The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-07
RECEIPTS of LAST SEASON COM
PARED WITH THOSE OF
OTHER YEARS.
MEN WHO HAVE MADE MONEY.
The Dark side of the Pictures
Some Notable Failures Growth
of the Game.
Special Correspondence Of the Globe.

COitTdOlCClOu. One OF these DaSo Dali
statistical cranks who spend much
time in compiling figures has been
keeping tab during the season just
closed upon the daily attendance at
National league parks, and he reports
that few more than 100000 specta-
tors have passed the gates Of the
twelve grounds from April Is till Sept.
~. If those figures be correct-and
they are not much out Of the way-the
receipts of the twelve National league
clubs, including the sale of privileges,
We're 81, 125,0 900 at the least, or an aver
age of about 100000 to each club.
At this figure the twelve clubs profits
should foot up a total of perhaps $780,
600, and will range in division from
$4,000 to $1,000 or $4,000
The largest profit made in a single
year by any club was that of the
Philadelphia in 1895, which was given
| out to be 100000 and that sum was
not far from an official statement
The New York club, with a most dis
astrous season and an enormous ex-
pense account, cleared $40, 600 the same
year. For the amount invested and
the cost of running the club the Gin
cinnatis probably topped the money
| makers of the big league this year,
while the champion Baltimores, In
spite of a third successive triumph fell
off so per cent in their profits, due en-
tirely to a tired feeling" among the
clubs home patrons
Now, then, anybody will without
stopping to look into it closely, say
at once that base ball is golden cinch.
70 use an expression of the street To
prove this still more forcibly, they will
point to the fact that at the end of the,
brotherhood war in 1890 base ball stock
In the rival New York clubs could have
been bought for 10 cents on the dollar.
The two clubs consolidated, with a
capital stock of $235, 900. Two years
later 1T came down to question of
selling 10000 worth of bonds to pay
the clubs debts or to put the corpora
ton into the hands of receiver The
Dond sale scheme was adopted by
close vote. Then came better times.
At the end of 1894 part of these bonds
were paid off, and the controlling in
terest-that is, 1000 shares-was sold
for $48,000. This fall the purchaser
was offered 100000 for that same 1,2OO
shares He refused it because he
draws $l0,0O0 year salary as president
Of the club and gets six per cent
dividend on $4,000, par value, which
IS $1,000, making an annual income Of
$4,000 out of $4,000 invested. AS a
business man he knows that an un--
usually prosperous or successful season
confronts the club next year, with a
rare good chance of running the profits
beyond the Philadelphia record. With
a good chance of that occurring he
believes he can pocket as his share
$4,000 more velvet next year, and is
shrewd enough to know that his in
terests then will be worth as much as
they are now.
That is the bright side Of the picture
But there Is a dark one. Base ball
business in q few cities is more I'M
stable than Wall street fortune in
the hands Of a new member of the
stock exchange The New York club
pays the enormous sum of $4,000
year rental for the only available base
ball site south of the Harlem. Without
the use Of the great Polo grounds the
clubs stock would drop with thud
The clubs lease extends three years
and so far as the landlord is concerned
can be renewed. But an unexpected
danger loonled UP without a days
warning last spring. New York city is
spending millions of dollars on speed
way. The great pleasure drive begins
on the bluffs just behind or above the
Polo grounds. Last winter the driving
club complained that the approach, as
it was being built, had too much of
horses. Shortly afterward New York.
lovers Of base ball and football were
startled to hear that the park COM
niSsioners had introduced resolution
to make new approach by extending
Bradhurst avenue. which would cut
Manhattan field and the Polo grounds.
the New York clubs expensive double
hcme, exactly in halves and render
them wholly useless for out of door
sports.
The park commissioners. when ap-
preached on the topic, confirmed the
report. One of them asserted that
New York's base ball interests were too
abSurdly insignificant to be considered
when compared with what the city
owed to owners of fast horses. What
q mistake he made. The entire New
York press took up the fight for the
common peoples sports. and several
commissioners, who really didn't know
what hold base ball had on New
Workers, were made to see their mis-
take. Therefore public protest saved
the New York clubs home. but it was
narrow escape, and the value of the
clubs property might have been al
most wrecked had the speedway
scheme gone through.
The Boston, Philadelphia and Chi
cago clubs own their grounds in fee
simple, and can only be busted by the
demand of public Improvement. In
nearly all of the other nine National
league. cities there is yearly danger Of
loss of grounds by street openings or
the march of public improvements. The
New York club in 1889 was dispos,
sessed in the middle of the season. The
Brooklyn club was compelled to move
in 1892. The Cincinnati club woke up
one morning in 1894 to find it's grounds
rented by a rival club, and in order to
get a home in time for the champion
yxrnS oil
buy out a brickyard, several gardeners.
a house and three stables. The St
Louis club was routed from old Sports
mans park several years ago. The
Cleveland club changed twice.
The Chicago club has occupied four
different grounds. This matter. of
paying site on which to do business is
of great Importance to the hackers of
professional ball. Permanency of oc-
cupancy can only be obtained by the
clubs buying their grounds outright,
as the Bostons, Chicagos and Phlia-
deiphias have done. But for the New
York club to get an owners fee simple
title to their double home would re-
quire at least $500, 600. or perhaps ST.
900, 900.
This danger which for awhile threat
ened the Polo grounds and Manhattan
field in New York aroused great con-
: Germ among base ball lovers all over
the Union, for 1t is well agreed fact
that blow to base ball in New York
would be blow to 1t universally. And
it interested the colleges because their
deciding football games are played on
Manhattan field every year.
While I've presented the winning
side of base ball it is only necessary
to refer to few victims to show how
treacherous it has been. John b. Day.
who owned the champion New York
club Of 1888 and 1889. lost his all, $780,