The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-04

throughout the entire east. At that time
millions Of dollars were expended by the
government and the army and navy drew
largely from the ranks of the regular pa
irons of sport. Yet those who remained at
home demanded recreation and excite
ment, and tremendous crowds went to the
races. or course baseball at that time was
not much Of an institution, and like COM
PARSONS cannot be made.
The cycle racing associations and the
track owners throughout the country ap-
= parently do not fear the war, for more
money is being expended this year than
has ever been the case in this popular
sport. No races have been held in the east
as yet, but indications point to big crowds
ut tho tournaments next month. The big
attendance nt the horse races at Benning
and Aqueduct would seem TO bear out this
conclusion. People argue that the hotel
keepers at Coney Island, Narragansett
Pier, Loag Branch. Newport, Atlantic
City and Cape May will feel the effects of
war simply because the women folks will
not care to take chances, and that they
will prefer to spend the hot months In the
mountains rather than at the seaport wa
tering places. Tho men, however, will not
be go careful, npd they will rush almost
anywhere to witness good sporting con-
test.
Some people point to tho rather smaller
attendance at the opening of the baseball
season this year as direct result of the
war with Spain. Careful thinkers, how
ever, will not accept this deduction, for
tho simple reason that they can SEQ farther
than their noses. OF course there are not
so many bulletin boards showing the base
balfgames, because the bulletins are taken
up for war specials, and the newspapers are
not dcvoting as much space to the game as
was tho case before the murder Of the sail
ors of tho Maino took place Still oil this
will right itself, tho war spreads" will
dwindlo "a little in time, and there ought
10 bo just as much interest in baseball as
ever
The real trouble with baseball this
spring has been, as has been stated before,
the foolish policy of the magnates in open
ing tho season so early. The weather, as
whole, has been abominable, and this
las kept many people away from the
grounds Rain has dono great deal more
TO keep people away from the green dia-
mord fields than has the war with the
dark skinned Spaniards.
Tho innovation tried this season by
President Ebbcts Of tho Brooklyn club of
not issuing invitations for the opening
game is sensible move in the opinion Of
many people Tho plan Of Issuing thou
sands of invitations for the inaugural con-
test in each city was all right when the
club owners were building up the game,
but baseball is on its feet now, and 1t
needs no such tactics. Ii savors too much
OF the cheap hippcdrorno show methods,
with the idea of drawing big crowd on
the opening day and carrying tho thing
through the week or month according to
tho length of tho run Hundreds of those
tickets fell into undesirable hands, and
these people mingled with tho better class
Of patrons In the stands for the first and
only timo during the season. Those tick
cts found their way into "ginmills" and
places Of i'll ropute and the result was not
pleasant. Tho regular patrons Of n club
do not expect such n concession and the
majority Of people who use those tickets
are of the FREQ pass class, who never pay to
witness an ertcrtainment anyway. The
Ebbets move isa good one and the more
veteran club owners may find IL to thoir
interest TO follow suit.
A movement is on foot to revive the
old reporters actors games which were
such on enjoyable feature In baseball
about New York several years ago The
game may bo arranged for June, and II
will take place In Brooklyn. The receipts
will 20 to the Actors fund, and the con-
tost always furnishes plenty OF amusement
10 the players and the onloOlgers. Some of
the actors who will he invited TO partioi-
pate are DE Wolf Hopper. Digby Bell.
"Adonis" Di=ey, Dockstadcr. j. +. Pow
orS, FFancIs Wilson. Walter Jones, Dan
DAILY. Louis Mann and other we'll known
comedians Most of tho funny mon men.
ticred took rart In the old games of scv.
eral years ngo Theintcrest the comedians