Show HOW HOV MIGHTY ONUS HONUS GOT COT fiRST JOB Started as a Pitcher at 35 Per Month and Jumped at the First Offer The Tho career o of Wa Wagner nor in baseball has been beon eon interesting Ho llo was reared in Carnegie ie Pa before it was Carne Carnegie ic and nd ho and his brot brothers ers played the game amo ame there John wonder how many admirers of Honus or Hans know his hisame name ame is John P. P Pf f was not Met a good tood player play- play er r as a boy Tho The brothers s thought ho he was a bit awkward and barred him except when whon he ho wanted to pitch says the bo American Magazine His anns anus were tremendously lon long and they thoy assert as- as crt sert around his home homo that when ho he was a kid kid and his le legs were V oven even more moro bowed hawed than they aro are now ho could walk alon along and pick up apples without stooping That immense length of arm has been advantages anta that lias has one ne of tho the physical es gono gone to make him tho the greatest of all players Besides ho Ito has shoulders almost almost al- al most ns as wide as ns his bis arms aro lon long and andic he be ic could throw w a ball with terrific speed Because he could throw so hard all aU tho the other boys boa boasted ted no catcher could hold John and thereupon made him lim pitcher Presumably Al AI who was Johns John's older oIdor brother became a professional player and got ot a job playing third base bum for a team cam at O. O George e Moreland More- More land and who ho is now tho chief baseball sta- sta of tho country was seized with a mania for owning o and mana managing n earns and aud he be had bou bought ht the too Steubenville Steuben- Steuben ville yule club and hired Al AlVa Va Wagner er More More- land hand needed a pitcher in tho summer of I 1895 1895 and could not find one to complete his lis pitching itching staff until Al Wagner came canic to 0 him and said II Why dont don't yon you give sive my brother John a aCan chance chancel II Can eRn ho pitch asked Moreland I dont don't know replied Al U but but it wont won't co cost t much for for you to out find Honus was playing on tho the lots lota around Carnegie and Moreland wrote a asking him if he lie would sign a contract to pitch for and tho the see see- ond da day thereafter there came camo a postal card on which was written Yes When Hen do you want me Wa Wagner the salary question entirely an and Moreland called Al into consultation What will your brother want he asked Ob Oh anything will suit him replied replied replied re re- re- re plied Al The salary limit of the tho Steubenville team was a month and Moreland oreland was within 33 3 5 of the tho limit set by bJ the thelea lea league e so 50 ho offered John Wagner 35 35 a n month to pitch for Cor him Th Tho following following follow follow- ing ins day came another laconic card All All ri right ht Will accept Moreland tel telegraphed Wagner to report report re re- re port immediately and wired a n railroad order for transportation The Tho telegram was afi sent pent at 8 o'clock in tho the morning momin and the first train Jain leaving heaving Pittsburg for started at noon Doon reaching about Shortly before 1 o'clock Claudo Claude who was playing bi bis hiJ first t professional proCessional engage engage- c. c ment said sahl II Horo comes come the big bil Dutchman and hans lIans Wagner Mer covered d with cinders cinders cin cia ders sauntered up to be begin n his baseball baseball base base- ball ban career |