Clipping:Tyng gives an account of the invention of the mask

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Date	Sunday, March 18, 1888
Text	[from a letter by Tyng] Catching in those days was no child's play. It was the time of swift underhand throwing, and severe accidents were not uncommon. In the fall of 1876 Thatcher left college and Fred Thayer, the captain of the nine, wanted me to fill his position regularly on the nine. To this my family was strongly opposed, and I told Thayer I would not be allowed to catch unless he could get up some protection for the face, and suggested that a mask somewhat in the nature of a fencing mask might answer the purpose. Thayer accepted the suggestion, went to a wiremaker in Boston and between them they evolved the first mask ever used on a ball field, and on which Thayer tool out a patent. A few tests made in the gymnasium showed that although large and unwieldy, it was a perfect protection. In appearance it looked very much like a bird cage, and bore as near a resemblance to the mask now in use as the first steam engine to the one of the present day. When it made its first appearance on the field it was a subject of great amusement and ridicule to the “bleaching board” element, and all such guys as “mad dog” and “muzzle 'em” were very frequent whenever I went up behind the bat; while on the part of the opposing players I was subjected to good natured though somewhat derisive pity. For the first year, if I remember rightly, hardly any one beside myself used the mask, but broken noses and damages eyes soon brought conviction that catching behind steel bars was preferable to unnecessarily exposing one's features to a target for erratic foul tips, and the general adoption of the mask was the consequence.
Source	Chicago Inter Ocean
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Submitted by	Richard Hershberger
Origin	Initial Hershberger Clippings

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