The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-28
BY GUS NIALnERr.

ny Gus MALDERT.
The United states League OF Profess
SIGNAL Baseball Clubs is dead.
The final and irreparable collapse
happened last night. when, according
tc dispatches received here, the Chit
eago, New York and Reading clubs
gave up the ghost, prefurring 20 bury
the losses already accumulated. rather
IMAM face future losses OF which rho,
Knew not
The news will not h. startling to
lcadefs OF The Times-Dlspa,ch Pre-.
inonltions of the end were printed in
these columns as early as last rhnrs
gay morning. deliberations from a. G,
Ldhusrat. OF Richmond and Hugh Mic
kinnon, OF the Cincinnati club Tor a
time luiled the apprehension of both
payers and public. Struggling gameIy
on the Western members OF the league
made the trip East. Glowing reports
from the office of the leagues presi-
amt probably lent courage to those
who had been financing the league.
actual boA-otfice receipts showed the
tue state of affairs.
Failed to Find Whitman.
Last night, Landgrar and McKin-
hon used every known method of COM
innnicatiou for the purpose OF getting
III louch with those VINO might, know,
out without await. Neither the tele-s
phone nor the telegraph could ind
PRESIDENT Whitman. a meeting OF the
league moguls was supposed to have
been held at the Imperial Hotel in New
York but at that place all the infor-
NATION which could be obtained was
TO the effect that President Whitman
mad lett. John j. Ryan. owner of the
cincinnati club. was also beyond reach
@: the wires. What has become or
either or both of these magnates is
not known at this time.
ohicaso was scheduled yesterday
to play New York in New York.
When the Windy City tossers arrived
on the field they found a manager
missing. Nearly fifty people w,sre
gathered in the park at Bronx oval
TO witness the contest Feeling that
this vast horde would hardly nay
car rare downtown to the hotel. the
payers decided to call the game off.
Only Three Clubs Left.
In Washington there is no ball club
owner Mockabee--owne of the ban
park-had gathered together a mix
ture OF professionals. semiprofession
ais and local amateurs to play tho
game sunday. but he actually had no
ball club. there was no opposition,
| therefore no game. Cleveland had
already quit Now, counting accurate
ly there are exactly three teams in
the Observation-Disclosures. Cincinnati and
Pittsburgh.
Born amid veritable whirlwind of
popular favor. the United States
League spent itself in its early hours
by promising more than it could pro-
vide. Here in Richmond. the people
were raady and glad TO receive the
new organization. IN the larger
cities of the circuit, conflicting dates
with the major league clubs gave an
opportunity for comparison which did
not react with credit to the newer
Lao
! ture was the fact that in every big
| league city of the circuit the clubs
were going strong. Naturally. this
kept down the attendance at the OPP
position games.
Richmond Its Backbone.
Richmond was the backbone of the
league. In the early days. or rather
in the formative period, it was to
Richmond that the magnates looked.
For the benefit OF the unthink ing IL
should be emphatically put down
right now that Richmond made good.
Also be It added that e. C. Landgrat
has made good. He has always been
ready and willing 10 stay with Rich
mond. He is ready and willing now
to continue, ard he hasn't great
me ny good words to say for his some
time colleagues who have SO un-
| tremendously quit the camp.
The big surprise is the detection OF
Reading. Ever SINCE tNe nTSt WnlSpeT-
ings that the league WAS about to ba
born, Reading has been placed in .
class with Richmond But the Penn
sylvania town has not made good. Not
even the influence Of president Wit
man has caused the sturdy sons of that
conservative town to visit the ball
park in sufficient numbers to make it
profitable.
The Real Weak sisters.
| New York and Washington have all
along been regarded as the weak sis
| tiers. 1t has been known for some time
| that these two cities were far behind
! the others In drawing capacity The
game that Richmond played In Wash
ington netted the local club just IS.
other visitors Jared not SO well. TN
der such conditions 1t was a foregoue
conclusion that the league could ex-
pect little support in these towns in
| the future.
But Landgraf never gave UP hope.
Az a matter of fact. no had not given
TIP all hope last night. He sttll believ-s
ed that there was n Chance for the
| rtsuscitation OF the corpse, though In
| the Same breath he oGered his bail
plant for sale. Whatever may be said
II