Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, May 1922 · page 18 of 68
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #33 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This piece satirizes religious objections to fundraising through entertainment. An African American preacher defends organizing a baseball game to repair his church by creatively mapping biblical figures onto baseball terminology—Eve "stealing" first base, Ruth excelling in the field, David striking out Goliath, Noah "giving out checks for rain" (likely a play on baseball terminology). The humor lies in the preacher's ingenious, tongue-in-cheek biblical reinterpretation to overcome deacons' objections that profit-making via sports is sacrilegious. The piece gently mocks both rigid religious conservatism and the preacher's clever rhetorical workaround. The casual use of "Negro" and "colored sky pilot" reflects the publication's early 20th-century vernacular and racial attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
16 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang Biblical Ball Players An elderly Negro preacher suggested to his flock that they engage in a baseball game—the proceeds to be used in repairing their church edifice. Several deacons strenuously objected, insisting that this money-making scheme was too sacriligious. The colored sky pilot answered the opposition by telling them he could prove by the Bible that baseball was played at the beginning of the world, or rather when this ball of mud was first finished. Here was his defense: Eve stole first and Adam stole second, Saint Peter umpired the game, Rebecca went to the well with a pitcher, While Ruth in the field won fame; Goliath was struck out by David, A base hit made on Abel by Cain, The Prodigal Son made one home run, Brother Noah gave out checks for rain. * * * The Two Voices By George W. Lyon. Out of the atoms of earth we come, Back to the atoms of earth we go; Out of the dark of earth to light, Back to the dark of earth and night. Life is a problem and death is its sum— Out of the atoms of earth we come, Back to the atoms of earth we go. Out of the clod is sped the soul, Back to the Giver of Life to go; Out of the shade of earth and night, Back to the glow of realms in light. Free is the wine from the clay of the bowl— Out of the clod is sped the soul, Back to the Giver of Life to go. * * * Policemen and clergymen and motion picture people are human but more is expected of them along “statutory” lines.