The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-06
SUNDAY BALL CONCERT
COMBINATION TO EvADE THE LAW
SET ON FOOT YESTERDAY.
Several Hundred People at Fair
Grounds Ball Park-Civic League
Membership.

The indianapolis Baseball Park. across the
road from the State Fair grounds, was for
mally opened for the season yesterday after
noon by a band concert Admission fees OF
% and so cents were charged, and between
two and three hundred people were in at
tendance The tickets for the concert bear
the information that the concert was given
by the Indianapolis Concert Company and
the music furnished by the indianapolis
Concert Band. Who compose the concert
company Is not announced. but it is said that
concerts are to be given each Sunday after
noon during the coming season.
The opponents OF Sunday baseball may
see in the action Of yesterday declaration
concerning the course to be pursued relative
to Sunday baseball. The giving Of the con-
cert at the Fair Grounds park may indi-
cate where Sunday baseball is to be played,
and the means to be employed to escape the
law. Incidentally 1t might be mentioned
that the ball grounds of the Fair Grounds
Park is in excellent condition, having been
graded and rolled. The law says there shall
be no Sunday ball games where admission
is charged TO see them. 1t is possible an
effort will be made to evade the law by
selling tickets to q. concert and giving the
ball games free of charge. The opponents
OF Sunday ball have wondered where the
attempt to play would be made.
The concert Of yesterday afternoon Is con-
Dected with the giving Of Sunday games for
the reason that the concert was given at
ball park controlled by the indianapolis
Baseball Association. The day was a trife
early in the season for an open-air concert,
and the affair was not previously announced.
Manager Watkins, when questioned, had
nothing more to say than to state that the
park had been used by the Indianapolis Con-
cert Company, but he would not say if he
knew of whom the company is composed.
The concert consisted Of the following pro-
auctions: king Cotton March," Poet and
Peasant Overture" Sweet Little Daisy
Schottische." Moonlight on the Hudson"
Guards Hungarian Dance" Fifth Regi-
ment March," Selections from the Beggar
Student" Ever Thine Waltz" 'Rastus on
I'm the grandstaDd one had to pay so cents
and for seat on the bleachers rs cents was
charged. Most of the crowd was ON the
be attempted next week, but 1t is generally
thought that the concerts will continue until
the opening OF the League season, when one
OF the scheduled games will be played after
or during the concert.
THE CIVIC LEAGUE BLANKS.
Membership blanks Of the Indianapolis
Civic League were given out in nearly all
the churches yesterday by the pastors, and
in describing these blanks reference was
made to the object of the league, which is
to prevent Sunday base ball playing by
professionals. These blanks for the most
part were well signed, the ushers standing
at the church doors and offering them to
voters.
Rev. DR.. NJ. l.. Haines, at the First Pres
byterian Church, said that the object of the
the Sabbath. He said that the proposed
Sunday ball games would not only be dam
gerous in themselves. but they would lead
places as New York, Philadelphia and Pitts
burg refused to tolerate such violations of
thought those cities that permitted Sunday
bail did not rank high in a moral way with
their sister cities.