On account of the unpromising state of the weather very few persons witnessed the game between the [Empire and Elephant] clubs, which took place yesterday at the Grand Avenue park grounds.  The Empires were without the services of McCall and Mack pitched for them.  At first the Elephants batted him heavily, making four runs in the first inning.  After getting down to his work he proved more effective, and but two more runs were scored off him for the balance of the game.  Levis made his first appearance on the Empire nine, playing first base.

-St. Louis Republican, May 10, 1875

Schimper was a St. Louis fireman who pitched for the Empire Club in the 1870’s. “(One) of St. Louis’ best ball-players…,”  Schimper was born in Louisiana in 1848 and, for reasons unknown, was also commonly known as Joe Chambers.

Around eleven p.m. on February 9, 1887, a fire broke out at Jesse Arnot’s livery stable in St. Louis and Schimper, on duty that day, was one of the firemen who answered the alarm and worked to put out the blaze. About a half hour after the StLFD appeared on the scene, “the entire Ninth street wall of the stable gave way and fell with a crash…”  One of those trapped under the wall was Joe Schimper.

After the fire was put out, a search for bodies began and Schimper was the last to be found. “He was carried to the street limp and lifeless to all appearances. His friends thought they detected a faint hope of life, and carried him away as fast as possible to the Dispensary.” 

He did not survive the night, dying from injuries received “in the discharge of his duty…” 

At the Compton avenue park yesterday the Red Sox and Elephants clubs met for the first time this season, only about five hundred people being present, the counter attraction at the Grand avenue park no doubt lessening the attendance.  Play was called at three o'clock by H.J. Dehlman of the St. Louis club who had been mutually agreed upon as umpire and the Reds being at the bat.  The professionals managed to score four unearned runs in the first four innings and three in the fifth, the amatuers in the same innings getting five men across the home plate and making the game very warm for the Reds.  By a streak of good batting assisted by some wild throwing the professionals secured three runs in each of the seventh and ninth innings, one of which, and the only one in the game, was earned.  The amateurs failed to respond to these rallies and were retired in one, two, three order in the three last trials at the stick.  

-St. Louis Republican, May 3, 1875

The Reds played an exhibition game at the Red Stockings [park] yesterday afternoon with the Elephants, a young junior club, which was won by the Reds...

-St. Louis Republican, April 16, 1875

The professionals had a practice game with the amateurs bearing the ponderous name of Elephants.  The game, though one-sided, was a very enjoyable one, the playing on both sides being very even and good.  A pleasing feature of the game was the good-natured, steady play of the amateurs; their errors, though comparatively few, considering that it was their first appearance this season, were taken in good part, and instead of grumbling and growling at one another, a praiseworthy determination to retrieve bad plays was evident.  Ball-playing of this kind we like to commend, and take pleasure in doing so when the opportunity offers.  The professionals played in good form.  A wild pitch by Bradley and wide throw by Hague game F. Flint, who had earned his second base by a splendid hit, the only run his side succeeded in scoring.  Double plays were made by Levis and W. Flint, and by Chapman and Dehlman.  

-St. Louis Republican, April 8, 1875