The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-15
BOSTON TEAM COMING
BEAN-EATER BALL ToSSERS TIC
 PRACTICE HERE.
Squire Brown Chats of Prospects tor Good Baseball Team Next Year-No Chance of
 Losing Franchise.

Losing Franchise.
 Yesterday morning Al Buckeburger of the Boston National League team made arrangements to play in Montgomery on April 8. 1. and 5. next, and it is possible that he will stay here for several weeks in April. as the Beaneaters will do their spring training in Montgomery.
 All arrangements for the local team for next summer are being made, and those persons who have been predicting that Montgomery would not be member of the 1904 Southern League will have to guess again. The telegram in Thurs days Advertiser from Judge Kavanaugh in which he stated that there would be no change in the circuit settled that matter.
 Of course, there Is a possibility of fight against Montgomery being made at the December meeting of the league in New Orleans, but all things consid- cred, 1t Is hardly probable that this fight, if one materializes, will have success full ending.
 With all the adverse conditions sur rounding the local team during the sea son. the Montgomery club came out financially ahead of the game notwith- standing the opinions of certain persons WHO nave btdteu CIdL MOutSohoAJ " a loser on the season.
 When all of the other towns in the league last December were getting their teams. ready for the approaching season, the Montgomery baseball situation was getting more muddled than ever The reason of this was that the Montgomery franchise had. at the Birmingham meet ing in December. been awarded Jointly to rival interests. Raphael Semmes at that time general manager of the Mont gomery Street Railway, held the Mont gomery franchise in the outlaw league organized by Charley Frank, Gen. Sam Carnes. Caruthers Ewing. Frank Jones and other Memphis people. Some months previous to that at meeting of the organized Southern League in Little Rock Montgomery had been voted member of the league, and the franchise placed in the hands of W. H. Ragland, who was the president of the Montgomery Trac- tion Company. At the Birmingham meet ing the diplomatic efforts of Judge Kav- anaugh brought about a peace pact be- tween the Southern League and the out laws.
 The only thing unsettled was the Mont gomery franchise. General Carnes who was a lifelong friend of MT. Semmes, held out that the Montgomery franchise
 
 Judge Kavanaugh who was a friend of Mir. Ragland held out that the Mont gomery franchise should go to him. 1t having already been awarded to him. To make a long story short proposi- ton was made by MT. Semmes himself that the franchise be held jointly by he and MT. Ragland, and it was so ordered by the league.
 It was not until some months after ward that the muddle was cleared up. At the meeting in New Orleans MT. Semmes friends persuaded him to sell out to MT Ragland. This was on Feb. g, and only few months before the beginning of the Southern League season.
 A local association was formed here The beginning of the season virtually started in March, and a 5000 debt, the price of the franchise, stared the asso- ciation in the face at the start. The schedule committee gave Montgomery the worst of 1t all the way through. not a single holiday game having been given this town. and very few Sunday games. Most of the Sunday games had to be played by the local team. making long railroad jumps to get into Montgomery Sunday, and another long jump back to fill their dates on the road.
 A practical illustration of the work of the schedule committee was the fact that Shreveport was in Montgomery Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the last three games the Montgomery team had at home. All during the season games in a town playing Sunday ball had been scheduled for Friday. Saturday and Sun day, but these last Shreveport games were Thursday. Friday and Saturday. Both the Shreveport and Montgomery teams were here. and if the game had hAa y1Io ,,f several hundred dollars in the coffers of both clubs Both teams had to jump from Montgomery Saturday night and travel all the way to Shreveport where they played Sunday.
 The Sunday crowds in Shreveport were about half as large as in Montgomery, and besides losing the railroad fare for twelve men from Montgomery to Shreve- port, the Montgomery association lost it's half of the gate receipts.
 Notwithstanding the hardships inpos- ed on the local club by. the schedule. Montgomery had 52Oo0 paid admissions Shreveport, and considering the advan- tageous schedules given other towns, made fully as good if not better show ing considering the size of the town, than any member of the Southern League last summer.
 When Oscar Streit was in Montgomery few days ago, he put an entirely new light on the Whistler matter. When Whistler left Montgomery to manage Memphis, which he did without a word of notice. he stated that he had not dick cred with any of the Montgomery play CTS.
 With the exception of Streit and Stock dale, the local team is on the Montgom- cry reserve list for next season, the con tracts of the two pitchers expiring at the close of last season.
 Now Streit stated on his last trip here that he had been offered $50 month more to sign with Whistler in Memphis than he received in Montgom- cry last season. Streit says that he will not make any arrangements for several months, and Stockdale will probably do the same thing, as will Frank Wilson, who will make his own terms for next season. having bought his release from Alb Powell.
 It will be great news to local fans to know that Ed Pabst, the best first base man that ever played in the South, and the most popular ball player that .ever wore a Montgomery uniform, will very probably be a member of the local team next summer. He was member of the celebrated team that Dick German al- most won the pennant for Montgomery with in 1S96 and local patrons of the pa lgpo fAo& ta he S-