The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-10-05
WORLD SERIES
HISTORY SINCE
1884 START
Providence "Grays" Were the First Win
ners, Defeating Metropolitans, but
There Is No Record of
Marked Interest.

New York, Oct. 5.No clearer or NOR
positive illustration of the extraordinar,
interest taken by the public in the an
nual worlds cha mpionship series of base
ball games can be desired than that fur
nished by a glance at the financial re
suits, a statement of which is officiall,
announced at the end of each post sea
son competition for the coveted title qnC
! flag. Through the box office its popular
| ity can easily be measured. Compared
with the meagre returns at the initia
series in 1884 the enormous crowds reg,
istered by the clicking turnstiles show
that by leaps and bounds the attendance
in recent years has assumed such ri.
gantic proportions that there is no tell
ing what it may amount to in years to
come.
The first championship games between
the Providence Grays and the Metropoli-
tans may have been only lightly attend
ed and there is nothing on record to
show what the receipts amounted to for
the three games then played, as Provi-
dence won three straight. The following
year, however, when seven games were
played in four different cities, Chicago
st. Louis, Pittsburg and Cincinnati. the
financial result was about $1,000. That
year the fight was hot one between
the Chicago Nationals and the American
association club of st. Louis, and one
can hardly imagine what would be the
yield just now if such a series were pos
sible over similar circuit
OF course in those days seats in ths
bleaehers could be had for two bits
and the best seats in the grandstand
brought the top price Of half dollar.
Even at those rates there could not have
been much enthusiasm Judging from the
results To-day, however. prices have
scared so that a single admission costs
a dollar. or rather that is the face value
Of the little cardboard and the holder of
one of these is considered lucky if il has
not cost him more than thrice that
mount.
In the early DAYS of the worlds series |
tickets were easily obtained at the reg
liar prices and no one had TO worry ,
rs to whether he would get to his favor.
te scat for one or all OF the games This I
asy method OF satisfying ones baseball I
ppetite disappeared years ago and fab
llous prices are offered for ordinary
eats in the stands, not to speak of the
immense prices demanded for the exclu.
i've coupons which entitIe the possessor
o view the games from comfortably
chair in one of the boxes,
{ which there are several rows in the
ewly built stands
From the moment that the pennant n
ach OF the major leagues appears TO he
eading for a certain club or city, the
'ould-be spectator begins TO worry as
0 how he is going to secure a vantage
oint to see one or more Of the contest
nd the fight for tickets begins For
'eeks before the end of the regular sea |
on. requests are sent for reservations Z
ut il is safe 10 say that 80 per cent OF +,
lese result in disappointments. Long {
mes form in the vicinity of the playing I
rounds the night before each battle and !
Incy prices are given to the persons
no await their turn in these files for {
Re result of their long vigil. The big I