THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 305 



night. Over in Shadtown, they build ships, and when a 

 man gets a contract to drive his ship through in a given 

 time, it s a great vexation to have a part of his force ab 

 sent two or three days in a week, to attend a ball match. 

 Many kinds of mechanical labor are done by contract, and 

 it subjects a contractor to very serious loss if he cannot 

 depend upon his laborers. 



It is a great waste of time and money, and few men can 

 afford it. Most laboring men need the avails of their six 

 days work for the support of their families and for the ac 

 cumulation of capital enough to carry on business for 

 themselves. One day in the week is a serious loss to 

 them. But if a man joins a base ball club, the loss of 

 time is only a small item. He must have a suit expressly 

 to play ball in, costing, say twenty-five dollars. Then, 

 there must be a club-room, nicely fitted up, where the 

 members meet for business, and on state occasions, when 

 they receive guests from abroad. Then they must have 

 their entertainments which means sprees. Then they 

 must, of course, accept all invitations to attend matches, 

 no matter at how great a distance. Come to foot up the 

 initiation fees, taxes, traveling expenses, sprees, and lost 

 time, a young man finds himself three or four hundred 

 dollars out of pocket at the close of the year. This may 

 be all very agreeable pastime, but how few can afford it, 

 even in the city ! And if they could, there are still more 

 serious objections to it. 



It leads very naturally to bad company. I know the 

 young men that make up the ball clubs of Hooker- 

 town, Shadtown, and the White Oaks, and I have seen 

 their guests. They are not such men as I should want my 

 John to associate with. Some of them are what they call 

 gentlemen s sons, with plenty of money and no business, 

 which is very b;id. Others have business, and neglect it 

 to play ball, which is still worse. Some are average farm 

 ers and mechanics, rather green at the play, not yet spoiled, 



