[Sidenote: Half-hearted Coöperation]
Mr. Renaldo managed to keep on the good side of most of his pupils, but
he fell from his pinnacle of power when he made the following
announcement:
“Now, if any of you want to go to Delevan to attend the baseball meet
I’ve nothing to say. I don’t believe our team is going to do much, but
we’ll see.
“If the people outside hadn’t butted in and tried to run our sports we
would have come out all right.
“I know you want to win the state championship. We came so near it last
year that we should have a good chance for it under favorable
circumstances. But we haven’t much of a team. I could have picked a
winning team, I believe; but town folks wanted to run the thing, so
we’ll see what comes of it.”
After this vent of pique a big buzz of criticism arose. However, when
the contest came off at Delevan the superintendent made the trip and
shouted as loud as anyone. Through some strange characteristic quality
he was able to throw cold water one day and build up fires of enthusiasm
the next.
Later in the spring came this announcement:
“We’ll not have any more baseball games with out-of-town teams this
season. Our athletics are absorbing too much attention; too many people
are trying to run things up here.”
Of course the crack pitcher went to the board of education and got
consent of the board to continue the series of games as had previously
been the custom. Later the superintendent said, “Well, now, let me see
who wants to play.... All right, then, if these are your players, go
ahead.”