Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-15
AMERICAN LEAGUE MEETING
Important Session of Board OF Direo-
rect9rs Held at Cleveland ne
hind Closed Doors.

CLEVELAND, Aug. n-An importan,
meeting Of the board OF directors OF the
today. the session lasting nearly hve hours
me meeting was called by President Ban
son ,m s9r the purpose Of discussing the
report on the season az far as Il has gone.
The meeting was purely an executive one
eno no one, With the exception Of Vice
enter the room. Every membe Of the
board was present which is made up as
follows; b. f.. Shibe of Philadelphia, II. j.
Killilea OF Boston, Charles A. Comiskey OF
Chicago and Joh r. Kilfoyle of Cleveland
That the meeting must have been OF
more Importance than the members Of the
board minated, was proven by the length
OF the proceedings. But when asked X
anything had been done. President johnson
said that q lot of unfinished business had
been cleared up and only the business OF
the league was fixed up.
we only discussed the questions OF the
hour and cleaned everything up, and In
today that the American league is stronger
than ever. In looking over my books the
other day I found out that the American
up to August / than at the same time last
year. This alone speaks for itself where
We stand with the people"
Discussing the amalgamation story sent
out from Chicago, Mr.. johnson said:
There is absolutely no chance for an
amalgamation between the American base
ball league and the National league. We
are not at present engaged in picking up
dead timber. Business during the last two
years ss6S. has has pFospsred as Il never p~rospered
the benent Of the prosperity. In fact, no
organization has done so well as the Ameri-
can
The remarkable success Of the League
for the last two years goes to show that
we have the sympathy and support Of the
Last winter the National league gave
us the opportunity to amalgamate and
absorb that organization, but we refused
70 40 so, believing that the beat interests
Of base ball could be served by the opera
ton OF two major leagues.
That we have been SO successful in
public Is due to the fact that we have
conducted the affairs Of the American
league along clean lines"
Just before leaving the hotel Mr.. johnson
stated that the National league will find
out that his league has not been asleep.
w have been very busy the last Ave
leaving this part of the news for the Chi
ago meeting In october"
Is entirely out OF the question. The Ameri-
can league would have absolutely nothing
to gain by the -amalgamation IN cities
American league has oItdrawn Che Nas
uonal ten to one nndI can safely assert
that the patronage accorded the American
any organization in this country, which
tends to show that h people appreciate
the efforts Of the American league to have
and the matter OF amalgamation was never
considered for one moment
on The same subject Mr.; shibe Of the
think of amalgamation for one moment
and we are .getting our share OF the pa
satisfied. I really do not think IT would
be a good thing for base bail should the
two major leagues consolidate. It would
only mean that another league would enter
the field before the two a-malgamated
leagues were paid for"
Mr.. Kilfoyle OF the Cleveland club said:
Sentiment in Cleveland is In favor Of
working In harmony together. and we are,
after our experience, more strongly Of that
opinion than before. II would be decidedly
idea of amalgamatfOn."