The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-11
TWO BIC SURPRISES
NIT STARTLING INFORMATION
TO LEAK OFT
THAT INDIANAPOLIS CLAIN
Hoosier street Car President Does
Not Want FranchiSe-Hickey
May Look for New
omaha Site.

A special to The Globe received
from Omaha last night brings the start
ling information that the Western
league magnates have permitted two sur
prises that they have been saving up
FOR the Hickey association to leak out.
The first surprise is that Hugh Nc
Gowan, president of the Indianapolis
Street Railway company, has applied for
a franchise for sthe Indiana city. The
second surprise is that the city council
of Omaha is to refuse TO close up a
street that must be closed up if the
American association park is located at
Twentieth and Paul streets.
The Omaha special explains the sur
priseS as follows:
"A man interested in the local Western
league team this morning gave the in
formation that the unknown person for
whom Manager ROurlle waited before
deciding whether or not he would
sell his franchise to Hickey, was the
Indianapolis car line owner who is now
in Kansas City comforting with ROurke
Manning, Whitfield and other cluD own
erS. MCGOWAN is an intimate friend OF
the Western league president, and he is
said to have promised when the war
first opened that he would put a club
in indianapolis in the event of the league
members agreeing upon its advisabllity.
President Hickey, of the American as
location, has secured an option on the
grounds at Twentieth and Paul streets,
but it is said that Manager ROurke has
received assurances from the administra-
ton that Twenty-first street will not be
closed. This street must be closed to
make the site available
The announcement that MCGOWAN has
asked for a franchise for indianapolis is
indeed a surprise when the following tel
egram from Kansas City is taken into
consideration:
This story Is Different.
kansas City, Jan. S.-Hugh Nc
Gowan said tonight that he was not in
terested in the Western league franchise
for Indianapolis or had not given any
encouragement to President Whitfield or
James Manning. He would not deny that
he had been approached, however. lie
said he was interested in no way in base
ball.
The Indianapolis Sentinel touching
upon this incident says:
Hugh MCGOWAN, president of the Indi-
annapolis Street Railway company, is the
man whom President Withheld, of the
Western league, claims has made applic-
alton for a franchise for a club in In
annapolis to represent the league.
This claim is undoubtedly based upon
MIR. McGoWan's friendship for Jimmy
Manning. Doubtless the Indianapolis sit
uatiOn was discussed by Manning with
Mr.. MCGOWAN, and that gentleman in his
usual generous manner promised TO do
what he could for the Kansas City man.
Mr.. MCGOWAN is in Kansas City, and
has been for several days. He Wilt return
here on Saturday, according to his phi
Vate secretary.
1t is not believed by those interested in
baseball in indianapolis that Mr.. Me
GoTan has made any offer to take the
indianapolis franchise of a league that
VIII be in every sense minor OrganiZa-
ton to the American association He had
an opportunity last season to note the
receipts Of his cars hauling people to
Washington park to see ball even of a
better quality than that the Western
league will be able to put up.
President Whitfield is undoubtedly ar
tempting to bluff the American aSsocia-
ton people out of Kansas City and
Omaha on the mere professions of friend
ship of men of capital like Mr.. MCGOWAN.
lie has not yet been able to make good
any of his claims when he has been call
ed
If Mr.. Whitfield has had applications
from Indianapolis he owes it to the In
dianapolls people to let them know who
is to cater to their wants in the baseball
line. Efforts have been made here to find
the Indianapolis people who think they
want TO enter minor league baseball IN
opposition to Messrs. Watkins and Rus
chaupt but the quest has been unSuc-
CeSSful
1t is hard to say it, but the Western
league will have to make good on at
least one announcement before it can ex-
pect the baseball public to enthuse over
the war reports. Mr.. Rourke may have
been assured by the administration tina t
no streets will be closed for the Hickey
association, but the fanatics will wait
for the report of the vote on the
ordinance that must be passed before the
street can be fenced off.
If Mr. Whitfields announcements are
correctly reported by the correspondents
the president of the Western now looks
headed for the bridge from which, ac-
cording to the correspondents, he in
tends to leap If the Western does not
play bail in Milwaukee.
Whitfield has several times Informed
the baseball world that the lease to the
Milwaukee ball park IS locked up in his
safe. Cross the man who has the plac-
ing of the Milwaukee park lease, Is
haunted by reporters, but to all he
makes the simple statement that the de-
parture of the lease to Kansas CITY OF
any other point is all news to him.
The Mysterious Lease.
The following is the latest bulletin re.
garding the whereabouts of this Pat
Grove lease issued by Mr.. Gross:
If Whitfield says he has a two years
lease on our old park it is news to me
but if he says he has the lease in his
safe at Kansas City then we ought Il
have some money here in ours, which
L assure you is not the case The lease
is to be had but the money has got to
be in sight before there will be any
signing going on
1t is high time for the Western t.
start something. About the only sighted
thing the Whitfield followers can starr
is a return to the little six club league
idea The Western will not be in St
Paul, will not be in Minneapolis. in Mil.
Waukee or in Indianapolis
Rourke just at the present time is q
loyal follower of the Whitfield banner
but then the Kansas City meeting has
been adjourned but few hours. Rourkf
without doubt has been bolstered m wifi
assurances, but Rourke might make :
wise move by glancing on down the
track. Somewhere on ahead he NAV be-
able to discover where the assurances
cannot be made good and wise friend:
might prove their friendship by attempt
ing to show the Omaha magnate where
one bird tightly clutched is worth a free.
Ior-all grab at a bundle of tail feathers
that taking advantage of any real money
oHer at the present time lis the ONLY
sure way of connecting with the money
ALLEY OWNERS ASSOCIATION.