The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-15

quite rapidly from the organization of
the National Amateur association, in
1858. to the breaking out of the civil
war, i'm 1861, nut the game up TO this
/ time was confined almost entirely 10
New OTk City and immediate vicinity.
The New York soldiers introduced their
new baseball game into the army and il
soon became a favOTite camp paStirne
In both armies. While those two mag
nitiCent armies of the north and south
could, not agree upon national policies
of government. both could agree on
baseball and at the close of the war
the soldiers OF both armies carried the
game to every town and hamlet in the
United states. and i'm 1866, baseball
became a furOr throughout the cOun-
Try. So IL viii be seen that baseball has
it's DatTi- tic ide and was one of the
direct results OF the civil war. and the
game can date its birth as the national
game of the United states from that
war.
1 am indebted for my first acquaint-
ance with baseball TO disa bIed Illinois
soldier, returning from the war in 1868.
when, lad of 10, I listened to his ac-
count Of the baseball as played in the
camp. and under this I'D soldiers
coaching l became a member of a
boys club in Rockford. Ill. which / be-
heVe was one of the first baseball clubs
organized in the west.
From 1855 to 1870, baseball clubs
between cities became intense. The
National club Of Washington was the
first eastern club Il make an extended
trip through the west in 1867, and met
with only one defeat. and that at the
hands of the Rockford club. of which
I had the honor to be the pitcher. The
result Of this game was the indirect
cause of my afterWard becoming a
pr fessional player.
Every effort was made at this period
TO keep the game on an amateur basis.
but the TiValrieS between cities became
so intense. and the demand of the pub
lie for high-class ball so urgent that
II was utterly impossible to keep the
same on a strictly amateur plane.
Yelled professionalism became the. or
der Of the day and while the amateur
status was insisted upon in the rules
young men possessed Of skill as ball
players we're offered lucrative positions
in commercial houses. with the under
standing that they could play baseball
all they wanted u; yet a large part of
their salaries was provided by the local
club or some of its enthusiastic MEM
hers.
Forty Week as Pitcher.
1 recall my own experience. when. in
the fall of 1867, I was surprised with an
offer of d salary of $40 a week as bill
clerk in wholesale grocery house in
chicago, which ] accepted with the in
lIoteuI Satisfaction tnat my business /
abilities were so highly appreciated. I
learned afterwaTd that the business
concern appraised my service at SO d
week and the baseball club made up the /
balance. This so-called amateurism. or /
yelled professionalism. was in general /
vogue throughout the country. and 3
1t became so intolerable to play
ers and club officials that it
finally resulted in the organiza- (
ton OF the National Association (
Of Professional Baseball Players in /
ISL From that date baseball playing !
has been recognized as regular pro- /
fession. and the game has since been I
under the management ana control OF /
regularly organized professional clubs. /
banded together in associations and /
leagues.
Bad Effect of Gambling.
The game advanced and prospered at /
first under this new regime, hut IN the !
early seventies a dark cloud gradually I
made it's appearance on the baseball /
horizon. caused by the demOralizing in /
duences that always follow extensive
on athletic events or sport of I
any kind. Every large city had its
Seball pool rooms. and nearly every /
grounds had its betting pavilion. Thou /
sands of dollars were wagered on all
important matches. and il was no UNI