The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-11

The dove of peace that has done some fluttering over the turbid baseball situa- ton in the South and apparently straight ened out the tangled snarl which had been wound by Charlie Frank ct als. has proved a base counterfeit as far as Mont gomery Is concerned.
 True. the old bird has done some hover ing over Montgomery in the olive branch game, but 1t took the most powerful tele- scope to locate 1t. There has been a lurk- ing suspicion all along in the minds of Montgomery fans that the poor old fowl was getting groggy. and when. one gay. 1t found green tree and proceeded to light, experts on diseases of the feathered tribe, after much grave consultation. gave out an official bulletin in which the word pip figured as the head and front of the offending.
 It is rumored however. that a new, healthy and well-developed bird will be secured to try and locate an olive branch in Montgomery, and that within the next few days gleam of sunlight will discov- CT the magic word, peace" in blazing letters. in the midst of the dry land of Montgomery's former baseball troubles.
 The telegram from Memphis in yester- days Advertiser caused furry in local baseball circles equal to furry In the stock market. The general opinion among baseball men in Montgomery seemed to be that this city was out of the Southern League, hlt that opinion is an altogether erroneous one Montg omery's position as member of the Southern League Is. on as substantial foundation now as 1t was on the day that President kavanaugh of the Southern League h-st telegraphed the Montgomery franchise to w. H. Ragland. The casus belli just now lies in the fact that the Montgomery franchise is held jointly by w. H. Ragland and Raphael Semme es a condition of affairs that in novelty far overshadows anything ever heard of in baseball.
 Now for a little ancient history. The only excuse for it's repetition being that 1t will serve in measure to explain the local situation.
 When the outlaw circuit was completed. the Montgomery franchise was awarded by General Carnes to General Manager Rapnael semm8 of the. Montgomery Street Railway. the original Southern already been awarded to President W. H. Ragland of the Montgomery Traction Company. At the peace meeting in Bir- mingham on December IS. stipulation Semmes be included in the Montgomery franchise. In open meeting, President Kavanaugh read the local agreement, which was that the franchise in Mont and R. Semmes. Nothing was said about either one of the local street car com panies the joint franchise being awarded to the two gentlemen personally"
 This brings the matter up to date. Yes terday morning Messrs. semmes and R. Tlllis were together in the office of the former and when asked about The Ad- verttseyse tsAegrann, Mir. Semmes said he was completely .dumbfounded.
 T am completely in the dark" he said, land cannot understand what Is meant by misunderptanding between MT. Rag land and mgGslf The only thing that care to say for publication is that there is 50 misunde. adding at all; but if MT. Ragiand was correctly quoted by your Memphis correspondent and reiterates it on his return to Montgomery, then shall give to the public my side of the case"
 There was to have been meeting be- tween Messrs. Semmes and Ragland at o'clock last night, but as Mir. Ragland did not get back to Montgomery in time, the meeting was postponed.
 Within the next few days the muddle will be completely cleared up and Mont gomery will be ready for one of the most successful seasons of baseball ever known in the history of the game.