Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-31

The Owners Of the Boston Club WTlI Divld,
100000 This Year.

The Owners Of the Boston Club Wnl Divide
100000 This Year.
1t is singular that Messrs. Soden Co
nant and Billings, the owners of the Bos-
ton Base Ball Club, never accompany me
club on its trips, not even going as far
as New York. At home Messrs, Soden
and Conant formerly occupied seats in
the directors box. but they are not seen
there now haf dozen times in an entire
season. After their duties in the box
office or at the gate are completed, they
take seat In the rear Of the stand. Mr..
Billlngs generally sits alone. He prefers
MS own company to that of any other
When witnessing an exciting contest, for
thus his comments will not clash with
those OF anybody else. No club owners
IN the country watch the ticket gate
more sharply than those in Boston. Mr..
Conant mas entire charge of this depart
ment, and woe to him who is trying TO
work his way into the grounds on a
bluff. Formerly the passes of visiting
club We're good. but now the home club
Is supposed to issue passes. The free list
OF the Boston club is far greater than
anyone would imagine, and is greater
now than ever before in the history of
the game. No season tickets are sold by
the club, but two forms of season passes
are issued. One Is in coupon form, a
ticket being torn from the book, both at
the entrance gate and at the pavilion. The
| other is in card form, and is good for adj
mission and the grand stand during the
entire season. The season passes are sup
posed to be untransferable, yet the tick
cts are often handed over to friend. The
directors have wreStled hard with this
problem, and generally with less success
than more. 1t is when the ticket is given
to a minor that Mr.. Conant 'gets on his
ear" so to speak and the ticket is taken
up and held, awaiting the call of the
| owner, when explanations are in order.
Mr.. Soden is the presiding genius in the
box office, and he can handle the paste
boards with the ease and grace of vet
eran dispenser of that article. If the
rusll>is not great Mr.. William H. Rogers,
who acts as treasurer of the club when it
is on the road. handles the office alone,
but when two men are needed, Mr.. Soden
will always be seen in the adjoining WIN
dow. Charley Foye and Saul Hamburg,
| the latter well known from his connec-
| ton with the Globe and Park theatres,
| help out on the big days, and can handle
Il vast throng in short order. Director
Billings and his son George find plenty to
attend to in looking out for the grand
stand.
The club runs Its own printing machine.
and all the cards are printed on the
ground. 1t derives all the profits from
| this source. which in such a season as
| the present will exceed $4,000.
The refreshment privilege is sold, and
| there was a sharp competition for the
ground privileges, and they were finally
| sold for $1,000 1t can be easily Imagined
| what an immense amount of business
| must be done before this sum is cleared.
| Beer is openly sold at the bars and on
the bleachers in New York. Two bars
| are run, one IN the rear of the grand
stand and the other beneath. Walters
| pass along he bleachers with trays OF
glasses filled with foaming beverages, and
on a hot day 1t takes barrels of lager to
| supply the thirsty. Soft drinks are also
sold in New York. fruit sandwiches and
| candy, there being no lack of anything
which will tempt the pocketbook.
Another source of revenue is the fence
advertising. which amounts to very re-
spectacle figure. The Boston club gets
very good prices for its spaces.
The Boston club this year will receive
enough from its grand stand to pay for
its salaries for the season and sum
from its privileges ample to cover all the
travelling expenses of the club. 1t IS
easy to see that at the least computation
the owners of the club will divide 100000
this year.
.All clubs are not so fortunate as Bos-
ton, however. 1t is the winner who gets
the spoils. The clubs up in the race will
be the only money-makers, but no club
will come near making the money that
Boston will get. New York had a pros
porous year last season, but will do far
better this year, and Will be at least $780,
III,
figure and Mr. John T. Brush, one of the
best money -makers the game ever knew.
will get handsome income from base
ball.
Philadelphia has more money sunk in
its plant than any other club. 1t costs
more to run the Philadelphia grounds one
day than the Boston grounds one week,
so extensive is the equipment. With a
winning club Philadelphia would coin
money, but the patrons have no use for
loser. The poor playing OF the team
ard the absence of team discipline will
cost the owners pretty penny this year;
Pittsburg. usually money-maker, is not
in that class this year, owing to the poor
showing of the club. Chicago will not
make barrel of money, but will have
balance on the right side of the ledger,
thanks to Sunday games.
One of the most expensive clubs in the
country is the Cleveland club. Few clubs,
if any, pay higher salaries. The attend
ance at home has been very meagre, de-
spite the fact that Sunday games nave
been played, and the season must be very
disappointing to Mr.. Robson. who is the
most liberal magnate in the business ana
the most popular. Brooklyn is anothef
big loser. The club has not been more
successful under Mr.. Barnie than II was
under Mr. Foutz. The owners of the club
do not stint their manager in the least IN
expenditures. but they are very sore tnat
they, have had so little to show Tor thelr
money. Both the Cleveland and. Brook
lyn clubs cost more In salaries tnan a., Tue
Boston club, yet the showing on the dia-
mond has not been at all proportlonate
10 the salaries paid.
Few would imagine that the Washing
ton club paid the limit to 10 OF IT'S players
hut such has been the case this season,
vet the club is in 18th place the club
has been a great disappointment 10 MI.
Wagner this year for he was very conn
dent at the beginning of the season that
it would land close to the first division.
Louisville has done far better than u
did last season, thanks to the good work
of the elufl in the home games St. Louis
has lived in the usual hand-to-mouth way
and is nothing more than drag to the
league. 1t is mystery now the ciuD
meets IT'S ohligatio and it has long been
the general opinion that it is only q, mat,
ter Of time when the franchise viii flnd
its way into new hands. win cnahse
in ownership. ST. Louis would be a first
class ball city.-Boston Herald
Mrs M. Elizabeth Green, one of the