Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-04-12
THE NATIONAL GAME.
The Bold Scheme of President
Spalding and Captain
Anson.
They May Take Two Teams to Aus
tralia Next Fall at a Cost
Of $50, 900.
[cH1oAao ooRREspoNpENor.l


discussion and specu, alton among ball players
and lovers of the game everywhere for some
months TO come.
President A G. Spalding, associated with
Captain Anson and one other gentleman, will
next fall take to the antipodes two crack ball
teams, not so much through any expectation
= OF making money out of the enterprise itself,
but for the purpose Of showing the Aus
nalian people the beauties Of the American
game in order that il may become es ablished
there upon the same basis of public favor
that 1t has enjoyed in this country for years
past
The idea is not the outgrowth Of impulse
with President Spalding, but is the result
of some months Of thought and careful in
quiry. @In my Judgment" said he to your
correspondent ~suc6 trip would prove
losing venture TO any man who undertook
the journey with any expectation of making
money out OF the gate receipts OF his games.
In undertaking such trip do so more for
the purpose of extending my sporting goods
business TO that quarter Of the globe and
creating q market for goods there, rather
than with any idea of realizing any profit
from the work of the teams take with me.
during the past three years, and the trade
from there has been growing 30 steadily that
/ feel confident of being able to build up a
business there, as the result of my contem-
plated venture, that will, in the end, repay
me-"
@Do you realize" said l, shat Australia is
IL, 600 miles from Chicago, and that it will
cost barrel OF money TO take twenty-five
men out there?"
SYes, sir realize ali that fully 1t will
take, at the correct calculation, $50, 600, and
that amount OF money will be deposited in
bank for expenses before we leave here.
@Tell me your plans, said finally, when
had begun to grasp the importance of the un-
dertakng.
@Very we'll. am honest with you when
tell you that have little II any expectation
of paying our expenses by means of our ex-
hibition games on Australian soil l have
tried to introduce the game upon foreign soil
in years past" (Mr. Spalding referred to his
trip to Englapd), @and know something of the
difficulties to be surmounted. AS it is, how
ever, shall be perfectly willing-for my
judgment tells me that l can easily afford it,
to spend few thousand dollars to the end OF
establishing branch houses in Sydney and
Melbourne, and that is principally what takes
me there. Three months ago met theatri-
cal man who has been ayound the world sav-
eral times, aud who has managed some of the
leading dramatic stars OF this country and
England, having taken two or three of them
to Australia He has a large and influential
acquaintance throughout the principal cities
upon this continent, and Is just the man
wished to secure in the interests of this en-
terprise He left Frisco last month to secure
the most advantageously located grounds at
every point we shall visit and to make other
arrangements for our reception AMI stay in
Australia"
This gentleman your correspondent saw ten
days before he sailed for Australia, and
learned from him the plans of the projected
trip. He Is a thorough man of the world,
speaks several languages, knows every square
mile OF tho inhabited section of Aus tralia,
aud has wide acquaintance among influential
people in each of the principal cities there.
SIpresume," / suggested, shat the teams
will indulge in farewell trip through this
country"
sYes bat to no point east Of Chicago. In
| the first place, understand that this enterprise
| will be conducted upon the broadest possible
| gauge. We want TO let the Australian people
know in good time that we are coming and
| we shall make noise enough in this country
go that they will have no difficulty in hearing
of us long before We reach their shores.
"Have you decided as to the makeup OF
| your teams yet?"
~0nly in general way. We haze decided,
| however that every player we take with us
| must be not only ball player, but gentle
/ man in appearance, intelligence, and dress.
| Full dress suits will, fancy, be almost as re-
| Quisite to each player as his baseball uniform
| will be, for Intend to have our party received
| in royal style at Sydney and at Melbourne,
and they will doubtless be generously enter
| tanned by many people OF high social and
| official position during our stay"
SWhat route have you decided uponl"
i swell, il our present plans are not altered,
we shall leave Chicago as soon after the cham
i pionship season as possble-probably abo ut
Oct Is. We will play the first of our series
of farewell games upon the Chicago grounds.
may touch in the order named, at st Paul,
Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha Kansas
City, Topeka, Denver, Leadville, Colorado
Springs, Cheyenne, Salt Lake, Sacramento
| and San Francisco On this trip, you may
rest assured, that the arrival and departure
of our party at each point have named will
be a MOTTO be-forgotten event, while the Sc
ries of games we shall play in Frisco, just
before leaving, anticipate, will be the big
gest events in baseball that have yet taken
place on the Slope We shall sail from Frisco
about Nov. 10 or IL The line of ofeteamers
now running from that point to sydney is q
splendidly equipped one; the Pacific Ocean Is as
smooth as amill,pond, and the voyage cannot
be other than delightful one for each mem
ber of our party. We shall rig up some kind
Of an arrangement on shipboard so that our
batteries can keep in condition, and so that
the teams may also practice little cricket,
baseball is not the only game Americans can
play. There are always greater or less
number Of pleasant and wealthy people going
across, so the boys may rest assured that
time will not hang heavily upon their hands
during the voyage. 1t Is just 8, 200 miles
from Frisco to sydney, aud our first stop
| will be at Honolulu, the capital of the Sand
wich Islands. We stop there from twelve tc
fifteen hours, and during our stay will man
age TO call upon King Kalakaua and his court
and sec q good bit of the country and its
famous sugar plantations. Leaving Homo.
lulu we take a southerly course, passing
| many beautiful islands in the South Pacific
| Ocean. The boys will have all the time
they will want to take in the ocean scenery
as we shall be just twenty-six days in all a
sea
@We shall stop but few hours In Sydney
Melbourne being our objective point Wheth
| er we will make tho journey from Sydney 4
| Melbourne overland or by steamer do no
know yet but in either case we shall be giver
a royal welcome at the Melbourne end Of In,
route. can eafely assure the boys Of that
They may anticpate-for shall reach Mel
bourne q month ahead OF them--a banquet n
the hands of the Australian Cricket Clubs
say the second night after their arrival there
They may also anticipate q reception Of som,
kind at the hands Of the American Consul
| and IL he is the same who was there whom
made my last trip to Australia he will enter
tain our party in great style. The principa
theater in Melbourne, the Royal, is owneC
and controlled by an American, n warm per
sonal friend Of mine, and you can rest as
sured that when he throws open his house Il
| our party, probably upon the third or fourtl
night after our arrival, II will be decorated
from pit 10 dome with American flags, To-
Jimmy (my friend) Is a patriotic American
and know will not be able 10 do enough fo
us under such circumstances. We shall un
doubtedly have all tbs invitations we can I'll
at the hands of the sportsmens clubs in tn
will be able 10 tire themselves out II the,
choose, at kangaroo shooting.
aWel, we shall probably remain In Mel
bourne fortnight At the end Of which W
win depart for Adelaide, going thence to Blu
rabura GelOnQ. Balarat Handhurat WaQn