The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-07
Ply J. s. II.

Written For tho Sunday Republic.
Ban Johnson. president Of the American
League. viii be in New York next Tuesday
when the National League Club owners as
! senLle for the annual meeting. Putting two
and two together. il begins To look as if Il
definite movement is nu foot to bring about
pe.ice between the leagues. JohEsOn'S pres
cnce alone is significant. and firm icclara-
lions H.. made when in s.. Louis last week
it Is believed that he went to New York 20
he on hand when certain National! League
ind%nateS Geclar: for peace.
At no time since the costly BASEBALL war
was declared has 50 great a majority Of the
! clUn owners Of both leagues been in fav.r
OF Icdc"- The American League has de-
! c!af"d for a year or more thai il was rs.! ~
to enter INTO a c"mpromise. but the pride
tain men IN tie old league have blocked
progress up to this time.
I II II reas naEiy certain that more than
half the .<ItIrnai League club owners will
declare themselves for peace. The new
a.aEaGement nf the Cincinnati club wants
1t. and has kinted that the pride OF other
WishcS OF the majority. Al Reach of tn.
Philadelphia club Is SEX of the strife, and
it Is i1roSabIe thai he will instruct the pug
hacl"us Colonel Rogers to fan into line.
Barney DreyIu>s is worried over the pros
poet OF opposition III P!tt95urg. and is Sc
cretiy anxious for a cessation e hostiiiti-a,
as Il" sees no prospect. at present, for any
thihS but Il loser in SInoket,wn next season.
Jaine. \, Hart one Of the most consery-
80 t'' 10 = III lptf
Willing to cry quits, and TIE Messrs. E-bi-
son 81 tne 81. Louis club would bc i'm
ilearGTablE 7 lleyed by peace proceedings.
PRESIDENT Johnson departed from St. Louis
Friday morning and said that he world
lf"",.d immediately to New York. The
question of grounds in New York no longer
W"rri'S nin. and il appears that he IL
gong to Gotham for no other reason than
I" he ready 10 act at once TOR the American
Lea@u" If the National League men desire
Il conference.
From authentic sources comes the infor-
nation that the National League meeting
VII lee long IL session before some OF tho
club owners viii urge TIE necessity of meet
mg n" American halfway. President Gar
~ Hermann OF the Cincinnati club will ne
has always leaned toward the Johnson or
gaIizIti"n;. he may be the first 10 declare
alnScIf. Fortunately for the old league,
Andrew Friedman is no longer a member
and Brush is not SO obtuse that he vii,
not consent TO JOIN the majority.
the end If the week. A year ago the Ma
ticnai WIS deluded into the belief that the
American was whipped. and John 7. Brush
issued his famous manifesto. claiming that
the season Of 1901 was the most proparouS
the league ever experienced. That startling
information called for more than one grain
OF salt before 1t was swallowed. if il ever
WAS.
While the old league is better eff this
year, in that Ii mas no Internal disseusfons.
II Il admitted that the league at large is
weaker. Eut few Cl'!bs made money, and
Ire playing strength OF III" organization has
A'A NUN 1lf i.lI'H.t'JtbIt o., minor
league material. The American has the
players.
None but the club owners fully realize of
what value Robert J.. Hedges has been to
IN" American League since he came into
,he fold a year ago. One piece of news
New York situation when Johnson and
Hedges were III town last week, revealed
me fact that Mr.. Hedges was .Johnson's
risht-hand man in engineering the deal in
New York. He was. III fact. the man who
diSGnvered the grounds. the location OF
nave never been able to discover. 1t hap
peaed this way:
AT the Detroit schedule meeting last
sprlng the league decided TO invade New
York. Since then nothing has developed. as
far as the general public knows. but it is
a fact that the grounds We're picked last
March and leased some three months later.
Secretary Hedges accidentally discovered
them. Last spring a former New Yorker,
VIZ ,rh9 is nov in business m st: Louis, IN
bal! fan. The second time they met the
Now York question was discussed. and the
New Yorker. without realizing that he was
linI,nJTtlng valuable Information. said that
he knew of a plot of ground on Manhattan
Island that is closer TO the heart of the
city than the Polo Grounds.
Mr.. Hedges did not betray his great
pleasure over this disclosure, and at first
thought his Informant was talking through
ms nat He asked for more particulars
and vas directed TO the person or persons
in New York who controlled the ground.
mat was the reason FOR the Brown Secrp-
taryS frequent excursions 10 the metropolis
last summer.
Ban johnson deserves all credit for the
manner In which he handled the deal. Mr..
Hedges was delighted with the location. as
the field Will be clear as soon as one or two
brick houses. that now adorn the site. are
removed. Johnson set to work. and, as he
declared last week. ii took him nine weeks
TO get the lease. Even some Of the Ameri-
can League Club owners were not in On the
deal until johnson reaped the reward of his
perseverance. More than one rich man in
New York is willing TO back the club. The
American League is perfectly willing to
shoulder the club. hut to avoid a hue and
cry over alleged syndicate BAH. it has
have not yet figured in the public prints.
The secret was well kept. and while agents
of the New York club were chasing around
trying to queer any prospective deal, the
lease was secured.
The National League Club owners Looked
over every piece OF available property and
possibly may have obtained an option on
ore or two of the more favorable sites. but
they We're on the wrong scent. According
to those in the know these agents We're
on the right track hut once and then they
dismissed the possibility as an lmpossibility
Now Johnson has gone to New York. not to
look over any more sites. but as a peace
ernissary- Before leaving ST. Louis he con-
over and seemed to have no doubt of it,
The American League will not hold it's
meeting until after the National gets to-
gether. Then johnson probably will an
noI;nce the removal of the league head
quarters &c New York. AT this meeting, he