October 17th Harvest Festival

Twas an unexpectedly hot day for mid October, with the Thermomometer hittin' up over the century mark. Life was good though.... The smells of hot Pies and Chili cookin' filled the air as Base Ball was played out on the field. No Heat Wave was gonna stop us rowdy fellas from playin' Base ball.

The First match saw the All-Star club from the Northwest Territory pitted against them Senators from Phoenix. The Match was well played until the later innings as the All-Stars ran away with the match. Final tally was All-Stars 22 aces to the Senators 5.

The Second Match was well played by the Bisbee Bees and the Local boys out of Glendale. As the temperature started to heat up so did the Match. The bats were alive and the defense was spectacular from both clubs. The Gophers ended up with a win in the last two innings with the final tally 14 aces to 6. The afternoon Championship was set. Bisbee would face off against Phoenix for the consolation match as Northwest Territories would face off against Glendale for the Championship Match.

With the first two matches played and the afternoon set, we all gathered for the Harvest Feast. The Chili and Pie contest was Judged by the Arbitrators, Tally Master and Honorary Judges, Mayor Bob Burnside from Camp Verde and Mr. Richard Saenz from the Phoenix News. After the judging we all partook in the vittles. Mr. John Linker was voted up for the Best Chili in these parts. Not only tasty, but SPICY!!! Mrs. Jerri Mikus was Judged with the best lookin' and tastin' pie this side of the Mississippi with her Famous Lemon Mirangue Pie, Mmm-Mmm-Mmm! Now that was tastey!

The Chillins' kept entertained with train rides and games of all sorts. They was flippin' dimes for dishes. Pitchin' bean bags for prizes and painting toys for arts and crafts. Later in the afternoon they all gathered up in Ol' Paul's back yard and greased up a pig for a pig chase. Yes, the day was good....

After the Vittles and all was done with and the dishes got cleaned and put away, we were back to playin' Base Ball. The consolation match had the Bisbee Bees playing with the Phoenix Senators. The Afternoon was extermely hot with the mercury climbing up to 103 degrees. This blistering heat still had no deterence from the Gentlemen playing Base Ball. The only problem we experience with the heat was the shade ran away to get out of the heat, leaving us out in the sun with no relief. The match played on however with the Bisbee Bees Victorious 11 aces to 5.

The Arbitrator and Tally Master had just about enough of the heat, so with a quick quenching drink of water they called the Championship Match to play. The Nortwest Territories All-Stars Struck first, but not often enough to hold back the on-slaught that came in the form of the Glendale Gophers. The Gophers were relentless in thier pursuit of the Championship trophy. With the Final inning played through, the Arbitrator called Match with the Gophers claiming the Championship with the Final Tally 12 aces to 5.

Oh, what a day that was had by all. We look forward to hosting everyone again next fall.

How the West was One....

Twas a wild time up at Fort Verde over the past few days. The Farmers all worked frivilously to bring in and secure the Harvest while them Cavalry boys kept them cantakerous Apaches at bay. While the Cavalry was out on the plains with them Apache Raiders, us fellas from Glendale kept the Fort clean and secure. Glad we could do our part. The town of Camp Verde can rest easy once again.


Once the Unit withdrew and came back to the Fort and all responsibilities were relinquished back to the Cavalry we loaded up our wagons in preparation for the trek back to Glendale. We spent the best part of our last day relaxing around the cook kettles with the smell of Turkey dinner roasting in the pots.

It was brought up and decided that we'd all work up an appetite for dinner. So them Cavalry boys brought out the sacks and bats. One of the quartermasters stiched up a ball and we had a Base Ball match with the Cavalry. The Fort Verde Excelsiors, as they call themselves, won the bat toss for home field advantage. With the Glendale fellas up to bat first the match got under way. Us glendale boys batted through the lineup in our first inning of work. When we turned over the bats to the Excelsiors, our defense didn't allow any aces. We played for the best part of 2 hours or so. Somewhere along the line we lost track of how many aces each club had scored. It was more just a bunch of Good Ol' Boys havin' fun.

We got through the 5th inning and decided to call it quits because of the overpowering smell of the Turkey dinner with all the fixin's. The hunger got the best of us all as we enjoyed a succulent dinner. As we were all much obliged for the fixin's and the Base Ball match, the enevitable was upon us. it was time to head the wagons south for Glendale as we have our own harvest to bring in this week.

All is done not in jest, as the Fort Verde Cavalry unit has agreed to come down to Glendale in the upcoming week to insure that we have a safe harvest as well. Hopefully we can return the favor of a great harvest spread as we were treated to. I still savor that Succulent Turkey dinner.

Headed North

With the War getting heated and the Apaches on the Offensive, we have been asked to make our way up to Ft. Verde to help the already battle weary Cavalry. With Fall in the air and the Harvest coming up from the fields, the concern is that an Apache raid is eminant! We've been recruited to help secure the Fort while the Boys in Blue watch over the Farmers and escort them in to Market.


I got the Wagon all hitched and ready to pull out at first light. I have enough provisions to get the family through the three day haul up the hill. I loaded light knowing that the Mountain range twixt Glendale and Ft. Verde is a steep, long haul.


To all my fellow Gophers, I have room in the Wagon if'n there's anyone what needs help getting up to Ft. Verde. The Mules have been out to pasture and are well rested for the trip. I'm gonna tether ol' Daisy and Emma up to the wagon for when we hit the Mountains outside of Black Canyon. The Oxen can pull the wagon a bit easier than the Mule team up that steep terrain.
Happy Trails and God Bless.

Ready to play!

Saturday found us in the midst of a joint practice with "dem boys from Bisbee" again. With the Bees, Gophers and a few town boys, we had 10 men out on the prairie shaggin and swattin base balls around. I'm thinkin we found our First Sacker. Hoss has a pretty sure hand over there. Second sack is still a toss up, but Ole Books seems to have a pretty good handle on it. Kid Linker, me thinks, will rove around as our Middle Maintainer. We still need to figure out who's gonna field as the Behinder as well as Gardeners. I'm thinkin that we'll have Frenchy take on Left Gardener , Papi Ramirez patrolling out the Center Garden with Blondie taking care of the right side. I'm thinkin that Preacher can either Hurl or pick up as the Behinder with Way-out Smythe doing the other. We also have Smitty that can pick up any position needed. I heard that smitty has some time in the Professional arena with a club from New York, maybe you've heard of the Dodgers Club Nine?
After practice concluded, we made our way to Town Hall and had a town meeting. It has been decided that we are all itchin to have a match. I sent out by telegraph an invite to a few clubs from neighboring towns to come out in a few weeks to put on a few matches. We invited the Bees out of Bisbee, the Senators out of Phoenix and the Stars from that Sun city place. Hopefully we'll get em all to come out, as this is the time that Glendale holds it's Harvest Festival.
I can't wait for the for the Festival this year! I hear that Granny Linker is bringin one of her Famous Pies for the Bakin and eatin contest. I loves me a slice of Granny Linkers Pies! I'm also told that we're gonna have some Of the Cavalry boys from Fort Verde down to make sure they ain't no Apache raids of the Festival. Can't never be too careful with them Apache's on the Warpath! We'll see what else happens in October.....

Bulldozer

GLENDALE TOWNSHIP HOLD FIRST PRACTICE

Glendale Township gathered today for its first Official Base Ball Practice.
There was quite a BUZZ when a few of them Bisbee Bees showed up to see what was happening.
"I think they may have sent spies" says one Glendale source. Little did he know that these fellas were here today to help Captain Bulldozer teach the fellas the game of Base Ball. Jim " Stretch" Gentner and Jimmy " Hustle" Roth both gave thier wisdom and knowledge of the game to the Boys from Glendale. Watch out , here come the GOPHERS!

Back Home in Glendale

To all,

It's been a week over a year since I left the farm to play Base Ball with the Phoenix Senators. My contract has duely expired. I was given the option to re-sign, but politely declined so as to come home and learn the town about Base Ball. Farm and Family still intact, it's good to be home.
Oh, the stories i could tell.... We played Base Ball with the Cavalry boys up at Fort Verde fresh from plundering an Apache raid! Poor fellas, We let em off a serious whoopin' by callin the match at the end of the second inning. Twasn't quite fair of us to play them thata way, us all rested up an them just coming off an assignment. So we gathered up round the campfire at et the vittles that were prepared by the camp cooks. Them was some mighty fine vittles!
Our ventures took us to the town ship of Peoria next. We come across the Bisee fellas there. They was on another Barnstormin when we run up on them. Wasn't long an we put a whoopin on them as well. They started out out aceing us for the first few innings. wasn't long afore our Senators bats came to life an we started a rousting of them fellas. The last coupla innings found the Senators tallying up the aces and proclaiming victory.They licked thier wounds all the way back to Bisbee. Sorry fellas....
We were invited up to Preskit City to play a match before the Territorial Governer. Again we found the Bisbeeans there. They were the scheduled opponents for the Governers match. It was a good day for Base Ball. The sky was open and the weather was fair. Lot's of folks come out to see the match. I didn't know Preskit was such a big city! There, again, we delivered a pretty seriuos whoopin on the Bees. Our bats stayed alive the entire match. We ended up roustin them 39-16 aces. They're still lickin wounds over that one!
With near equal records, we once again faced the Bees in the Territorial Championship. This match was played in the Bees back yard. It was held in the border town of Bisbee. We played one of the first matches ever in the new Warren Ball Park. Our Phoenix Senators whooped up on the Bees in the first match of the series, but wern't so lucky in the second match. The Bees were smackin that ball around somethin serious. The Senators saving grace was that the match was called cause we run outta day light. Unfortunately, we couldn't finish the match the next day on account of a hullabaloo taking place in town. We had to jump our horses and wagons and skeedatle outa town. I have a feeling that our town of Glendale will see the pesky Bees again!
It's good to be home and i'm looking forward to learnin everyone about Base Ball.
For more on my plight with the Senators, visit http://phoenixsenators.org/

Bulldozer

Glendale Harvest Festival

Contract with the Senators.

I was invited to see the Bisbee Bees have a match last evening up in Peoria. I made my way up there to find that the Bees Right Gardener was taken with an illness. Captain Tenney asked if i'd like to give it a go. I was a little nervous and excited all at once. As the match went on, i started to understand a bit about Base ball. There seems to be a lot of rules. I don't know if i'll ever be able to remember them all???
As my first appearance as a Striker, i didn't fare so well. It's harder to hit that round ball with round bat that it appears to be. I kept "foul ticking" the ball to the "Behinder". If he catches the ball on one bound after a tick, you are recorded as a "dead man". so i need to learn how to strike with authority. I was pretty good out in the garden. I caught everything in sight!
After the match, i was approached by Captain Singh of the Phoenix Senators. He was mighty impressed with my prowess in the garden and henceforth signed a contract with me for the term of 1 year. Under contract, i must travel with the Club Nine from Phoenix. The contract is for the amount of $150.00 this year. If I can make that kind of money every year, i could buy a bigger farm!
I am to leave my home tonight for the term of 1 year to have matches with the Senators, where ever they may roam. I have trusted the farm to my Wife and Children as i venture off with the Senators. I will be taking my oldest boy with me so we can both learn this game of Base ball and bring it back with us to Glendale.
I hope to see everyone soon, as i know i will miss my Family and my farm. Please look forward to having matches with all the towns in our territory. As i understand, Base ball is sweeping across our Country to every town from one coast to the next.

Field of Dreams

So it came to pass that i was looking for a bit of Prairie to construct a playing field. What i found was a simply PERFECT plot back behind the ol' West Valley Family Church. So i went out in search of the Parson to inquire. To my surprise i found Preacher Foley out by the tool shed. So i did inquire and he gave me his blessing with God's speed. I sized things up a bit an figured that it could be done, but i'd need a bit of help. My next stop? Why i ran straight over to Hoss Montgomery's place. He came out to the Church plot and we sized things up together. Hoss said to me " Meet me here tomorrow morning and we'll get started." Tickled pink, i went on back to the homestead to finish off my chores and get a jump on tomorrows as well. Come night fall, i went straight to bed. I was so excited that even forgot to eat my supper.
Come the Roosters crow i was up and at em. Took care of the animals and threw a saddle on ol' Pokey and ran in to town. Hoss was already there with his team of mules and a plow. With a gentle whistle and a hi-yah, Ford and Tractor (Hoss's mules) began to plow the overgrown plot. I'll tell you, what a team those two are. between them and Hoss, the plot was plowed in the inside of a single day. What a good days work the three of them had accomplished. The next morning, Hoss and the team pulled a drag around that ol plot and smoothed it right out. All i had to do was walk along and pull out the clumps of weeds and such that had been tilled from the soil.
The folks from the Church had put together a brigade and constructed a fence around the plot. the fence was plenty big and perfectly shaped to be a Base ball field. I hearded a few cattle over and Hoss left Ford and Tractor for a few days. within a short time they had the prairie grass neatly trimmed out in the "garden". all that was left was to clean up a few pies and apples left behind by the grass trimming crew.... All we need now is to learn the game of Base ball and put together a team.

Return from Phoenix

So i saddled up the ol' mare and rode in to Phoenix. I looked up the Senator for the territory and the gent had no clue what i was talking about when i asked him about Base ball. I told him that the Bisbee Bees had come to town to play a Base ball match with the Senators. He replied " Senators, why i'm the only Senator twixt here and Prescott!" Disheartened, i was on my way out of town when i came across a group of fellas throwing a ball around an empty field on the outskirts of town. As I made my way across the prairie, I realized i had stumbled across the Bees camp. I started asking questions about the game of Base ball and found out that the Senators of Phoenix were to arrive within the hour for a match. I exclaimed that i had visited the Senator and he had no knowledge of any othefr Senators in the area. One fella informrd me that there was a group of ballists who called themselves the Senators, the same how they called themselves the Bees. Aha......
I watched as a couple of men laid out sacks of sawdust in a square out in the middle of the prairie. Right in the middle of the square on gent laid down a metal disc. About this time a couple of wagons came bouncing up near the square. Within a few minutes another group came riding up on the ponies. as evryone gathered up, a representative from each "club" gathered at one point of the square. Whatever they was talkin about must have needed settled because the town judge had to come out to settle the debate. One group sat down on some baled hay as the other group ran out and positioned themselves around the sacks, with a few fellas running out further into the prairie. One fella, the "Hurler" made his way to the middle of the square and pulled a ball from his back pocket. The Judge yelled "Striker to the line!" as one of the fellas got up from the bales and grabbed a wooden "bat"(made from a wooden stick) and strode up to another point in the square. The Hurler reached back and tossed the ball towards the Striker. The striker swung that bat with enthusiasm and authority as he struck the ball deep out into the prairie. evreyone started running aroung chasing the ball and throwing at each other. The Judge yelled out " one man dead!" but i didn't see any dead fellas. now the striker headed back to the bales. The next fella hit that ball soo hard, that i think that it ended up in the capital city of prescott. He ran around and jumped on all the sacks. After touching the last sack, he strode over to a little table and told this one gent to please score his "ace". Then the Judge yelled "one ace scored!".
The teams kept going till the Judge yelled "three men dead!" and then they changed sides. They did this nine different times till the Judge proclaimed it to be a match. Then he proclaimed that the Senators had been victorious by a score of 5 aces to 4.
I have been informed that the club nine from Bisbee will be coming back through Glendale on their way back to Bisbee in the next week or so. And that if we as a town were interested that they would be happy to stay a day and teach us the game of Base ball. I look forward to the day.

Glendale Post July 12, 1860

Glendale Post July 12, 1860

Last evening the Township of Glendale held their first ever town meeting. The articles brought forth to the meeting were overshadowed by the buzz surrounding the hullabaloo created when the barnstorming Bisbee Bees base ball club came through town on the way to our neighboring Phoenix town. Appearantly Phoenix has gathered a group of fellas to play the game of Base ball. My guess is that they are from the Government. I have been told that they are the Senators of our territory.

I have been asked to search out this game of Base ball and report back to the town council with my findings. The club nine from Bisbee has all of our farmers and store owners in an uproar wanting to know more about this Base ball game. I am on my way to Phoenix today to see if i can catch our territorial Senators to find out more about this game. I will report back when I return.

Look for our next printing to find out more about this so called game of Base ball, as i will have a full page article in our one page paper

More to come....