Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-03
FANS WILL SHOW
FITTING REGARD
''P0P" CHADWlCK'S WIDOW TO
BE REMEMBERED
FATHER OF BASEBALL LEFT BUT
SMALL ESTATE
Owing to Zeal for National Game,
Man Who Did So Much
for Sport Died
Poor

To show their appreciation of the
man who brought baseball up to its
present standard, fans throughout the
country will begin collecting subscrip-
tions for the purpose of erecting a suit
able monument to the memory of Henry
Chadwick, known to the fans all over
the world as the Father of Baseball, ="
who died at his home in Brooklyn on
April 20, at the advanced age of 81
years.
In addition to the monument, a hand
some sum of money will be given to the
widow of the baseball pioneer Chad
wick had always taken an active part
in baseball, but never tried to make
money from it. At his death he left an
estate valued at less than a thousand
dollars, and devotees of the game will
endeavor TO raise money enough to en-
able Mrs. Chadwick to live comfortably
for the rest of her life.
Manager Berry of the Los Angeles
team has appointed Hap" Hogan to
take charge of the collection here. and
lovers of the sport are expected to con-
tribute when he starts on coin gather
ing trip.
Henry Chadwick was the most fam
GUS figure in the baseball world and
was known in every nook and corner OF
the globe where devotees and enthuSi-
asts of baseball are found as the "Fa-
rher of Baseball" He was an unques-
tionable authority on the national pas
time and edited "Spaulding's Official
Baseball Guide He was also the best
posted man in America on cricket.
When he was a schoolboy in Brooklyn
during the year 1887 the only prominent
field sports in vogue were horse racing
and the old English cricket. A form of
baseball had been played in 1881 by the
old Olympic Townball club, but the first
regular baseball club was not organ
tzed until 1S45, when the Knickerbocker
clI1 ayiGta1cp haV still
played form of "townball" :"
Our national game dates back no far
ther than 1857, and up to the sixties
baseball was played entirely by anna
teurs, all professionalism being barred
by the old National Association rules.
It was in 1868 that the Red Stockings,
the first professional club to take the
field was organized in Cincinnati. In
1871 Chadwick was mainly instrumental
in dividing the baseball fraternity into
two classes, amateur and professional,
by rendering immeasurable aid in the
launching of the first National Associa-
ton of Professional Ball Players, which |
in 1876 gave way to the present Nation |
al league.
In it's infancy professional ball, espe- |
cially during the early seventies, when |
pool gambling nearly gave the game a |
death blow, was looked upon very un-
favorably. Chadwick came to the res
cue, and after bitterly fought battle
succeeded in driving the "bookies" out
of business. From that point profess
sional ball began to earn the splendid
reputation it now possesses of being the
most honestly conducted sport in which
professional talent is employed
Besides being an authority on both
baseball and cricket. Chadwick was a
great athlete, and at the age of so par
ticipated in a cricket match between
the New York Veterans and New
Jersey club. He kept his wicket for
half hour on that occasion and scored
eight runs. He edited the first baseball
guide ever published, "Beadle's Dime
Book on Baseball" This was first is
sued in 1860 and was used continuously
until 1881. "DeWitts Baseball Guide"
which was published from 1869 to 1880,
was also edited by him, as was also the
"American Baseball Chronicle" the
first paper to be devoted entirely to
baseball.
In his later years nothing perhaps
gave him greater pleasure than the
strenuous efforts of Presidents Pulliam
and Johnson to do away with roWdyism
on the ball field.