The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-09-30
WILL JOHNSON TELLS THE STORY
A St. Louis street Car Magnate Interested
In the Brotherhood League.

A St. Louis street Car Magnate Interested
In the brotherhood League.
st. Louis special: The Sporting News
had the following story yesterday: There
is something real and tangible 70 the plan
by which Albert L. johnson. of Cleveland.
is 70 become the head Of q combination Of
league players, members OF the Brother
hood, and array them against the league on
account Of the classification law and sales
system. Al johnson is q brother of viii
johnson, owner Of the South St. Louis
street railway, ant the two have an exten-
sive acquaintance among league players
Will johnson is a personal friend Of Fred
Dunlap, and there is no better schemer
than he in the league. Ii is said that there
Is an understanding between the JOhnsons
and certain OF the league players, by
which the Jobnsons, In the event of q
strike, will furnish the strikers with base
ball parks in certain OF the league cities,
these parks, OF course. 10 be occupied by
the league players all working on the co
operative plan Will johnson has been in
New York for several weeks, and it Is said
that he was there talking over the matter
with Ward, Dunlap and other league
players. Last FRIDAY night Will johnson
returned 10 st. Louis from New York and.
when met On The street on Thursday last,
he readily granted the editor of the Sporting
News an interview. When questioned as TO
what there was, real and tangible, TO the
rumOrs cf the league players quitting their
clubs and striking gut on their own hook,
he said: ITO beEs. with, let me tell you
that every player 10 the league. with the
single exception OF Anson, has signed an
agreement 10 join in the now-talked-of
movement. Auson. as 4 said, is the only
recalcitrant, and be Is an old horse who
will be led 70 the stable next year, so that
bis absence will not be felt Every one of
the others has signed pledge TO stand by
this agreement"
"What else has been done 90
Several base ball parks have been Sc
cured You have just read of the captures
Chicago; when / tell you that we have also
captured grounds 81 New York you will
believe there Is something In the move out
side of common rumor."
besides New York and Chicago. what
other citirs do on propose to capture ?'
"Our circuit will De compose OF Brook
lyn, Philadelphia, New York and Boston
In the east and Chicago, Cleveland, Pitts
burg and Buffalo in the west"
where do you propose to get grounds
at Brooklyn >"
"That 1 am not ~ liberty to state, but |
will tell you one thing, that we already
have the grounds and that they are as well
located as those OF the present Brooklyn
club L can say the same thing Of Boston,
Cleveland. Pittsburg and Philadelphia"
"Whv do you include Buffalo in your
circuit ?'
perhaps for the reason that Rowe and
White are already In possession of the
grounds located here and are also members
Of the league brotherhood b."
"DO you, as a business man and with /
yisur knowledge OF ball players, believe
that such movement will be successful in
it's results ?'
II will confess that had my doubts as
to its success at first When | was first let |
into the plan L told my brother that Henry |
Lucas had lost nearly a million on just |
such a scheme. At this my brother and |
several of the players got back at me with |
the very true statement that Lucas In his |
movement had only two or three players |
with him, while they had the whole league |
at their back and financial means to any |
amount. Then when they described the |
modus operandi they intended TO carry ont |
and the systematic way they intended to |
do business. 1 at once saw they knew what |
they were driving at and came TO their way |
of thinking. With sll the details in view |
am free 10 confess that believe the new |
league will prove a success from the start. |
Besides furnishing the best ball in the |
country. the aver will have the sym
pathy Of the people with them. No man |
living that know OF feels friendly TO the |
way the league bosses have been running |
things. This selling and trading OF players |
As though they were so many cattle is all
wrong, and the time has come when the
players must take the bull by the horns
aud do something foE themselves"