Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-10
A SHARP CRITICISM
CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SAYS
sTATE,LEAGUE is AN "INTER-
EsTlNe EXPERIMENT."
Sporting Editor Of the Marshalltown
Times-Repub!ican Seems Hard to be
Convinced and Replies - Criticism
is Indicative of Leagues Success.

That the Iowa State league is attract
ing the attention. of other organiza-
tons in the baseball world is evident
from a recent sharp criticism publish
ed in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Pres
ldent Frank C.Norton and his associ-
ates of the Iowa State league are mem.
bers of the Anti-Knockers club, howev-
er and believe in. it's motto, "every
knock is boost" A better example OF
the leagues stability than the gentle
boost which was contained in the Ga
zette recently could hardly be made
inasmuch as Cedar Rapids fosters a
club OF a rival league, and it's reason
for calling the Iowa State league can
interesting experiment." and predict
ing for it short life, is only advanced
with the fear that the newly formed
organization might dim the record of
the Three-I league or perhaps end
the season with a better showing as to
percentage and finance. than the older
team. The sporting editor of the Mar.
shalltown Times Republican apparent.
ly understands the situation exactly
and expresses himself as follows:
AS Regards the Three |.
"This assumption on the part of the
Cedar Rapids writer is doubtless
cleaned especially from that city's ex-
perience with the Three-I league, and
generally from similar experience
of the other cities of that same organ
ization, which has not been particu-
larly brilliant from either financial
or successful standpoint Anyone who
has followed at all closely the history
of the Three-I league knows that the
combination has but little more than
really existed, and it is predicted on
the best of authority, when the three
years compact ends with the coming
The natural conclusion is, then, from
the Cedar Rapids standpoint that if
the Three-I league cannot make good
how can it's rival?
Many Players Leave.
at is also fact that players to a
considerable number who have been
reserved by Three-I league teams have
endeavored to secure places with the
| new organization, preferring it, al
though untried, to their former berths.
This gives indication that all is not
well with the Three-I, and many OF
the players have been secured by man
ayers of the Iowa State league teams
| This has caused a certain amount OF
and accounts to some extent for the
desire on the part of the former to see
the newly organized one take down
fall before the season is over. Just
where the rivalry between an Iowa
State league game and the st. Louis
exposition as laattractions for the
crowds comes in is rather hard to I'M
derstand. The new league has not yet
posed as a candidate for patronage
with an enterprise that is commanding
the attention of the entire middle west
Covers Much Territory.
1.-THE Three-I. with it's teams scatter
ed over three big states and travelling
| expenses of the clubs that have proved
a mighty burden, has been up against
a. proposition of no small proportions
The directly opposite is true of the
Iowa State, for as it stands, the longest
jump is one Of ninety-three miles, and
that in only one instance. The others
average a little over fifty. Another
thing that may not have occurred tc
those who criticise, but which is a fact
| in at least six of the towns, is that
whatever moneys have been put In
have been practically donated, the
givers not placing it with the anticipa-
tion Of cleaning any return in the way
Of profits. II it fails to pay, well and
good; it was given for that purpose;
| if, again. it pays although only in part
that which was not expected will be
the result. The promotion of the teams
was not money making scheme, but
rather for the purpose of fostering the
game and giving the cities interested
| boil !