ed the downfall of
many good players before him, for it may be set down as an axiom that
baseball and booze will not mix any better than will oil and water. The
last time that I ever saw him was at an Eastern hotel barroom, and
during the brief space of time that we conversed together he threw in
enough whisky to put an ordinary man under the table. After leaving
Boston the "only Mike" had charge of Al Johnson's team at Altoona, Pa.,
but whisky had become at this time his master, and he made a failure of
the managerial business. Not being able to control himself it is hardly
to be wondered at that he failed when it came to the business of
controlling others. He died some years ago in New Jersey, a victim to
fast living, and a warning to all ball players. Had he been possessed of
good habits instead of bad there is no telling to what heights Kelly
might have climbed, for a better fellow in some respects never wore a
base-ball uniform.

Tommy Beale was a nice, gentlemanly little chap, who had played at one
time with the Boston Club. He was never a howling success as a ball
player and after being released by Chicago he umpired for a while and
then drifted down to Florida, where he had an orange grove and was doing
well until, one night, "there came a frost, a killing frost," that not
only destroyed his orange grove but that burst him up in business as
well. Since that unfortunate event happened, I have lost sight of him,
and where he is now, or what he is doing, I know not.

Hugh Nichols was a little fellow who came from Rockford, Illinois. He
was never a star player, but was a fair and showy player, lacking in
stamina. He was only a fair batsman, and after his release by Chicago he
played for a time in some of the other League teams, principally
Cincinnati. He then managed the Rockford team in the Illinois State
League, after which he settled down as a billiard-room keeper, in which
business he is still engaged.

CHAPTER XV. WE FALL DOWN AND CLIMB AGAIN.

At the annual meeting of the League held in Providence R. I., December
6th, 1882, the Worcester and Troy Clubs resigned their membership,
neither of them being cities of sufficient size to support a team as
expensive as one good enough to have a chance for championship honors in
such company must of necessity be, and New York and Philadelphia were
elected to fill the vacancies. At the same time A. G. Mills was elected
to fill the vacancy in the League Presidency