The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-07
TWO Millions
spent FIXING UP


OF any professional sport in the world.
and with more than Is invested TO
further the requirements OF any other
organized sport, the baseball season
of 1903 in major and minor leagues
is now under way.
While the layman in baseball who
sits on the bleachers or in the grand
stand processes to entertain a certain
amount of scorn as to the money end
of the sport, and the sums which are
needed TO maintain it successfully. IL
Is a fact that, from the humblest
cheering boy to the best satisfied
millionaire who admires dads first
game" there is "A certain element of
pride in the fact that the home team
is doing WELL" and that the national
pastime thrives from away up in the
corner OF Maine TO away down in the
corner of California.
on hand It may be said that sum
approximating $2,000,00 has been de-
voted in the last twelve mouths In a
general way to the betterment OF the
accommodations for the game through
out the United States. II is good big
roll of money to be distributed solely
to further recreation and pleasures for
the masses and a summary OF the
ways in which the expenditures have
been made Is not uninteresting.
First, let us look at the purchase OF
a splendid field and the erection Of
magnificent stand by the Philadelphia
American league club. Uncle Ben"
Shibe, the principal owner of that or
ganization, has a structure which is a.
kn
magnitude and luxuriousness, Archi-
tecturally beautiful, practically adopt
ed to the uses TO which = is TO be put,
it will be one of the sights Of the sub
stancial quaker city. The present Ma
tional league stand In Philadelphia, al
though older, of itself is a tribute to
the game, and baseball patrons in the
metropolis OF the keystone state, are
provided for the future almost on a
scale Of grandeur.
The Ptttsburg baseball club has pur-
chased ground for a new and capa-
cious field and Ia building as rapidly
as possible a grandstand and field
stands which are but little less ornate,
IL any, than those I'm Philadelphia.
Reared aloft in steel and concrete, the
Pittsburg club will have an enormous
''three-decker'' before the year is over
which eventually may accomodate
the huge number of nearly 25,e00 pat
rons. -.-
The New York National league club
has expended thousands of dollars in
improving the structures on that his
to1c field which is known throughout
the length and breadth of the United
states as the Polo grounds.
The Cleveland baseball club has ex-
pended large sum, not only in en-
larging its beautiful park tn the for
est city, but In building extra stands
and making them more COMFORTABLE
for the patrons.
The Chicago American baseball club
has purchased :. valuable plot of real
estate I'm that city, on which new
stands suitable to the uses ON the club
will be built ere long. The Detroit
club has invested large sum In real
estate for new field. and when ready
the buildings for that organiza tion are
promised to be erected on a scale
commensurate with that which has
ben adopted In the other large cities
of the United States.
The st, Louis National league club
has secured It's holding on the real
estate which Is under it's control ana
better stands are future gift to the
patrons OF baseball there. The st.
Louis American league club has ann
plified and rebuilt it's stands. Cincin-
matt already has one OF the more elabo-
rate stands OF the major league circuit
and the capacity of the Chicago Ma
tional league grounds was Increased
hugely by the rebuilding of greater
part OF the structures on that area.