Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-04
THE JOYOUS JOHNSON.
He of the Brotherhood of Base
Ballists.
THE COMPOSITION OF HIS CLUBS.

Willow WELDING Athletes Fairly Falling
Over Each Other to Get into the New
Aggregation - All the Teams Are
Great" and the Goose Is AltitudinOus,
Says He-Getting Ready to Go to Law.
CLEVELAND, Dec. ALBERT L. johnson,
the acting president of the Ball Players
brotherhood, came back Monday from ten
days of hard work in the east. Mr. johnson
returned to face pile of kilograms twelve
inches high and letters innumerable. 80
some people consider the brotherhood sim
pie game of bluff, do theyr said Mr.. John
son, laughing. 1--WE will show them whether
we mean business or not. l have put a stack
of money in this movement, and you can de-
pend upon it that am not signing five-year
leases without knowing what l am about.
The brotherhood has come to stay De
Wolf Hopper said to me in New York:
THE moment your first game is played you
are at the top of the heap"
Are you using any efforts to secure men
already signed with other organizationsF'
was asked
None whatever" said Mr.. Johnson. Let
me tell you something. We have had num-
berleSs applications from men who have
signed other contracts and are now anxious
10 come 10 us If they have been paid ad-
vance money and have signed absolute con-
tracts we have refused in every instance 10
take them
Not Afraid Of Lawsuits.
But You expects suits against you for
| signing league mem"
'Oh, certainly" said Mr. johnson. But
we have every advantage We have every
good lawyer in the country almost on our
side We are able To go into the courts and
| prove that section % of the league constitu-
tisn, under which the men assent to the hold
| over obligation, has been grievously vio-
| lated. That section fixes the classification
limit at 5000 and provides for the expul-
sion of a club paying man more money
than that. Every member of the New York
club is ready and willing to swear that he re-
| ceived a larger sum. Some of them, indeed,
were paid much Is 81, 900 How is the
league 10 get around this
Been on Strengthening Tour.
What was the object of your tripi"
To strengthen up the clubs i'll the weaker
| cities" answered Mr. johnson. Monday
we signed Foreman, the great Baltimore
pitcher, for Philadelphia and otherwise
strengthened that club Tucker, the hard
| hitting American Association man, is going
| to play first for Johnny Wards Brooklyn
| club. Larkin will surely play first for Cleve,
| land
Tell me something of the makeup of the
| Philadelphia club"
well, there is Shindle at short: Mailman,
catcher; Mulvey third; Farrar, first; with
| Thompson, Wood, and Fogarty in the field
and Delehanty for substitute"
The Chicago Players Team.
"How about Chicagor'
There is great club, sure enough said
Mr.. johnson, opening a telegram from John
| Ward. by the way" said he, there is a
telegram asking me 20 have the brotherhood
| meeting put over from the 10th to the 10Th.
shall do so and l wish you would say So
| As for our Chicago club, 1t can't be beat.
| There is Comiskey at first, Pfeffer second
| Williamson short, and Latham third with
| BaStian as substitute and Ryan, Duffy, and
/ Van Haltren in the field"
They are all brotherhood menf'
Without question"
Any pitchers"
Only Baldwin, Tener, Gumbert, King
and Dwyer," answered Mr. johnson.
Gotham and other Villages.
How about New York;
! We'll, sir" said johnson, firmly, I'VE
Will have the New York club of last year
| with the exception of John Ward In hi.
/ place have signed first class man in every
/ way"
How about Clrveland|
well, said Mr. johnson, here We have
( Larllin nt first, Stricken second, Tebeau
third, and Robinson short In the outiield
we have Radford and Twitchel, sure, ana
I probably McAle,.r Anyway, We have a
/ good man
And for BROOKLYN
''Well, there Is Ward at short Burns sec
ond Tucker first, Bierbauer third, with An
! drews, McGeachy, and Seery in the field
| Con Murphy, of last years Syracuse club i.
one of the pitchers, and we will get a good
many more"
keIly's Heroic Resolve.
| How about Bostonin
| well, - said Albert, Il bought round-triI
/ tickets for Kelly and his wife TO the Pacific
| coast. The last words Kelly said 10 me were
| If don't bring back the signatures of the
1 other eight players, / will jump into the At.
! lantic ocean the moment reach Boston,
Tell me about yonr Buffalo club"
"Wel, said Johnson we will have Rowe
and White at short and third. Sam Wise al
second, and John Irwin, Hoy, and Beecher
scattered about with keefe, Haddock, AND
Krock as pitchers
What changes will be made in the Pitts
burg club!'
You can say authoritativsly,n replied Mr.
Jahnson, that only two new men will be
employed, and these in place Of Rowe and
White at short and third