Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-29

financial success of the club almost entlrey
depends on the performance of the players.
have always held the opinion that if We mad
team here, who could hold their own against
all corners. the financial success of the CLUB
would be assured. stand by this assertion as
prediction still, because we may depend upon
1t that as soon as we get team of players who
are at or about the top of the list. all quarrels
and conflicts will be forgotten and everybody
will be enthusiastic. People who patroniSe
contests for amusement soon forget scores OF
discomfort when their favorites are winning;
Enthusiasm increases by leaps and bounds ana
everybody becomes affected by it. So will 1t
be with our ball team If they prove to be VIII
ners. And the stockholders OF the club de-
serve to be financial winners this year. am
sure they have paid out their money with un-
sparing hand since last fall and have con-
traeted TO pay out very large sums
Of money before this year vanishes. This
has all been done In the hope that a win
ageous and generous policy. such as this. is car
ried out, 1t is the duty of the public to aid the
venture In every reasonable way. There has
been no niggardliness on the part Of the cuo Oh,
rectorA When it has been necessary TO go ana
make heroic stroke to capture prominent
player the club directors have completely un-
loosened their purse strings and planked up the
cash to very high figure. Surely this deserves
recognition on the part of the public. and feel
confident that the public will view the matter
in this light These thoughts, then, lead me to
believe thar the club will be financial success
this year. That is, it will make more than the
ordinary expenses. And let me venture the re-
mark that II we once secure winning team
here, and the finances come out all right,
no directors in the baseball business Will
act with better pluck than those of P1tts-
burg. They are thoroughly game, and II they
turn out to be winners they will have q much
bolder policy in the future than now.
Mark Baldw1n's Case.
About the most miserable, in fact. Nigh
add, the most despicable case that has ever tar
nished the annals of baseball is the alleged
case of Won der Abe against Mark Baldwin.
That remarkable mistt in baseball, Won der
Abe, as We all know, trumped up charge OF
conspiracy against Baldwin and had the latter
lodged IN st. Louis Jail. That was an outrage
In itself, but it was onlyin keeping with the
record of character whe has done more to de-
fame and disrupt the national game than all
other defamers and disrupters put together.
When Baldwin was arrested, this same charac-
ter, Won der Ahe and his minions were loud in
their declarations about the strong case they
had against Baldwin; even one dlsreputaDle
creature scrubbed out descriptions OF BALDWIN
in the penitentIary. Well. Baldwin appeared
befor the Judge quite ready to face his ac-
cusers. They were not there, and the case was
postponed. Baldwin faced the Judge second
time, and his accusers were again a bs ent The
case was again postponed. Still third time
Baldwin faced the Judge TO answer the charge,
and again were his accdsers absent. The
case was again postponed. And all TINS
was done in full view of the dire calamltles re-
sulting from the maladministration of justice
in New Orleans. Was there ever greater out
rage perpetrated on ball player than Won der
Ahe and ST. Louis Courts have perpetrsted on
Baldwin, Can 1t be possible that st. Louis
Judges are under the influence of beer-selling-
baseball-humbugss Surely matters haven't be-
come so far degraded in st. Louis and yet 1t is
difficult to reason out that Baldwin has had
justice fairly meted out to him in ST Louis
The case so far Is a disgrace to baseball and to
st. Louis. But this is one more proof of the
necessity of having Won der Abe out Of na-
tional agreement baseball entirely. He Is in no
manner or form fitted to participate in the
business. Whatever his qualities as lager
beer vender may be, he is undesirable In base
ball, and intelligent and honorable magnates
should know this Baldwin's fharacter cannot
possibly be injured by the efforts Of Won der
Abe. 1t is to be hoped that there are some
people in St Louis who have respect for justice
and that they will aid Baldwin. in at least
getting the semblance Of fair play
q Worthy Example.
During the week was reminded Of an annual
event which takes place In this city and which
in my estimation is worthy of emulation With
pleasing regularity 1t has taken place for
several years and it will once more be oele-
brated to-day. refer to the annual banquet
of the ]. II. Porte Fishing Club. or course,
there is nothing grandiy improving in the
affair. but the principle underlying it is what
l want to say a word or two about. Mr.. Porte
is very liberal patron of the club, which, by
the way, is made up of a number of very in.
telllgent, very hard-working and very steady
living young men. The object Of the club is to
afford these young men pleasure of a whole
some and ennob1ing kind and it is to this end
that Mr.. Porte supports it. Well, he generously
provides the annual banquet and the annual
camp and to see the gathering together of these
youngsters is, indeed, very enjoyable sight
There are clubs and there are clubs but a
fishing club of the j. II. Porte kind for young
men is an organization that well-intentioned
gentlemen of wealth should copy. They do
good. They not only are the means of afford
ing recreation and good sport for young men
but they tend to keep in check the desires for
questionable pursuits. l trust that the ]. n.
Porte Fishing Club will live long and will soon
see quite a goody number of others ike 1t.
! almost forgot to mention that the banquet
this year will be at the MOn0pgahela House,
and if it is like its predecessors it will be q
because of the great tendency there is at pres
ent for young men to organize themselves into
a club, and before their organization is a
month old they are in difficulties. guide is
needed, and while Puritanic rules are foolish
there should be limits OF conduct in these clubs
if they are to live.
Jem Smith and Pritchard.
One Of the prominent events of the week as
far as pugilism is concerned has been the
matching of Jem Smith and Ted Pritchard to
fight for the English championship. There
are many reasons why American interest in a
battle between these men is great Smith has
already had a ego" at some Of our champions,
and Pritchard is now before tho world as the
man who wants to fight any mIddle-weight In
the United States. or course many people will
be surprised to find Pritchard going out of his
class aud arranging to fight man like Smith.
At first sight it appears extremely risky OH the
part of Pritchard, but il we examine the mat
ter closely think WEN find that is is not SO
very risky after all. have never held . very
have declared myself on this point more
than once. He is far from being first
class and his contest with moder-
ate man like Kilrain settles this beyond
dispute. On the other band Pritchard is a
frst-class dle-weight. / hold this to be true
even though his fight with Burke was not
genuine" If that affair was "on the square,
and If Burke was in good form then Pritchard
is nothing short of a wonder. But have yet to
be convinced that Pritchard's fight with Burke
is absolutely genuine; that is l need more evil
dence to convince me that Pritchard com
pleteIy settled Burke in ''up and up' style in
three rounds If Burke was the Burke we really
have known SO long. But entirely aside from
that affair hold Pritchard to- be frst-class
pugilist Of the good old type. Last year when
in England my readers will remember that 1
gave the opinion of a man like Tom Symonds
rerardinp Pritcbard. That oninion was to the