The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-01

News, writing from Chicago concern
ing the organization of the new base
ball league, has this to say:
A new league, whose circuit will in
clude cities in both the National and
Western leagues, and which will be
known as the American Association of
Baseball clubs, was formed here on
Sunday, September I. The circuit an
nounced includes the following cities:
st. Louis, Milwaukee, Detroit and Chi
cago in the West, Baltimore, New
York, Philadelphia and Washington in
the East
Those present were the following:
Chris Won Der Abe, George Shaefer and
Al Sphinx, representing st. Louis3 H.
D. Quinn, formerly of the American
Association club, and Alderman Haven
or, representing Milwaukee; A. c.. An
son and his son-in-law, w. H. Clough,
representing Chicago: %Assemblyman
Buckley, representing New York Mike
Scanlon, representing Washington. The
names of the representatives of De-
troit and Baltimore were not given out,
but they are suppoed to be men con-
nected with the National league clubs.
A. C. Arson was offered the presi-
dency Of the new league, but he refused
to accept at present, and III. D. Quinn
of Milwaukee was elected temporary
president. Other temporary officers
W
dent, M. B. Scanlon: treasurer, George
Shaefer; secretary, Frank Hough. Di-
rectors-Chris Won Der Abe, M. B.
Seaman, Frank Buckley and G. S.
Havenor.
The platform of the new league was
announced as follows:
Honest competition. no syndicate
baseball no reserve rule, respect for all
contracts and popular prices"
1t was said that President johnson
of the Western league had been invited
but he did not meet any of the pro-
: motors during the day. He strongly
disavowed any connection with the
4 league and asserted that his own
league kept him busy.
The Detroit and Baltimore repre-
sentatives kept in the background and
We're not present at the regular meet
ing their identity might emharrass cer7
tain influential league people.
The surprise of the conference was
the avowal of the promoters to invade
Western league territory. All of the
gentlemen present disclaimed any in
tention of going to war with the minor
league, but they strongly intimated
that it was war to the finish with the
national organization.
Most of the others making up the per-
sonnet of the new league are oldtimers
i'm baseball. H. D. Quinn was president
in Milwaukee and owns the old ball.
grounds. Havenor is a member of the
Milwaukee board of aldermen. Shaefer,
Won Der Abe and Sphinx were connected
with the old st. Louis Browns Buck
ley is a member of the New York as
, sembly and Seaman was the president
of the Washington Union association
baseball team.
The men behind the movement re-
convened on Monday. Frank Hough,
the sporting editor of the Philadelphia
Inquirer, appeared as the representa-
tive of the club of that city.
In st. Louis the promoters have
park which Shaefer controls, and they
claim good financial backing. In Chi
cago their strength Is not known fur
Their than that Arson is the king pin.
Buffalo and Detroit are doubtful quail
ties, and the league says it will take
whichever is the most promising in
finance and grounds. In New York it
was broadly limited the new league
would play either on Manhattan field
or on a new park which they have in
sight. In Philadelphia, they say, they
have a park and good backing.
III washington, they say, they ex
peet: to use the old baseball park, and
there, too, they assert they have good
backing. The fourth city in the East is
either Boston or Baltiomre, with the
proba bilities in favor of the last-name-
ed. MC1TdW anu ISODlHSOn Will eHSl-
neer the new league club if the organi-
cation decides upon Baltimore.
The next meeting of the league will
be Held in New York on October 20.
John T. Brush spent most of the day
in consulting with Hart. He said, as
did tthe Chicago magnate, that he could
not discuss the new league until he
knew something about it. AS to the de-
mand of the Western league for a
modification of the draft rule, which
has been the chief grievance of that or
ganization for two years, Mr.. Brush
talked like a minor Lacquer, and COM
mitted himself squarely in its favor.
IT do think he said, that the draft
rule might profitably be changed for
the benefit of the player, the minor
league and the major league. At pres
ent a player is hauled out of a minor
league before he is mature. He is soon
sent back, and the experience is a
blight on him. His withdrawal is a loss
to the club he is drafted from and is
usually nothing but an expense to the
club that drafts him. l have taken on
many young players this year simply
that I may get one or two good ones
and for fear that some other club will
pick them up. If the minor league
could keep them a while longer could
know what I was getting. I should
rather nav S. 600 for one good player