Amateur baseball in Elmira, NY at the turn of the century.
Contributed by George R. Farr

The attached photograph was taken about 1900 at the Elmira professional baseball park. The team consisted of local college and amateur baseball players. The bat boy wears a shirt with the initials FM which stood for Father Matthew or more explanatory, The Father Mattews Temperance Society. This society was a temperance society for Roman Catholic youths and it grew out a group of young men who attended St Paterick’s Church in Elmira. The young man on the left in the front row is Maurice Campbell my aunt Dorothy’s father in law.

 

The other photograph is of the actual Father Mattew baseball team and was also taken at the same time.  Notice the FM emblem on their shirts. Front from left: Tommy Crowley, Jim Shea, Florence Connelly, Joe Staub. Second row: T.A. Malone (manager ), Chick Demung, Peter McGraw, Cooney Rice, John Murtaugh (coach), Dinwas a temperance society for Roman Catholic youths and it grew out a group of young
men who attended St Paterick’s Church in Elmira. The young man on the left in the front row is Maurice Campbell my aunt Dorothy’s father in law.
Donahue, Joe (Dude) Birmingham. Third row: Mort Sullivan, John Keavin, Billy Murphy, Maurice Campbell, Matty Fennell, Roxie O'Connor. Proceeds from the games played by this team and the organization’s football team were used to construct a home for the society on East Gray Street in Elmira.

Mr. Campbell continued his interest in baseball after he ceased playing and was a director of the Elmira Baseball Club which sold its franchise to the St. Louis Cardinals. For a long period of time he published the scorecards used at the local ballpark. At one time he was asked to provide a similar service for the New York Giants baseball tem, but declined because it would have necessitated his leaving Elmira. Mr. Campbell was a long time employee of the Elmira Starr-Gazette.