Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-02-25
IN THE GAME.
w. c. Bryan to Launch His West
ern Association Fran
chise There.
CIRCUIT Is THUS COMPLETED

CEDAR Rapids People Stirred Up by the
Report That Their Town Might Not Have
Baseball, and Money is immediately
Guaranteed to Start the Reconsideration
All Around this Circuit
Peoria is to have baseball this sea
son. The final arrangements for the
Lake View Park grounds We're made
Thursday, and the only possible OBJ
stacle to the scheme to include Peoria
in the Western association this year
was thus removed. The Peoria fran
chise is held by Capt. W. c. Bryan, of
Chicago, one of the oldest and most
experienced baseball men in the coun-
try. His arrangement with the OIL
GERS of the Western association was
such that he could place his team in
any one of number of cities in this
and surrounding states. He has
thoroughly investigated the field, with
the result that Peoria was selected.
The central location of that city, its
size and the interest which has been
manifested in baseball there in the
past, lead Mr.. Bryan to believe that
with more attention to the game from
n business standpoint it can be made
very profitable.
The report that baseball might not
be a 90 in G. dar Rapids this year
stirred up the people there as nothing
else has done in Il long time. They
have Immediately set to work to settle
the park question and without the
slightest doubt will solve the problem
satisfactorily. A couple of well known
citizens have come forward with a
guarantee to raise money enough to
start the team, provided others will
purchase the park. Aid. Wallace, the
owner, has named a very reasonable
price, considering the real value of the
property, and il is known that several
persons have asked for n few DAYS
time in which to reach a decision.
The Cedar Rapids citizens believe to
back out of the game at this hour
would give their city "A black eye, from
which it would not recover in years.
Manager Hill has already signed sew
eral players and has matters in good
shape for the opening of the season.
Food For the Fans.
Quincy SAYS she does not intend
having Il hot air club
Jack Corbett, the old-time second
baseman, has written for a place on
iHe hOChlOINl team.
The placing of franchise at Peoria
completes the circuit-and it might
be said right here that it is 4 good
one, and it is confidently believed will
last.
Applications for positions on the
Rock Island team are coming in at a
lively rate. Doc Sage has some top
notchers on the string. and before the
season opens will have a bunch of
men that will not take second money
from any club in the league.
The first response to the baseball
chain letter was received on the ,
o'clock mail yesterday afternoon, and
it contained a large, crisp 81 bill.
Now, then. if the responses are nu-
merous and equally liberal there
should be no great trouble in raising
Il good fund for the game--Quincy |
Wing.
With few exceptions all towns hold |
ing Western association franchises !
have progressed with their arrange !
ments to the point of having their
guarantee money raised and sufficient !
finances on hand to defray necessary
incidental expenses. Rock Island, it |
is sad to confess, is not so far adj |
vanccd in this respect as she should |
be. Admirers of the game ought to |
he more enthusiastic and as sist those J
gentlemen whose only reward for
their efforts is to promote the inter-
eStS of their town.