Ellis County Texas Archives Photo Group.....Alma 1930 Baseball Team 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Virginia Crilley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000642 September 27, 2010, 1:40 pm

Source:             Ennis Daily News
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/ellis/photos/alma193012201gph.jpg
Image file size: 88.6 Kb

Old Alma Independent Baseball Team Still Going in '82

In 1932 A.C. Richardson left the country for Breham and Mexia, Linton Kelly left
for Fort Worth, Jack Ruffin for California and Oscar Kendrick for Houston.  The
other five continued to this day to live around the old ball field together with
James Joly who played with us at times. Eight of the nine are still 'kicking'.
we lost Linton Kelley in 1908.  The baseball team worked out regularly when it
was too muddy to work in the fields, abstained from corn liquor and moon shine
in the 20s' and 30's, and the Good Lord has seen it to leave eight of the old
team still on the diamond. A.C. returned to Ennis in1968 and Jack Ruffin in
about 1980 which adds up to the seven now living in the local area.  The late
Danny Harrison of Alma was the manager of the team. When it was too wet to work
in the field the team scheduled games with Emhouse, Rice, Chatfield, Rhone,
Tupelo, Bazette and others who were ready to play.

We would go to the telephone exchange in Alma where Burney Harrison's wife was
an operator and call Rice, Ennis and Chatfield for a total of ten cents (no tax)
when we wanted to schedule a game.

A.C. was the smallest man on the team and was so dedicated that he never wanted
to miss a game. Now in the spring of 1929 he was working regular here in Ennis,
he had an old SP creme colored baseball suit he had gotten somewhere.  In those
days the employer was not too favorable to a worker taking off to play ball,
when the boss was paying $2 a day for about 10 hours work.  In those days the
final closing of the country schools usually ended with an open air picnic and
dinner on grounds with a ball game to follow. A.C. wanted to go "so badly" but
being afraid to ask the boss, for fear of denial, had the idea to buy some black
velvet and hire a seamstress here in Ennis to cut out letters with the name of
the firm he worked for and stitch them to the back of his baseball shirt.  Then
one day he approached the shoe store manager and said, "Mr. Moore, they are
having a picnic and closing of school at Central High tomorrow, a big crowd will
be there, and I sure wish I could go", then I held up my baseball shirt the with
name of the firm on the back, and he said, "Alvia, it will be alright for you to go"

Additional Comments:
Left to right: Jack Ruffin, A.C. Richardson, Burney Harrison,Rufus Horton, Bill
Collard (seated) and Gilbert Wright

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/ellis/photos/alma193012201gph.txt

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