The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-16
Millions '
Of Dollars.
Special CORRESPONDENCE Of the Globe.

Special Correspondence Of the Globe
NEW YORK, May BIN Mount
Pleasant on the outskirts of Washing
ton city there is a large, comfortable
house standing in the middle of half
acre lawn. In this house Is a room
which occupies the southwest corner
Of the first floor. In that room are
two desks and huge secretary with
innumerable pdgeonholes 1t is the
headquarters Of all professional base
ball in the United States. Within those
four walls the records are kept and
legal redress is sent out to more than
100 clubs. The house is the house Of
N. e. Young. president Of the National
league and chairman of the national
board Of arbitration. In that work.
shop are filed the papers pertaining
to every dispute or quarrel which has
arisen among the minor league clubs
and players during the last thirteen
or fourteen years. Recently I was
shown the papers in a single casa
dispute over player between two
clubs up in Maine-and the documen-
tary evidence was as bulky as the
papers in most supreme court cases.
Besides being the head Of the ma
tiona board, Mr.. Young has all the
records Of the National league players
to keep, as well sas the umpires' ac7
counts to audit, ;rfines to collect, balls
to distribute and complaints to hear
and answer. 1t was not, therefore, an
act of generosity, but rather one Of
justice when the league last winter
raised Mr. 30 pe
to $4,000 year and gave him the as
slstance of clerk (his SOM, who re-
ceives an additional $1,000 salary.
These facts are set forth to show the
wonderful strides which professional
base ball has taken since the national
agreement and the reserve rule went
into effect. On the LIST day Of May Mr..
Young had on his books minor leagues
paying for national agreement protec-
ton that embraced IS clubs located in
80 cities of the Union. Since that date
several other leagues have obtained
membership, bringing the number of
the II National league clubs and we
find more than 100 cities, banded to-
gether, operating clubs under this great
constitution of the national game, with
common law governing all and the
reserve rule as the bulwark of the
great structure. These 100 clubs en-
ploy more than 1,5OO professional play
ers, who receive not less than 81, 500, 900
in salaries every year.
The present comprehensive reserve
rule came in with the national agree
ment which was framed in the winter
Of 1883. The agreements predecessor
Of a year was the tripartite agreement
entered into by the National league.
the American association, and the
Northwestern league in the fall of 1882.
Those three organizations embraced
about all there was of professional
clubs at that time. A. G. Mills, of New
York. representing the National league:
1, representing the American associa-
ton, and delegate from the North
western league met in New York late
IN 1882 and banded the three organiza-
tons together under the tripartite
agreement, at the same time raising
the reserve. limit from five men to
eleven players for each club. Next
year other minor leagues applied for
membership under the confederation
and it was then decided to make the
agreement national and open it's protec.
ton to all reputable base ball organi-
cations which might apply and comply
with membership requirement. At the
same time all limit was taken from the
reserve privilege. Since that year the
progress of base ball has been steady
in circuit. prosperity and strength ex-
cepting the two, years of unfortunate
warfare in 1890 and 1891.
In 1882 the American association sprang into
existence. There was no national agreement
then and no general reserve rule Yet the
cincinnati club that year engaged a cham
p1onship team for total salary of less than
$4,000. Now the lowest salary roll in the Ma
tional league is $4,000 a year. AT that time
net more than 300 players were drawing a
living salary, and all the money p: ID to play
ers In year did not am1u 1t to $4,000 No
club owned property, because there was not
enough stability to the game to wsrrant the