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HOUSE OF DAVID TEAM . CLINGS TO THE BEARDSReligion Prevents Players From Shaving At All TimesNO DRINKS OR SMOKESFrancis Thorp# Organized Team Seventeen Years Ago—Come From Colony At Benton Harbor, Michigan —Spec I It Diet For The Players Denvar,,Aug. S (INS)—A half century agopwhen baseball was in its infancy, bearded players were the rule. Sideburns, drooping mustaches and an occasional Van)tyke were Been on all the leading teamsSince lhai time whiskers have dis appeared from the ball diamond as well as from other scenes of endeav or.But I he House of David baseball team of Benton Harbor, Mich., spon sored by the Israelite House of David, as reorganized by Mary Purnell, still i cling 10 the be whiskered traditions of, the Mi’s. Not that they want to be ' conspicuous—which they are— but that their religion forbids the cutting of hair or of flesh.For 17 years a iroup of bearded . athletes representing the House of David have been louring the country, from Florida to Washington, meeting all comers.Francis Thorpe, 66. organizer and I manager of the House of David nine, and his troupe of athletes and per -, formers, recently com ire led in Den ver's Little World Series of the j West, baseball classic of the West.The religious influence of their sect not only keeps the hall players unshaven and unshorn, but also causes | them to live clean, athletic lives They neither drink liquor, coffee nor tea, nor do they eat meat.The diet of the House of David ath | latea consists of vegetables, eggs, milk, butter and cheese. The prohibition on beef extends to the diamond, and beefing is strictly taboo. In stead, the team is celebrated far and wide for Its “pepper game. Preeed ! ipg each game they give an exhibition of juggling a baseball that is as enter taining to fans as the game itself Most of the players on the team are veterans of baseball1 on widely scat-lered diamonds from coast lo coast Their average age is 33 years. Thorpe is the oldest. Gilbert, ace pitcher is 44. Tally, who has been on the team since its organization 17 years ago, is I 36. Bass, the- youngest pitcher, is 25.Our team.” Thorpe said, are ail j representatives of the religious colony, the Israelite House of David of Ben ton* Harbor, Mich., as reorganized by Mary Purnell.The original Idea of the colony j was not arhlettr. but because we be Ifeved In healthful recreation, we crt-j ated a colony park. A local promoter wanted a baseball diamond, and we built one, in our park For Mvnral years, tha grounds were used by a semi pro team of Benton Harbor. Then we got up a team. 1 organized it. We cleaned up the near ] by industrial team, and brought in •dbil pro outfits from other cities, i Then we started a tour ,anlt;t requests j for exhibition games have kept us on ibe road continually every season foi 14 years. We have played from coast to coast, from Canada to Mexico For many seasoop we went south for our Spring Haloing, following the example of the big leagues. The last two years, because of financial condi turns, we have trained at home.Most of my men are seasoned veterans, but I don't keep them just be-! cause they're yousg They have to i help win ball games or quit. We j place no false values on age, though we recognise experience counts.Our youngest player. George An doraon, is only 21 He's an ezpeitl catcher, but ball playing isn't all of his job. We travel in our own I*» pa»* n ger bus. and George does all the driv ! log. He drives us 20o miles a day,; taken care of tbe bus, and still plays j dally baseball He also takes part in j the pepper game ’Thorpe revealed that the team was1 Planning an Invasion of Mexico and ttouth America a( tbe conclusion of the prescnL season.• • •
Newspaper Details
Doylestown Intelligencer
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Aug 05, 1932
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael W.
NA, 14 Jul 2023
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