t. 2O. THE SPORTING 9

BASE BALL. TOoTiUCHJALl.BOW THE BITTER STRUGGLE HAS

BEEN INTENSIFIED.

Tie Coatestaats Urged on by a Parti­ san Press Mucli to tk3

Public DisgustPrit.ADEi.rniA, Sept. 15. Editor SPORT­

ING LIFE: I have been waiting all season for some one to discover the real reason for the decline of the national game as evidenced by the falling oft'in the patronage. I have seen and heard many reasons, but they,to my mind, do not cover the ground. I have also noticed that every gentleman who advanced a reason generally supported it by vitupera­ tion rather than by argument. For instance, when a gentleman started out io prove that the Brotherhood movement caused the falling oil in attendance he generally ended up by abusing Johnson, Ward and the rest as wreck­ ers and traitors, while another gentleman, in proving that the National League caused the full ure, did so by citing the facts that the managers were tyrants and "old masters" and that Tucker and some others were contract breakers.

When you recall the fact that there were wreckers before the days of Johnson and that the American Association grew up despite the League, and that the National Agreement was only made because the Association had invaded the League ranks and captured some of its best players, and that the follow­ ing season was one of the best the game ever had, the wrecking charge falls to the ground. Whilo, if one recalls the other fact that every player who went wandering into the Union movement was taken back into the arms of the League if he cared to come, and that the game was not one penny the worse for their desertion and return, the other charge does not carry much weight. As to the "old masters," when one remembers the immense crowds that patronized the game under their regime, it seems as though that cat would not fight either.

I do not believe that base ball has been hurt at all, save temporarily, by the troubles of the past year. I believe that as a matter of fact the public does not care a particle who manages or plays on a club so long as the managers are honest and the players are skillful. No one doubts the honesty of the management of either the League or Brother­ hood, for had there been even the slightest tdint in either of the leagues this year the whole world would have known it long ago, and that the players are skillful is evidenced by the many magnificent games played this Glimmer, and by the close tights for the ptn- jiants.

There is an old proverb that says that cat fights only make more cats, and the same is true of base ball. Had the Leagues been left to fight it out alone I have no doubt that both of them would have come out better than what they will, but the trouble was that a third party has been interfering all along, and this interference is in my niind the whole cause of the falling off.

When the war broke out last fall every man who had been writing about the game immediately proceeded to become an ob­ noxious partisan of one side or the other. All winter and spring they kept it up and every bit of dirty linen in the business was washed publicly a half dozen times. Every piece of scandal, every wild invention that could be thought of WHS hurled at the heao's of a long- sufiering public until it became fairly nauseated with the whole matter, and by the time that the season opened it was in the name frame of mind as Mercutio, and ready

s:e on both your houses."

they were fighting about, and the conviction gradually dawned upon them that they had been making wild assee of the desert of them­ selves. Polly, who had enjoyed the whole affair hugely, was not yet satisfied, and when she saw them stop fighting shouted out again, "Sick 'inijTige." This time the dogs saw who had incited the mischief, made a break for the cage, knocked it down and then pro­ ceeded to inflict condigji punishment upon their tormentor. Having attended to this thoroughly they trotted off peacefully to­ gether. After they had gone Polly extricated herself from the wreck, and after a long look at her battered cage and her disheveled self croaked out, "Polly, you talk too much."

F. C. ANDERSON.

IS THIS TREASON?

%U:C1! PARTISANSHIP. Even the very fathers of base ball writing

took sides and instead of writing facts allowed their prejudices to color everything they said. There was no half-way business about the matter, no waiting to see the result of the Brotherhood expei-Hnent, no desire to judge matters impartially. Everybody wanted somebody else's head chopped off. If a Brotherhood man nodded his head to an old friend who had remained with the League, every Brotherhood organ in the land let out a series of hysterical shrieks, while the Leaguers immediately hailed him «S a con­ vert. When ft couple of Brotherhood men signed with the League their wives were blamed for the treachery, and so it went on day in and day out all through the winter, and when the season opened there was still no let up. Writers who had a year ago predicted the downfall of the players' movement early jn the spring when they found thatthedown­ fall did not take place,simply moved the date a couple of months ahead and kept on shriek­ ing about Hps-sians and ingrates. Other writers who had predicted the wiping out of the League, simply closed their eyes and ears when the League refused to be wiped out and kept up their howling.

Why. it actually got to be worse than poli­ tics ami the people, disgusted, not with the gnme, but with the din, stayed at home or went to horse races, and left the reporters to enjoy the feast alone. And the "bombs" went off, the "surprises" were sprung and the "hen" hatched, and a lot of other things were done, and still the much-enduring public paid no attention whatever to "bombs," "surprises," "hens" or what not. If they felt like seeing a game they saw it; if they did uot they stayed away.

WHAT WAS FORGOTTEN. Now, I believe that had the papers at­

tended strictly to their own business, re­ ported facts and let vituperation alone the past season would have been the most suc­ cessful ever known. The people would have found out for themselves where they couh get the most enjoyment for their money ant a good-natured rivalry, such as used to esis between the adherents of the Athletic nn( Philadelphia clubs, would have sprung uj nnd there would have been good times nl nround. Instead of that, however, they wer< tiuighuhi'.t the managers were money grub hers and the players bunco men,'with the in evitable result.

Our friends, the writers, forgot that basi bail is bigger than base ball associations o base ball players, and that the true lover o the game can get more enjoyment out of a game between bare-legged boys on the lot where the play is for blood than he can out o cue between two nines of stars who are play ing only for the money that is in it. He i not much in love with gentlemanly ball play crs, but dotes on an Anson or Comiskey, be cause he believes that they always play t win and he has no earthly use for an umpire The average ball crank knows as much abou the game as the ablest writer in the land au< cun distinguish right from wrong as well n be. can. Therefore, if the writers in futur will stick to facts and let opinions alone they wil! do more good to the game and add t to their reputations. Or if they must hav opinions let them drop base ball politics an think out plans for the improvement of th greatest sport the world has ever known.

I would recommend to them a careful con ideration of the parable of the Parrot an llic Dogs, which is as follows:

There once was a certain parrot, whos fame as a conversationalist had become s Croat that people came from distant parts t hear him discourse. As a result of all tli honuige Polly grew very vain of her linguist abilities and was wont to exercise them upo every occasion. One day as she satsunnin herself in her cage she spied two dogs comin down the road together apparently on th most friendly terms with themselves and a tin; world. Here was an opportunity, an

the dogs' ears the war cry:

SALT CITY SAYINGS.Gloomy Outlook I'or Fraier's Clnb—The

Causes of ttie Team's Poor Showing and tiie Poor Patronage—Local News Notes.SYRAcrsT?, Sept. 17. Editor SPO_RTING

LIFE: The heaviest rainfall known in this section for about ten years has practically closed the local base ball season. Star Park is now a "Star lake," and should base ball be played there it must be done in canoes. About fifteen inches of water covers the whole playing ground and from present indications the flood will remain for many days. The games scheduled here for this week with Rochester have beea transferred to that city, and the Syracuse team made a good start in the first game of the series on Mon(" scoring a rim or » base hit in innings. Mr. Titcomb was in the box for Rochester, and to say that he "was in it" does not express it at all. Manager Frazer re­ turned from Rochester Saturday night pretty well disgusted with the weather and matters in general. It is rumored that two or three players will be released shortly to reduce the expenses, and the Syracuse team will go on their next nud final Western trip with eleven players'. Syracuse has alwavs been a draw- iijg card in the West, and with good weather ^Ifinager Frazer will make a little money.

CAUSH AX D EFfKCT.'The standing of the local team in the race

for the Association pennant ts a great eyesore to local patrons and many ai"e not backward in expressing their opinion as to the cause thereof. In years gone by it has been very clearly demonstrated that Syracuse wants good base ball, hasaKvays, up to this season, lind good base ball and that an article of in­ ferior quality will not. do here. The legion of enthusiasts point with pride to the great Star team of 1S76 and their wonderful record and the manner in which the reputation of our city's first professional club was kept up during the seasons following. The Star team ofl&s2thftt held forth at Newell Park also made a record that will long be remembered and talked about. Here was a team for any city to boast of, anil among its players were Curry C. Chase, now of Oslikosh, Wis.; Dick Dwyer, of the Portland, Ore., team of this season; "Jack" Humphries, late of the New Yorks and (he Torontos; Manager George Geer, of the champion Mansfield*, of the Tri- State League; "Sandy" Griffin, of the Kochesters; Van Alstyne, of the Troys, and others. Here was a team composed almost entirely of home talent and one that our peo­ ple flocked to see play ball.

Three times within the history of the In­ ternational League has the championship pennant been won by Syracuse by good work on the part of the home club and to say that Syracuse has not had good base ball would be foolish. The season of '90 opened up in fairly good shape, but it was only for a short time that anything like fair crowds attended the games and all owing to the poor showing made by our team. Changes and changes were made and game after game lost that should have been scored a victory. "K:sty" Wright, the greatest run-getter that Syracuse ever had, was suddenly released. Surely not for poor playing as his record will prove, but for some unknown cause he was let go.

The effect of all this has been seen, and -wHat further effect itowill have on the pros­ pects for another season remains te be seen. The price of admission to the grand ttand is surely another bi^ mistake, as lias been de-

___~day after _ :lmiKSiou to the grounds and anoTner twenty- ve to the grand stand is too much money, fanager George Frazer has evidently done is best to give us g<xxl base I-^MJI Dtl " it can- ot be denied that, like all of uS'he has made ome bad blunders. The Syracuse team as at resent constituted (an play ball if compelled

o do so, but they have not been fed with the orrect brand of gin»cr. Our fans are firmly f the belief that Syracuse will be without

>ase ball next year, although the recently published rumor of a NewYorK State League or 'yi finds much favor here.

NOTES.The boys must have hit the^Vmll with a

eather at Rochester Monday. ^The Iron Pier grounds are nnder water,

'he Iron Pier does not propose to be behind Star Park in anything.

Although guyed unmercifully by the leachers. Captain Cainpau, of the Browns, is big favorite with the occupants thereof in

his city.Vori der Ahe had another "I-don't-want-to-

niention-no-names" seance at his room here with his players last week after the 20 to 4 game.

The Boston National Leacruers want a game here. They will be accommodated pro- 'iding Star Lake dries up.Fielder Peltz was given his release last

Jonday. Expenses will be cut down for the jalauce of the seasoa. Peltz will probably ign with Toledo. 0. S. K.

then fell upon the (logs' ears the war cry:- "Siek'im, Tigc." Each looked at the otln auspiciously and backed a little way of Then again came the slogan: Sic<c in Ti«e," whereupon the dogs fell upon cue oilier and bit and chewed their way up to th

.place where Polly's cage was hanging- About U.U iiiiiii they begun to woiuter \vh£

BAKME'S WINTER SCHEME.The Irrepressible Baltiniorean to Invade

California Tills Fall. Manager Barnie, who is holding consid­

erable of public attention at present is deter­ mined to keep himself conspicuously at the"rent, and in accordance takes up with a scheme to take a base ball combination to_ California next winter. His idea is both" novel and unique. Most of the playersx>oked by Barnie to make the trip were born and bred on the Pacific slope, but^have pro-rcs.JJonal reputations made in the East. The make-up of the team will be:

Power, of Baltimore, first base and captain; Collins, of Brooklyn, second base; Srnalley, of Cleveland, short stop; Itaymond, of Louis­ ville, third base; Davis, of Cleveland, left field; Long, of Baltimore, centre field; Burns, of Brooklyn, right field; pitchers, Baker, ofBaltimore; Nichols, of Boston, and Lovett, of Brooklyn; catchers, Hardie, of Boston; Town- send, of Baltimore.

Mr. Barniowill manage the team,and Wm. Hiss, the secretary of the Baltimore Club, will probably look after the finances. The idea is to advertise the club as the "All-Cali­ fornia Club," and to start from Chicago in November and work West via Kansas City, Salt Lake City, etc. Once'in California, games will be played with the clubs of the California League. Mr. Barnie is verypopu- l»r on the Pacific slope. Years ago he played there, and, with big Jim Whitney, constituted the star battery of the country in the-opinion of tho sport-loving CaUfornians. In 'Frisco they consider Power the equal of Comiskcy, and Long the best outfielder in the business. Raymond is a big*favorite, and so are Baker, Hardie and the other members of the team. Mr. liarnie will say little about the scheme, but hia star player, Power, says that the trip will surely be made, and that the Oriole manages the affair from start to finish.

Comiskey has announced that he will take a Brotherhood team oi his own selection over the same circuit this winter. All things con­ sidered, California will have good ball and plenty of it this year.

Even Lightning Cliipping In.A few weeks since a number of Texan boys

were playing base bull in a field not far from Austin, when black clouds warned them oi an approaching storm. Too much engrossed in the game, they heeded not the first streaks ot lightning' that illuminated the adjoining fields and they continued to play. Suddenly, however, the lightning struck right among them, killing one of the players and knock ing several others senseless. The game now came to a sudden termination, and those who had not been injured by the tire from heaven tenderly cared for their comrades nnd formed a sad jproctssiim ou their way homeward.

Cincinnati Wants the League Flag to dome West— Words of FroUe For Uncle Anson—The Chlcagos' Wonderful .Spurt — The Cheerful Calliope— A Budget of Notes.CINCINNATI, Sept. 16. Editor SPOBTISO

Live: — If it is treasonable to wish Chicago well, then Cincinnati is a hotbed of treason. With the Reds buried hopelessly in fifth place, the fans have turned their eyes in ad­ miration toward the "grand old man" of base ball," and I verily believe that ninety per cent, of the local clan want to see Uncle An­ son and his Colts capture the League flag. He deserves it if ever man did. When a month ago he talked hopefully of "his boys," the incredulous laughed at the monumental nerve of the "old man." In the face of ad­ versity he kept on winning. When Glenal- vin was compelled to retire from second to nurse a spiked ankle, with the gall of a bur­ glar the "old man" went in and filled the hole himself, and filled it well enough to re­ tain the key to victory. With the proud bonsts that they would trip the Colts, the Reds left for Chicago. Three out of four were proudly claimed. Every man in the team, save Frank Foreman and Jack Dolan, were members of the party. The news of their first defeat did not create much sorrow. Cin­ cinnati has grown callous to the story and it stirred up a feeling of exultation that Uncle Anson, after all, might land the coveted pen­ nant in the West that he, with his Colts might succeed where Cincinnati had failed with her stars.

THE WANDERERS' FAREWELL . .. "nphasized by a signal defeat. After four victories, crowded into two afternoons, the Reds finally lost to the Nomada. Plucky Pittsburg! Oft defeated indeed, nearing the marvelous record of the old Colonels you would imagine from the way the team fights that it is out for the bunting instead of a hopeless occupant of the last car in the League train, with an eighth-class ticket punched full ot holes. "Calliope" Miller is irrepressible. No matter what the score is, his cheery voice is heard on the lines eucour- agiuc the tail-enders to further ell'ort. "Re­ member the Colonels," he shouted at one stjge of the game. "We are near the hun­ dred hole!"

When President Stern was here on Satur­ day (he ran over from St. Louis to spend the dav) he intimated that- he would like to have Mi'ller. With "Lath" and the "Calliope" in the role of coachers, the Reds would have the best pair in the business.

CUPID TWANGED HIS BOW the other day, and the hearts of assistant treasurer, Andy Hettesheimer, and Miss Lizzie Batsche, a pretty West End girl, were pierced by the same arrow. "Hettes" did not go to Chicago with the boys, and to-mor­ row morning, at St. Joseph's church, he will hear Mendelssohn's wedding march and claim his bride in the presence of a throng of frienJs who will wish him well. Mr. Hettes­ heimer is well known, both in base ball and theatrical circles. Before he became identified with the Cincinnati Club he was one of the business staff at Ileuck's Opera House. He is an artist of no mean ability and still loves the brush and pallet. Mr. and Mrs. Hettes for the abbreviation is almost always used will spend their honeymooii at home.

Before the curtain has fallen upon the cur­ rent season there are rumors of what '91 will bring forth and a

NEW TRI-STATE PATTERN shows Covington with a place in the circuit. Our Kentucky neighbor certainly has a large enough population to support such a club, and with a schedule not conflicting with the Cincinnati it might be able to live. Coving- ton, in its day, has possessed several crack teams the old Stars and Keutons among them. It would seem like the days gone by returned to see the city in professional com­ pany again. Just where the capital would come in is not plain. The story is worth a reference at any .rate. To include Newport in the circuit, too, is folly, however. An ell'ort to drag Covington into the Cincinnati Amateur League last spring failed because subscriptions were not large enough to pay for stands and fences. Ludlow is the only one of the adjacent Kentucky clubs that pos­ sesses enojpsed sy\ur... nnd_T.nd'«w is too

"et Jbf the way for crowds to go "on JBB 'days. ! "In the olden times," remarked ManagerEdward L. Bloom, of Hen-man's Transatlan-tiqncs, to me this morning, "the first thing Iused to do after I got up in the morning wasto grab my paper and

LOOK AT THE SCORESNow, I don't care aeontinental about them. I never used to miss a game now I care very little about any in which Cincinnati does not take part. I was a crank a crankest sort of the crank and if the war has affected me in that manner, what has it done to the laymen the "senii-occasionals?" I verily believe it will take five years to get base ball back to the healthy basis upon which it was resting before the revolution. A crank who gets out of the habit of going to a ball game is hard to reclaim."

Manager Bloom is a League man to the backbone. J. Walker Ross, of the New Or­ leans ytatfs, is another visitor in town, and he brings the information that as far as the South is concerned what little interest re­ mains in the game is allied to the League in this light. Mr. Ko?s does not speak hope­ fully of a revival of the sport this winter, and believes that the war will have to end before minor leagues can live anywhere.

SEASON ADl.K OUSERVATIONS."Arlie" Latham has beea secured to fill a

star engagement with the phonograph folks. He is to sing his coaching songs iuto the little funnel for the benefit of such posterity that will put a nickel in the slot and listen.

''Squab dinners" have been very fashion­ able since Al Baiidle'sbig pigeon shoot, and Harry Vv'eldon played the role of host at Crane's the other night. His guests were Tom Loft us, Billy Ehines, Jerry Harrington, Jim Duryeu and Arlie Latham.

Kirtlcy Baker was not here with the Pitts­ burgh. He has been playing in the field with the Standards. Aurora's crack amateur team.

So my Florida confrere, G. V. Burbridge, thinks I have monkeyed with a buzz saw in the person of Innocent Kidd the Second the Three T's. Now it is queer how the passages of words nre viewed! In Brooklyn Henry Chadwick warmly congratulated me upon the artistic manner in which I had put the knife of argument between the Tease's ribs, and here comes an echo from the land of oranges and 'gators evidencing a belief that I was the only one who is as full of quills as a toad is full of warts. All of which goes to show that t is easier for a camel to hump himself

Since Brooklyn dropped five straight not so much is heard about the "stars" breaking their necks to get into the Brotherhood camp. The lesson of'90 has been a sad blow to re­ cord playing and "starism." Comiskey and his eclipsed crew loom up like a tableau of a hope shipwrecked at midnight.

So Mr. Wagner wants Rhines? I admire his frankness in acknowledging the desire. From the tone of the Chicago press and the talk of President Addison, I imagine that histampering with Captain Comiskey has not awakened enthusiasm in the City of Wind. Aa a sower of seeds of discord Mr. Wagner may prove wonderfully successful.

To judge a man's worth by the work he does in four or five games is hardly fair, but it is only the truth to say that during his brief engagement as a "sub" at third the play of Oliver Perry Beard has been far su­ perior to the standard maintained at short. Some of his forward rnnning pick-ups have been great and the crowds have been aroused to the cheering point quite often.

The death of an uncle was the sad mission that called Jack Boyle home from Cleveland. Four local players have been summoned home to follow loved ones to the grave this year Denny Lyons, the Ewing boys and now Boyle.

Tack Ileeney and Clarence Stephens both came horn* from the East in time to join the Riverside Reds in their invasion of Tennessee.

To talk of '91 seems premature, but one thing is assured. The pitching staff of the Reds will not embrace Frank Foreman. "FranciscoV drop has been something terri­ ble.

Young Clingman has made 8 hit at short field. REN MULFORD, JB.

NORWICH NQTE3.One Team Dismantled anrt a New One

Started—A Successful Season—A Slander Refuted, Etc.NORWICH, Conn., Sept. 16. Editor SPORT­

ING LIFE: The base ball association that

through an eye of a bodkin than to convertpartisan!

Harry Baumgartner's Shamrocks, as now constituted, form the best strictly amateur team he ever had. Burke is a comer, nnc Arthur Henshaw rankshim as the finest man on first he ever looked at. The Riverside Reds took Burke to Knoxville with them. That series was a wonderful one for two am­ ateur teams to indulge in.

The Sea King" embraced in its chorus several members of the opera troupe with which "Arlie old man" was connected in the West. He entertained a quartette of the fair ones at a Pittsburir game, and coached from a box.

"The Old Homestead Quartette" is what some of the boys call the musical four out a the Freeman avenue boarding house. Jerrj Harrington and Arlie Latham have investec in a piano.

From the West comes the story that "Hick 1 Carpenter will spend the winter here. Tin "old man" will be welcomed back. All o Cincinnati was pulling for the Blues to win the Western championship. President Stern says the Reds may mate a trip out that way if they do get there. The Blues with Nicol Carpenter nnd Elmer Smith ought to prove a good autumn magnet here.

To be a "sensational i."t" does not pay and I am glad to see that "Dick" has once rnor< drawn on his shirt and is waving his hand; like mine Herr Strauss does the baton and i: advising the mad populace to sprinkle sal on many of the absurd rumors now afloat "Dick's"conversion conies late in the day but one feels like grabbing him to his bosom "Dick" bus fathered some wild tales himsel' this year. He said Cincinnati would take; mid-season somersault into the Brotherhood' lap and he had Pitiiburg transferred to In ditinapoiis before i' ; rccracker Day. But let that pass. He's bee;1 converted!

has existed here all summer is now a thing of the past. Manager Jenniugs has disbanded his team and settled all bills against the Norwich Association. As far as the old organization went, it did very well for base ball in Norwich. We had a better team than ever before, have enjoyed better patronage and placed the national game on the road to success for another year in this town. Mystic has been drubbed in good shape, and the fiasco at Groton a year ago has been thor­ oughly obliterated. Men who have never manifested any interest in the game became continued "crunks," and at the time of the dissolution of the team base ball interest was at fever heat. But the release of the players and the knowledge that the season would close after the New Haven game cast a gloom over the town in base ball circles.

The New Havens have come and gone. They administered a bad defeat to us. We were not prepared for a one-sided game, but expected a very close contest Certain mem­ bers of our team became careless and in­ different when they received their notices, and spent the proceeding evening in baccha­ nalian pleasures, ami when they appeared on the field next day, their eye-sight was very weak, and the error column was very large in consequence. The audience was disap­ pointed, bitterly disappointed. New Haven was correspondingly elated.

We secured an easy victory over the Meri- dens Saturday, the 6th. The game was played in the rain and the ground was very muddy. Meriden was not in it, however, and the game was dull and listless. With the Meriden game ended the connection of Mr. Jenuings with the team, and the only topic of conversation on the street during last week has been the question whether base ball was dead in Norwich or should the team be con­ tinued.

Responsible parties have finally taken hold of the matter, and new men and new uniforms have been secured. Jlr. John Steiner has been appointed manager. Nor­ wich now has a stronger team than ever. The players are enthusiastic and eager to continue here, and the public wiJJ have an opportunity to see better club^^u have visited us H'l Rummer.

Last i^^tfJay. the 13th, lorril^^^tt i'»ii'u>* *.twn~,- - - - _ _ ; -„-

was in fine form, only two base hits being I made by the Morrills. To-morrow the J. P. jovell team, from Boston, will be here, and f the weather be favorable a good game and arge attendance is anticipated.

The club will visit Piainfield, N. J., on ^hursday, to play a return game with the Crescents, of that place. Friday Hackett, Jarhart & Co.'s team will be our opponents, and on Saturday we will play the same team n Norwich. The boys are in fine form, and rill make a good showing on their trip.

COMMENTS.The new uniforms are a vast improvement

n the old ones, since finer looking ball play­ ers would be hard to find. They are a well- milt, active team, and Norwich is proud of hero.

O'Connell seems to be advancing in the favor of the "cranks." They like Pete both

n and off the field.Snow's friends are sorry that his avocation

prevents him from playing steadily for the emainder of the season. The restof the play­

ers would be Rlf-d to have him on the team.Probably Myrtie Hackett is the most popu-

_r bail player that ever stood in Norwich. He is universally admired and his head is not a bit swollen.

The correspondent to the Mystic Press said in this morning's issue that "Manager Mc- Ettrick has done hi^ best fur the team 'Mystic), and hod it not been for the unfair actions of Norwich we should have been more successful financially and otherwise. Now, let the Norwichiaus put that in their pipe and smoke at it."

In regard to the above statement I would like to write a few words. Firstly, What does the Mystic scribe mean by unfair acts of Norwich? " Wesimply played better ball than Mystic, but as to any unfair means exercised by us, I emphatically protest against the Mystic man's utterances. Who ever wrote that article is either a malignant evil-minded person or else he is a consummate ass. Mystic people have been whining and bawlingabout Norwich for two years.

They are a disagreeable lot of ball players, who never know when they are beaten. In­ ability to cope with us has galled them so that our players, and even our citizens who have visited Mystic, have been subjected to insult after insult from a lot of rowdies. Now that the article referred tohasbeeii published, I mean to relate an incident that took place at the game played in Mystic on Saturday, Aug. 10. These injured and abused Mystic people approached our manager add wanted him to sell the game to Mystii: 1 'The plea set forth was "a desire to increase" 'p'n'tromtge at Mystic." The offer was refused"^d Mys­ tic defeated 9 to 2.

Probably Norwich acted unfairly by refus­ ing to deceive the public, and by playing honest ball. The Mystic people'ought to be ashamed of themselves and should be ex­ ceedingly careful of their remarks on the fairness of otners. Had they succeeded in their wishes, the crowd that came and paid its money to see good, honest ball playing would have been grossly deceived, and then Norwich would be-hooted out of town after losing the game. Such is Mystic. Still Nor­ wich has maltreated its ball team. Common sense and fair play say otherwise.

OBSERVER.

BALTIMORE BULLETIN.The Reason of the Failure of Wliitaker,

Pennypacker & Co.—The Changed Meth­ ods of Conducting Major r*ajjue Ball—A Compliment to tiharsiff—Baltimore Club News, Ete.BALTTMOBB, Sept. 17. Editor SPOBTINO

LIFE: The lesson taught by the collapse of the Athletics appears to be that a change has taken place in the business of base ball, and all things considered, a most natural one and one that any thinking business man should have anticipated. In the days when crude methods prevailed, almost any adventurer, sans sense, sans capital and sans everything but the happy idea of occupying territory, securing a monopoly under the National Agreement and shutting out all would-be competitors could establish himself and take possession. It was a close corporation or a trust that could arrogantly say to the base ball loving public: "Take what we give you or nothing." There was some incentive to cater well to the people, but not the incentive of competition. A person who desired to wit­ ness the exhibition of base ball had no choice as to where to bestow his patronage. He had no means of gratifying his desire for this amusement and at the srune time exercise a choice in bestowing his patronage as the merit of rivals dictated.

THE M0SHKOOM MAflNATKcould furnish a cheap tinsel show and demand and receive the remuneration of a good one. Whether a city was given an attraction to in­ cite a just and honest pride or not all de­ pended upon the temperament and perhaps over-caution of the squatter magnate; Perhaps he had the capital to secure the best talent and would not invest it, and perhaps he had no capital at all primarily and was tenacious of that he afterward extorted from the people. Taking advantage of the first flush of enthu­ siasm the pauper magnate accumulated "a stake" in many instances, and comforting himself with the old saw that "a bird in hand is worth two "in the bush" soaked it safely away from the uncertainties of speculation and experiment. Investment to improve his business was some risk the usual business one, of course and he had not

THE INCENTIVEof competition to force it out to his advan­ tage. This was, in different degrets, true in all the cities. Some were more liberal in catering than others, but none were incited by the usual competition, as in other lines of business, to strain every nerve to do their best. This was true even of Philadelphia where two clubs had competition to a certain extent, but where the competition was some­ what modified by the then at least almost universally acknowledged difference in de­ gree of prestige of the organizations to which the teams belonged. There was not due bus­ iness strife for all-around excellence. Per­ fection in all the details of the business at one time was never aimed at and very seldom hdd. Comfort of spectators, beauties and convenieuces of surroundings and excellence of playing talent were the different ideas or

HOBBIESof different magnates, but they seldom com­ bined in the minds of any. The team was sacrificed to the stands and grounds or vice versa, and more generally both were sacri­ ficed to the monopolistic views and cupidity of the mushroom magnate. Hence the sport suffered in its possibilities for want of proper competition, just as all business does. The tendency, and the very natural one, too, was to form a ring, a trust, or a monopoly and throttle the greatest possible enterprise, to the disadvantage of the public, the players and the sport. But now the Players' League is born, and the first real competition the National League ever had has chaneed the whole phase of the business. The Magna Charta of territorial rights has been torn into shreds and the doors opened to legitimate competition by organizations of acknowledged prestige. Participants must be business men and capitalists. Both leagues are

STRAINING PURSE STRINGS and ingenuity to capture public favor and patronage, and no organization can hope to compete with them by displaying less enter­ prise. For the Athletics to have lived would

" 'iat the whole American As-

if there is one. A physician firn? attempts to determine the cause of a complaint in his pa­ tient and then prescribes the remedy. It would seem that so intelligent a catcher as Townsend should be sble to make ft very simple task of this if he will be carefully ob­ servant. If Morrison's skill is entirely spas­ modic when his condition is normal he will be a novelty. Anyway, he has exhibited a talent, that to make permanent is worth ft great deal of study. Probably Baker will h« in no condition to pitch a game in the pres­ ent season, and thus the main work will fall upon O'Rourke, Morrison and German. Mo.«f of the games to be played are away front, home, and Baltimoreans anticipate that the other clubs will use the Oriok-s to

FATTEN THEIR AVERAGES. While nothing else is expected for tht ̂ res­ ent season, great hopes for the next are in­ dulged in. Some surprise has been expressed at the management's not securing several of the Athletic players, but it is believed Mana­ ger Barnie really thought thecluhwould play oat the season intact and be a factor in the race of 1891. If the opportunity has slipped it is to be regretted, but perhaps the woods will be full of talent this winter. The Orioles can stand a greatdtal of strengthening, and it is very likely the management is alive to tha situation. Perhaps it would be well to find out just what the American Association circuit is to be in 1891 so as to tell about how strong a club is required to compete with tho other! T. T. T.

P. S. Oh, ah, yes, dear Miss Ella, that waj a very naughty boy. ALBERT Morr.

COLUMBUS CHATTER.Ah There, Chapman, Don't Get Excited

Mark Baldwin Unwinds About Curtain Matters The Tri-State League Booming. COLUMBUS, O., Sept. 16. Editor SPORTIMQ

LlFK: It is an immense source of satisfac­ tion to note that Columbus is going to again have something to say about tiie placing of the pennant this season as it did last. It is to be regretted we cannot win the pennant, although the rag is not yet quite out oi sight, but it would be nothing short of a miracle if we were permitted to walk off with the honor, since Chapman has declared himself as being absolutely certain of "not being able to lose any games when once he gets his gang on their own dung-hill," or words to that effect. It has been o'erwhelmingly demonstrated that his crowd are quitters and are very or­ dinary ball players on foreign territory, and the last three games they played in Columbus should satify sufficiently even the most blimlcd and enthusiastic suppoiter of the Louisville team that they are not in it at any stage of the game with the lads from this 'burg.

I am prepared to believe that there was never a more disgusted chap left the Colum­ bus ball grounds than did that Chap-man last Sunday after Louisville had given up its third and most crushing defeat to the Colum­ bus team, and the most excellent part of the "romance" I am indulging in, as ''Chappie," old fel., will no doubt term it if he reads this letter, is that at no part or parts of the entire scries can he lay the least particle claim to unfairness at the umpire's feet, be­ cause no team ever had anywhere the show­ ing his had. Well, "Chappie," here's look­ ing at you and I for one will not grieve it you should win the pennant, but I will cer­ tainly be in firm possession of the fact that it isn't merit altogether that won the flag for Louisville, tor if that element prevailed the flag would float over Recreation Park, Colum­ bus, O., daring the year 1891.

SAYS I TO MYSELF, SAYS I.I happened last Saturday to run bang up

against Mark Baldwin, the once great pitcher of the Columbus team.

"Hello. Mark," says I. "How are they coming?"

"In all sorts of vehicles,'' says Mark."Been putting "em over this season, Mark?""You bet. I am in great trim, and am dead

stuck on the Brotherhood.""So!""Yes.""Will it be a winner? Now I mean this on

the dead, Mark.':

ONE SAD HEARTWhich Ha» Reason to Bewail Ben Young's

Trasjic Fate.In Grass Valley, the home of poor Ben

Young's adoption, there is a fair young Cali­ fornia girl whose heart is bowed down with grief. She was to have been the dead um­ pire's bride, and a few days before the fatal wreck he confided his secret to a newspaper friend, who asked him why he continued in such a role. Tiiis was his reply: "It is any­ thing but a pleasant position to hold, and my only reason for finishing out this season is the necessity of making and saving some money, for this fall I iuteud to do tnat which Gon says 'is meet for man to do.' " But the end of his dream of love was death!

JS-THE SPORTING LIFE will be mailed post paid to any address in the United States sind Canada one year for $4.00, six months for $2.25, three mouths for $1.25.

ous than the big leagues, and that would re­ quire extensive capital and fine executive ability. The base ball business that has a I successful life to-day in a city with the big two must have the means and the will to compete with equal attractions. It is very much doubted that the American Associa­ tion can do that in Philadelphia. The club that would represent that organization in

QUAKERDOMwould have to be lavish in expenditures for a series of years until the whole organization of which it was a part became of equal prestige with its rivals. This is a deferred reward and an extreme business risk that capitalists will be slow to assume. It would be folly for anyone to undertake a revival of the Athletic Club without a great abundance ot capital, and a willingness to look several years ahead for the margins. Under these circumstances it is believed to be unwise for the American Association to assume this dead weight upon its circuit. Many conflicting dates with either the Players' or National League would be necessary, and, nil things considered, a smaller city would be more promising. True, the name Athletic has an attraction in Phila­ delphia, but it has been proven absolutely that something more than a name is required to draw remunerative patronage.

The worst feature of the Athletic collapse is throwing out of business temporarily

GENIAL BILLY SHARSIG. Mr. Sharsig is an able manager and hand­ ler of men, who has never in any one in­ stance been free and untrammeled to carry out his business ideas or to be unhampered in his views of kind but firm discipline. If Billy is not a favorite of fortune he is cer­ tainly a favorite with players and with all persons without exception with whom he ;omes in contact. Being a self-made man, he is a credit to himself, and would be to any enterprising capitalist who would engage his services to run a ball team and permit him to lave the full advantage of his long experi­ ence and educated skill in the field of his specialty. As is quite natural, the defects in the Athletic team and in the management were many times thoughtlessly placed to the discredit of the visible head of the club. But what can a man accomplish when chained by circumstances!1 When a manager's hands are tied ami he is thus thrown in the base bal; flood he can not swim with the unhampered The best he can do.is to

FLOAT ON HIS BACK.and keep as much life as possible. Billy Sharsig did this a long time in Philadelphia perhaps a great deal longer than^ couli nineteen managers out of twenty. The 7ea of the local press for the success of the club surprised some of Billy's best friends into harsh criticisms not unkind, but perhaps thoughtless of all the circumstances govern­ ing liis position. But Billy has no more sin cere friends than those connected with the unusually enterprising newspapers of Phila delphia, and, it is believed, there is not ont of them but can testify to his merit and wil gladly do so on every occasion. It is not an ticipated that Mr. Sharsig will be long unem ployed, and here is hoping that when he once more handles a team he will be inad< free to demonstrate the talent he really pos sesses.

See-saw now you go up, up, up, and now you go down, down, down. Our childhood' game is brought to memory by the career o the Oriole pitchers. Morrison and German are always sitting on opposite ends of a plank in public estimation supported in the middle by the barrel of possibilities. Occasionally Morrison's end of the plank comes to view a German's sinks, and then again it is Ger man's at the expense of Morrison's. Morrison i.1 not the meteor his first appearance on th Oriole base ball horizon indicated, and ha temporarily flashed back into chaotic space That the lad has the possibilities of a giva pitcher within him was demonstrated by hi almost perfect control of the ball and his many deceptive curves in his first game. Sincether he IIHS been wild and ineffective, and Geruiai is temporarily

STAR PITCHER.All this would appear to prove that Morriso has some peculiatity that occasionally ob soures his skill. The thing to do is to dis cover the peculiarity aud apply the specifi

ijolli us HI LHU close or'A'nd how many Brotherhood

ready to join the League?""Not one. They are all in it to stay.""Do you think the Brotherhood and Asso­

ciation will come together next season and work as one?"

"Yes, I do.""How is that lively hall that you are using,

lark. Is it any harder to handle than tha Id League ball?""Oh, yes. You see the ball is larger and

.eavier and while there is no more rubber in t than there is in the old one, yet the yarn s more elastic because there is more oil in it nd the Para rubber seems more elastic, 'hen I stand back one foot auk a half farther ban I nsed to and I notice that my curve in- lead of chopping off at a smartangle directly a front of the batter, as formerly, now takes n a sort of a sweep and is easier for a batter o gauge, but I lay all this to having to stand jack farther and it makes a wonderful differ- nee, sou, this foot and a half."' Then you are not sorry that you gave

Columbus the shake?""Why, no. I didn't give them the shake.simply agreed that if I pitched for Colum-

lus this season to do it for no less money thanreceived last season, and that was all. In-

tead of Columbus having any claim at all on ne, the agreement simply meant nothing nore than protection for me and not for Co- umbus.""You are, then, making more money in the

Jrotherhood than you would have done by remaining with Columbus. Is that so?"

"Oh well, now look here. The Brother­ hood is bound to stay and that's where I wanto be."NEW TOWNS FOR THE TRI-STATK LEAGUE.Meeting President MePerrnith recently I

.nnuired of him as to what the outlook was or the Tri-State League for '91 and he said:

"It is great. We will be in it next season and will do well."

"Well, what new towns will you have 11IV?"

"Newport and Covington are very anxious to get in, and we would like very much to have them, but I'm afraid our compact with the National Agreement clubs will block them out."

Is that so. How do you make that out?" Well, you eee they are just across the river

from Cincinnati, and the existence of a team in that city precludes the possibility of oiir locating a team in any city as close to Cin­ cinnati as Newport or Covington is."

"Oh, I see; but is there no remedy?""Well, I am not certain about that. We

may be able to get the consent of the N; ational League to place clubs in those cities by ar­ ranging a schedule which will in no manner conflict with the dates in Cincinnati, but I am not at all sanguine as to that."

COLUMBUS ELATED.There are those in this city who follow basa

ball closely that really believe that if Louis­ ville is given a chance to win games solely on the merits of their playing, and not by virtue "*' favoritism, that Columbus will,really hustle them closely for first place, and some have been so positive of the outcome as to place some comfortably large bets on the result as I have indicated. I do not believe it however, and will bo delighted if we can crowd the St. Louis gang down a peg. We can do it; now will me? F. W. ARNOLD.

That's Right; Hit 'Em Hard.

From the New Y rk Tritons.Probably the most disgraceful feature in

base ball is the female base ball crowd now traveling over thecountry giving a burlesque of the sport. The women cannot play base ball and never will be able to learn how to to phiy the game. It is safe to say that nine boys in knickerbockers, picked up nt random, could defeat this women's team without any difficulty. The exhibitions are disgraceful, and ought to ha stopped by the police. The manager of this team tried to get the I old Grounds for the women's team, but tha grounds, like all other reputable base ball enclosures in this neighborhood, were refused to them.

THE Milwaukee team has scored more runs than any club in the Western Association.