Sun River sun. [volume] (Sun River, Mont.) 1884-1885, 1884-10-16
Baseball Salaries.

A little paragraph has begun to go
the rounds of the country press, in
which some "tall' figures are given in
connection with the salaries Of base
ball players. We first discovered it
in the Hartford Times, but it proba-
bly, did not originate there, for the
subject is treated us though tho edi-
tor had become aware within day or
two that in baseball ninc certain
players are denominatcd "left fielder"
catcher and pitcher" Salaries
are said to be given to these players
averaging $1,000 or $4,000 year.
'Poor out-iiclders," it seems are in
demand ut $1,000.
1t is true, we believe, that one man
has been offered 5000 to catch for
the Chicago nine next season. lie
now receives $4,000, which is now the
largest salary paid 10 any player in
the country. AS for ''poor out-iicld-
crs'' getting $4,000, there are many
good ones who wish they could OBJ
tain so much,
These figures arc sometimes made
The basis of II lament over the predom-
nance Of muscle over brain, and are
alluded to rs showing tho degencracy
Of the country. where men Of intellect
command lower salaries than base
ball players. Let us look the matter
squarely in tho face. In the first
place, aseball is popular form OF
entertainment. 1t draws better than
II good play ut n theatre. There is u
popular demand for good playing, ms
there is at the theatre. In the second
place, playing baseball is hard work.
A game only lasts two hours, perhaps,
but the player must keep in good CON
dition, must be temperate in his diet
and regular in his hours while he is
not in the field He must obey or
dcrs implicitly, travel wherever his
manager directs, and do his best un-
der all circumstances. In the third
place, it is only the very best men that
demand salaries of $1,000 and over.
" hen man is the best catcherin the
country, or can pitch so as to give his
club n leading position, it is not
strange that he should command Il
high salary. In the fourth place, the
best ball players do not receive us
good salaries rs second class stage
players. They are not paid as well
as 1irst-clcss commercial travellers.
Their income is ridiculously small as
compared with that of boss plumber,
II bank manager or u railway prcsi-
dent. In fact, about the only profess
sional men Of any great efficiency who
are worse paid than ball players are
newspaper men, school teachers and
clersymen, and they, as every one
knows, work for the good Of others
moro than pecuniary profit.
1t is claimed that new variety OF
hirpopotamus has been discovered on
q remote part of tho river Nile. 1t is
named and WAS hitherto unknown.
The professor of anatomy at the
Edinburgh University is paid $4,000
a year. The heads of the departments
of Latin and mathematics receive
$500 each.
The latest addition to the culiosities
at the Central Park is female of the
troe-dwcllers from the Laos country,
about 200 miles south OF Tonollin.
She is slightly different from hui
man being in her physiology. Her
''pooplo' haYo language of about
400 words. In twenty two months she
has learned few English and Ger
man words. S,ho Is eight on nine
years old, and her parents looked more
Ike monkeys Than she Iops