South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-22
DANGER OF LOSING LEAGUE
BASEBALL AT SPRINGBROOK.

BASEBALL AT SPRINGBROOK.
Appreciate as much as you may the
prospect Of South Bend having a real
charge OF Springbrook park, with race
track, county fair and coliseum at
tachments. report given out Saturday
night Of a disposition to eliminate the
baseball park. or throw about it re-
strictiOns likely TO lose us our South
ern Michigan league team naturally
arOuses a bit of resentment Baseball
is the great American sport, and the
cleanest and most popular OF all
American sports. horse racing not ex-
cepted. and TO eliminate baseball Of
the recognized league variety. is to de-
tract from Springhrook lot OF at
tention that will be NEEDED to bring to
the new amusement organization. it's
largest measure of success.
This is no brief in behalf of Ed
Smith. local baseball magnate. and
owner Of the Southern Michigan
league team OF South Bend residence.
nor Of any other baseball magnate. 1t
is merely a brief in behalf of league
baseball, and in behalf of South Bend
in particular. We know nothing of
the under-currents that may be Ope-
rating TO effect change in the lease
life Of Smiths Springbrook opera
tions. Our only point is that South
Bend as a city, and the amusement as
ISOLATION as an investment Organza-
ton, cannot afford 10 do away With
the SpringbrOok baseball park. or
render league baseball in South Bend
an impossibility. If the present site
of the park is needed for the proposed
coliseum. as asserted. all well and
good, but in that case a substitute
place should be found for baseball
games, and we are inclined to believe
that there are plenty of them in the
vicinity.
The purpose of the amusement as
ISOLATION can be nothing other than to
provide South Bend and Mishawaka
people with clean, wholesome amuse-
ment, with educational features at
times. addenda, as for instance. dur
ing the season of the county fair. 1t
is a tendency of the age. The grind
and toll of the work-a-day world, and
the growing inclination 10 relieve it in
some other way than by carOusing and
beer guzzling, calls for amusement
resorts of such character Human
nature naturally looks upward. Real
reform comes from affording man the
that are agreeable and inviting. To
say that "A man should be good, eX-
clusively by attending 10 church on
Sunday. or, through keeping out OF
mischief by work during the week, is
imposing a laggardism to which a
large number of people may decline TO
peacefully submit, and this is not
much OF an age of inquisitiOns. IL is
all right To preach idividual uplift
through personal economies. cultiva-
ton of the brain, taking a bath, and
earning twice your wages for what
YOU get. but "all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy" and nobody
knows il any better than the men
who have tried it, a little nonsense
now and then is relished by the best of
men,"
And so we say let the amusement
association proceed. 1t can be made
to supply good wholesome substi-
tutes for a multitude of sins, but 10
overlook baseball. the most popular
game in all the land, would be TO rem
der the consumation woefully incom-
plete. at least. even if not an absolute
failure. We believe that association
promoters should take this well into
account. not 10 the extent OF letting
Manager smith. of the Southern Mich
igan club. put anything over on them
through asserting disposition 20
leave If they do not give him the
earth. but TO the extent of affording
him a reasonable opportunity TO stay.
1t is not so much Smith, and his
own way. that South Bend and Mish-
awake will demand OF the amusement
association il il takes the park over.
but baseball league baseball-and
the local team winding up as well as
it did last season presents an invita-
ton for retention here that cannot
consistently be overlooked.
FARM BOOK-KEEPING.
The American farmer has tradition