The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-27

seats Is depository for all kinds of useless
material which has been carried there from
the open space to get it out of the way
The lesson of the Boston fire has been we'll
learned, however, and doubt not there has
since then been q general cleaning up of
these dark and unfrequented places all over
the country.
The Brooklyn club is one of the few In
the country which have all along been well
protected from fire. Not chip, shaving or
splinter of any kind is allowed to lie under
any of its stands On tho contrary, water
plugs have been placed ut convenient points.
long lines Of hose are kept under the seats,
and besides innumerable barrels of water,
with buckets attached, stand within easy
reach of the spectators. Had this precau-
ton been taken by tho Boston magnates,
how much would have been sayedl
The Boston grand stand which was swept
away in that fire was Il magnflcenc perma-
nent structure Some years ago the club
purchased outright tho ground on which
their baseball park is located, ON bracing
an entire city block and more. Being thus
secure from ejectment and believing that
professional baseball was an established
business, the owners of the Boston club
erected their grand stand with an idea of
permanency. Its foundations and lower
oUPPphN ~ NSiC otpiiSs anu CilO COSJ WtlS SlO,-
600. 1t had no rival in the Union except
the stand on the Philadelphia ground,
which cost ss5,00O These two clubs, own
ing clear titles to their grounds, could risk
their money i'll permanent buildings
The Boston hackers have moro causes
than the burning of their grand stand to
discourage them. The local attendance,
while fully up to the mark of last year, is
not proportionate with what it has been
In other cities To the mere observer this
fact is most puzzling. In years gone by
Boston, according to the size of it's popula-
ton, was the best baseball city In the coun-
try This year, in spite of the fact that it's
team has won three consecutive champion
ships and shows championship form again,
there seems to be n lack of proper enthusi-
asm.
There may be several causes for this state
of affairs In the first place. strange as it
may seem, 1t has never been financial ben.
eft to q club to win championship twice
IN succession. I think the Chicago, St.
Louis, New York and Boston clubs can all
bear testimony on that point. The reason
Is no; plain, but the fact Is incontrovertible.
Then the silly chatter Of the Boston play
ers, as soon rs they got an idea into their
heads that their club was going to make
money this year, did not please the people
who pay TO see them play ut home The
players openly avowed their dissatisfaction
with the amount Of salaries they are re-
ceiving and declared they would compel
their club to make an increase or know the
reason why. Naturally this implied threat
sounded to patrons of the club like threat
OF Indifferent playing. and when the team
lost few games I've no doubt thousands
of Boston "rooters" believed the champions
were not trying TO win and at once with
drew their patronage.
Still the Bostons would have come out
winners financially had it not been for the
loss of their ground buildings, for the cham
pions are the best drawing cards on the
road. They played to 10000 people in
their first ID games, n record almost unpar-
alleled in the history of the sport
Tho Clevelands continue to hold onto
their lead in the League race. As I showed
before, the greatest part Of the credit for the
"Spiders' standing must be given to their
three pitchers, Young, Clarkson and Cup
nv. To everybody's surprise the veteran
Ciarkson keeps up his great work, How
thnny some of these baseball complications
idok. The Brooklyns would give almost as