The Daily Missoulian., 1909-05-11
M|SSOULA' s LACK
OF BASEBALL
SUCCESS OF INTERMoUNTAIN
LEAGUE, WITHOUT GARDEN
olTY, is ASSURED.

Now that the Intarmountaln '.4ague
has started off with such bright
prospects it Is more than ever to be
regretted that Missoula made no pro-
vision for a team In that organiza-
tion when the opportunity was pre-
sented. Than i've games played thus
far at Boise and Salt Lake have dem
Onstrated the class Of the teams COM
posing the league. and the attendance,
somewhat curtniled by the unseason-.
able weather, has made success as
sured financially. From reports Of the
games between Butte and Boise.
played ait the latter city the past week,
the Idaho metropolis appears to be
baseball mad. An average daily at
tendance of T5e on week days and
gathering of 1000 persons to root for
their favorites on Sunday, augurs we'll
for the success Of the national game
in a city the size of Boise, not much
larger than Missoula, by the way.
AT Salt Lake Sunday $500 enthusiasts
saw Helena whip the Mormon team in
a brilliant contest 1t remains to be
seen how kindly the fans of Helena
and Butte win take to the baby"
league, although we have 1t from sport
writer's of these Montana cities that
interest is at high pitch and enthus
iasm is unbounded.
Helena should be ripe for good base
ball. Not Since 1sO2sswhen the Capital
city was represented by a wonderfully
fast team in the old Pacific Northwest
league, have the resident fans of Last
Chance gulch seen high-class ball.
And now that Jack Huston, with the
liberal aid of business men who have
come to realize the benefits to be de-
rived from a winning baseball team
has gotten together bunch of players
with promises to more than hold it's
own, those same fans are coming very
much to life and are showing the
proper spirit. Arrangements have been
made for new ball park close in to
the city, and several of the Disagree
able features which haye attended
games in Helena in the past have been
eliminated. For the opening of the
season Mr.. Huston has arranged a
novel parade, to be participated in by
the opposing players and local celebri-
ties. Instead OF riding In carriages
and automobiles each participant will
be seated, more on less leisurelyv but
most conspicuously on the back Of q
Montana cayuse.2rS
Butte, which, with Salt Lake, is de-
pended .npop ito swell the attendance
and incidentally the spoeketbooks of
John ST. Barnes ard @f,is atcoteric Of
baseball angels" is expected to more
than make good After the disastrous
- ,i,l, 1,
cut Butte off the baseball map. the
copper camp has had to content itself
with mediocre semi professional
games. Then. too, it is said Russ
Hail. the holder of the Northwestern
franchise. tried to palm off an in
ferior grade &of the professional arts
Gle thing for which the Butte fans
will not stand Therefore, ii would
seem that Butte is prepared to give
Mr.. Lucas new venture a thorough
trial Good baseball will be supported
in Butte; that has been demonstrated
in years past and 1t is up to Mr..
Barnes to furnish the best talent
available for a Class c league. e.ss
If the support given the nine now
representing the Garden city is n cri
terion, Missoula would have done we'll
to have accepted "a franchise in the
lntermountain league. The enthusiasm
is here, the south side grounds, made
| more comlnodious and thoroughly
modernized. would have been suitable,
and classy material for Il team could
have been secured if the few moving
spirits who took bold of the propo-
stion in the early spring had been
given the proper encouragement
However, the opportunity has been
lost for this season, at least. and we
viii have To worry along without pro-
fessional baseball for another dreary
year, :