The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21
SOUTHERN LEAGUE
 ANNUALLY STRONGER
How the League Started and
 By Whom
WHO LANDED REMNANTS
Sporting News Reviews History of the Big League of Dixie" Giving Some Very Interest
 ing Facts.

hFoH lne s9pOTllnS NeWs.
 The Southern league, the big league of Dixie after six years of continued prosperity is much stronger than when Charlie Frank and q few other spirits or ganized the present one in the city of At lanta; although that city was not repre- scented in the organization, only coming in a year later, when Selma gave up the ghost, retiring in favor of the Gate City.
 The league in 1901 had q stormy voyage, but weathered it, though some of the cities lost money. and it's president be- came a defaulter (though the amount taken was alterwards made good) The campaign Of 1902 was q fairly good one, but it struck snag in the latter part of it's existence, when rival factions got into a row over the eligibility of players. For while it appeared that professional baseball was doomed to die in the south. but good sense on the part of everybody concerned brought order out of chaos and the season of 1908 started off nicely, Mont gomery, Ala, taking the place of Chat tanooga, and with Judge w. M Kava- naugh, of Little Rock, Ark, as it's pres- ident.
 Boost for kavanaugh.
 Right here 1t is but just and proper to give the Arkansas gentleman the credit for bringing the present league up to it's present high standard, for at all times he has been ever ready to see that matters of the league were conducted in just and equal manner. His fairness to all has made for him world of friends among the patrons of the game, for they admire him for the stand that he has taken to give the south clean baseball, and 1908 was a prosperous one and so has every year since been, though some Of the clubs have lost money, they have gamely stuck to the league and are will ing to lose more money to keep their cities in the organization.
 Like all leagues, the Southern has had it's scandals; fortunately t.Iey have been small ones Good sense has always strengthened out the tangles that at all times threatened to disrupt the associa- tion.
 After every season the moguls and mag mates get together and to hear them bick- ering at each other during the playing season one would imagine that they would never again be friends, but as soon as they meet in annual session all the past fights are forgotten and forgiven and everybody puts their shoulders to the wheel to make the next one a bigger sue cess This has been the history of the Southern league since its organization.
 Leaoue Oruanzed.
 During the summer of 1900 Charles Frank had an independent club of pro- fessionaIs in the city of Memphis who were playing all corners and making trips to nearby towns. Mir Frank saw the pos sibility of organizing a league that would be able to hold out and not blow up as many of It's predecessors had in previous years. Independent baseball was paying in Memphis, this city and other towns of the south, and why should not profes- sional, reasoned Frank
 The south was prosperous and on a boom, and the now manager of the Peli- call club believed that an eight-club league with reasonable salaries would be- come a fixture He first organized Mem rhis. going from there to Nashville where he interested number of business men to aid Newt Fisher In forming a club for that city Through friends r New Orleans end. Frank had number of friends in Shreveport, having played there in the first days of his professional ism, and that city became interested
 Birmingham Enters.
 Birmingham had been in the previous leagues and was still anxious for profes- sional baseball: that city was brought in through the efforts of a cotere of rail- road men who knew the advantages of a baseball club as an advertisement and the- listened to Mr. Franks plea to help form a Southern league. Little Rock. like Birmingham, was always willing to 80 into a league and little trouble was had getting that city to join.
 Atlanta was asked to become member, refused on the ground that they would not be member of any league of which New Orleans and Abner Powell were parts. In 1902 they changed their mind about joining the league and next year Abner Powell was manager of their club. The season of 1901 wound up with Nash vile winning the pennant, though Little Rock was entitled to it, but baseball pol ities had considerable to do with Nash ville getting the pennant, more than the winning of games. Nashville in 1902 again won the pennant, this time honestly but again Little Rock was treated unfairly, finishing second. but at the leagues meet in.5 was placed third Memphis getting second.
 The Pennant Winners.
 Charlie Frank won out after the most strenuous campaign of any season by the narrow margin of one game in 1903. Next year Memphis again won, this time under Lew Whistler, after a hard battle. their victories in Birmingham on the last trip giving them the flag.
 Charlie Frank and his Pelicans in 1905 galloped through the league, winning the pennant in the most easy manner. Bir- mingham under Harry Vaughn, last year fought it out with Memphis under Charlie Babb by d combination of circumstances an good playing and they landed the flag.
 The following cities and their managers have been pennant winners in the league: 19Ol-Nashville. Newt Fisher.
 15l2-Nashvllle, Newt Fisher.
 1903- Memphis. Chas. Frank.
 19O4-Memphis. Lew Whistler.
 1905-New Orleans. Chas. Frank.
 1906-Birmingham Harry Vaughn.
 Out of the eight cities and many man. agers of the clubs, only four cities and four managers have won pennants, but every one of the moguls have hopes of winning this years pennant.
 Of the many managers that helped to form the present leaoue, but two are with