The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-19
| l BASEBALL AT OLD PARK Association TlanSfers Its HsldinsS. GETS OUT OF CONTRACT Athletic Park Abandoned for | Highland Plrk. Montgomery Street Railway Scores
 a Coup on the Tractor Com
 paEy-sticknsy's aaysrs are Already Arritng.

| NdtButduu faTk, anu AiU hoHtff VIII tHe patrons of the game watch with sad or delighted eyes,, as the case may be. ball scurrying in its mad carer over the fence of Athletic Park at Pic;et Springs. This statement. while not official. is I nevertheless true in it's every particular and as reasonably certain a anything can well be. This was the nsuit of a meeting of the Montgomery Baseball As sociation last night. At this meeting tho franchise, property and all outstanding indebtedness of the Association was sold for N.2O0. the affairs of the Association being wound up and the Association It. self going out of business.
 The meeting last night was the best attended since the organization of the Association nearly a year ago, seven of the nine members of the Boari of Di- rectors being present.
 The first business before the meeting was the resignation of F. O.. Hammond as a member of the Board of nirectors, ElNs Burnett being unanimously elected to succeed him. Then W. H. Ragland resigned as Secretary and Treasurer and Alva Fitzpatrick was elected to succeed A proposition was then made to buy the franchise, property, good will and ap- purtenances of the Montgomery Base- ball Association, a certified check for s7 200 being offered After some discuss sion the proposition was accepted without a dissenting vote, and the old Montgom- cry Baseball Association passed out. of existence. It is now only memmy of the good old summer ume of 1903.
 An attorney. was present and svery- thing was dono ln due legal form the papers being signed by President Screws and Secretary Fitxpatrick and sworn to and attested by a Notary Public who also sealed and signed them.
 To make the transaction. clear to the baseball loving public of Montgomery 1t must be said that 1t does not mean that Montgomsry will not have professionai night does not make the slightest change |as far as the ball team of Montgomery in the Southern Association of Baseball Clubs is concerued. Manager stickney is still the executive head of the team Ed. Pabst Is stiIl field captain and the team in its entirety. Is just as 1t was before last nights meeting. The only change is in the location of the ball park.
 ciation was organized March 26, 1903, Q contract was made with the Montgomery Traction Company that as long as the Montgomery Baseball Association had be played at Athletic Park at Pickett Springs from 19j3 until 1907. The saliva ton of baseball, financially. this summer was. according to the sense of the meet ing last night, under no circumstances to have the location of the grounds at Attn letic Park. The Montgomery, Baseball ,Assoc1aJI6n, however, ulder the terms of the contract entered Into WlIn Lne ITac~ ton Company last summer was forced to have the games at Athletic Park The only way out of the difficulty was to dis pose of the old Association and It's as- sets lock, stock and barrel and to orga- nize a new Association. This was done and as the Montgomery Baseball Asso- ciation went out of existence or course that organization win not have any base ball games to be played at Athletic Park or any other place.
 A new set of-ofiicers and Board of Di- rectors composing a new baseball ass0- ciation will be formed within the next few days, and while the ball games this summer will probably be played at High land Park. still the new association will be absolutely. uptrRrnmelled in It's selec- tion of a location Of a. bah park for this or any subsequent years
 This puts the brightest of prospects on the future success of baseball in Mont gomery this summer, and the indications are that 1t will be the banner year in the local history of the game, even including the phenomenally successful season that Dick German had here In 1Ss6.
 Manager Stickney has an aggregation that looks as strong if not just a bit stronger than anything in the Southern League this summer, and the Montgom- cry people will witness some of the fast est baseball ever played in the South
 It is an undisputed fact that outside of the two big leagues and possibly the American Association, the Southern will
 
 the United States this summer. The teams of every town in the circuit of the Southern League this summer look unu- sually strong and the baseball that will be played will be the fastest article of the kind ever put up in Dixie.
 The local team is, if form goes for any thing, fully able to cope with the best of them, and a great seasons sport is ass sured Four of the 1904 team is already here-Molesworth, Durrett, Deaver and Link Stickney--and Rhe others should re- port by Monday or Tuesday at the latest Tickets were telegraphed them last Mon day morning and most of the California contingent started for Montgomery some not be here until next Wednesday, hay ing some personal matters to arrange be- fore leaving. By next week, however. the fans will be in their glory, watching the members of the local team get the kinks out of the bodies on the grounds al Highland Park.
 VRTSII Ua-x.