Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
Treated Handsomely.

THE Brooklyn boys were treated hand
somely that night by their Kentucky friends
The next morning the Atlantics left by
early train for Cincinnati and that same
night the boat Patrick Rogers was burned
and many lives were lost quite number
being drowned in the Ohio river or burned
to death. The Atlantic boys first heard of
the terrible calamity just before reaching
Cincinnati and all declared it was old At
lantic luck again. They were congratulate
ed on their fortunate escape by Manager
Harry Wright and his men when they
reached the Cincinnati ball grounds that
day, where they met with great recep
ton from President Champion, Secretary
John p. Joyce and the immense crowd that
was present.
Organizers of National League.
'In 1875 ST. Louis had its first big team of
professionals, with Charles Lucas. Charles
A. Fowle and other prominent business
men of that city at its head. In the fall of
that year William A. Hurlbert of the Chi
cago club, Charles E. Chase of the Louis
vile club and Charles A. Fowle of the ST.
Louis club, after many meetings and much
scheming, decided on the formation of the
National League of Professional Base Ball
Players. The first meeting of the four
western clubs-Cincinnati Chicago, Louis
vile and st. Louis-was held at the Louis
vile Hotel, and they adjourned to meet in
New York the following February, when
the eastern end of the league was made up
for their first season in 1876 The three
gentlemen above named were really the
| originators of the National League. Charles
E Chase is still living and is a wealthy
resident of Louisville, where he is greatly
respected
| In 1877 the Louisville club played their
| last game of long trip to Pittsburg, and
| several Colonies, being married men, were
! very anxious to get back to Louisville as
| soon after the game as possible. They
| waited on their manager and asked him If
| they could hurry the game through as to
| catch the 610 train. which reached Louis
| vile very early the following morning
| The manager informed them that they must
not hurry, but insisted on their playing
| hard ball and winning the game if possible.
| He promised them, If successful, they would
| receive couple of boxes of the finest
| cigars that could be found in the city of
smoke The boys felt sore all through. Still
| they worked hard and won the game. They
| received the two boxes of cigars, but were
| too late for the train and were compelled to
| go on the $50, which reached Louisville a
| few hours later.
| THE 6:10 train they were so anxious to
catch was In a bad smashup and the Louis
| vile sleeper was almost q total wreck
| Several passengers were killed or injured.
! I'm the early spring of 1890 the new
| Louisville team, champions of the Ameri-
can Association, were all In the Buckingham
| Theater, in Louisville, on the evening of the
| terrible cyclone the path of which was only
| three squares from the playhouse. 1t was
| the most destructive tornado that ever
| visited that section of the country. Over
| 100 lives were lost, and the damage to prop
| erty was enormous. Had the old Bucking-
| ham been in its path ii would surely have
/ been demolished and that Louisville ball
team buried or blown into the Ohio river.
1.-THE night of September 2S, 1892, the
| Louisville clubhouse, grand stand and
| bleachers were destroyed by fire, and many
| articles of value belonging to the home and
| visiting players and to the club as well
| were lost. Fred Pfeffer, once king of Sec
ond basemen, kept a very valuable blood
| hound at the clubhouse, and after the fire
nothing was found of him but his frame
| Harry Pulliam, now president of the Ma
| tional League, was among the first to hear
of the fire, and Immediately awoke the man.