Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-16
TO BUY ST. LOUIS.
Syndicate Will Take Over
American League Club.
Consideration Said To Be Over
Halt a Million Dollars.
Boston Nationals Will Probably
Change hands Saturday.

New York, sDec. l5.-"Ben' Adkins,
water commissioner of St Louis,
Mark F. King and his brother, COM
posing the st. Louis stock brokerage
firm Ewing Bros. and Messrs Hall
and Hodgden, prominently identified
with ST. Louis interests are the prin-
cipals in the syndicate which will
probably purchase the controlling in
terest in the St. Louis American
League Baseball Club, from Robert
Leee Hedges. Adkins engineered the
deaf and it was through MIN that the
offer was made to Hedges.
a special committee representing
the American League and consisting
of Pres. Ban Johnson of the league;
Pres. Charles A. Comisky of the Chi
of the New York Club will go to st.
Louis within a week to ascertain the
standing of the new candidates for
membership, financially and otherwise.
If it is satisfactory, Hedges will be
authorized to sell and the new owners
will be taken into full fellowship Of
the league.
Incidental to the probable change in
the ownership, it was said at the
annual meeting of the league, which
came to a close today that Fielder
Jones would become the manager of
thc club. Jones is now operating a
fruit farm in Oregon and last year re-
fused to play with Chicago because
the money offers was not sufficient.
Hedges said today that the syndicate
;ol, u-in TO n hi =
holdings pre- posed to put in q winning
tedm-That is a first division team
at any cost.
IT is understood here that Mr..
Hedges values his American League
franchise at $3.50. 100. and his grounds,
plant etc, at enough more to bring
the total consideration to little more
than 100000. Even with losing team
it has been said that the St. Louis
Americans have consistently earned a
net profit, averaging 100000 a year.
The American League finished its
business prom tly today and dispersed,
but the National League pursued its
usual slow tactics and the meeting will
continue tomorrow.
The purchase of the Boston Nation
ais will probably be contaminated by
Saturday.
Part payment has already been made
by W. Hepburn Russell and his asso
ciate, L. c.. Page, the millionaire Bos
ton publisher, but the agreement was
that Harris should retain Owner ship
of the club until after the present
league meeting. AS soon as the meet
ing is over the club will formally
change hands.
MIR. Russell said positively that Fred
Tenney will manage the team next
Season and will play first base if his
legs permit He added that there will
be four or five changes in the person
~. of the team
"No club will sell at any price a
good player" said Mr. Russell, there
fore we must develop our own We will
first devote all of our energies aid our
capital to giving Boston winning
.eam and then we will consider the
building of a new home Until we have
a winning team the old grounds will
be good enough" Besides approving the
retention of the present classification
for the Western and Three II"
Leagues, the National League today
decided to call umpires into New
York to have their eyes examined.
President Charles II. Ebbetts of
Brooklyn, who has been the most ac-
tive member Of the schedule commit
Tee for many years. lost that distlnc-
ton today. The league appointed
Pres. Thomas ]. Lynch of the league,
Pres. Barney Dreyfuss of Pittshurg and
Sec Treas. John A. Heydler of the
league as the schedule committee. They
will meet with Pres. johnson of the
American League late in January and
arrange the schedules for the two
leagues
President Garry Hartmann of Gin
cinniti was re-endorsed for chairman
of the National Commission.
The commission at its final session
today made the following decisions:
Reinstatement refused to Player
Doescher, who jumped his contract
with Cincinnati and who was twice
before reinstated after jumping from
Brooklyn.
Andy Coakley was informed that the
commission would decide his case
against the Chicago Nationals If he
would withdraw his case from the
courts. He refused
In the cases of Elmira which tried
to keep the Philadelphia Americans
from drafting ONeill, and Jacksonville
which tried to keep Pittsburg from
drafting Player Smith, the original
drafts were certified. O'Neill going to
Philadelphia and Smith to Pittsburg,
and the draft money going to the fund
of the National Association instead to
Elmira and Jacksonville.
St. Louis Americans must pay salary
to Catcher Crisp for the time he was
absent while injured.
The commission will meet in Cincin-
natl on Jan. 8.
Willie Keller the crack outflelder
recently obtained by the Giants from
the New York Americans was sold to-
day to the Toronto Club of the Eastern
League.
Hawley Dooley, former manager of
the Utica club. has purchased an in
terest in the Troy club and will man.
age that club next season.
The Montreal club today purchased
Barberich from the Boston
American League club. The player
was recently drafted from the Provi-
dence team.
Charley Carr. former manager Of the