Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-02-28

Ae recent announcement that the Helena Baseball Association had de- cldod to remain in the Arkansaw state Baseball League, the contradic.
 ton oi the report that Arthur S
 Riggs would manage the Areenta team and the settlement oi the Hot Springs franchise muddle, which is
 believed to be near at hand, has re-
 veaied brighter prospects for the sue cess of the state league for the com ing season and Pine Bluff fans n., beginning to revive interest in the rA- tional game. C. Strickland, of Little.
 Rock, who owns the Pine Bluff Prar- ehtsc asserts that he will finance ,ne local club, if Pine B!ufiians do n.,.
 manifest sufficient interest in tue team 10 take it over themselves for ,he coming season. MT. Strickland states.
 however, that he would much prefer
 the club being owned by Pine Bluff , fans. There is little possibility of an organization here for that purpose, as
 men of means, who have lost no small sums of money in experimenting III
 the State and Cotton States Leagues
 the past several years, cannot see their way clear at this time to invest more money ill the baseball game.
 This does rot necessarily mean that | Pine Bluif will not have league ball the conlffga season. rsAlrsady prepara.
 tions are being made here for the
 launching of the State League team
 and Harry M. Berry, of Oil City, Pa.
 who piloted the local club last sea son, is expected to arrive in this city during the coming week to make pre- llminary arrangements for the sea sons opening at Forest Park Berry will probably be accompanied here by a batch of Pennsylvania youngsters, whom he will give try-out, as he wrote here some days ago that he had several good ball tossers signed aud that they were to come here with him. Manager \. s. Riggs, Of the Hot Springs club, who has been a prime mover in State League affairs since it's organization and who still declares that he is the sole owner of the Hot Springs franchise, now In dispute, 3 in the city talking baseball and incl. dentally urging the local fans to ac
 tion. Riggs recently returned from Jonesboro, which town recently pur- chased the Newport franchise, where he attended an enthusiastic meeting Of the Jonesboro fans. Manager RigEs has had hard road to trag- el" since launching the State League early last year. He was one of the originatOrS of the State League and worked hard for It's organization. Af- ter securing enough towns to form the circuit he gave Hot Springs tEc was forced to put forward his own finances in guarantees and incid en'al expenses to keep the league from bankruptcy. Luckily he kept all of his vouchers and officials papers, sn0wing where he had personally put uh the guarantee with the higher ohi- cials to retain the State Leagues s standing in national baseball circles and his making good the guarantee
 fao fUr Hot Cnr;ppc hcfOra tho aya =
 ration of the time limit in 1907 is whau probably gave him the Hot Springs franchise. When the season was over, after selling the young won- der. Pitcher Vaughn, to the New York Americans; Catcher Parrott and oth-
 CTS, Riggs pulled out a little to he
 good. The baseball fever was d. it's
 heighth a. the seasons close at Hot
 Springs and others began to see the value of the Vapor City club. Rig ss
 says President Craighead signed tie
 franchise in his ((RiggsO name and
 sem it in and that 1t l. still recorded
 ;r that way. Dr. Forbes, of Hot
 Springs, and others are con,esting
 his right to hold the franchise, but
 the matter has not been satisfactorily
 settled. A satisfactory agreement
 will be reached, however. before the
 season opens.
 The following clubs will compose
 the State 6aI ii1io f