The times., 1898-01-06
PASSING OF Won DER AHE
National League Is Now Without
''Der BOSS'' President.
ANSON MAY BE THE MANAGER
The New Owners Will Undoubtedly
Revive tie Interest in the Mound
City by strengthening the Team
and Lifting 1t Cut of Last Place
SraIding and Hart Not Connected.

1t appears that the National League
viii be without Won Der Abe in the
future.a The German president Of tic
st. Louis Club has sold out. Just who
the meA are who acquired ownership OF
this valuable franc hise is not known,
but it looks as though John 7. Brush
will hold the ma jor portion of the stock.
Reports from Chicago are to the effect that
A. g. Spalding, Capt. Anson, and James
a. Hart, manager of the Chicago ball
team are in no manner connected with
the pure hase of the st. Louis ball club,
and know nothing about it in any way.
No matter who is financially Interested
in the pure base, baseball VIII have
new life in the Mound City, the cranks
of which were loyal to the Browns until
they began to glide the toboggan. The
new owners Will, no doubt, employ good
man TO ma mage the team and in this way
regain the prestige once had by the four
time champions.
yon der Abe has been bright particular
star in the baseball world ever since the
early days of the st. Louis Browns. The
club with such men as Coniiskey, Carrutbers,
Robinson. Foutz and Latham was the great
esttearG In the ecountryprior u 1887 but has
''let down ever since it became National
League club, and last year displaced the
Louisville team as taii-enders, losing over
one hundred games, a record In itself. Since
the end of the season Won der Abe has made
deals right and left, being careful To secure
a bonus In each case, and pocketing snug
5000 as q result.
Chris has been a clean-cut student in
effecting the sale OF his franchise. Hay-
ing diverted public attention from his af-
fairs 10 a degree, 1t seems that Won der 4 he
has been quietly at work endeayoring TO
make a satisfactory deal for his interests.
That his negotiations have not been con-
fined To one set of capitalists alone is very
evident, Tor dispatch from st. Louis,
dated Tuesday, stated that while John T.
Brush and william II. Schmidt were thought
10 be in the city, M tracc OF them could be
found Furthermore, Won der Abe and
Secretary Muckenfuss had consultation
with Samuel F. Myerson, Gus" Frey and
George Munson, a. the end of which IL was
announced that the Myerson syndicate had
practically. closed the deal, SS5 ,00o being
the consideration.
Later in the day rumors were afloat that
Won der Alie and Muekenfuss had been seen
driving about the city in a hack; accom-
panied by MeSsrs. Brush and Schmidt. The
later dispa tches Indicate throw down.
for the St Louis syndicate in favor of the
combination hea ded by Mr. Brush.
The one point which is of great in
terest and which forms the subject OF con-
iradictoTy reports is the connection of A. {,
Auson with the deal. As VIII be seen by the
dispatch from Chicag go, Anson and the
Others connected with. the Chicago club
dcny that they have anything to do with
the deal, whichis the most important which
has been made since the end of the S97
season, and which VIII be far-reaching in
it's results.
The various trades the eN-Inagnate has
made since the last season closed may
have weakened the Browns in some re-
spects, but in Taylor and Clements he
has a first-class battery. The balance
of the Quaker cont ingent are not in n
show class, and on paper the team is
stronger now than when the last game
was played in 1897.
With BruSil's experience as a baseball
man, thee is every reason To believe that
ST. Louis VIII soon have a first-division
club, and should Anson he selected as
manager, confidence VIII be revived and
the Gladstone of the national game viii
lift the lHuch-abused Browns out of their
present position in less than a year.