The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-09
Big FEDERAL LEAGUE
CONCLAYE PLANNED?
Ward Says No. but Barrow Has
Reports From Several Men
About Meeting Here.
WOULD SHIFT TO TORONTO
Kansas City Backers Said to Be
Crying Quits. With High
Hopes Being Wrecked.

While the Ward brothers disclainn all
knowledge OF such motives on the part OF
President James a. Gilmore OF the Fed
eral League II has been learned that the
promoter OF the Independent league will
take occasion of Mondays opening at
Washington Park. Brooklyn. TO assemble
his hcnchmen in war council. Walker and
! Weeghman. the hackers of the Chicago
FEDS, will accompany Gilmore to this
| city Monday morning. Ned Hanlon and
/ Charlie Goldman. who foated the enter
prise In Baltimore. will be on hand with
large party of friends. Otto Stifel OF
st. Louis and President Madison of Kan
sas city also are expected.
! President I'D Barrow of the Interna-
tional League. who returned yesterday
from a swing around the northern end OF
/ his circuit. says that the contemplate ted
conference of the Federal promoters has
been prompted by motives of entrench-
ment. According to Barrow agents OF the
| independent cause have been in Toronto
/ for more than n week trying to interest
Canadian capital to place team there.
Il do not care how strongly the Fed
eral League denies it," said Barrow. Il
have 1t straight from my friends in
Toronto. men / have known for years
and whose entire confidence l enjoy.
| These reliable informants have been APP
I
found IL necessary to come square In "A
lot of matters in order to command in
terest.
Now. you can take IL from me that tho
hackers OF the Kansas City club are
ready to throw up their hands. The idea
anyhow liz to transfer that franchise TO
! Toronto, II possible. Toronto was not
selected until every effort had been
made to interest hnanc.ers OF Detroit
The Federal League tried for more than
three weeks to secure Detroit backing.
but finally gave UP when 1t was found
that no available ground could hope to
vie in popularity with the centrally To-
Gated Navin Field.
/ This l know. Parties who have repre-
scented themselves as Federal League
agents are making an effort now TO rent
Scarborough Beach at Toronto. Scar
borough Beach is an old amusement park
about eight miles from the business sec
ton Of the hustling city. Needless to say
jim McCaffery and Joe Kelley will throw
no obstacle in the way of such move.
II the Federal League can do any busi-
ness AT Scarborough Beach II is welcome
TO the medal.
$50 near as I can figure out the Fede; al
League is going TO find white elephant
on its hands in Buffalo before many
weeks. The promoters there have the
people very enthusiastic just now in an
ticipation of major Ieague baseball. But
! will bet the record crowd VIII be that
of opening day
II went to the Federal League grounds
in Buffalo to satisfy myself and I'll bet the
most enthusiastic fan will not go often II
he dislikes Inconvenience as much as l.
To begin with the grounds are inaccessible.
II means a twelve minute brisk walk from
the nearest car line. The park is built in
a mud hole and the contractors who put
up the stands took their model. I guess,
from some racetrack. Modern constrtic-
ton has been totally disrcgarded The
fashion of twenty years ago prevails. In
stead of having the boxes and front seats
low 10 the ground and the structure
banked up gradually as in all up to date
parks the front grand stand seats are set
, up on wall about seven feet high and
J then pitched back AT a much sleeper
} angle"
President Robert r. Ward Of the Tip
Tops declared yesterday that he knew
: absolutely nothing OF any contemplated
I Federal League meeting here Monday
IAN this talk OF a contemplated switch
in our circuit is absolute bosh." said he
1T is the idle twttering of organized
! baseball. chagrlned by the success that has
attended our efforts SO far. Let organized
baseball come out to Washington Park
: Monday afternoon II 1t wishes to learn our
attitude toward the new cause. have
said before We are in to stick and that
: goes for all the promoters. I do not be.
leve tina, Mr.. Madison and his associates
would sell the Kansas City franchise to.
; day even for profit OF 81 900"
In the meantime reports from the Yves,
leave the situation OF the fight still a trlfs
murky. Rain has interfered as much
with the Federals as with the American
Association and the major leagues. Their,
, is no denying the fact that all partie.
concerned have lost heavily to date.
President Tom Chivington OF the Ameri
l can Association frankly admits that hi,
= league cannot stand conflicts. He say.
$ that the attendances of both leagues IL
: Kansas City combined have not eauallet
e a normal year In that city when the as
4 sociation had the field to itself Cleve.
r land. too. has been big disappointment
n to Chivington. Sheckard's team has beer
Y on the road so far. but has not draw
4 so well on foreign fields as was expected
The life of minor league club in
e major league city always has been haa
ardous. What an American Association
q club will do in Cleveland remains to b,
seen. But Chivington figures that tn.
very poor showing OF the Cleveland Amer
leans is not going to benefit his cause an,
o in the hearts OF the disgruntled fans.
0 Organized and Independent ball ar,
y united in one opinion--that is that Charles
/ l.. Taft made a great mistake when h.
0 refused $4,000 for his Cub holdings
! offered by the Connery syndicate. Th'
" National League ~ playing almost I,
y empty stands in the Windy city. TIL,
0 public there still believes that Murph,
0 has an interest in the club and probabl,
0 never will be disillusoned until the pres
y ent president sells. The Cubs have gon,
y from bad to worse and Mr.. Taft win hav,
4 "A hard time now dsposing of his INTEREST,"
II without heavy losses.
Yesterdays rain interfered serIousl.
9 with the work of putting the finishing
. touches on Washington Park. 1t il doubt
l. full now whether the contractors will b
:. able to finish the roof, which Is abou
! three-Quarters completed.
i; The stand is In such shape as to ac
i commOdate a capacity crowd and rail-
n now cannot make II otherwise. hut rail-
!. can be mighty provoking to the spec,
y and comfort of the players. The field |