Well I had a letter from Florrie today and it was just like the most of her letters when you got through reading it you wondered what she had in mind and about all as she said was that she had a surprise to tell me when I got home and I use to get all excited when she wrote about them surprises but now I can guess what it is. She probably seen a roach in the apartment or something and any way I guess I can wait till I get home and not burn up the wires trying to find out before hand.
Detroit, April 30.
Friend Al: Well Al we leave for home tonight and open up the season in Chi tomorrow but I won’t be out there pitching unless Gleason apologizes for what he pulled on me last night. It was more rotten weather yesterday just like we been haveing ever since the 1st day in St. Louis and I near froze to death setting out there on the bench so when we come back to the hotel they was a friend of mine here in Detroit waiting for me here in the lobby and he come up in the room with me and I was still shivering yet with the cold and he said how would I like something to warm me up. So I said “That’s a fine line of talk to hand out in a dry town.” So he said I could easy get a hold of some refreshments if I realy wanted some and all as I would half to do would be call a bell hop and tell him what I wanted.
Well I felt like a good shot would just about save my life so I called a boy and told him to go fetch me some bourbon and he said OK and he went out and come back in about a half hr. and he had a qt. with him and I asked him how much did we owe him and he said $15.00. How is that for reasonable Al and I guess it was the liquor men themselfs that voted Michigan dry and you can’t blame them. Well my friend seemed to of had a stroke in his arm so as he couldn’t even begin to reach in his pocket so I dug down and got 15 berrys and handed it to the kid and he still stood there yet like he expected a tip so I told him to beat it or I would tip him 1 in the jaw.
Well I asked my friend would he have a shot and his arm was OK again and he took the bottle and went to it without waiting for no glass or nothing but he got the neck of the bottle caught in his teeth and before he could pry it loose they was about a quarter of the bourbon gone.
Well I was just going to pore some of it out for myself and all of a sudden they come a rap at the door and I said come in and who walked in but Gleason. So I asked him what did he want.
So he said “Well you wasn’t the 1st one in the dinning rm. so I thought you must be pretty sick so I come up to see what was the matter.” Well it was to late to hide the bottle and he come over to the table where I was setting and picked it up and looked at it and then he pored out a couple drops in the glass and tasted it and said it tastes like pretty good stuff. So I said it ought to be pretty good stuff as it cost enough jack so he asked me how much and I told him $15.00.
So he said “Well they’s some of the newspaper boys has been asking me to try and get a hold of some stuff for them so I will just take this along.”
So I said I guest the newspaper boys could write crazy enough without no help from the Michigan boot legs and besides the bottle belongs to me as I payed good money for it. So Gleason said “Oh I wouldn’t think of stealing it off of you but I will take it and pay you for it. You say it cost $15.00 but they’s only about $11.00 and a half worth of it left so I will settle with you for $11.00 and a half.” Well I didn’t want to quarrel with him in the front of a outsider so I didn’t say nothing and he took the bottle and started out of the rm. and I said hold on a minute where is my $11.00 and a half? So he said “Oh I am going to fine you $11.00 and a half for haveing liquor in your rm. but instead of takeing the fine out of your check I will take what’s left in the bottle and that makes us even.” So he walked out.
Well Al only for my friend being here in the rm. I would of took the bottle away from Gleason and cracked his head open with it but I didn’t want to make no seen before a outsider as he might tell it around and people would say the White Sox players was fighting with their mgr. So I left Gleason get away with $11.00 and a half worth of bourbon that I
