readers for this item. He editorialized: "The Bee is not an advocate of temperance. This account of the W. G. T. U. convention is carried only as news."

A basketball association was formed in 1903 with a membership that included both sexes. The following were listed as members: Misses Laura Oyloe, Alice Lynch, Julie Iverson, Edna Lee, Mary Stangland, Cora Gunderson, Emma Blanchaine, Lela and Marcie McWade, Mabel Mills, Zoe and Fanny Cornell, and Erma Stamp; Messrs. Glen Oyloe, Jessie Limbeck, Glare Gilbert, Glair Limbeck, A. 0. Anderson, Leo Dessel, Maurice Cavanaugh, Adolph Gunderson, Frank Klein, Jos. Meyer, Jos. Heinen, Fred Powers, Gust Ness, Welt Cornell, A. F. Becker, Elmer Anderson, Wm. Mullaney, Rob Brown, Ed Wirsching and Geo. Wiltgen.

The postoffice hours in 1903 were listed as 8:00 A. M. to 8:00 P. M. for six days a week. On Sunday mornings, from 8:30 to 900 and from 11:00 to noon.

The mail delivery was: from the East—7:00 A. M. and 10:42 A. M.; West—7:00 A. M., 1:06 P. M. and 3:00 P. M.; North—2:00 P. M.; South—12:15 P. M.

The postal rates were: 1st class mail—2¢ an ounce; 2nd class—1¢ for 4 oz.; and 4th class—1 ¢ per ounce.

Money was tight this winter. The Decorah Republican lowered its subscription rate to $1 a year; the Public Opinion promptly dropped to 75¢ and the Bee followed with a bargain of 70¢ for all renewing during a two week period. The Ossian council reduced the monthly salary of marshal and street commissioner to $35 for the winter.

THE BASEBALL TEAMS

The early baseball clubs fielded by the residents of Ossian appear to have been of less than championship quality. A contest in 1887 with the Ford Atkinson nine resulted in a score of Fort 40, Ossian 12. The next week Nordness handed the local team a 90 to 30 walloping.

The local correspondent to the Decorah Journal submitted the following item in 1890; "The religious editor of our home paper rails at the moral infirmity of the devout church members on the Ossian baseball club... We see no harm in playing 'call on Sunday afternoons in this liberal Democratic town."

The Ossian baseball nine had a very successful season in 1903—winning ten of their thirteen games. Nick Altrock, who was destined to pitch for the world champion Chicago White Sox, was the pitcher on this team. This season marked the start of a period of baseball supremacy for the community.

By 1906, Ossian's team was called, "The Grey Bax." We find no explanation for this unusual name. The players were: George Ean, pitcher; Wiltgen, catcher; Powers, 1st base; L. Ean, 2nd; Oyloe, ss; Wirshing, 3rd; Weitgenant, If; Knudtson, cf; and Dessel, rf. These boys selected Clarence Kenyon as captain, Wm. Spillman, manager and Lester Ean, assistant mgr.

A rhubarb developed during a game between the Grey Bax and the-Calmar Invincibles. Umpire Ward Allen called a Calmar runner out, but umpire Reimer claimed the man was safe due to a balk by the Ossian pitcher. Calmar was awarded the game by a score of 3 to 2, much to the disgust of the local partisan spectators. The Bee noted that there were four automobiles on the grounds for this game.

In 1912, the Grey Bax were reorganized with the following players: J. Capp, lb; L. Ean, 2b; L. Wiltgen, ss; J. Huber, 3b, Heuser, p; M. Graf, c; A. Doubek, If; A. Gunderson, cf; and H. Dessel, rf.

The next year the club changed its name to the Ossian Boosters and became a semi-professional club. A baseball association was formed with H. J. Etteldorf, pres.; Dr. Schneberger, treas.; Jerome Huber, mgr.; Lester Ean, captain; and Greg Figge, H. A. Schulz, Hugo Werner and L. Frerich, gatekeepers. These officers were empowered to build a grandstand with a capacity of at least four hundred spectators.

Huber, Ean and Melvin Lee were the only local regular players. The roster was listed as: A. F. Capper, p. from Lansing; Jack Presna, c. from McGregor; Fred O'boy, lb, Castalia; Oscar Schuetz, 2b, New Hampton; Jim Hulbert, ss, Calmar; Curtis Layton, 3b, West Union; J. A. Huber, If, Ossian; Jacob Capp, cf, Fort Atkinson; and Lester Ean, rf, Ossian.