Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-12-08

enough votes to put Durham in the
league, Mr.. Gattis repudiated his
agreement and deserted u.s. He went
in consultation with Mr. Mason Of i
Rocky Mount, and Mr.. Gawltney Of +
Wilmington, Napier of Fayetteville, |
and they agreed to vote out Wilson CT
Goldsboro, who had stood with him, |
and prevented his losing his member
ship in the league and forfeiting his
franchise at the Wilson meeting.
agreeing that we would all stick to-
gether and either have Durham ad-
withdraw our three teams from the
league. He then went into meeting,
and after getting Mr.. Gwaltney to in
troduce the motion to vote out of the
league the town showing the least at
tendance last season, he produced the
same figures, which he said in his let
ter to me of November "a, showed
Rocky Mount to have had the smallest
attendance of any town in the league,
and by the juggling process, showed
that Rocky Mount was fourth, Wilson
fifth and Goldsboro sixth, in attend
ance, and I am satisfied that at this
stage of the game, with the assistance
of Mr.. Morehead of Durham, and Mr.
Mason of Rocky Mount, both of whom
assisted in changing the figures, of the
secretary and treasurer's official re-
port, to read as they desired it to read.
that he could have easily proven
Rocky Mount to have led the league,
had he so desired. Goldsboro was
then voted out of the league. After
having offered me $4,000 earlier in
the evening, for two of Goldsboro's re-
served players, Mr.. Gattis then voted
for a motion, which was carried, to
put $4,000 valuation on Goldsboro's S
franchise, which includes some seven
teen or more players, a thousand dol
lar park, and some five hundred dol
lars worth Of other property, whicn
by this resolution is made valueless
The directors of this meeting, being
asked as to the valuation of their diff
ferent franchises, the lowest offer tC
sell being fifteen hundred dollars, anG
the highest stated that he had recent
ly sold half interest for eighteen hun
dred dollars, another said his was
worth as much as any in the league
and another said his was worth seven
teen hundred and fifty dollars, not in
Guiding ball park, as he did not owl
one. Still these same directors votet
unanimously that value of five hun
dred dollars be placed upon Colds
boro's franchise and property that sal
Of its franchise would render value
less, and gave Durham an option t
purchase at that price.
Goldsboro being voted out of tn
league, then by instruction from Viii
son, whose proxy 1 held, Withdrew
t Wilson from the league. Goldsbor
t and Wilson people generally, includ
5 ing Mr. Eagles and myself, naturall
1 will in future entertain a very poo
i, opinion of the truthfulness and homo
1 of Mr.. Gattis and Mr.. Gwaltney, an
S Durham can at least be charged wit
= having shown very little gratitude t
the people who had fought to max
t their admission to the league possible
l when they agreed to go into the leagu
: under such an arrangement, and M
j Morehead deliberately went back o
4 his agreement with me.
: From business standpoint, tn
chances for either of the smalle
: towns composing the league, to b
able to live have been killed by Wi
mington and Raleigh being able to die
tate the passage of laws, raising th
4 guarantees, increasing the length {
season, and otherwise increasing th
expense of membership in the leagu
to such an extent, that with the pos
Y sible exception of Raleigh, Wilmingto
r and Durham, all the remaining team
will certainly lose thousands of do
lars each year. This neither th
e Go1dsboro nor the Wilson people al
willing to do.
= Yours truly,
0 HORACE E. KING.