Wagner like you've never seen him before...

[Honus Guy]

The gent on the left in the back row, the "trainer," is George Aston, a longtime friend of Wagner. He was known as Chauf -- he was Honus' driver around Carnegie -- and eventually was hired as a clubhouse guy for the Pirates. He held the job for 35 years or so before being let go when a new regime came in in the 1940s. He died shortly afterward. Look for team photos or clubhouse shots from the '20s and '30s; he's in some of them. Had a reputation as a very nice man. Honest too. When the players were going to spend a night playing cards, they gave Chauf their valuables to hold (watches and such), lest they get carried away and lose them. Chauf's sister, Mabel, became the housekeeper for Honus and Bessie Wagner shortly after they married. She was just a teenager. I was lucky enough to get to know Mabel back in the '90s. She was funny and vibrant and very active, well into her 90s. And she had great stories about the Wagners -- she was like a member of the family and helped raise the daughters -- and the people Honus would bring home (she was very fond of the Waner boys). Mabel died just short of her 100th birthday. ... not sure of the year, but it was awhile ago. A sweet, sweet lady.