. Billy Smith and Secretary Etheridge stood In front of the hotel for one hour and "rooted" strong for sunshine. But there was nothing stirring. Atftl after a while they gave it up. There wasn’t much rain during the morning, but there wasn't any sunshine nor any warmth cither, and the big ball went in early In the afternoon and stayed In all the afternoon. "If we can’t play we can work,” wns Billy Smith's verdict, so he took his team out to the Held, picked out a nice place on the turf and proceeded to let 'em work. His pitchers all warmed up In fine style nnd all of them seem to be In good trim. He man aged-to work them Tuesday, too. si they are keeping right In form. The ground wns so bnd that nothing beyond a little "tossing” was possible, and the team returned to town early,. To say that time angs heavily on the hands of all Is expressing It v great mildness. Birmingham is a line town, but It doesn't offer the ball play ers much In the way of nmusements In rainy weather. And time dies hard. All the Birm'ngham papers came out today nnd salt’ that the rain saved At lanta two defeats. "The dickens It did," was Billy Smith's comment—only he dklnGt say "dlcens.” The prevailing opinion here was that Atlanta would have drawn an even break out of the four games. As It Is, Atlanta can't get worse than an even break, having won one game and hav ing only one more to play.. But the Crackerlnes would have preferred to get these four battles off their minds anti do not like to have them piling up In the form of postponed game*, which will have to be played off later In the season as double-henders. I guess this'll be about all for this time. If you think It'a any fun being a war correspondent when there Isn't any war you ought to come over and. try It. JUST A CHANCE OF GAME IN SLAGTOWN THURSDAY; OFF TO MONTGOMERY NEXT By PERCY H. WHITING. Birmingham. Ala.. April 18.—There Is only a chance that there will be any baseball in Birmingham today. At bed time lu*t night the stars and moon were doing business, and It looked like good weather, but it has clouded over again and the weather prediction for today and tomorrow Is "rain.” However, it Is not raining much now, and the clouds appear broken. Possi bly a game can be pulled off this aft ernoon. Game or no game, the team for Montgomery, and is down to pitch the opener, with O’Leary as catcher. if there Is a game today. Ford will probably get the call. If not, he will gq in for the second Montgomery game. Billy Binlth wanted tq ship Sid Smith home this morning, but he was hardly In shape to travel, ami will not leave for home before Friday or Saturday. His condition Is not serlouH, but he will have to rest for at least ten days. Schopp is hotter this morning. He says he feels like a new woman. The Atlanta team Is strong. It has been pointed out several times that At lanta's infield is perhaps the fastest In the leugue. It Is now proved that At lantal outfield Is also very good. Pas. kert Is panning out a star. He fields like lightning, is a deer on the paths and stings the ball. It all depends on j rtJje twirler*. If the staff is tip-top, 1 then Atlanta .will probably win the rag. Atlanta deserves the rag.—Birmingham Age-Herald. Manager Harry Matthews, of the Charleston team, has s signed ‘'Bill'* Blake, who played with New Orleans last season. The new checked traveling uniforms of Finn’s club are responsible for the Memphis fans dubbing tho aggregation the Arkansas Boodlers. At least, they did not try to make any secret of the fact that they were willing to accept two out of the four games with Babb’s men.—Arkansas Gazette. Atlanta looks pretty good. It hurts 16 say Itf but they tell us we should give the devil his dues. The infield, as said before and by many, can not' be beaten In this league. If Paskert, Win ters and Becker keep up their good work people will be saying the same about the outfield. As usual, the strength of the staff shall decide the gait of the dependent.—Birmingham Jfew*. Atlanta Is here for four games and "Billy” Smith said last night he really believed he would win all four games. The Idea of such nerve. Billy Is be coming affected with a brain storm. He has defeated Birmingham on the home ground, find he says this Is harder to do than to win a pennant. Of course, It is not, but* Billy has never won a pennant, ami he doesn’t know.—Bir mingham News. No, he hasn’t in -the Southern League. But he might do such a thing. The Birmingham fans seem to think that the Barons played In miserable form while In Nashville last week. Not >. They were beaten on tjielr merits. •Nashville American. Atlanta came back at Birmingham with a rush yesterday, taking the open ing game handily. You’ll have to keep an eye on those Firemen. They are certainly playing good ball just now'.— Nashville American. Second Game On New Field Thp second gania of Ilia Marlut t’ol- lege series nas ployed on tin 1 now ball Belli Wednesday afternoon. The Golds ante to the front this time winning by a scat* of S to 4. The play was lever and snappy on both teams from beginning to end. Mnny old Marine College hoys were present. The two teams will meet again next Wednesday. The line-up: Blue,. Golds. Kalvoy, p. .. Morris, If. Jackson, 2b Kaufman, o. Williamson, 3b. .. „ .. Dumvody, lb. Dubard, .* O’Keefe, ss. Knight, Harrison. 3b. Battle, lb Redmond, p. Daley, cf Collier, 2b. Caihart, If. Jentze . cf. Hanlon, rf Callagliau, rf. Score by Innings: Blues 1»1 OHO 20n— 4 Golds . .«*•> 011 100— S Time, 1:30. Umpire. Carl Ridley. Tech and Clemson Clash Thursday The Tech and tiettison track teams get together Thursday afternoon In what promises to be a warm contest. The meets is scheduled to begin at 2: SO o’clock, the time consumed In running off the many event? necessitating an early start. Nothing Is known of either team on this line of sport, only that Georgia woe from Clemson with apparent ease. RAINY DAY DREAMS ATTEL WHIPPED BY O’TOOLE 1'LUadrIphia, April IS.—'Tommy O'Toole, of this city, sprung a surprise lust night when he won a six-round bout from Abe Attel, the foatliertt'olglit champion, nt the Rational Athletic Club. For three rounds, each mop fought very cautiously. In the fifth and sixth touisIs, O'Toole drew blood from -After* mouth, nnd In the last round By PERCY H. WHITING. Birmingham, Ala., April 18.—With two long rainy days to while away the Crackers have had more time than they knew what to do with. But somehow they finally got rid of both. Having nothing better to do, the boys put up a good one on Sid Smith— and different from most practical jokes. It turned out all right for both the Jokers and the Jokee. The bills of fare at the Colonial are printed affairs, but the star events of tho day are written In. In some way the bunch got next to a blank bill and Ihey proceeded to load it for the espe cial benefit of Sid, who was In bed and couldn't well protect himself. In the blanks they wrote most of the delicacies nnd eome of the Indelicacies of the season. Among the Imaginary viands they put on* the "phoney" bill were frizzled frogs’ legs, soft shell crabs, a la Colonial, tenderloin of beef strangled In onions, pheasant and shad a la board. It looked pretty good to Sid and he decided on a large and lusty order, in eluding soft shell crabs and a few such. When the cook saw tho order he fainted. After he revived he sent for the bill of fare. When he saw It he fainted again. However, he died game uml after a struggle managed to get some canned crabs put of the store room nnd faked up the order. Unless the great white light has broken recently the floor manager of tho dining room hasn't seen the Joke yet. The water or something In this burg has put the visitors on the blink. Umpire Rudderham is sick In bed nnd for a day or two was In serious condition. Schopp nnd Sweeney have both been off their feed and several of the others have been more or less troubled. .' Schopp was of the opinion that he had eaten something that did not agree with him. "Do you know how my stomach feels?" he Inquired. I said I didn’t. "It feels," said he, "as though It didn’t fit.” * George Winters was of the opinion that the Inrge consignment of cucum bers was what had put the Atlanta team to the bad. "There Is only one way to fix cu cumbers so they won’t hurt you.” said George. “You take tqem out. put them on Ice over night. Then you slice them up fine, put salt, pepper and vinegar on them and throw the cussed things out of the window." Birmingham 'papers have been em phatically denying The Georgian’s story that O'Leary was likely to figure soon In a trade or sale. They say Billy Smith said that he had no Intention of disposing of O'Leary. , This conies as a sad surprise. For It is known pretty surely for some time that Billy Smith Is going to retain Sweeney. As It Is out of the ques tion that Atlantu carry three cachcrs, it must be that Sid Smith Is to be re leased 1 Don' that Idea Jar you some? Of course Billy Smith Is nqt taking the Birmingham newspaper men Into Ills confidence, and he hasn't taken me there; but It stnnds to reason that If Billy Smith is going to keep Sid Smith and Sweeney he , will have to let O’Leary go. The present Indisposition of Sid Smith will postpone the Inevitable for some time, maybe; but It still continues to be' Inevitable. Mark my prediction, O’Leary will b^ disposed of'before the 10th of May. Billy Smith Is far too wise to let him go, unless something turps up which U not down on the bills at present. As long ago is Tuesday the New Or. leans Item had It doped out that New Orleans would be leading the league in. side of 24 hours. And yet this has never come to pass. P. H. IV. Coach Ben Lacy Goes to Oxford Within the next few days Ben 1L Lacy, winner of the Cecil Rhodes scholarship from North Carolina, coach of the Donald Fraser baseball squad and one of the most popular members of the faculty of that Institution, will leave for England to take up a course of study at Oxford. When the contest for the Rhodes scholarship was begun Lacy, who Is a graduate of Davidson College, decided to, become one of the contestants. He went to Wake Forest, where the ex amination was held, and won the North Carolina scholarship. •iihhikiihmihhhiihhhihuhhiihihhii j Standing of the Clubs. \ CLUBS— ATLANTA. Nashville. ...... a i New Orleans. ..... 4 3 little Hock ..... 5 3 Memphis. ....... 4 2 Shreveport 5 1 Birmingham r» 1 Montgomery . 4 . . 6 3 i South Atlantic League. CLUBS- Played. Wou. Lost. ?.£. Jacksonville “ * * 467 Savannah. , Macon . . Augusta. . Columbia. . Charleston. CLUBS— Cleveland . . Philadelphia. Chicago. . . Boston. . . . New York. . Detroit St. Ivoulfl . Washington. CLUBS- National League. „ „ Played. Won. Lott. P. C. Played. Chicago- 3 Cincinnati 4 Boston 4 New York 4 Philadelphia ..... 4 Brooklyn 4 NEGRO IS ACQUITTED. Charged With Larceny. Spec ini to The Georgian. » Gadsden, Ala., Apr.! 18.—Marion Si - *”* 11 ,rt Georgian. Campbell the alleged moonshiner ami, Athena, Ga„ April 18. In Clarke su- Uespe»j<o of Mount.yuborc, who ha* I l^rlo.* court Will Martin, colored, was alread* u number of care:: pending aguln.«t him In the courts, has been ar rested on a charge of burglary and grand larceny. He vat released on a $1,000* bond. acquitted of tho charge of murder. Martin shot at,El Brawner. another ne gro. who had thrown a lamp at him. and In doiug so killed a negro named Graham The writer and all Atlanta fans who have seen Dan at work will be sorry to see him go. He Is a catcher of great ability and a good hitter. The hlef reason that he is going to lose out in favor of Sweeney is that Swee ney, who Is a younger and less expe rienced man. can be secured for lbs* money. Both catchers wilt rank well with any In the league. And as both are first-cla** men and es there is lit tle to choose between them In the mat ter of ability, Sweeney is practically certain to get the call. This young atcher is going to be a wonder and YESTERDAY’S RESULTS r Southern. ._ Little Itock 3, Shreveport 3 (eleven In Dings). Atlanta Birmingham, rain. Memphis-New Orleans, wet grounds. Montgomery-Nnshvllle, rain. South Atlantic. Charleston 3, Macon 0. Columbia 4, Augusta 3. Jacksonville 4, Snvnnuah L American. Boston 2, Washington 1. Cleveland 5. St. Lout* 2. Chicago 4, Detroit 1. New York 5, Philadelphia 4. National. Boston 2. Philadelphia,, L Chicago 6, Pittsburg — * ” “ Ut. Look - Brooklyn 1. WHERE THEY PLAY TODAY. Atlanta In Birmingham. Nashville In Montgomery. New Orleans in Memphis. Shreveport In Little Hock. NAT KAISER 6. CO. CONFIDENTIAL LOANS ON VALUABLES. 15 Dec-lur St Kimball Hou** Earcains In Unredeemed Diamonds- CONTRACTORS AND BUILDERS, We want orders for TIMBERS AND HEAVY FRAMING in car lots or less. We can furnish orders of any size ; also everything in mill work and dressed stock. E. G. WILLINGHAM & SONS.. 542 Whitehall Street.