The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-25
VOLS AGREEMENT WITH CUBS CAUSES INCREASED FAITH
 IN BUNTING RACE
Working Agreement Where by Vols Are to Get Three Players Boosts Ellam's
 Chances for Winner

Nashville, February &.-(Special.)- )-With the arrangement of working agreement with the Chicago Cubs, whereby the Vols are promised an infielder, outfielder and pitcher, and the announcement that Manager Roy Ellam would be on deck March 1, the baseball kettle in these parts has changed from a simmer to an almost discernable boil The Cub allience is re- garded by local moguls as certain to be productive of beneficial results since 1t was arranged without the necessity of blanket option, as was given the St. Louis Browns, and which cost the Vols several thousand dollars on the sale or Tom Rogers. Both the Reds and Yan- kees were eager to pay $50OO for the crack right-hander, yet under the terms Of the option with the Browns, which gave the Vols Art Kores, Ernie Herbert and the loan of Billy Lee, in addition to the ar rangement of the Paulett deaI Rogers went to the Jones camp for 5000.
 Not only was the Cub agreement matched without any such restrictions, but the three players already pledged the Vols are to be of Southern league cali bre, both clubs having agreed that no rockies were to be sent down for season. ing, unless they showed unusual prom ise.
 President Shropshire and Secretary Haury arranged the working agreement with the Cubs in Chicago last Monday. the matter having been first suggested several months ago by President Charles Weeghman.
 CONTRACTS SENT OUT
 Contracts mailed to B players more than week ago have been slow in oeins returned, yet already two violent cases of holdouts have developed. Art Kores contracted one with g. demand for a salary out of all reason and threat to spend his remaining days In Mil- waukee woolen mill unless his demands were met. Ernie Herbert, the other hold out, who threatened to retire last fall, balks over a trifling sum. after having his 1916 "war time'' contract split ex- actfy in half.
 The Vols have made energetic efforts to dispose of Herbert. but no takers have appeared so far for the cratic right handler.
 If Kores is fixed in his determination to refuse to report to the Vols unless his unreasonable demands are met, the Vols may ask the Cubs for 8 third baseman
  Another prospective move is the sale of Kores to St. Louis and the outright pur- chase of a third baseman.
 ONLY THREE ARE SIGNED Out of the 13 contracts sent out but three have returned with signatures. One came from Vorrett, a pitcher with Tal- ladega last season, who was recoln- mended by Tige Garrett, manager of the Anniston club. Garrett tipped the Vols off to Jack Farmer and since that time his judgment has been accepted. Other Vols who have signed are Gabby Street and Dick Kaufman.
 One encouraging development Of the past week was the arrangement With Louisville to use Wiley Taylor, tho pitcher who retired from baseball last spring with an injured back after failing to secure relief from number of doctors tried at the clubs expense in an effort to get him in shape. Taylor writes that he pitched several games around his home l in Kansas last fall. and that his back gave him no trouble. When suspended Taylor 1 was ordered by Louisville to report to . | Texas league club, which he declined to
 do. The Colonels cleared up his base | ball status and informed the Vols that he would be sent to Roy Ellam again under an optional arrangement.