The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-15
BASEBALL IS NOT
GOOD PROSE- lCT
The National Game VIII Die Natur-
al Death This Week or Burst
into Big Flame at Tues
days Meeting.
CHANCES ARE SLIM
Poor Attendance During Last Season
Cause for Talk Of Giving up
Organized Baseball In
keokuk.

/ Baseball in Keokuk is due next
week to die altogether Or break forth |
into flames fed by popular opinion. /
That the other cities of the Central
Association are not willing to believe !
that the game~fs at low ebb in this
city and are ridiculing the idea that |
Keoluk is talking of dropping from
organized baseball, shows that they
have no conception of the feeling in |
this burg.
All through the fall and early win
tier there has been gradually in |
screasing feeling among the bugs here
! that there was every indication that
the city would be without baseball /
again for several years. This feeling
was created by the poor attendance
of last season, which plainly showed
that the fans had lost great deal OF
fnteres. in the game and were looking
to other things to furnish them en-
goyment. The poor success of the
team was, of course, in a measure re
-sponsible for the poor attendance.
but there was never time, even
when the team led the league at the
opening of the season that the fans
assured the directors of their support
by their presence at the games.
. The first eight games of the sea-
son went to Keokuk, vet at one OF the
games played here at home with the
club leading the league, the attend
anee was less than one hundred.
In spite Of the fact that the major
ity of the fans have clearly indicated
their indisposition to keep the game
themselves In an effort to continue
baseball under Central Association
jurisdiction. Their efforts SO far have
been vain ones and this week they
will make their final play for the
preservation of the national game in
Keokuk.
The matter has been referred to
the Keokuk Industrial Association,
who are asked to appoint committees
TO solicit funds to the amount of
1880. They will act ON the matter
,at their meeting at the Elk's club
Tuesday noon. 1t is thought that their
action will be final. whether it is fav-
orable or whether they turn it down
hatly
Once before the association has
Tbeen asked to help out the baseball
association, but they decided that ii
was not to their interest Indications
are that their action OF that time will
be repeated.
In speaking of Inc matter yester-
day. an old fan made the following
statement:
Il can see no reason why the Indus
trial Association should not help the
baseball association out. Ii has al
ways been my impression that the as
eociation was, primarily, an adyertis-
ing agency, yet so far as is known
by the general public their efforts
have not produced any good results,
while the baseball clubs that Keokuk
has had in the past have made the
name of the city known wherever
there is a fan.
Il think that it is within the prov
ince of the Industrial Association to
help out in this matter for the men
who would be asked to subscribe
would be the ones that are already
subscribing to the Industrial Asocia-
'tion, and they are the ones who are
most interested in keeping Keokuk
in the public eye"
The outlook for baseball here, to
say the least, is dubious and the
chances favor the loss of the fran
chlse greatly. 1t is known that only
one or two members of the associa-
tion are willing that the Industrial
Association should take hand in the
matter and unless they can present
some exceptionally strong arguments
in favor of the appointment of a
soliciting committee, the loss of the
club here is practically certain.
There has been some talk of man
well known in baseball, putting a
CLUB in here, under the same agree
'ment that is now held in Burlington
by Hayden. Whether this win be
brought UP again in case the indus.
trial Association turns the local base
ball men down, is not known. hut tbe
Expression of the Industrial Associo.
zion is expected to settle the ones
kion in this village.