Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-06
NICE PLAY BEFORE The DRAW
Nick Young and Ban johnson About Ready
to Show Their Hands.
ADJUSTMENT OF sQUABBLs IMMINENT
Auxiliary Circuit to Combat the
western League Not Likely to
Fan Out-IntcrcstinE Local
Campaign Promised.

order Ban johnson is all in and the
Nick Young side Of the play has gone
about as far as it wants to. Hands are
on the board, face down. and each player
Is waiting for the other to make PROPOSE
tion or show down. AS Johnson Is the man
who is demanding a sight for his money,
it is quite likely that any talk will come
from him for he doesn't care to show what
he has been betting on unless he has to,
and the Nick Young side, having the tall
Of the play will naturally allow the other
fellow to sweat until he is ready to do
something. In the meantime the tension
is still nerve-straining. There are two or
three pikers on the outside, who started
in the big pot, but couldn't stay till the
show was over. They are saving stakes,
however, with one or the other of the two
who arc in and the interest TO them Is con
sequeptly intense. Outsiders hover about
the rd. breathlessly awaiting the out
come. They know that II was mighty
pretty play before the draw. but when Ban
johnson took one card and then bet in the
face Of the other fellows pat hand, IT
looked like there was something doing.
1t didn't take long to show that Mr.. John
son had encountered the real thing. and
up or split the pot.
All OF which Is to say that the last blum
from the American league didn't work.
When II came to a showdown the formation
of an auxiliary circuit to combat the West
ern league flashed in the pan, and even the
most enthusiastic supporters of the plan
do not now believe that its organization
will ever materialize. During the week n
meeting was to have been held in Chicago
to complete the election of officers and
finally announce the circuit, but when the
day came there was no meeting. one
member OF the proposed league was pres
ent, George Burnham, and Jimmy Manning
was there to speak for his Kansas City
outfit That was all, and beyond saying
that the meeting would be held some time
after the session of the American league,
nothing was given out. This sudden ces-
sation OF activity did nothing to increase
faith in the proposed league, and even the
Chicago writer's. who were boosting II hard
est, say that there Is little prospect OF its
ever taking material shape.
In the meantime the dove has been sent
forth from the ark. and is believed to have
returned with at least u sprig OF olive in
its teeth. Colonel Muggsy McGraw jour
neyed from Baltimore to New York and
conferred with Andy Goose Freedman.
Muggsy vehemently denied that he went
to seek q place as player on the Giants, and
then shut up. Freedman will say nothing
as to the object of the session, and con-
sequently there is nothing left for the
time but conjecture. AS singular as 1t
may seem, all conjecture trends in the
same course. No more natural inference
could be drawn than that McGraw, being
one of the leading insurgents, called on
Freedman, who is one of the directors OF
the National league, for the purpose OF
paving the way to what is called in diplo-
matte circles n rapprochement. Ban
Johnson couldn't do It, and the league
couldn't approach Ban Johnson. But there
is no good reason why Muggsy shouldn't
find out what the big league is willing to
do in a quiet way and tip 1t off to john
son, and then all hands and the cook can
be piped forward. little proclamation
read double measure Of grog served and
the good old ship of professional base ball
will again sail on, its main brace duly
spllced and everybody singing the same
song
johnson is understood to have prepared
his draft Of the new national agreement,
and every sign points to an early adjust
ment of the whole squabble.