Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-08
NOT FOR AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Subway Directors Reject Plan for
 Grounds

Subway Directors Reject Plan for
 Grounds.
 New York, Jan S.-According to 8 baseball man connected with the Ma tional league, one plan of the Ameri- lean league to get a playing ground on Manhattan Island came to smash yes lterday, when the directors of the In- Peterborough Rapid Transit Go rejected la proposition from the forces headed by Ban Johnson to buy grounds at 141st street and the Harlem river and lthen lease them to the American tleague. This, the National league people contend, is a severe blow to the American league, knocking the latter Iout of grounds which they had banked talI along on getting. As for the Amer Iican leaguers, there is not one of them in the city just at present, but as they have always conducted their aHairs with shrewdness and foresight, it re- mains to be seen whether they have Ibeen baked in entering New York this lseason.
 According to an informant, the American league made propossSAon Ito the Rapid Transit subway construc- Ition folks to the effect that the latter purchase the property in question for t$5OO,O0O and then lease it to the American league. The proposition was laid before the Rapid Transit df- Irectors at their meeting yesterday and was turned down absolutely.
 The property said to be wanted by the American league belongs to the l141st street to 143d street and is bounded on the north by the Harlem Iriver.
 "The American league has been working on this proposition for sever al months" said Secretary Knowles of Ithe New York Baseball club yester- Iday, "and the action of the directors means they won't be able to get on strongest card, their main reliance to get into New York, and now there is nothing on the island they can Set."
 When President Johnson was in town three weeks ago he stated posi- |tively that the American league had Isecured two city blocks on Manhattan lIsland, buying one of thenn outright for about $200, 1000 and leasing the oth- CT for period of ten years. He de- lnied emphatically that the plot bound ed by Hist and 143d streets, Lenox avenue and the HaElem river was the location of the new park. Hector Clemes, a director of the Washington American league club and close Efriend of Johnson, when shown the Istory at the Criterion hotel last night, said:
 Ban Johnson spoke the truth when he saidyh had purchased property on Manhattan Island and also leased tplot adjoining for ten years. The American league has plenty of money behind it, without being forced to ask anybody to buy property here in it's behalf. Johnson will be here in few days to complete final arrangements for the new club.'
 1 President Johnson announced yester- day that the American and National league peace conference would be held 1 in Cincinnati tomorrow.
 Speaking of Doug Allison, there was certainly an artist in the catching line" said a veteran player yesterday. His style of receiving the ball from the pitcher while under the bat so i'm pressed the Cincinnati club manage ment in 1868 that he accepted an offer to play with that club. and the offer for the three days was unusually large. The club finished the season without defeat, Asa Brainard and Harry Wright doing the pitching. 1 "Under the conditiens existing in lthe sport at that time it was no easy task catching the rife shots of Brain ard and Wright. The only protection, If protection it can be called. was a small circular piece of rubber held be- tween the teeth.
 ''The mask was introduced in the game in 1875 by Tyng, a Harvard col llege catcher, and the protector the same year by Charles Daniels of Hart ford, Ct.
 ''In 1869 the Cincinnatis played sev enty games, winning sixty eight. and tieing two-a 25-to-25 tie with the For, lest Citys at Rockford and a 17-to-17 tie with the Haymakers of Troy. In 1870 they were successful up to June, when they were defeated in an eleven inning game by the Atlantics of Brooklyn, he score being 8 to '.
 Allison played until 1880, twelve years, finishing with Providence, catching John Montgomery Ward and Charles Radbourne The following year he went to Washington Hnd se- cured his present situation in the Dead Letter office."
 The St Louis American league club owners yesterday had the life of Short stop Wallace insured for $6,50O in or der that they might get back their money should Wallace die before the expiration of his three-year contract. l President Johnson is quite elated over the fact that the American league is assured of a good staff of umpires for next season. The umpires so far settled upon are: O'Loughlin, who will head the staff: O'Day, for several years with the National league; Has, sett, who did excellent work with the New England league, and Thomas Connolly. There is some talk to the effect that the league will adopt the double umpire system, and in that event all of last years staff will retain