III
Friend Al: Well Al the boys is playing shovvel bord and I hope there in joying themself and steve Evans was just in my room a little wile a go and wanted I should be his pardner in the game and I says Do you think Im going to hang a round and play games with a bunch of cheap stiffs like them that give a man his own shirt for a xmas present. I says All as I want is for us to hurry up and get to australia and the sooner as we get there I will quit the trip and start home.
Then Evans says Well you know I did not have nothing to do with giveing you your shirt and I want you should play pardners with me and may be we can give some of them cheap stiffs a good triming and show them up and I says no not under no condision I will play shovvel bord or nothing else with a bunch like them cheap stiffs and he says Well you will half to play base ball with them next summer and then I told him a bout me having made my mind up to quit base ball and go in to some busness where a man gets treated sqare and he says What busness was you going in to and I says I haven’t deside it and then Evans give me a pretty good idear Al and may be I will take it up but I got all winter to think about what do I want to do.
But Evans says I should ought to get a job on 1 of the news papers and write some of my pones for them and may be they would send me out to the ball pk. and have me write some of my pones a bout the ball game and then I could get back at some of these no good bums by rosting them in the paper.
Evans says of coarse the paper what ever 1 give me the job probily would not pay me more then twict what Comiskey pays me the 1st yr. but after that when the paper seen I was OK they would probily raze me clear up and give me as much is the reporters gets. And besides that if I was working on a news paper I would not never half to be worring a bout how long my arm was going to last but all as I would half to think a bout would be how long is my brains going to last and Evans says they should ought to last a life time if I did not work them no harder then when I was pitching and he ment I dont need nothing but my fast ball when I am working right.
But I dont know yet what Im going to do and may be I will open up a billard rm. in Chicago and I guess it would be a gold mind on acct. of how poplar I am with the fans and why not after the showing up I give the cubs. but any way Im going to quit the trip when we get up to australia and go home to Florrie and little Al where I bellong and a mans a sucker to ever leave your home when you got a wife and baby let a lone the bills Florries probily ran up on me wile I been a way.
Well Al we stoped off at thursday ilands yest. and was there 3 hrs. and I and Evans palled a round to gather and I would not have nothing to do with no body but him on acct. of he being the only 1 that wasent in on that dirty trick of giveing me my own shirt for a present and Evans him self says it was a dirty trick because they couldent be no other kind of a trick played with that shirt.
Wear a hole day behind time Evans says because we come to thursday ilands Friday and the reason they call it thursday ilands is on acct. of the boats being do there thursday but he says wear libel to make up time before we get to australia because its down grade the rest of the way.
They wasent much to see a round the ilands but we found out that this is the place where they catch all the perls like wommen wares on there rings and stick pins and I never knowed before that you fish for perls like you do blue gills but I all ways thot they come from out of a mind like a gold mind or dimond mind but Evans says there little fish like a scrimp and after there catched they scrivle up and get hard and of coarse they all ready been dead a long wile before they sell them in the jewlry store. But we was here at the wrong time of yr. and the perls dont bite only in may and Aug.
Well old pal they can take there perls and all the rest of there trip and jump in the Ocean with them as far is Im conserned and base ball to. Im threw with them Al or that is I will be as soon is we get to australia provide it I can borry enough money off of Comiskey or Callahan so as I can get home. This is a fine trip Al where you cant get no male from your own famly and you can pitch your head off and they dont even say thanks and the stuff you get to eat in the diffrunt countrys posons you and your to sick wile your on the Ship bord to in joy your meals only of coarse thats just the peopl that the ruff Ocean water makes them sick and it dont bother me no more then walking up and down state St. And a bunch of no good stiffs traveling a round with you. Next time they get me on 1 of these trips it will be wile Im a sleep and not even then. Just because I was, a sucker onct but I wont be 1 again. Live and let lern as they say.
I cant hardly wait till we get up to australia and the 1st train leaveing out of there that will be the 1 Im on if I half to higher a taxi cab from the Doc to where ever the trains leaves at. And may be I will probily get to Chicago by the time as soon is this letter gets to you and the other 1 I havent maled it yet because we been on the Ocean all the wile.
Friend Al: Well Al Im going to stay on the trip after all but thats in the condishon that Mcgraw does what he promused and heres what he promused. How I come to be talking to him Steve Evans called me to 1 side wile I was out on the porch yest. and says he just found out that Mcgraw wasent in on that dirty trick a bout giveing me my own shirt and Mcgraw was sore at the men that done it and he wanted to talk to me so I says all right I will talk to him if your sure he wasent 1 of them cheap stiffs Evans says No he was sure. So he called Mcgraw to where we was standing and Evans left I and him to gather and went a way and left us a lone and Mcgraw says What do you want and I says I just found out you wasent 1 of them peopl that give me the shirt and he says No of coarse not and I wouldent do no dirty trick like that. I says Well Im going to quit the trip and go home from australia and he says what for and I told him on acct of them cheap stiffs giveing me that shirt.
Then Mcgraw says Your not giveing me no sqare deal if you quit the trip because Im the 1 youll be hurting against and I havent did nothing to you.
Then I says Well I dont want to be on no trip where I half to assosiate with the cheap bums thats on this trip and Mcgraw says Well you dont half to have nothing to do with them but I want you to stick on the trip because I cant get a long with out you and I was figureing on useing you in the game at Brizz Bay. Thats the 1st place we stop at when we get to Australia Al and we get there the next day after tommorow. Mcgraw says They will be a lot of englich lords and this in that out to the game and I want to win the game in the front of them so I was counting on you to pitch.
I says Well I would like to win for you but I got no chanct to win when your club keeps kicking the ball a round in back of me.
Then Mcgraw says Well I will tell you what Ill do with you and if you win the game for me I will give you a real present and not no dirty shirt and if you stick on the trip all the way threw I will give you a diffrunt present evry time you win a game for me.
So you see Al Mcgraws OK and on the sqare and he is giveing me a sqare deal and when a man treats you right Im going to treat him right to. I wisht they was some way I could get a way from the White Sox and pitch for Mcgraw all the wile and if he give me a present for evry game I won for him in the reglar season I would have enough so as I wouldent half to throw a way no money on xmas presents for my friends only of coarse Im all ways glad to do the right thing by my friends if nessary. But of coarse theys no chanct for me to get a way from the White Sox because even if Comiskey and Callahan was willing to leave go of me they would half to get wavers and the minut they ast for wavers the other clubs would clame me when you said Jack Robison.
So it looks like as if I would stick on the trip Al and I can pall a round with Steve Evans and Mcgraw and not have nothing to do with the rest of them and have a good time and I guess Ill stick on the trip only I wont know till I pitch that game at Brizz Bay and see how I come out and is Mcgraw going to keep his promus.
I will beat them Al if the luck brakes even and if they dont kick the game a way in back of me.
We was on land most all day the day before yest. at a place name Cairns and we went site seen out to Barroom falls and seen a lot of bannanna and pin apple orchids where pin apples and bannannas grows right on the trees and thats better then buying them when you dont know when you buy them weather there OK or rotten till you get them home.
Of coarse you dont half to eat them when they aint good and some times you dont half to throw a hole bannanna a way but you can eat a round the bad spots only a man dont like to pay for a ½ doz. bannannas and come to find out the white part of them would only make a bout 3 hole bannannas if you put them all to gather.
Well Al I will male you all the letters I all ready got ready for you as soon is we get to Brizz Bay and I will write an other letter and tell you how I come out and I will chase them out of the ball pk. if my arm feels good.
Al: Well old Pal wear threw with Brizz Bay and now wear on the way to Sidney some thing I dont know what the rest of the name is. But Im feeling so good Al that I dont care weather its Sidney this or that or what is it.
Well Al it was just like I told you and I told you that if I went in there when my arm was feeling OK I would make them White Sox think they was in a earth quack or some thing. We beat them 2 to 1 and we beat there best pitcher Jim Scott and made him look like a sucker but that aint all that come off Al and Id of rather had them beat us then to not have the rest of it come off and heres what come off Al. We got in to Brizz Bay the night before last night and it was to late to go any wheres but yest. a.m. we was tooken up to the hotel and a man give Mcgraw a pile of letters and post cards as big is the bat bag and a bunch of news papers to and when I herd Mcgraw calling the names off of the peopl for who the male was for I couldent hardily stand still but I was a scarred all the wile that of coarse they would not be nothing for me but finely all of a sudden he says Jack Keefe and give me a letter and it was from Florrie.
Well Al I set there feeling of it for a long wile before I opened it up because I kept thinking supose little Als dead or some thing the matter with him and thats why she wrote the letter to tell me a bout it but finely I opened the letter up and read it and they wasent nothing like that in it but there all OK Florrie and little Al and the Allens to tho the Allens could have a bad cold or some thing with out me getting worred sick over them. But the letter opened up dear Jack and then she went on and says I dont supose youll speak to I and your baby when you get home on acct of you going all the way a round the world and back wile I and the baby aint nothing but roobs that stays home all the wile but I thot may be you would like to hear how the babys geting a long tho I guess you dont care nothing a bout none of us when you run off and leave us all winter with $250.00 dollars and expect us to pay rent and buy cloths and stuff to eat.
And then she says she was writeing to ask me to give her a check for the other $250.00 dollars I got in the bank because they was a story a round town that the bank where I got the money in it is in bad shape and libel to blow up any minut after the 1 of Feb. so if I got the check to her by the 1 of Feb. she could get the money out of the bank before it blowed up.
Then she says I should write her the check as soon is I wasent to busy holding hands and spooning with the qeens and princes in the diffrunt countrys so you see Al shes a little bit jellus and then she says little Al was just fine and all OK and got 4 teeth but theys a hole lot of things he should ought to have besides teeth and she cant buy them till she gets some more money and the Allens sends there regards but they can keep a hold of them.
Well Al I bet I must of read the letter over 1 doz. times and theys a little black spot in 1 cor. of it where may be little Al got a hold of it and then after I got threw reading it I set down and wrote her back a long letter and dident say nothing a bout the qeens and princes because it wont do her no harm to think Im haveing a good time tho I aint saw nothing yet that looks like qeens and princes but most of them looks like a wash womman or some thing. I all so sent her a check for the other $250.00 dollars I got in the bank and now I aint got nothing in the bank but she will get the check before the 1 of Feb. and its better to have her spend the money then the pres. of the bank go south with it and besides by the time we get back home it will be pretty near time to open the season.
Well Al I felt a 100 per % better after I got Florries letter and seen that her and the baby was all OK and I wouldent of cared if the White Sox had been lucky enough to beat me but they wasent Al and I beat them and Mcgraw come acrost with a present just like he promused and what do you think he give me Al. He give me a bran new shirt to ware with my evening dress sute and it aint no stiff boozem that you half to work ½ a day getting the buttons fixed in it but this 1 is as soft like silk and got a million rinkles in it and he give me some white buttons a long with it that works on a wire and the buttons matchs the shirt and the shirts white to.
And I dont half to send this shirt to the landry evry time theys some thing drops on it but I can wash it my self on acct it dont half to be irrened because a landry would probily irren all the rinkles out of it and there what makes the shirt so pretty.
Well Al Im feeling 100 per % better and base ball would be OK if all mgrs. was like Mcgraw and I wisht I could pitch for his club all the year a round because now there getting on to how I pitch and give me some kind of decent suport and the White Sox dident never have a chanct with us yest. we road a round all the a.m. in automobiles and seen what they was to be seen and then was tooken out to the pk. before noon and played the game and Mcgraw says to me You will half to make this a qick 1 because if you dont get the game over in 1 hr. and ½ we wont get nothing to eat before we half to get back on the boat so I says All right I wont try to strike no body out but I will try and make them hit the 1st 1 and they wont get a good hold of it because my arm feels good and I will zip them threw there like they was shot out of a cannon and Mcgraw says dont waist your breth teling me a bout it but get out there and show me some thing.
Well Al I guess I showed him all right and if I hadent been in no hurry I bet I could of struck a bout 20 of them out but I kept sticking the 1st 1 over with a good jump on it and all as they could do was pop them up in the air and they only hit 3 out of the in field all day and they wouldent of got there 1 run only I got carelest when I was pitching to Speaker in the 8 and he hit 1 down the foul line and made 3 bases on it and come in on a fly ball and he would of been out 20 ft. if this here Maggie had of throwed the ball to the plate insted of trying for a record and see how far could he throw it.
But there 1 run dident do them no good and they couldent of scored again if the game had of went 50 inings and we got both our runs in the 3rd and Weaver and Egan kicked a couple and Doyle got a hold of 1 and Scott was lucky we dident get a doz. runs insted of 2.
Well Al Im feeling better then I felt on the hole trip and I cant hardly wait till Mcgraw leaves me get in there again and he will half to come acrost with an other present and it wont be no shirt next time because hes all ready gave me a shirt and I wonder what will he give me.
Old Pal: well old Pal I guess I forgot to wish you a happy New yr. in my last letter but better late then ever as they say so happy New yr. Al for you and Bertha the both of you and I dont wish you nothing but luck. This is Sun. and some of the boys is out over looking the harber and they wanted I should go a long because they say its the gratest harber in the world but what if it is Al Ive saw enough water with out going out and looking at a harber and besides Im not buying no harbers no matter how good they are hey Al.
They’s no ball game today because this is like N.Y. and Philly and Washington and them places and you cant play no ball on Sun. so Im seting in the australia Hotel and writeing this letter but they was a game yest. and the White Sox win it 15 to 4 and I ast Mcgraw before the game to leave me go in there and pitch and he says No he dident want to kill me with work but I guess after the game started he was afrade Hern and this here Faber that pitched for the giants would get killed by some thing else besides work I mean batted balls and Donlin and Maggie and this here indian Thorp run back and 4th a round the out field so much shaging 3 base hits that there tung was hanging out.
They played the game out to the crickit pk. and some of the australia crickit players was out there practiceing when we come to the pk. and I stood and watched them a wile and honest Al if I played that game they wouldent never get me out and tommorow Im going to try it and heres how it come off that Im going to try it.
1 of the crickit players come up to where I was standing and says what do you think of the game and I says its a grate game for a baby or some thing and the man says Yes I supose it looks easy when you never tride it and I says weather I tride it or not and he says Why dont you get up there and try it onct because we will give you a bat and see if you can hit it and I was going to only the crickit players had to get off of the grounds then because the ball game was going to start.
So I and the man fixed it up and Im going out early tommorow and try it and we got a bet up on it and Mcgraw says he will lone me the money if I loose the bet but I wont loose it Al because all as I got to do is make 5 runs before they get me out.
And I says to the man how much will you bet and he says O a bout 2 lbs. and I says 2 lbs. of what and come to find out they call there money lbs. insted of dollars so wear betting 2 lbs. a peace and thats a bout $10.00 a peace and Al its just like stealing the money because I will tell you how the games played and a man that couldent make 5 runs easy should ought to be clening the sts. or some thing.
They dont throw the ball but role it a long on the ground like when your boleing only the balls little like a base ball and you stand up there with a bat as big is a bord in front of 3 sticks stuck in to the ground and you got to keep them sticks from geting hit and you dont half to take a swing at the ball if you dont want to but you can stand up there all day till you get 1 you like and if you dont hit it far you dont half to run if you dont feel like it but wait till you hit 1 far enough so as you can run and theys 3 more sticks a bout 50 ft. a way and you half to run back and 4th bet. the sticks and evry trip you make before the ball gets back thats 1 run.
And of coarse they cant curve the ball or put no stuff on it or nothing because it comes a long on the ground so how can a man miss it Al and if they leave me up there long enough I will get a 1,000 runs only I dont want to ware myself all out because probily Im going to pitch tommorow. That $10.00 bucks will come in handy Al and I wont half to throw none of it a way on acct of not knowing what to do with it. Well Al I guess I will go out and walk a round a wile before dinner, and male this letter.
Friend Al: I only got a couple minuts to write to you Al because wear going to catch the train for Melbourne but I just want to tell you what kind of robbers they got a round here and the sooner we get out of this town we cant get away to soon to sute me. I dident pitch today because Mcgraw is saveing me to pitch over to Melbourne where the gov. of australia lives at.
They was a game bet. the giants and a australia club and of coarse Mcgraw wouldent leave me pitch that game because I would of felt like a murder and he wouldent leave no real pitcher pitch but he pitched him self and this here Wiltse pitched for the australias and the giants beat them and then the White Sox beat Mcgraws club 10 to 5 and its lucky for the White Sox that Mcgraw was saveing me so as the gov. can see me in axion.
But what I was going to tell you a bout is the robbers game they pulled off on me and they should ought to call this here game hold up insted of crickit and for all as I know crickit means hold up in the australia languige. Well Al I and Mcgraw and Steve Evans went out to the pk. early and the man I had the bet with was there all ready laying for us and no wonder after what he had frammed up on me and they was a hole lot of other men with him drest up in there crickit sutes and there catcher wore big shinn gards like as if he was afrade he was going to get his shinns hurt and all as they do is role the ball to him and they ast me did I want to practice a wile before the bet was on and I says no I dident need no practice in no baby game so Mcgraw put up 2 lbs. for me and the man who I was beting with put up 2 lbs. in steve Evanss hands and I picked out 1 of there crazy bats.
And the man says now you under stand do you that your out if them little sticks on top of the big sticks is knocked off of the top of the big sticks and I says all right and they says I wouldent need no pardner but could run back and 4th a lone so the man that does the boleing got up back of the sticks that was the other sticks from the sticks I was standing in front of them and he wound up and come over hand with the ball and it come bounceing a long the ground and I could see right a way that the grounds was no good because the ball bounced crook it.
I left the 1st 1 go by and layed for the next 1 and it come just right and I took a toe hold and started to cut in to it and I bet Al if I had ever of got a hold of it I would of lost the ball for them but wile I was swinging my bat back to take my wallop I knocked the sticks down with my bat and got my bat tangled up with the sticks and of coarse the ball come along and hit the sticks to because I couldent get my bat lose to hit it and the man who I was beting with says well you dident last long and I says what do you mean I knocked the sticks down with my bat dident I and he says Yes and your out and I says Im not no such a thing and he says all right I will give you an other chanct.
Then Mcgraw cuts in and says No you lost Jack and you got to pay and so Evans give the man the money and I was so sore I dident know what to say and finely I says this is a fine robbers game and why dont you buy your self a gun and go a round sticking peopl up and the man says I will give you a chanct to get even and I says no you wont give me no chanct to get even and steal some more of my money and then he was going to give my money back only Mcgraw wouldent let him.
Mcgraw says we better get a way before they take another 2 lbs. off me and I says yes we better before they take my uneform.
And then I says to the man I thot you was a gentle man and he says Well I couldent make no such a miss take as that a bout you and I says no I guess you couldent and he dident have no come back so we come a way and left him and now I owe Mcgraw $10.00 and I was going to have the man arest it only Mcgraw wouldent let me and Mcgraw says he seen right a way it was a robbers game and give me the wink to not have nothing to do with it but I dident see him give me the wink.
Well Al I will know enough after this to not monky with no crickit game and monky with a game where they make there rules to sute them self and if any body says crickit to me I will hall off and bust them in the jaw. Steve Evans says Well I thing your in better shape then before you played crickit and I says why and he says because they took 2 lbs. off of you but I wasent up there long enough to loose no wait and besides you couldent take off no wait in baby game like that. Well Al a mans never old enough to lern as they say but I bet they wont play that same trick twict on me. You know me old Pal.
Friend Al: Well Al we been haveing a big time here and I guess even Callahan and Comiskeys glad I come a long even if I give them an other beating this p.m. and we beat them 12 to 8 and I could of shut them out just as easy is roleing on a log only I let up when we was 10 or 11 runs a head but its not on the field where I come in handy to them but entertaneing there friends and the peopl they meet and so 4th.
Well Al dutch Schaefer come up to me yest. a.m. after we got here and says they was going to be a party last night at the Melbourne saviges club and would I write a pone for the saviges and I hadent spoke to Schaefer since them cheap stiffs give me my shirt back and so I says no I wont write no pone for you or have nothing to do with you and he says why not and I says I guess you know why not and he says I supose your still thinking a bout that shirt yet and I says Yes and then Schaefer says he dident have nothing to do with it and I says You were the 1 that give it to me and he says Yes but when I give it to you I thot it was some thing else or I wouldent of gave it to you and I says what did you think it was and he says the boys had boughten a new shirt for me at Vanila and thats what they thot they was giveing me but they had gave it to Stewart the oficer on the ship Bord to rap it up and he had stole it for him self and stuck the old 1 in the packige and they was all sore at him but what could they do because if they had of balled him out a bout it he probily would of got mad back at them and ran the boat right up passed australia and may be clear up to the north pole and froze us to deth and the boys dident care nothing a bout them self but they was a frade to take the chanct on acct of the wommen on the bord of the Ship bord.
So you see Al the boys was trying to treat me OK only this here Stewart was a crook and I wisht I had of knew a bout it before we got to Sidney and left the boat and you can bet I wouldent of gave him no ¼ for a tip.
So when Schaefer showed me where it wasent the boys falt a bout the shirt I and him shook hands and I says sure I would write them a pone and I wrote a dandy Al but 1st I want to tell you a bout what come off yest. p.m. We got here a bout 11 a clock and was drove to the orental Hotel and then we was drove to the city Hall and the mare and council give us a lunch and then they told us that we was invitted up to have tea with Mr. and Mrs. Dennis the gov. and I says I dident want no tea but Callahan says I had to go a long so we all went a long up to where the gov. lives at and sure enough there was the gov. and Mrs. Dennis and we was interduced to them and they was tickeled to deth.
Mr. Dennis says to me You certunly look like a athalete and I let him feel of my arm and my caff and he says he wisht he was musseled up like me and I says you would half to be if you was a big league pitcher but I dont supose you fool a round much out doors and he says no he dident have no time and I says Well then whats the diffrunts weather your a big strong man or a little scrimp only if you had my build peopl turns a round to look at you on the st. and the girls would pester you to deth and he says Well I guess I better not interduce you to lady Dennis and I says No Ill get a long better if I dont never meet no more wommen ladys or what ever they are.
But after words I got interduced to the Mrs. and she says the same thing her old man says a bout me being big and strong and Mr. Dennis come up to us wile we was talking and says this young man is pestered by wommen and she says O my I beg your pardon and she laughed and walked a way from me and I dident get no chanct to see her and tell her diffrunt because of coarse I would just as leave talk to her and what I ment was a bout the girls writeing notes to me or calling me up at the hotel in the diffrunt towns we stop at in the summer.
Well Al we finely come a way from the Dennisis and then I went back to the hotel and fixed up my pone and I dident have much time but I frammed up some thing pretty good and read it to them down to the saviges club last night and heres what I give them:
Wear makeing a trip a round the world
To show the Nat. game
to the peopl of the diffrunt countrys
Is why we came.
Wear glad to be here in Melbourne
For boys youve got a grate town
And boys I want to tell you
Of your town you should be proud.
Mcgraw says Im going to pitch tommorow.
And I hope you will all come out
And your presents and your cheers
Will surly help me out.
I will show you boys my fast 1
and onct in a wile my curve
But when my fast 1 is zipping threw there
You might say I dont need no curve.
So heres to the saviges club
Youve showed us a roil good time
old Glorys the best country in the world
But Melbournes not so far behind.
Well Al I was the hit of the entertanemunt and they was pretty near all of them out there to the pk. today and I guess I all ready told you a bout me beating the White Sox 12 to 8 and it could of been 12 to 0 as well is not and now Mcgraw owes me an other present and he says he will get it for me when we get it to Adeline and we leave for there tommorow night and I havent no idear what is it hes going to get.
Friend Al: Well Al I guess theys a million peopl wishs they was a pitcher like me and what do you think Im wishing now Al Im wishing I wasent no pitcher at all but a catcher and if I had of been a catcher and not no pitcher I wouldent be in no danger like Im in now. May be Al you wont know me the next time you see me and may be my face will be diffrunt and it will ether be me or some body else a long on the trip thats got to suffer and its just my luck to be the 1. I bet if I had of knew what we was runing in to I wouldent never of got on the boat at Adeline but they wasent no body told me a bout the danger and here I am takeing a chanct with the rest of them that is all accept the catchers the lucky stiffs and they aint in no danger like the rest of us.
Well Al we got on to the boat at Adeline this p.m. and we hadent been on the boat more then a couple hrs. when I found out a bout what wear going to run in to and I found out wile I and dutch Schaefer was talking to 1 of the crews on the boat. Schaefer says some thing a bout the Ocean water being smoothe and the crew says yes its all OK today but tommorow we will be in the grate australian Bite and then theys libel to be trouble and when Schaefer herd him I thot Schaefer was going to fant and I drug him over to a chair and pretty soon he come to again and then I ast him what was libel to come off.
Then Schaefer says You herd what that man said dident you and I say Yes and Schaefer says Well you know what it means dont you and I says no I dident and he says Well it means wear going to run right threw the grate australian Bite insted of going a round it and I says Well what a bout it and he says Well you know what a Bite is dont you and I says Yes I know what a flee bite or a muskeeto bite is and Schaefer says Well this is a million times worst then them and if you dont know what it is youll find out tommorrow when you see it.
Well Al I had to cox him a long wile before he would tell me the truth on acct he says it made him sick to talk a bout it but finely he told me. You see Al they call this place the grate australian Bite on acct of a grate big bug that flys a round over the water and the bugs called a Bite bug on acct of how he bites and hes a bout as big like a egle only hes got a reglar mouth and fangs like a woof and he flys a round all the time waiting till he sees a boat and then he atacks the boat and bites 1 man and then hes satisfide and flys a way and waits for the next boat and some times he missus 1 boat but not very offten and he flys so qick that they aint no body cant get out of his way when he comes after you not even Cobb. And he aint never satisfide unlest he bites off 1 of your feechers your nose or ear or some thing. He bites his way right threw the window and scream or threw wood and the only thing thats got him stopped is irren and steal and thats why the catchers is OK because they can ware there mast over there faces.
Well Al Id of been all right if Schaefer had only of told me that sooner a bout the catchers masts keeping the bug out but he dident tell me that at 1st or I could of got 1 of the catchers to leave me take there mast and wore it on my face tommorow and they couldent of got it a way from me with a shot gun but when he finely told me it was to late and when I seen I. V. Wingow and ast him to leave me look at his mast he all ready was wise and he says no he should say not and did I think he was a sucker. So you see Al him and jack Bliss and Slight wont be in no danger because they can ware there masts all day accept when there eating or they dont even half to take them off wile there eating if they want to eat salery or some thing like that that they can stick threw there mast and eat it.
Theys only 3 masts on the trip because I ast Callahan and he says thats all they was and he says What do you want of a mast have you deside it you cant pitch and I says I guess you know I can pitch and he says guess again so you see Al they aint no guessing a bout it but as I say I wisht I was a catcher now insted of a pitcher and if I ever get back to Chicago or some wheres where they sell masts Im going to buy 1 and carry it a round on trips with me after this and not take no chances.
Well Al they aint no danger of none of us geting killed because theys a Dr. on the Ship bord and he can rap up the place where the bug gets his fangs in to you so you wont blead to deth but Id pretty near as leave be dead is not have no nose or no ear and think how a man would look like Al and I wouldent never dast go home to Florrie.
Well Al it wasent long before evry body on the Ship bord knowed a bout what we was runing in to and we had a meeting a wile a go trying to figure up some thing to fight the bug with and steve Evans says that Crawford or Speaker or 1 of the good hitters should ought to stand out on the porch with a bat and take a wallop at the bug when he showed up because if you hit him in a certun spot on his head he will drop dead only it takes a man with a good eye to crack him just right.
Well Crawford and Speaker says they wouldent take no risk like that and then Schaefer says to me You think your a hitter dont you and I says no I dont think nothing of the kind and I aint no sucker nether. Then some body says we should all ought to try and proteck the wommen on the boat but Schaefer says the crews told him that the Bite dont never go after wommen because there ears is all ways to small to get a good bite at them and most of there nose is. So you see Al the wommen and the catchers is the only peopl that aint takeing no chanct and I wouldent be nervus if all the rest of us had a even chanct and the bug was as libel to bite 1 is the other but Schaefer says the bug aint as lightly to bite a homily man is a good looking man and I got a right to be nervus hey Al.
Well Al we cant do nothing but wait and see what happens and if you dont hear no more from me youll know what come off because I wont have the nerve to write and tell you if worst come worst. I wisht we hadent never left Adeline but still in all why should I be the 1 to get evry thing thats comeing and it seems like as if I should ought to have the luck onct in a wile and I dont never have none out there pitching.
Schaefer says the catchers has all got there masts locked up in there trunks and there rooms locked up and the key in there pockit the cheap stiffs.
Well Al it dont look like I would get much sleep tonight. This is a fine bum of a trip hey Al.
Al: well Al the last 3 days has been like a night mare or a bad dream or some thing but now its all over and here we are in Fremantle and some of the boys has drove over to perth but Im so wore out they couldent higher me to go no wheres.
Well Al that there bug dident bite no body on the Ship bord and now wear all safe and out of the place where he flys a round and wear not in no more danger with him but now wear going to be up against some thing else and I will tell you a bout it only 1st I want to tell you a bout how we come to get a way from this here bug only I cant tell you for sure why was it because evry body says some thing diffrunt.
I dident never see the bug at all because I stayed in my birth room all the wile and dident even go in the dinning room for meals but the meals was broughten to me in my birth room only I dident eat many meals in the last 3 days on acct of me not feeling good but sevrel of the boys seen the bug and some of the crews seen him to and the crews cant figure out why he dident light on to this boat and that they must be some body on the trip thats got a hole lot of luck because this is the 1st boat the bugs missed in 2 yrs.
So the boys has been trying to figure out who is the lucky 1 on the trip and Callahan says its the N.Y. giants because they was lucky to win all them penants but Evans says you cant call the giants lucky because evry time they win the penant look at who they had to play against in the world serious and Mcgraw says it must be the White Sox because there lucky to stay in the league with out droping out of the bottun and Schaefer says it must be on acct of us haveing so many left handers on the trip Wiltse Speaker donlin Crawford Leverenz and Evans the lucky left handed stiffs only Evans aint no stiff but OK and comical when you get to know him.
Then Speaker says I was the lucky 1 and I says what do you mean lucky and did you ever see the time where I had any luck out there pitching and he says Your lucky the dog catcher dident get a hold of you and I says Yes and you are to and he dident say nothing back.
Well Al who ever it was we was lucky all right and Im tickeled to deth wear threw with that part of the trip and Im glad I dident see the bug because the boys that seen him says he was a awfull thing to look at him and he come right up clost to the boat sevrel times and all the catchers was standing out on the porch with there masts on and they all had bats and was going to try and hit him but they says he was like ed Rulebacks fast ball and he dident never come near enough for them to hit.
larry Doyle the capt of the giants says the Bite probily come just clost enough to the boat so as he could reckonize some of the ball players and then made up his mind they was enough bugs on the boat all ready with out him comeing on to the boat but of coarse they couldent be nothing to that because how could a man clear over here on the other side of the world tell 1 ball player from the other let a lone a inseck and Doyle was just jokeing or he dont know nothing but it seems like as if a man thats been a round N.Y. city as long is Doyle would know better then to mean it in ernest that a inseck could tell the players a part and hes suposed to be 1 of the smartest men Mcgraws got and if hes the smartest Id hate to run in to the guys that dont know nothing but may be he was just jokeing.
Well Al as I say wear all threw with the Bite and no more danger from geting bit by the Bite but now wear going to run in to some thing else pretty near as bad only this time they aint no danger of looseing 1 of your feechers but just geting sores all over your head and if they was any way to get home from here with out going a long on the trip you bet I would tell them to take this here trip and or my share from it and feed it to the fishs but I got to go a long because they aint no over the land rout because australia is a iland and shroud it by water.
I will tell you what wear going to run up against now Al and its comeing pretty soon as soon is the boys gets back from perth and the boat starts out again. the next Ocean we go threw is the indian Ocean and wear going to be in it for 9 days and of coarse we was lucky to get threw the place where the Bite was at with out no body geting hurt but we was only in there 3 days and now wear going to be in the indian Ocean 3 times longer so it looks like as if they wouldent no lucky left handers nor nothing else save us this time but as I say they aint no danger of geting killed only sore spots on your head.
When Schaefer 1st told me a bout us comeing in to the indian Ocean and how bad it would be I thot of coarse they was probily a lot of wild indians liveing on the ilands and they would may be shoot at us or some thing but Schaefer says no it aint the indians we got to be afrade of because the indians is to busy drinking the water out of the Ocean because its fire water and they live on it.
But what we got to be looking out for is the Thomas Hawks thats some thing like a reglar hawk only they dont go after chickens because of coarse they aint no chickens out in the middle of the Ocean but insted of chickens they go after humen beans and they sale a round over the boat in flocks and all of a sudden they snoop down on to the boat and peck at a mans head and there peck aint poson but there bills is sharp and they cut right in to your head and make a sore and when they find a mans head thats soft they make a noise to the rest of the flock and then they all of them pick on to 1 man and cut his head all to peace is.
Thomas Hawks dont never pester you when your in doors because they cant get in but only when your out on the porch.
And steve Evans says they aint no danger for some of the rest of them because the Thomas Hawks couldent peck threw there heads with a ax and before the hawks would try and peck in to some of there heads they would try and peck a hole in the side of the boat and he says to me You wont be in no danger your self and you can walk all over the porch wile some of us has to stay crooped up in our room and I guess he ment because Im not afrade of nothing but I dont see why a man should take a chanct Al and probily get by all right but still theys a chanct I might get my head all sord up and whats the use of a man being a sucker.
Well Al I guess you know I wouldent of never started on this trip if Id knowed all as we was going to bump in to and if Callahan and Comiskey had of been right they would of told me before the boat ever left the U.S. but of coarse you see why they dident tell me because they knowed if they told me I wouldent of never came on the trip and with out ether I or Mathewson a long on the trip the peopl in the diffrunt countrys would of been sore and says the trip was a fake and of coarse Mcgraw dident tell me nothing because where would his club of been at but for I going in there and wining for him evry time I start accept when they kick the games a way in back of me.
But Comiskey and Callahan and Mcgraw all of them could of went to the devvil and I wouldent never of made the trip if Id knowed what was comeing off and no sooner wear out of 1 danger and heres an other and if it isent 1 thing it isent the next.
And the trips all ready costed me pretty near $100.00 bucks includeing the money I borryed off of Callahan for my cloths and the cloths I got in Vanila and the $10.00 them crickit players robbed me out of and I dont get nothing for pitching and you cant even get out and see the sites because a mans all ways afrade of 1 of these here bugs or birds biteing you.
Fine trip hey Al and I told them in the 1st place to get some body else and leave me stay home with little Al and Florrie where I bellong.
Well Al I can hear the boys comeing back from perth and pretty soon we will be starting in to the indian Ocean and before we get out of it my head will probily look like a scream door. Fine trip hey Al.