From the July 20, 1922 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

The Amusement Committee of the Oak Bluffs Board of Trade, at a recent meeting, voted to engage Charles ‘Duke’ Farrell to organize and manage a baseball team to represent this hustling town on the diamond for the current season. Duke Farrell is a past master at the grand old game having been identified with big league baseball for twenty years and was known as one of the best catchers and heavy hitters of his day. Mr. Farrell is taking up his duties at once and has a squad out daily for practice. The team will be picked from the best of the visiting and resident players with the possible addition of a battery from some fast semi-pro team, The announcement that ‘The Duke’ had been engaged was met with much enthusiasm and a number of the members of the Board of Trade at once declared their intention to double their annual subscriptions to the amusement fund, thus assuring ample financial backing. The diamond at Waban Park is being filled in and rolled and the back-stop and bleachers put in shape for the opening game which is shortly to be announced.

J. D. Luther, amusement director for the board and Mr. Farrell are working on plans for a big celebration to formally inaugurate the 1922 season of Oak Bluffs baseball. A parade thru Circuit Avenue and other of the principle streets leading to the ballfield at Waban park will be held at noon headed by an escort of police and the Board of Trade band. The home and visiting teams will follow and a procession of autos and hundreds of fans on foot. At the ball field there will be a flag raising and appropriate remarks by Pres. Robert Laird of the Board of Trade.

The history of ‘Duke’ Farrell in the base ball world makes interesting reading. His entrance into the big league was with the Chicago Club in 1888 where he played for three years. In 1891 he was with the Bostons and played there for one year. The next year, 1892, he was with the Pittsburghs and the following year with the Washington club. The next three years 1894-5 an d6 he was with the New York Giants and in ‘97 and ‘98 he was back with the Washington team. The next four years he played with the Brooklyn club and in 1903 came back to Boston with the Red Sox where he played three years, after which he acted as coach and scout for the Red Sox and other big league teams. Eighteen years of actual playing in the big league is in itself somewhat of a record and coupled with the fact that his position was behind the bat places him in a position envied by many but held by few. Mr. Farrell has been a visitor at Oak Bluffs for some years and has many friends who will be glad to see him in action again.

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Travelling in Vincent Astor’s Loening monoplane, which not so long ago made a record flight from New York to Miami in 9 hours and 17 minutes, Melville B. Fuller arrived in Oak Bluffs Saturday to spend Sunday with Mrs. Fuller at their home at East Chop, after an air journey of only one hour and 55 minutes’ flying time from New York, against the wind every foot of the way. Mr. Fuller was accompanied by Bob Wren, famous tennis player, and Andre Pilot, both fellow members of the New York Stock Exchange, who came down for the trip.

Mr. Fuller returned to New York Monday by boat. Mrs. Fuller said that he was detained in New York Saturday morning and saw a tedious train trip and sail by catboat ahead of him in order to reach Oak Bluffs when he happened to think of Mr. Astor’s monoplane. Mr. Astor was not using the machine, and was glad to have his pilot and mechanic oblige Mr. Fuller by taking him to the Vineyard.

The machine travelled at a speed of never less than 110 miles an hour, and often made 130, despite the adverse wind. It flew low most of the time hovering 200 to 300 feet above the water. Excepy for a brief stop at Watch Hill, Conn., the flight was uninterrupted. “I did not know Mr. Fuller was coming by monoplane,” said Mrs. Fuller, but when I heard the motor overhead, whirring at 135 miles an hour, I felt sure he was in the machine. He was as fresh and lively as a boy when he alighted.”

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Calvin Coolidge Correira coos a good morning to you all. Baby C. C. C. is the first infant born in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. The stork arrived on July Fourth, the fiftieth birthday of the Vice President which coincidence suggested the name.

The news was duly sent to the distinguished “Silent Calvin” by Vice President Ulysses E. Mayhew of the Hospital Association, and in reply has come this letter to the hospital.

“My dear Mr. Mayhew: Thank you for your letter of the 10th. Will you extend for me to Mr. and Mrs. Correira my congratulations and my hearty good wishes for the future success of young Calvin Coolidge Correira.

It would seem that the new hospital at Oak Bluffs will afford much needed facilities to the Island and certainly thanks are due to those who have been responsible for its establishment.

Very truly yours,

Calvin Coolidge.”

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

library@mvgazette.com