The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-07-17

year, with the privilege of renewing
for two years.
Player Partridge was asked if he
would stay, but said that he had moth
ing to say.
1t was suggested that the other
members of the club be SEEN, but
Capt. Messerly said that they were
scattered all over the city.
Mr.. Robinson and one or two others
stated that the club would do what
ever Capt. Messerly said, and that
several members had told them this.
II Mr.. Messerly would say definitely
that he would stay, it would settle
the matter. Mr.. Messerly was not
treating the meeting fairly by not
making positive statement.
Mr.. Funk said that the dullest
part of the base ball season had
been passed, land that there wonld
be better attendance at the games
hereafter. 1t would be a damper on
Mankato if the club went away, and
it would be bad advertisement if it
was said that the city cannot sup
port base ball team. He would
double or treble his subscription to
keep the team here, and others
stood ready to do the same.
Geo. Pond and @. D. Benack said
that they did not think Capt. Mes
serly had given straight answer.
Mr.. Messerly said that when he
went to Winona it looked as though
all was off in the way of a base ball
association in this city. There were
not fifty signers to the list. He had
therefore entered into an agreement
at Winona.
Mr.. Moore insisted that the meet
ing ought to know clearly how the
club stood in regard to Winona.
Capt. Messerly continued his
evasive replies. He said that he did
not know what kind of an association
was to be formed here. The club
would have to play at Winona on Sat-
urday and Sunday anyway. If this
association had been started a week
ago, he could have answered definitely
without delay. He would like to stay
here better than at most places, but
he had almost agreed to &C to Winona.
Mr.. Benack said that if that was
the case, the meeting might as we'll
adjourn.
w. L. Comstock aske whether the
agreement was made by Mr.. Messerly
Individually or for the entire team.
Mr.. Messerly replied that it was for
the whole team.
Mr.. Benack asked why, if he could
act for the team there, he could not
act for it here.
Mr.. Messerly said that the players
had all said that they would 60 to
Winona. They had not said any
thing to him about staying here. The
ninety shares of stock subscribed
meant $3.50, and with few bad trips
it would soon be gone, and there
would be no more coming.
Mr.. Funk said that the association
would guarantee the salaries of the
players to Oct 1st, and that the mem
bers were able to pay them several
times over.
Mr.. Pond proposed that a COM
mittee be appointed to see the other
players, and that an adjournment be
taken until tonight. The others
present did not want to delay the
matter, but to settle it at once.
Replying to question by Mr.. Funk,
Mr.. Messerly said that the most of
the club would stay, he thought, but
that he could tell better after seeing
Winona. The club had played ball
twice as much this season as any
other club in the state. The games
would draw larger crowds at Winona.
This last statement was disputed
by several present, and the fact was
referred to that two associations at
Winona have already gone under this
season, and that the club. could not
be sure that the third would not.
Mr.. Messerly said that a strong
association has just been organized at
Winona. The club intended to 60
there if the Winona people would
take it.
This was what the meeting had