The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-04
Only One Runaway on
Record. 1
HISTORY OF THE RACES
FROM SECRETARY'S OFFICE
Memphis Had a Close Call in
1908.
President KavanauEh Says He Looks
Isl For q Race This season ~
Close ~ That Of Last
u Year. :.
BY CLYDE L. DEW.

Little Rock, Ark, April s.-(Special.)
Probably no league In organized
mas haa sS S.o Ss. ths
Southern League. 1t Is only since the
advent of President Kavanaugh as
head Of the league that 'sy record
has been kept OF the leag1l races. vi
the struggles before the season OF
1903. there Is absolutely no official rec
ord.
Which .s .as vs e sssy Volumes Msr
30 carefully treasurers in his office tell
eloquentiy with tneir columns of dry
looking figures Of contests that at
tracted tine attention OF all Dixie--of
with q lavish hand--all for the sake of
bringing to one particular city a piece
Of bunting and the glory that goes 20
The records In Secretary Milier's of
ice show that there has peen but one
year In which the championship was
brief period from the iiinish---somelime
not until the last day.
In 1905. New orleans took the lead
on May 70 and neld II to the finish.
the Peiicans mad big lead but at the
finish Montgomery was coming fast,
although the rally was too late TO en-
Ths record Sm Of the season Of 1908
does not start until June rs. On that
date Memphis was In the lead with
percentage Of ;ssi. Little Rock IVA, was
j and Nashville, fourth. were close to-
gether. more than 100 points pefiind.
Atlanta. Birmingham, Shreveport and
pretty far behind. Through the early
part of July they raced with Memphis
Constantly falling on in her percent
age and the other clubs coming closer:
apparently. a hopeless tail,ender. On
July IA, Atlanta displaced Little Rock
in second place, and on July ID. Nasn-
Vile went by the Travellers, who were
then fourth. although Atlanta held the
place little more than a week. On
August the Travellers went into sec
ond place and began slowly craving
shreveport and Atlanta alternately oc-
cupying third place. On September
10. just ten days from the close OF the
season Little RoSk mo os;s1on ,n hot ,Me e
days and then Memphis again brushed
by. They held this position by the
narrowest of margins and fnishe dtwo
Follows: Memphis .5ss. Little Rock
1877, Shreveport $40. Atlanta .ovo.
Nashville .484. Birmingham :4s0. Mont
s0mery '44a' k Nss o q ISos. 500
In 1904. Nashville took the lead on
May 10 and held It for twelve Gays.
when they were displaced 5y new ,,n Uli'
June 26. when Little Rock went into
the van. Two days later, II was At
iarta that was leading the league On
July 4, the Travellers again went py
Them and although Atlanta held the
lead for one day on July u the Trav-
elers held on for exactly a week, Wnen
they gave way to New Orleans Tne
Pelicians with never enough lead TO pc
eonfortabie, stuck until August 10
when they gave way to Memphis. They
lasted but two days and then up bob
ned New Orleans again. Five days
from the close OF the season. Msmphis
went into the lead ana stayed there
the final figures being Memphis 500.
! Atlanta .57s, New Orleans .677, BIZ
nninxham 1913, Nashville .5lS, Little
Rock .452. Shreveport .404. MONTGOMERY
.sss. a.. song has
been mentioned. Tie teams stood at
the finish as follows: New orleans
shreveport .S35, Birmingham .534.
Memphis .527. Nashville .s4S. Little
I BIrminEham, shreveport. New Or
leans and Atlanta fought It out Tor me
lead in the early part Of the season OF
1905. Shreveport having the lead your
times and New Orleans three, only -
lose il again. On July 20, BirmingF
took up the task Of setting the
and although they were me-
than so points ahead, they
hang on until the fntsN
they stood at the -
.644. Memphis 3
&