Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopaedia of Sports and Amusements Part 121

The best, as in the case of England, were not always chosen: look at the essay of Pellas the Genoese, and admire Italian discrimination--if you can. The Sicilian, on the other hand, is indubitably inferior to the adopted design. In the centre lies the audacious offspring of the Fenian rebellion.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Several essays proposed for Governments which have not yet inst.i.tuted the postage stamp system, are surpa.s.singly beautiful in device and execution. Those by M. Riester, of Paris, are particularly elegant, Bolivia for example. The _Poisson d'Avril_ (April Fool) stamp is a curiosity in philatelic lore; it was gravely chronicled as emanating from Moresnet, and deceived the very knowing ones. (See cut at foot of next page.)

The longest reign in postal annals is twelve years; the defunct Dutch having lasted that period. Of the Spanish sets only two have outlived a twelvemonth unchanged. The 1 franc of the French empire, and the first issue of Schleswig-Holstein (see p. 755), were current rather more, the 25 centimes of the Empire and the Italian (represented below) less than a year. The tornese, Neapolitan arms, and the same _transmogrified_ into the Cross of Savoy, endured each about a month. The schilling _violet_, and 3 sch. _rose_ of Bergedorf, were a _nine_ days' wonder.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Among the notabilities of a choice postage-stamp collection may be chronicled the Connel essay. A New Brunswick postmaster of that name took the liberty of having his own physiognomy transferred to a sheet of postage stamps;--the result was his resignation. The tenpenny above depicted is unique, and was long supposed to be from Van Diemen's Land; but we rather believe it an English essay.

The s.p.a.ce allowed us compels an abrupt conclusion. We had intended touching on the eight various distinct modes of perforation, besides variations; and the distinguishing watermarks of various issues. We should also have liked to describe the amusing and exciting humours of 'Change, which many of our readers may remember witnessing in Lombard Street and its neighbourhood, or in the gardens of the Luxembourg and the Tuileries in Paris, during the early days of stamp-collecting; but we trust enough has been written to excite the interest of many who have purchased this volume on other accounts, yet may thus be induced to become votaries to the interesting and instructive pursuit of Philately.

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TINSELLING.

Should the reader feel inclined to try his hand at tinselling, he must procure one of those full-length theatrical portraits that are sold at the shops for a penny each. He ought to select one of the best-known figures, as he will then have no difficulty in procuring the embossed gold and silver work with which it is to be adorned. The whole figure must be carefully painted with water-colours, and the artist should take pains with those parts which are not intended to be covered or cut away.

Having finished the preliminary operation of colouring, the artist should neatly cut away those parts of the engraving which represent drapery, and place under the s.p.a.ces thus formed, satin, silk, or velvet of the proper colour, which may be secured to the back of the picture with a little gum.

Many tinsellers employ regular print-colourers to shade their silks and satins, but we strongly advise the reader to trust to his own abilities, and boldly set work to indicate the folds of the drapery by proper shadows. The pieces cut out of the engraving will show him where the different shadows ought to fall, and as for the colours to be used, we may state as a general rule that silk, satin, or velvet of a certain colour ought to be shaded with darker tints of the same colour.

Gum-water should be mixed with the colours used in shading, to prevent them running when applied to the woven fabric.

The artist may now proceed to the work of tinselling, which consists in gumming little spangles and embossed ornaments over certain parts of the picture. Every piece of armour, every b.u.t.ton, every jewel, and every weapon, should be represented in embossed work. All the pieces required for tinselling a figure may be purchased at the proper shops. In the figure of the warrior, the breastplate, shield, sword, and jewels would have to be formed of pieces of gilt or silver paper cut and stamped into proper shapes and patterns. The price of each piece of embossed work depends of course upon its size or elaborateness. When the picture is finished, it should be mounted on fine card-board, and placed in a neat frame.

THE AMERICAN GAME OF BASE-BALL.

The national game of ball of the American people, though having its origin in the English game of rounders, nevertheless possesses sufficiently marked features to ent.i.tle it to the distinction claimed for it. Unlike the schoolboy pastime from which it originated, it requires manly qualities in a high degree to excel in it. In fact, the difference between base-ball as played in America, and rounders as played in England, is as great as the contrast between the graceful and daring movements of an accomplished skater of the present time, and those of the skaters who, with pieces of ivory fastened to their feet, used to strive to glide over the ice in the year 1600. In base-ball, as in rounders, you use a bat and a ball and run round bases; but there all resemblance ceases.

The American game of base-ball, as now played, is not more than ten years old, for its date only extends back to the period just previous to the organization of the National a.s.sociation of Base-Ball Players, which a.s.sociation formed the present code of rules, and is the only authorized body having any supervisory power over the game. In fact, the history of the game commences with the formation of the National a.s.sociation, inasmuch as the rules previously in vogue were crude and irregular, and different in one locality from what they were in another. Since the organization of the National a.s.sociation and the meeting of the first annual convention, however, the game has spread throughout the country, and entirely superseded every other game of ball as a national pastime.

At first the a.s.sociation consisted of delegates from clubs, but now it is composed of a congregation of representatives from State base-ball a.s.sociations, governed by the National a.s.sociation proper, each State a.s.sociation having immediate control of the affairs of its own clubs, and possessing its own judiciary committee to settle disputes, but no supervisory control over the playing rules of the game, that matter being placed in the hands of a committee of rules of the parent a.s.sociation, to which is also attached a judiciary committee, forming a court of appeal from the decisions of State judiciary committees, and also a court to adjudicate upon disputes between clubs of two States.

At the last convention of the "_National a.s.sociation of Base-Ball Players_," which was held in Philadelphia, Dec. 11, 1867, and in which clubs from all sections of the country, from Maine to Iowa, and Michigan to Kentucky, were represented, the following code of rules was adopted to govern the play during the season of 1868:--

RULES AND REGULATIONS

ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL a.s.sOCIATION OF BASE-BALL PLAYERS.

RULE I.--THE BALL, BAT, AND BASES.

SEC. 1. The ball must weigh not less than five, nor more than five and one-quarter, ounces avoirdupois. It must measure not less than nine and one-quarter, nor more than nine and one-half, inches in circ.u.mference.

It must be composed of india-rubber and yarn, and covered with leather, and, in all match games, shall be furnished by the challenging club, and become the property of the winning club as a trophy of victory.

SEC. 2. The bat must be round, and must not exceed two and a half inches in diameter in the thickest part. It must be made of wood, and shall not exceed forty-two inches in length.

SEC. 3. The bases must be four in number, placed at equal distances from each other, and securely fastened upon each corner of a square whose sides are respectively thirty yards. They must be so constructed and placed as to be distinctly seen by the umpire, and must cover a s.p.a.ce equal to one square foot of surface. The first, second, and third bases shall be canvas-bags, painted white, and filled with some soft material; the home base and pitcher's points to be each marked by a flat plate, painted white.

SEC. 4. The base from which the ball is struck shall be designated the home base, and must be directly opposite to the second base; the first base must always be that upon the right-hand side, and the third base that upon the left-hand side of the striker, when occupying his position at the home base. And in all match games a line connecting the home and first base, and the home and third base, shall be marked by the use of chalk, or other suitable material, so as to be distinctly seen by the umpire. The base-bag shall be considered the base, and not the post to which it is, or should be, fastened.

RULE II.--THE PITCHING DEPARTMENT.

SEC. 1. The pitcher's position shall be designated by two lines two yards in length, drawn at right angles to the line from the home to the second base, having their centres upon that line at two fixed iron plates, placed at points fifteen and sixteen and one-third yards distant from the home-base. The pitcher must stand within these lines, and must deliver the ball as near as possible over the centre of the home base, and fairly for the striker.

SEC. 2. Should the pitcher repeatedly fail to deliver to the striker fair b.a.l.l.s, for the apparent purpose of delaying the game, or for any cause, the umpire, after warning him, shall call one ball, and if the pitcher persists in such action, two, and three b.a.l.l.s; when three b.a.l.l.s shall have been called, the striker shall take the first base; and should any base be occupied at that time each player occupying it or them shall take one base without being put out. All b.a.l.l.s delivered by the pitcher, striking the ground in front of the home base, or pitched over the head of the batsman, or pitched to the side opposite to that which the batsman strikes from, shall be considered unfair b.a.l.l.s.

SEC. 3. The ball must be pitched, not jerked or thrown, to the bat; and whenever the pitcher moves with the apparent purpose or pretension to deliver the ball, he shall so deliver it, and must have neither foot in advance of the front line at the time of delivering the ball; and if he fails in either of these particulars, then it shall be declared a balk.

The ball shall be considered jerked, in the meaning of the rule, if the pitcher's arm touches his person when the arm is swung forward to deliver the ball; and it shall be regarded as a throw, if the arm be bent at the elbow, at an angle from the body, or horizontally from the shoulder, when it is swung forward to deliver the ball.

SEC. 4. No player shall be put out on any hit ball on which a balk or a ball has been called; and neither shall a strike or a foul ball be called, or a base run on such a hit ball. But bases can be taken on third-"called" b.a.l.l.s, and on "balked" b.a.l.l.s, in accordance with Section 2 of Rule II.

RULE III.--THE BATTING DEPARTMENT.

SEC. 1. The striker, when about to strike the ball, must stand astride of a line drawn through the centre of the home base, not exceeding three feet from either side thereof, and parallel with the front line of the pitcher's position, and he must not take any backward step when striking at the ball. The penalty for an infringement of this rule shall be the calling of one strike; and when three such strikes have been called, the striker shall be declared out. If a ball on which such a strike is called be hit and caught, either fair or foul, the striker shall be declared out. No base shall be run on any such called strike, and any player running the bases shall be allowed to return to the base he has left, without being put out. As soon as the striker has struck a fair ball, he shall be considered "a player running the bases."

SEC. 2. Players must strike in regular rotation, and, after the first innings is played, the turn commences with the player who stands on the list next to the one who was the third player out.

SEC. 3. Should a striker stand at the bat without striking at fair b.a.l.l.s, for the apparent purpose of delaying the game, or of giving advantage to a player, the umpire, after warning him, shall call one strike, and, if he persists in such action, two, and three strikes. When three strikes are called, and the ball be caught, either before touching the ground or upon the first bound, the striker shall be declared out, provided the b.a.l.l.s struck at are not those on which b.a.l.l.s or balks have been called, or not those struck at for the purpose of wilfully striking out. If three b.a.l.l.s are struck at and missed, and the last one is not caught, either flying or upon the first bound, the striker must attempt to make his run, and he can be put out on the bases in the same manner as if he had struck a fair ball.

SEC. 4. The striker is out if a foul ball is caught, either before touching the ground or upon the first bound; or if a fair ball is struck, and the ball be held before touching the ground; or if a fair ball is struck, and the ball be held by an adversary on first base, before the striker touches that base.

RULE IV.--RUNNING THE BASES.

SEC. 1. Players must make their bases in the order of striking; and when a fair ball is struck, and not caught flying, the first base must be vacated, as also the second and third bases, if they are occupied at the same time. Players may be put out on any base, under these circ.u.mstances, in the same manner as when running to the first base.

SEC. 2. Any player running the bases is out, if at any time he is touched by the ball, while in play, in the hands of an adversary, without some part of his person being on the base.

SEC. 3. No run or base can be made upon a foul ball. Such a ball shall be considered dead, and not in play, until it shall first have been settled in the hands of the pitcher. In such cases players running bases shall return to them, and may be put out in so returning, in the same manner as when running to first base. Neither can a run or base be made when a fair ball has been caught without having touched the ground; but such a ball shall be considered alive and in play. In such cases, also, players running bases shall return to them, and may be put out in so returning, in the same manner as when running to first base; but players, when b.a.l.l.s are so caught, may run their bases immediately after the ball has been settled in the hands of the player catching it.

SEC. 4. When a balk is made by the pitcher, every player running the bases is ent.i.tled to one base, without being put out.

SEC. 5. A player making the home base shall be ent.i.tled to score one run.

SEC. 6. If two hands are already out, no player running home at the time the ball is struck can make a run to count in the score of the game, if the striker is put out.

SEC. 7. Players running bases must touch them, and, so far as possible, keep upon the direct line between them, and must touch them in the following order--first, second, third, and home; and if returning, must reverse this order; and should any player run three feet out of this line, for the purpose of avoiding the ball in the hands of an adversary, he shall be declared out; or if he fail to touch each base he runs to he shall be declared out, unless he return to such base before the ball be held on it.

SEC. 8. If the player is prevented from making a base by the intentional obstruction of an adversary, he shall be ent.i.tled to that base, and shall not he put out. Any obstruction that could readily have been avoided shall be considered as intentional.

RULE V.--THE GAME.