The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-18
Is the Franchise in
Eastern League.
MARST0N GETS 1T.
An Amicable Settlement
Reached With Mr.. Rice.

Charles A Marston of Fail River
Owns the Worcester franchise in the
Eastern league.
The special circuit committee consist
ing of President P. 7. Powers, c. T.
Sheehan Of Springfield and w. H. ORA
per Of Providence net at the Bay
etate House yesterday afternoon. They
listened to the cases Of the various ap-
saoants. and then, going into executive
session awarded the franchise to Mr..
MaEstoa
The fight Cor the Pisas 80 locate an
Eastern league team in Worcester was
between Charles D, Rice, who has pre-
sided over the destiniss Of local base
pan for some years, and Charles A.
AaRSton, q Fall River base ball man
RSer Among the original applicants
vas d. J. Finn, present owner Of the
newport Club Of the New England
league, Early in the contest for the
franchise, however.he withdrew, throw
Ing whatever influence he might possess
over to Mr.. Marston.
AT yesterday afternoons conference.
Messrs, AarstOn and Rice were both
present and personally appeared before
3or the local right it is no secret that
the circuit committee. when it went in
10 session, slightly favored the applioa-
ton Of Mr.. Rice.
There were features, however, con
nected with his application for the
FRANCHISE that made 1t impossible for
the league committee 10 consistently
grant to him franchise for Worcester
without violating a long-established
league tradition, In q word. as has
Sireaoy been stated in The Spy, Mr.
rice desired to place a local club in
lne Bastern circuit, without posting the
1870 guarantee that the league requires
or all its members. lie was willing to
furnish gllt-edge bond for that
hard cash
The committee, realizing that for
some reason it might be better to have
local ownership Of the Worcester
Ciuo, endeayered TO induce Mr.. Rice to
retract his original statement and CON
sent TO post the requisite $500 in money.
IN tace at,er he had once appeared be
lore tn m7et,ng and with lrawn. a
messenger was sent to his office in the
State Mutual building with the request
lhat he reconsider his original deter
mination, and consent to a compliance
OF league precedence as regards the
pestaifS OF a guarantee. 1t was Of no
avail, however, for Mr. Rice would
consent to post only the bond.
Meanwhile Frank A. Marston of Fall
RlVer, with his perosanl friend and adj
visor, Frank $. Selee, mana ger of the
Boston Club, was awaiting Mr.. Rice's
decision. Mr.. Marston was himself
anxious to secure the local option on
an Eastern franchise. He realized. how
ever, that Mr.. Rice, through priority
IN the local base ball field, had first
mortgage upon any plums that might
be coming in the direction of Worces-
ter, and was willing that Mr.. Rice
should have first say in the distribu-
ton of the same. When he found that
the former New England manager did
not wish TO comply with the league re-
qulrements he at once jumped into the
field.
He was no longer a passive applicant
Tor the franchise, holding in allegiance
fs-wishes from the thoughtof some one
elses priority of claims. Finding that
lHr; Rice was out of the race, he was
an active applicant, determined to do
al, in his power to bring the franchise
TO Worcester, and to keep it from going
70 Albany, which was the next city in
tire minds Of the committee.
Mr.. Marston, in appearing before
tie special committee, said that he had
spent a considerable portion of Monday
Looking over the Worcester field. He
had felt the pulse of local sentiment,
and. WAS certain that Worcester wanted
Eastern League base ball. 1t would be
content with nothing furnished in a mi
nor league. He realized that the oval
was not the ideal place in the minds
of many TO locate an Eastern League
team, but said that under the circum-
stances i: was the best that could be
done.
The Grove street site was out of the
question; the field opposite Fast park
was found unavailable, the oval site
was the only location that gave the
slightest promise OF success. He had
seen Mr. Frank II. Rigelow, who con-
trolls the oval grounds and had assur-
ance from him that the Consolidated
Railway Company would be willing,
prior to the games, to run the cars the
other way of the loop. Gllis meant q
reduction of at least eight minutes in
the schedule time. The oval was not a
sure winner, but he was willing to take
a-chsnce upon It, stating, as The Spy
has already stated, that if the people
Of this city really wanted Eastern
league base ball, they would be willing
- go TO the oval Cor the same.
After Messrs. Rice and Marston had
hbth. appeared, before the committee
end retired, the representa- tives of the
local newspapers We're called into ex-
press their views. The object the com
tnittee had in mind in making this move
was to ascertain whether any hard
feeling on the part of the base ball
public OF the city would be engendered
by the granting Of the franchise to Mr..
Marston over Mr.. Rice. The newspa-
Per men assured the committee that in
their minds the local public thoroughly
understood the situation. In fact, if
the committee was willing to admit Mr..
Rice with his $500 bond attachment,
they believed the Eastern league would
lose prestige, Worcester should be
admitted on equal terms with other
cities so these newspaper men said
The city should ask for no favors, and
the minute that favoritism manifested
towards Worcester Eastern league
stock would fall in popular favor
The opinions Of the newspaper men
rejecting as they aid, very accurately
the general sentiment Of tho base bali
public Of the city cinched the case ev-
identity in favor of Ar Marston The
committee, at once, upon the with
drawal Of the representatives Of the
press, went into executive session and
soon after announced oflcially that Mr..