Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-25
The Bean Enters Up to Snuff.

Is Omaha to have ball club next year or
not That is a question that will agtate the
minds of the les ion Of local patrons after
they shall have purusod the present issue of
THE Bee
The special telegram from Boston pub
lished in this paper yesterday morning and
which hlnted at Il wholesale disposal of the
Omaha team to Messrs. Soden, Conant and
Billings. the base ball moguls of the Hub.
contained more truth than poetry, as
assiduous investigation on the part of The
BEE's base ball man has developed. Word
by wire from friend in Chicago yesterday
afternoon furnished clue to the informa-
ton subsequently gathered, and the public
can rely upon the authenticity of the matter
treated upon.
Late in the afternoon the president secre-
tary and directors of the Omaha base ball
association held secret conclave, just
where is of no particular moment, but that
much that is of Importance and interest to
base ball patrons is certain. A lengthy
communication from Messrs Conaut and
Billings, of the Boston club, and
Manager Frank Selce, of the Omaha
seam, who are now at the Grand Pacific,
Chicago, received by President Mccormick
yesterday morning, at once served as an
tins communication was a proposition from
the Boston triumyir, the exact nature of
which had been furnished The BEE through
. the source above mentioned, and which runs
as follows: For handsome sum, running
way up into the thousands, Boston virtually
agrees to buy the entire Omaha team, but
after selecting as many OF the men as they
deem of use to them, out of the thirteen now
(tmahu'S roster the halanpn
main the property of the Omaha club, to
form the nucleus of team for next year if
the management here sees proper to continue
the venture. Further, out of the thirteen
men constituting the Omaha club, the Boston
parties agree to hold out eight, leaving
Omaha balance of five without cost. AT
, the close of the Western association cham
pionship season at Milwaukee next Sunday,
the proposition further specifies, Manager
Selee is to take the entire team intact
TO the Hub, and the selections
will then be made after the
boys have been sized up on the field
The price offered by Conant 81 Co., could
not be ascertained. but it is of such tempting
dimensions that the Omaha contingent
deemed it foolhardy to ignore, and after n
thorough canvass of the matter it was de-
-cided to dispatch Secretary r.. o. Brandt to
Chicago this evening for q fuller and more
Complete understanding with the proposed
purchasers He leaves this afternoon at
,3!45. and is not only authorized to confer
with and close the deal with Boston, but TO
go on to the Hub and be present when the
eight men are selected. If this deal IS con-
summated he is further instructed to pro-
ceed to Brooklyn and other eastern cities
aud dispose OF the remaining five men for
whatever price can be obtained for them.
MIR. Brandt is TO keep President Mccormick
posted as to the result of his meeting with
Canant and Billings, and not TO close the
deal until he receives the final order from
this end of the line.
Thus it will be seen that Omaha's prospects
for base ball next year are meagre indeed
The directors here advance the argument
that they have been induced to take this
step for the sole reason Of the insufficient
support the team has received here this sea-
son, and the fact that next season, from the
outlook, means a big loss of money, mas
much as new grounds must necessarily be
secured, new buildings erected, and enorm-
GUS expense incurred to even give the ven
ture the faintest color of success. In lieu
OF coming out ahead this season, the settle
ment made yesterday, clearly demonstrated
that somebody must go down in their pockets
TO break even. The receipts fell far short of
those of last season, and without more tangible
encouragement than ia being at present ad-
vanced by those who should take
nu active interest in the maintain
ance of Omaha's base ball club,
the management say they do not
feel justified in proceeding further with the
the corporations deriving big revenue by the
way of TRANSPORTATION and other means have
not shown the proper spirit, and they are
tired of fattening the Golfers of parties who
refuse to make any concessions or the
slightest reciprocity of favors. While the
Omaha ball club lost money, the cable line
has reaped a bounteous harvest.
This will be most unwelcome news for the
lovers of the great national sport in Omaha,
but is inevitable unless affairs assume diff
terent phase within the present week. If the
Boston deal is made Omaha can not expect
amy base ball next year at least. The fran
chise VIII have TO be purchased by other par
ties, and the arduous work of banding to-
Gether u new team gone through with before
there eau be a resumption of the sport here
Who is there among Omaha's monied men
who wants To go into such speculation in the
face of the present teams past two seasons
experience} Can anybody answerl Just now
1t would be a difficult matter to name n sin
gle one. Base ball to-day is as much ousi-
mess as any other class that goes TO mako up
The great mercantile world. Men invest
their money in base ball nowadays like they
do in stocks or real estate with the eXpecta-
tion of realizing on tho investment, and not
for tho purpose of furnishing few hundreds
u couple Of hours sport every afternoon or
30, and settling up at the close OF the season
at about the individual rate of SIS game or
more. That becomes irksome. Base ball
has made many man and broke many an
other.
81, Paul, Minneapolis and other papers in
Western association cities have wired their
Omaha correspondents for the above ac-