The Virginia enterprise., 1907-09-27
A PLAIN STATEMENT OF FACTS.

APiAiN STATEMENT OF FACTS.
The Nrq;n;s.ltibbieg Base Ball War is
Recounted Ia the Evening Herald.
The Virginia Hibbing base ball
war is succinctly recounted in the
Duluth Evening Herald of Mon
day in the following manner:
"Just now politics, the miners
strike, the decline in coppers, and
the talk of hard times are but mere
ripples on the sea of events as far
as Hibbing and Virginia are con-
cerned.
"The baseball war between these
two thriving little cities is the all.
absorbing topic, and the baseball
microbe has affected even the
women and girls of the community.
The men and boys always were fans
from the time they first donned
knee trousers. but the present basel
ball war has infected the entire
community with the baseball fever.
"Outsiders visiting either one of the
towns might think the inhabitants
were all baseball fiends. The strang-
er is either "with US or against us,"
and the Hibbing side of the con-
troversy in Virginia.. or the Vir-
side of it in Hibbing.
"The war is of long standing, but
it did not reach an acute stage until
this fall. Hibbing has long boasted
the baseball supremacy of the
range, and the other towns have
looked on enviously. But this fall
Virginia started out to wrest the
honors from Judge Brady's Colts.
"Beat Hibbin'" was the slogan, and
no expense was spared to get to-
gether a team that would turn the
trick. The pick of the Northern
Copper Country league and one
American association pitcher were
secured, and Hibbing also launched
out and added some of the league
players. Then the two teams went
to it for series of seven games, the
first three to be played in Virginia,
and the second three in Hibbing.
The deciding game, if one was need
ed, was to be played in some city to
be decided upon later.
1.-TWO of the six games were played
at Virginia. Rain spoiled the third.
Everything went along joyfully-
for Virginia. Pat Flaherty, former
ly manager of the Houghton team
of the Northern-Copper Country
league, umpired, and there wasn't a
murmur of dissent from his deci-
sions. With Graham pitching one,
and krick the other, the Virginia
gang had Hibbing faded.
"Saturday, the first of the three
games was to be played at Hibbing.
Al Cummings was slated to pitch
for Virginia, and Gilliean for Hib-
bing. Both teams got out on the
field. though the weather was freez.
ing cold and the field a sea of mud
They warmed up as best they could
and prepared to go to it. Then
Judge Brady trotted out Getchell to
umpire. Manager Carey of the Vir.
ginia team rebelied.
Anybody except Getchell," said
Carey.
"Getchell or nobody" said Brady
Nobody" said Carey, and he
called his men off the field, called
off the remaining games and trotted
his braves back to Virginia where
they were received with open arms
and commendation for their course
"The Virginia crowd had no soon
er reached Virginia than they
hustled around, gathered $1,000 to
gether, sent somebody to Duluth
and posted it with Tom Michaud
proprietor of the St. Louis hotel
Then, they sent challenge to Hib
bing to play for $1,000 a side anc
the entire gate receipts at Athletic
park in Duluth next Sunday. Hib
bing was given until midnight to
night to accept the offer.
According to Hibbing baseball
men and fans, the agreement callet
for the choosing of umpires by tn,
home team, when the series of 81,
games was arranged. Virgini:
chose FIaherty. Then, Vireini.
would not play when Hibbing chos,
GetcheIl. Therefore Hibbing ar
gues Virginia was in the wrong.
Zone of the owners of the Viz
ginia team was in Duluth thi
morning and he was exceedingl,
wrathy. He didn't mince any word
in speaking of the Hibbing deal.
II don't see how our proposition
could have been any fairer to Hit
bing. Flaherty was an outside,
and there wasn't a word said agains
his work with the indicator in vi,
ginia. We certainly wouldn't stan,
for this man Getchell. In the gam
which we won from Hibbinp a
Hibbing, a couple of weeks ago, hi
work was 80 raw in the ninth innin,
that we took no more chances. w
offered to play with any other ma,
in Hibbing as an umpire, or witt
two umDiree. Getchell to ho o,,o H.,