Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-16
STATE LEAGUE UNDER WAY
Organization with Six Clubs Formed
At Hastings.
KEAhNEY HAS CHANCE TO GET IN
Two Weeks Time Given the Buffalo
County City for Entry-Henry
Sievers Of Grand Island
President.

HASTINGS, Neb., Feb. ~15.-Special Teie-
gram.)-The Nebraska State Base Ball
league, with six progressive towns in the
circuit, was organized at a well attended
and notably enthusiastic meeting in Eagles
hall last night. A seventh town-Kearney-
applied for membership and it's admission
was deferred two weeks and left condi-
tional on its mastering another city to
make up an eight-club circuit. The
schedule will be arranged as soon as It is
known whether the league is to remain as
it was formed last night or be enlarged to
take In two more clubs.
The accepted towns are Hastings, Grand
Island. Red Cloud, Superior, Seward and
Fremont. Each of these places reported a
fund OF $500 or more available with which
to start preparations and assumed the OBJ
legations imposed in the bylaws, relative
to guaranty Of attendance and forfeit for
failure to complete the schedule. Kearney
and Friend also sent representatives who
gave satisfactory assurances that these re-
quirements could be met by clubs In their
towns, but the delegates from the six towns
that were included in the temporary or
ganlzation at the Grand Island conference
assumed that Friend was too small to
properly maintain a team
Temporary Organization.
To get the league movement under way
the promoters formed a temporary organ
ibation with Percy Renner of this city as
chairman and Charles Ritzman, also Of
Hastings, as secretary. Then followed a
discussion as to the best method Of pro-
ceeding with the formation of the league.
At the suggestion of Henry Sievers, of
Grand Island, the representatives of the six
towns that figured in the Grand Island
meeting-Hastings, Grand Island, Red
Cloud, Superior, Seward and Fremont-were
authorized to retire and determine upon
the number of clubs to be admitted. They
were not long in making up their report,
which rejected Friend and gave Kearney
two weeks in which to find an eighth city.
This report was adopted and the delegates
then formally organized by electing Henry
Sievers, president-secretar reasurer, COM
bining the three offices in the interest of
economy. Mr.. Sievers acknowledged the
honor in an address that made an ex-
tremely favorable impression on everybody
present. With words that carried convic-
ton, he declared hat he would administer
the affairs of the league with absolute i'm
Partially. In relation to umplres, he said
his appointees would be from towns outside
the circuit. He discussed the business side
of the project and encouraged his hearers
In the belief that the league can be salts
factorily maintained.
No FavOrites Played.
And because 1 live in Grand Island"
Mr.. SEWERS reiterated, Il don't want you
to get the idea that Grand Island is going
to get the best of it in anything"
A. c. Felt Of Superior, a baseball en-
thusisst of excellent judgment, was named
as vice president. The directors elected
are: G.. A. Palmer, Fremont; c. w. Jacobs,
Hastings; j. G. Morgan, Seward. The pres
ident will preside at all meetings Of the
directors, The directors will fix the salary
of the chief official.
II. A. Pendergraft and ]. c. Kelley, who
came from Kearney, said the delinquency
OF their town was due to the fact that
until a few days ago n oproper site for
the games was available and they said
there would be no difficulty in raising all
necessary funds. The Seward delegates
said that within three hours after they
return home from the Grand Island meet
ing they raised the fund Of So, 800, with
which to exploit a league team,
The bylaws require the posting of $500
forfeit by each club, in the form of cash
or certified check, as a guaranty for the
completion of the schedule, This forfeit
must be put up on or before March /.
The guaranty to visiting clubs for each
gam will be $50, but this may not be
paid when games are prevented by rain
or muddy condition of grounds.
TIL season will extend from about May
Is to about September Is, which will give
time for a schedule of approximateIv 10O
games. The schedule will be arranged by
the president and the directors subsequent
to March l, as the teams have until that
time to formally qualify for membership
AS the organization now stands there are
only two towns, Grand Island and Ere
mont, where Sunday games will be per-
mitted.
All proceedings were conducted with COM
plete harmony and the right sort of in.
terest was manifest throughout.
MEADOWS WINS FAST RACE
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