Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-06
MAY BE PEACE, JOHNSON, SAYS.

MAY BE PEACE, JOHNSON SAYS. American League Leader Thinks Way Will Be Found.
 | Chicago, Jan 6.-While the baseball peace conference is off for the present there still seems to be some chance for the rival committees to get together. provided Ban Johnson is sincere in statement he made yesterday. The American league leader said his organ ization is willing, to go into conference with the National league to further the best interests of baseball, but the meeting must be in t.SR open.
 By this Johnson is taken to mean that the sessions of the committees shall not be held behind closed doors, and that reporters shall be admitted to the meetings, so that the discussion and advances of both sides may be correctly chronicled in the newspapers l Continuing, Johnson said: "The American league is ready to do its part to reach just settlement, and still think there is good chance for a meeting. There are certain matters which I shall take up with Chairman Hermann, and in the end all may be adjusted. I have unbounded conf. dence in Hermann. He has been prominently before the public in Gin cinnati for' many years, has a splendid record and through him I believe way may be found for a meeting un. der reasonable conditions"
 During the year 1902 a number of baseball celebrities passed into the l hnun;1d fo hood bo Jicf was Thomas B. Burns one of Chica- go's great players in the days of An son, Williamson and Pfeffer He was found dead in bed in Jersey City. He had just accepted the contract to manage the club in that city. Then followed the demise of Fred Jeyne, veteran umpire who tumbled out of a , Denver hotel window. Mat Killilea, one of Ban Johnson's admirers. went to Texas in search of health, and jour neyed back to Milwaukee to die. Will liam Sharsig, who helped to give, Phil adelphia it's first pennant in 1883, when he managed the Athletics, passed away after years of suffering Other oldtimers to go were Jimmy Calvin, once the pride of Pittsburg' pitching department; Tim Bridget) Donohue, the New York catcher: Fred DunlaE. second baseman, and one of the great est of players; Mike Mansen, who wore New York uniform with cred it, and Dave Eggler. Another loss to the game was George w Burnham, umpire and wit. Two players in har- ness were stricken down by disease. They were Luther Freeland of New Orleans, and George P. Prentiss, of the Boston American pitching corps. l -
 In August of last season McGraw of fered Lajoie $1O,00O a year for two years if he would play with the Gf- ants, but the big Frenchman refused the offer on the score that the Cleve- land club officials were treating him Handsomely, had twice raised his sal ary since he had been with them and had opened cigar store for him in Cleveland.
 Charles Comiskey, owner of the Chi lcago club of the American league, takes this characteristic view of the situation: Why, Hermann's been down at that Lafferty club, or what ever it is, near Cincinnati. fixing up the panels so they could drop us into lfhe river, Hart's just come back from Mexico with pair of loaded dice and a lariat; Dreyfuss sent Robinson a sti- letto for use in a pinch, and no one knows what that fourth member they have to appoint would bring to the lpeace conference" .
 Willie Keeler, the National 1eague's brightest star, who has signed a two year contract to play with the team which the American league will place in New York, will get $1O,0OO year, the largest salary ever paid to a ball player But this is not all. By the Iterms of the contract Keeler is ab- solved from all fines and suspensions. and is to draw his stipend regularly on the 1st and 18th of each month during the playing season, even though he should be unable to take part in the game Under no circumstances IS any portion of Keelers salary to be Withheld from him. Sick or well, his pay is to go on. The contract ac- cordfng to close friend of Keeler's, ) is one of the most liberal ever drawn. ; from a players viewpoint, as Keeler has absolutely nothing to lose, no mat , ter what turn affairs may take. Yes terday the X-rays were used to deter mine if Keeler's arm was fractured. : number of photographs of the ball players arm Were taken and after these had been closely examined for Yearly half an hour Keeler was in formed that there was no fracture. He was told that the arm had been dislocated at the shoulder, but had slipped back into it's place Keeler
 was further told that he would be in condition to play when the ball sea-
 son opened in the spring. He is a left-handed thrower and batter and
 plays right field.