The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-08
Will Have Team in Spite of
City Railway.
EXPECT HARD WORK.
Need at Least $500 More in
Cash.
Another Letter to Mr.. Myers Is
Drafted.

Topeka will have baseball" was the
verdict of the directors of the Topeka
Missouri Valley League Association
last night. after sitting like coroner's
jury on the dead body of the promises
of the Street Railway company for
over an hour. They injected a lot of
questions into F. G. Kelley, secretary
of the company, who was at the meet
ing, and then proceeded to inject a let
ter into Mr.. Myers. What the contents
of that epistle were, was ordered kept
secret. 1t was not as bad, either. as
some of the directors wanted to have
it. Had their ideas been followed out
it would have been necessary to use
asbestos paper to keep the words from
starting a fire.
Manager Frank Leach, of Washburn
athletics, was present by request. He
was given a long heart to heart talk
by the directors. 1t is practically as
sured that If the Topeka baseball team
becomes a purely Topeka organization,
and does not have to depend for its
existence upon the railway company,
very satisfactory contract can be ar
ranged with WaShburn for the use OF
the park this summer Inc trustees
of the college felt that the railway
company ought to do something in
payment for the park besides only put
ting in $3.50 to help in building a grand
stand, inasmuch as 1t wanted a nNe
years contract. But it is likely, that
If the Topeka association, handles the
entire matter as it proposed to DO last
night, the college will ask no further
compensation than simply a proper
tfonate amount Of the cost of building
q grandstand. President PlaSs is out
of the city. The matter Will be taken
up with him as soon as he returns.
But the fact that the railway COM
panv has quit" did not phase the di-
rectors. They are going to have a
team, even though they have to go 1t
on their own hook" It is a stiff finan-
cfal proposition to face, but they real
lie that the matter has been carried
too far to drop at this stage of the
proceedings. The plans which We're
suggested last night were to get WASH
burn park, somehow raise few nun
bred dollars more and build a grand
stand and then with the money on
hand. go ahead and put the team into
the field.
The baseball fans are digusted with
the action of the street railway COM
pany. The majority of the directors
last night seemed to be in trance,
when questions were put to them
about the affair. If asked about 1t,
thew would shake their heads dubious
" and were blessed if they knew"
It was only after long conference
that they shook off the spell. Then
they did considerable shaking, pr1n-
cipal among which was a letter to Mr..
Myers Then they decided to go it
alone, if that is necessary. The mat
ter was thoroughly canvassed, and
despite the fact that the street rail-
way company failed absolutely to
keep its many-times promised assist
ance to the team, the directors deter
mined to fight it out
Mr.. Kelly read a private letter to
the directors last night which he had
obtained from My Myers relative to
the park and subscription of $3.50
which he had promised In this
epistle there is a slight tone of hope.
but very little. Tt states that the rail-
way company is willing to live up to
the contract which it signed with the
Washburn athletic board of control.
1t states distinctly that the $3.50 will
be paid at once if Washburn stands by
that contract. But there it cuts off
the whole matter. 1t does not say
what viii be done if Washburn col
lege insists on the extension of the
street car line. On the other hand,
the letter to Secretary Ward states