 Hello there, this is Jimmy Powers coming your way with another story from the tumult and the shouting Hi there, this is Jimmy Powers transcribed with another Grant Van Rice story from the tumult and the shouting today's chapter contains several stories granny labeled Magnificent screwballs, and I'd like to pick up his narration in first person Certainly my most exciting days and nights have been spent on the road There's a fresh outlook when you move out on the trail it takes you around the map Los Angeles, Chicago Miami, New Orleans, Louisville, Dallas, St. Louis, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Shelby, St. Petersburg Wherever there's a big sports story, that's where the compass points Since 1901 years of work and travel. I've enjoyed meeting and knowing so many stars and champions But I don't think this feeling quite reaches the deeper glow that has come from my more affectionate connections With the writers and friends I've made along this almost endless trail In the earlier days a lot of us were often broke or next to it But one thing about the greatest profession a little thing like money or the lack of it never gave us much concern I remember it was the night before the Willard Dempsey fight in Toledo. There was a big party in the outskirts It was on the house and nearly all the writers covering the show went a good-looking girl was checking them in Ring lardner Damon Runyon, HC Whitmer, Gene Fowler, Haywood Bruin, Percy Hammond, Rube Goldberg Great trade names were given one by one the hostess thinking it was all a fake was getting sore Finally another came to sign in she hardly looked at him, but blurted and you you big bum I suppose you are Irvin Cobb He was One of the livelier additions down the long journey has been Tom Meany a fine writer a keen storyteller and a high-grade wit One night after a World Series game in New York Meany was the victim of a fellow who meant well, but bored deep Tom couldn't get rid of him. He wasn't a bad fellow, but you know the type he hung on like a leech Finally Tom decided to leave the party. His loquacious friend said I'll drive you home Tom You already have replied Meany Perhaps the finest group to grace American journalism flourished from 1910 to 1925 This list included Runyon Lardner Bruin Fowler McGee and Pegler Saul Singer McBride Danforth and some others with that pack sweeping down the field How could this era miss? Writing men necessarily are creative men and as such run to no set formula There were odd varieties among the tops as odd as a Chinese puzzle was Bill Phelan the Cincinnati sage who could write and Well about anything He would write you five thousand words for ten dollars and not junk. He neither smoked nor drank It was different with women art and other details Built and clothed like great shaggy dogs Phelan and Hayward Bruin were as rare a pair of clothes horses as ever wore shoe leather Bill was an animal collector of sorts one day in the polo grounds press box I was sitting with Phelan and Harry Saul Singer. There was a white cigar box in front of me punctured with many holes I was leaning on it By the way, Phelan said I was down at the wharf this morning and I brought back a young Fertilance Most poisonous snake in South America a slender snake who strikes quick. I got him cheap Where is he? I asked in that box. You are leaning on Bill said I Covered 20 yards in a second Saul Singer beat that the openings in the cigar box were bigger than the Fertilance William B. Hannah was one of my closest friends. He wrote perfect English and was an expert on football and baseball reporting He was with the old New York Sun first and then the Herald When you read one of Bill's stories, you knew that's the way it happened He was a brilliant writer and a perfect reporter a small fellow. He seemed a trifle shriveled Hannah was an eccentric. He would never stop above the fifth floor of a hotel Twice on the same night. He had been caught in hotel fires Also, he hated number 13 One day in making a reservation in Florida. I got the top floor for Hannah and myself Hannah almost fainted no higher than the fifth. He shouted at me. I got another room. Bill had another fit You got 58 he called that's the fifth floor. I said but 58 adds up to 13 he said One afternoon Phelan passed Hannah headed down Broadway in New York. Hello Bill. He said hello Phelan bill responded a Practical Joker who knew Bill's eccentricities Phelan hopped a southbound cab got out a block below the oncoming Hannah and greeted him again with hello, Bill a Surprised Hannah returned the greeting Phelan did this three or four more times at the fourth Hello, Bill Hannah started for the river and was barely prevented from diving in in the earlier years of my wandering about in the sporting Domain Westbrook Peggler was one of my closest companions later Pegg left our field flat to shoot at bigger game in politics He was a fine sports columnist usually working in the role of offering bitter protests against various people and conditions in His social connections. However Pegg could lay aside his protesting role and have more fun than most Some years ago when he was covering both politics and a world series in New York the game was postponed on account of rain We came back to my apartment Pegg was restless. He couldn't see any off-day baseball story So he began scanning the library ranged around the room. He got up from his chair and finally picked out a book How big is a giant panda Peggler asked he was scanning a book written by General Theodore Roosevelt about his years search for the Beast and how he had brought one home He is about as big as a collie dog. Although he weighs more. I said is he ferocious Pegg asked. I don't think so I said no more was said on the subject as Pegg went back to work Next day there appeared a terrific blast at Teddy Junior for capturing what was believed to be a dangerous animal That in reality was as docile as a kitten or a puppy for 40 years and more Frank L. Stanton turned out a column of verse and paragraphs for the Atlanta Constitution By all odds the finest poet I ever met. He was like a mockingbird Singing in a Georgia oak which happened to be flooded with moonlight Don Markey a far better judge of poetry than I rated James Whitcomb Riley first and Stanton second among American poets Stanton wrote mighty lacquer rose just a whirring for you and turned out hundreds of other Remembered songs in his more than 40 years of service one year 1903 Markey and I lived at the Aragon Hotel in Atlanta Stanton liked a nightcap or two before the bar closed at 10 p.m. So did Don and I Stanton had to escape to make port and he was frequently late. I remember the bartender one night saying sorry, but time's up, Mr. Stanton I will write the a verse for a drink Stanton said He immediately dashed off a verse beginning times up for love and laughter It was a beautiful thing and later on it appeared in judge your puck Many good writers have tried to put together a book about ring lardner, but none has as yet succeeded To contain ring would be like wrapping up a wraith I live side-by-side or house-by-house with him many many years and yet I never quite knew that I knew him Ring was a fine baseball writer and equally good at football He was a magnificent comedy writer, but the savage bitterness of his best work was his main feature I never knew anyone who hated a phony more than he did. I Took him to Washington with me for a golf match with President Harding Harding said at the meeting rice is here to get a Story, why did you come? I had a good reason ring said I want to be appointed ambassador to Greece Why Harding asked my wife doesn't like great neck That's a better reason than most of these people have replied Harding Harding had a way of driving and then walking from the tee on ahead Ring followed him on one drive and called four about three times Harding had walked about 40 yards and was now under an apple tree Ring drove hitting a lusty ball with a slight slice the ball struck a thick branch just over Harding's head The branch fell on Harding's shoulder. He was startled and waited for ring to come up and apologize. I Did all I could to make Coolidge president was all ring said Harding dropped his club and roared with laughter After the Harding-Lardner golf match I decided to go back to Washington when mr. Coolidge was in the White House to dig up another presidential story The president was making a talk that day before a press gathering when he was through I was introduced to him The party was very short The last time I was in Washington. I said to president Coolidge. I played golf with president Harding Do you happen to play golf or tennis? I asked him. No, he said but I have my game What is it? I questioned walking. He said I couldn't write much about that. I said no, he answered I later found that he had two other sports one was fishing with worms. The other was wild turkey shooting Mr. Coolidge went turkey hunting with a South Carolina guide He was hidden away under thick cover the guide said to him when I nudge you shoot The guide called the turkey up to about 20 yards. He nudged the president shook his head He tried again when the gobbler stopped six yards away this time the president let him have both barrels The turkey disappeared. It was a massacre. There was no turkey left Mr. Coolidge took no chances on anything Well, that completes our story for today. Hope you've enjoyed it. Now. This is Jimmy Powers transcribe saying so long for now