South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-22
STEIFEL'S 100000
CHECK A GODSEND
TO FEDERAL LEAGUE
Weeghman Thought Other Mag
mates Tight" Till st. Louis
Man Game ACroSS"-They
Didn't Know How.
BY BILL BAILEY.


CHICAGO. Jan. 32.-lr was OTTO
Steifel ~ Louis magnate. and his
check for 100000 that saved the
Federal league on Saturday and you
can wager the family plate on that
Magr llas in organized baseball and
those III ,ne Federal league may teI
YOU that the future OF the third !e1-u.
depended upon whether organize
baseball or the Federals secured the
26-foot of ground on the north Side
lot.
Forget it. That wasn't the big
point il wasn't "a question OF Wncth-
or the Chicago club had grounds on
not that threatened the future OF the
league when Charles Weeghman de-
manded a show down. IL was ques-
ton OF dollars and cents.
And Ii might be mentioned that I'll,
ball players who are being signed now
are atfiNing their signatures because
Steifel not only displayed that $780,
OO0 check ia the Saturday meetin-.
but because ne placed il IN the hands
Of the Chicago magnate. This story
comes from the inside
Here is what happened. When
Weeghman and William Walker. his
partner in the Chicago club. went in
OF that meeting ne was dissatisfied.
He was OF the opinion that he WAS
about the only fellow who had made
good. Every man in the organiza-
ton had agreed 10 get at least i've
major league players for his team.
Weeghman and Tinker had theirs
But some OF the other fellows didu &
have. That naturally made 1.o hit
with the Chicago owner. So he arose
and delivered himself OF an ultima
tum.
He remarked that bail players We're
easy to secure and that if any team
didn't have the required number that
il was because the owners thereon
didn't care to exert themselves or
course there was one other reason.
The Chicago maeGate minated THAI
the other reason was because The
magnates did not care 10 cut the Ce
strings OF the money bag.
Didn't Know How.
This speech was resented. some ~
the magnates arose and said that they
We're quite willing ID unIooseu buL
that they didn't know how % 20
about it. This occasioned "a great
guffaw on the part OF the Chicago
crowd Weeghman, walker. Tinker
and others said that signing bis
league ball players was the easiest
thing in the world providing that the
! owners were willing TO put up the
! money.
/ Weoghman followed 10y saying that
! he had gone into this thing heart and
soul and that ne had a lot of money
! tied mp. Also that he had his private
! opinion OF any fellow who didn't have
| a bunch OF stars Also that his opin-
/ ion was that the fellow who said he
\ was willing TO pay but didn't have tho
stars was "fourfushing."
Which aroused the ire OF the S.
/ Louis magnate. Also the ire OF One
| other Whereupon Steifel arose and
/ remarked that he was quite willing 20
place in the hands of the ChicaeO
| magnate a check for 100000 said
money was TO be used in signing bail
players of the major league Calibrr.
And said players were 20 be turned
/ over 10 the 81. Louis club first and
! after team was recruited for 5haC
territory five additional big league
fellows We're 20 be distributed amonE
/ ne other clubs OF the league.
The fellow who told this story was
I uncertain who the second magnate TO
force check upon the Chicago own
. er was. but IL was accepted. Which
/ means that with more than S1OO. 600
in their possession. Weeghman and
Tinker started out 10 get bali players.
And YOU can WAGER the family plate
I that with that amount OF money TO
/ their credi they found them too.
The depOsiting of the check served
to convince the Chicago men that the
} ether fellows We're sincere.
Everything Lovely,
The latter argued that they were
! willing but ignorant OF the best way
To proceed. The check for S1O0. 900
| was convincing evidence, however.
I and after this check was written and
Turned over 10 the Chicago magnates
the latter recovered their enthusiasm
and everything was lovely.
This is the story or the trouble as
I told 10y one who was there and Iv
that is meant a fellow who sat in the
inner circle among the magnates
additional SPORT on PAGE 81