however,
they seemed to sort of lift themselves as they came and so landed
lightly, while Sunday's balls, on the contrary, seemed to gain in weight
as they sailed through the air and were heavy and soggy when they struck
the hands. This is a strange but true fact, and one that, perhaps some
scientists can explain. I confess that I cannot, nor have I ever been
able to find anybody that could do so to my satisfaction.

Of the members of this old team the most famous in the history of
Chicago as a base-ball city, three are dead, Flint, Williamson and
Kelly, while the others are scattered far and wide, Ryan being the only
one of them that is still playing. Over the graves of three of them the
grass has now been growing for many a year, and yet I can see them as
plainly now as in the golden days of the summers long ago, when, greeted
by the cheers of an admiring multitude, we all played ball together. If
it were possible for the dead to come back to us, how I should like once
more to marshall the members of that championship team of 1884, '85 and
'86 together and march with them once more across the field while the
cheers of the crowd rang in our ears. But that I can never do. The past
is dead, and there is no such thing as resurrecting it, however much we
may wish to do so.

I cannot close this chapter without mentioning little Willie Hahn, our
mascot in those days, and, a mascot of whom we were exceedingly proud.
Not more than four or five years ago his parents lived in a three-story
house not far front the old Congress street grounds. The first time that
I ever saw him he came on the grounds arrayed in a miniature Chicago
uniform, and so cunning was he that we at once adopted him as our
"mascot," giving him the freedom of the grounds, and he was always on
hand when the club was at home, being quite a feature, and one that
pleased the lady patrons of the game immensely. I had lost sight of him
for years, but one day a fine, manly-looking fellow walked into my
billiard-room and introduced himself as the mascot of those other days.
I was glad to see him and also glad to learn that he has a good position
and is getting on in the world.

CHAPTER XVII. WHILE FORTUNE FROWNS AND SMILES.

Should I omit to mention herein the two series of games that the
Chicagos played with the St. Louis Browns, champions of the American
Association, in 1885 and 1886, somebody would probably rise to remark
that I was in hopes that the publ