Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-18


Weeghman Reticent.
While Weeghman could not say for
sure that the offer came from any agent
Of organized base ball, it seemed that
such was the case, and the idea of the
ma ors was to give the Chicago masnate
:, chance to buy into the major leagues
and thus take the handspring away
from the machinery of the Federal
League The meeting of the Federal
League was called for the purpose OF
satisfying Weeshman that at least six
other clubs could show proper backing
and enough ball PLAYERS of major league
caliber to make the Federal League
stand up. At o'clock in the afternoon
il was said that five clubs had proved
satisfactory, and ii was quite apparent
that there was some trouble in the
ranks. Weeghman at that time was in
fused state of mind, was President
Gilmore, who came out and gave
meaningless statement to the press as if
stallinc for time.
Federal League stock at that hour
wasn't ia demand by its friends, who
stood by. The niasuates went into Ses
sioi, again and the doors were tightly
closed for three hours. Then there was
= nricf intcrmisson for u bite to eat. and
ap"ther conference that lasted until .
oriutS. when President Gilmore flung
open thu doors of the assembly room and
appeared smiling. with about fifteen mag
mates behind him, every man in excellent
spirits.
Charles Weeghman was the man sought
ty the anxious ones the outside, and
when he was asked by a dozen voices if
NJ was satisfied his answer was:
am for the Federal League. hook,
ine and 1sInker-
Facts Are Withheld
But WeesIman didn't want to talk. He
excused himself saying he hadn't had any
olnHer and avoided questions to the
point. He declared emphatically that he
wouldn't have the old s.. Louis Browns,
and that all the base ball energy he pos
sessed would be devoted to the Chica go
club Of the Federal League. IIe wished
mat il might not DE known that some
unknown person had approached him
with the chance to buy the st. Louis
club of the American League, for it
might be that the person was only some
nut
President Gilmore also was reticent
about talking of the vital things of
The new league. but spent some time
IN displaying blue print of new
electric scoreboaTd which might be
adopted by the new organization. He
pronounced the meeting the best
The Federal League ever held. None of
the maSnates would give the name of
single MAJOR league player who has
outside those previous
~ announced.
While the Federal League craft was
l.asalle. the big leaauers We're holding
a chuckling meeting down in the private
office of Ban Johnson, president of the
american League. Seated with Mr..
dent Of the Cincinnati club. and Charles
Ebbets, president of the Brooklyn club
of the National League, and President
Hedges Of the St Louis club and Presi-
dent Navin of the Detroit club of the
American League.
They had assembled there early in the
day, bat met again at niShtfal and had
big league repast served on the office
table of the American League head. y
visitor called upon them soon after I
o'clock while the feast was at its
height. He found them jovially cele-
brating the downfall of the outlaws.
the season" said President Johnson
They cannot get leases on their
grounds"
But why are these representatives
Of the major leagues here?" asked the
caller.
just Happened to Be There.
Mr. Hermann. who Is chairman OF tbs
national commission, declared he hat
come 70 Chicago to sign papers alonl
with Johnson. also a member of the com.