tted and gnarled branches of a scrub oak
than anything else that I can think of.

Long before the gloves now used by catchers were invented I had a
buckskin mitt made at Spalding's that I thought would fill a long-felt
want, and this I finally persuaded "Old Silver" to try.

He tried it for about half of an inning, then threw it down, declaring
it was no good, and went on in the old way. After his playing days in
Chicago were over he went into the saloon business and died a short time
afterwards of consumption. His wife died in California a little time
after him with the same disease, which she had contracted while nursing
him. Prior to her departure from Chicago and when she had been informed
by a physician that her days were numbered, she sent for me, and after
telling me that she had "roasted" me in the papers all her life, begged
my forgiveness, saying that she had found out her mistake. This, of
course, was granted.

Mrs. Keene and my wife saw that she had every comfort, and Mr. Keene,
Mr. Spalding and myself furnished the money that took her to the Golden
State, where she lived but a short time after her arrival.

Joe Quest, who played the second base, was another player who came to us
from the Indianapolis team, but prior to that time he had been playing
around New Castle, Pa. Joe was a good, reliable, steady fellow, but a
weak batsman. He was a conscientious player, however, and one that could
always be depended upon to play the best ball that he was capable of.
His strongest point was trapping an infield fly, and in this particular
line he was something of a wonder.

Joe played on several teams after leaving Chicago, and with varying
success. Of late years he has been employed in the City Hall at Chicago,
where he holds a good position.

Ed Wiliamson was another player who came to us from Indianapolis, where
he had already made for himself quite a reputation. He, too, hailed
originally from some-where around New Castle, and was playing in
Pittsburg the first time that I ever saw him. My wife knew him long
before I knew him, however. He was then a member of an amateur club in
Philadelphia, for which she acted as a sort of treasurer, taking care of
the money that they raised to buy balls with, etc.

Ed was, in my opinion, the greatest all-around ballplayer the country
ever saw. He was better than an average batsman and one of the few that
knew how to wait for a ball and get the one that he wanted before
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