The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-04
AMERICAN HAS
MANY OPTIONS
Johnson League Magnates
Have Not Decided
on Site.

NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-Garry Her
mann, president Of the Cincinnati base
hall club, who is just now the leader
of the National league, has taken it
upon himself to notify President john
sen Of the American league, that the
move undertaken by several National
lea que magnateS to confine the new
American club here to Manhattan ISL
and by changing a clause in the peace
contract, will not work, and that john
son & Co. are at liberty to place the
club anywhere in Greater New York
without fear of violating the agree
ment.
Hermann, who is one of the broad
minded men in the National league,
evidently realized that to allow the
schemers to carry their point would be
the means of precipitating another
breach Of the baseball peace, so he has
tried to adjust matters with the leaders
of the American league.
Little by little the question of Amer
lean league grounds here becomes mar
rowed down to a minimum. In attempt
ing 10 cOnfine the American league to
the borough of Manhattan the National
league men had few cards up their
sleeves, for they went to the recent
conference with conclusive evidence.
according to their way Of thinking,
that Johnson had been completely shut
out of Manhattan island by means Of
q deal, the inside of which was given
today for the first time.
Story of the Deal.
CAS- long ago as last August" said
the informant, johnson, Somers, Kill
foyle and others received direct in
yitation to do business with the sub
way people here A prominent real
estate man, who has purchased much
of the property used for the tunnel con-
nectOns, made the direct proposition
to the American league men. He told
them the tunnel people wanted the
American league grounds located on
the line Of the subway, and named the
property bounded by One Hundred and
FOrty-first street, One Hundred and
Fortythird street, Lenox avenue and
the Harlem river as an available site.
This real estate man had previously
shown to the tunnel people the advfsa-
bility Of having the American league
locate on this site for the reason 5O0,-
600 people would be alIured to the new
park during the ball season. The tun-
nel trains running north from the low
q part VI the CITY anu ltlOS6 coming
south from the Bronx under the Har-
lem river at this point would handle
nearly all of this patronage on the
Way$o the park, While after the games
the otherwise empty trains going down
town in the rush hours would be the
means Of easily bringing thousands
away from the grounds.
This source of revenue was readily
appreciated by the tunnel people, and
the real estate man was told to go
ahead with the deal. He saw John
son, SOmers and Kilfoyle, and after
some dickering they made a PROPOSE
ton TO buy outright half the property
for $25O,000 and lease the other half
for ten years at a rental of 5000.
The real estate man took this PROPOSE
ton before the tunnel people, who in
stantly approved of it, and word was
carried to Johnson that he would not
have to look further for grounds.
Freedman Stopped 1t.
1T was because of this assurance
that Johnson made the announcement
when he was here several weeks ago
that the American league had secured
grounds on Manhattan island-in fact
had purchased half of the property and
had leased the other half. johnson at
. the time was banking on the word of
TWO men influential in the cOnstruc-
ton of the tunnel, who had sent word
through the real estate agent to go
ahead. But not long after this, at a
meeting OF the directors of the COM
pany which is building the subway.
John p. Mcdonald brought up the deal
with the American league for formal
sanction. Andrew Freedman. one of
the directors, Immediately threw cold
water on it. As the other directors
knew nothing Of baseball matters and
naturally took Freedman's word the
deal with Johnson was turned down.
Il have it on the best of authority
that both John B. Mcdonald and Au-
gust Belmont were in favor of allow
ms the American league to take the
property until Freedman expressed his
views.
But Johnson and Somers have no
idea of abandoning New York They
have one other site in Manhattan ISL
and, which they can get. In the Bronx
there are three sites, on all of which
the American league has options
las a matter of fact Johnson has
been the only one to hold out for Man
haitian island. Somers and Kilfoyle
have all along believed that the Bronx
IS the place for the park. Grounds in