The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-19
NORTHERN NOW
IS SURELY DEAD
Last Games Played Sunday and
Teams Have Disbanded, Many Of
Them Deep in Seasons
Debt.
NOT LIKE IT USED TO BE
When Frank Belt Managed the Team
and Also Harry Berte Jack
sonyiIIe Fans Floeked
to the Park.

JACKSONVILLE, H., July 10
Farewell, Old Northern; goodbye to
you!
After three months of rough sailing
and playing to crowds of from fifty to
one hundred fans the Northern associ-
alton made its skidoo after the kames
played in Decatur and Muscatine yes
terday
The breaking up of the Northern
will mean great loss to the various
cities throughout the circuit, especial
lly Jacksonville. In years gone by this
city has had a ball team and has al
ways supported the team Loyalty, This
year, because the league was new
one, many instead of boosting, pro-
ceeded to knock. Now that the North
| ern is thing of the past the most
common saying heard on the streets
lis: Gee, 1 wish the league had con-
| tinued throughout the season
! AS a rule the local fans generally
support team. Baseball fans well re-
member the time when West Side ball
park would be filed to its capacity at
Sunday ball game. At times during
the week when Jacksonville was a
member of the Kitty league the park
would be crowded. At many a game.
buggies, automobiles and people would
be lined up against the right and left
field fence. Then, too, the bleachers
and grand stands would be crowded
with enthusiastic fans and some would
be perched on top of the grand stand
and in trees adjoining the park. This
was how the team was supported when
I Frank Belt and Harry Berte man
! aged.
/ Early in the spring the fans were
Pleading for good baseball in this
city for this season. Clarence Row
land was heard of in Aberdeen, Wash,
and luckily we secured his services.
Rowland arrived here early in the
spring and after several weeks of hard
work got bunch of ball players here
and started spring practice Nearing
the opening of the season he began to
release the ones that did not look good
to him and kept the most experienced.
After the season had been started
! Rowland had one of the best teams
Jacksonville has ever had, and for the
/ last two months has had the fastest
7 team in the Northern association. But
/ why didn't we win more games than
4 we did? Do you fans expect to go out
1 to the ball park and see team win
ball game after ball game? No. Every
good ball team will take slump and
go 10 the bottom. Then, too. the
players do not and will not go to the
park, get out on the diamond in the
hot sun and play their lives away for
few scattered fans that are mingled
in the bleachers and grand stands.
4 They want to see a crowd out to the
games, and when there is one you can
count on every player putting his
heart and soul into the game and play
/ ing until the last man is out. But il
1 will do no good to talk now, for the
/ Northern association is no more.
Since last Thursday the league has
lad but four clubs, Jacksonville, De
catur, Sterling and Muscatine. The
other two clubs, Kankakee and EIgin
dropped out last Thursday, owing tc
the poor crowds that were attending
the games
Just what the local clubs indebted
ness amounts to is not known at the
present writing, but it is understood
that while they are not down to rocl
bottom they are not in the best of cir
cumstances. It Is one thing sure, thai
whatever the local clubs Indebtedness
amounts TO, whether 1t be large OF
4 small, it will be settled up sooner OF
later The local business men have
/ always contributed when the loca
committee saw fit to solicit funds and
it is not likely that they will bach
down at this time when the clubs
need the money more than ever.
From a statement in one of the
/ Kankakee papers the club of that city
owes its players 5000, and there is nc
money in sight to pay them. Some o.
the magnates of the league, judging
from what that paper says, are talking
of suing President Burton for the s45f
guarantee which they put up.
Judging from the various newspa
pers throughout the circuit, there vii
be meeting in Chicago some time
during this week of those interested
in the league, for the purpose of in
vestigating as to where the $500
guarantee money put up by the eight
clubs went. At the present time the
league owes It's official scorers and
umpires about $500 more. It is under
stood that legal methods NAV be re
sorted to by some of the club owners
TO obtain this money.