Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-20
PRESIDENT FORD TO HAVE FINAL
ANSWER FROM oTTUMWA
AND LACROSSE.
PROSPECTS SAID TO BE
GOOD IN BOTH CITIES
Committee to Visit otturwa on March
%, and Lacrosse Following Day
Delay in Final Selection Made at
REQUEST Of Cities Interested - Pro-
motors Making Final Effort.

Final determination Of the makeup
of the Central association is promised
for next week President Ford and his
special committee to secure the eighth
city will visit Ottumwa and Lacrosse
and the franchise will be awarded to
the city first prepared TO put a team in
the field and maintain it turnout the
season.
The delay IN visiting the two cities
has been due to request from poth
Ottumwa and Lacrosse that they be
given little more time in which to
complete plans of organization.
President Ford had planned TO visit
Lacrosse on Thursday. March 90 this
date being set by the promoters IN
that city. Now request comes from
Ottumwa to postpone the intended
visit to that city to the same date.
Interest Revived in Ottumwa.
Rusty" Owens, who IS mainly re-
Sponsible for the effort Of OttumWa
fans to retain the franchise, has been
occupied with his candidacy for city
commissioner and has been unable to
give the baseball situation all the at
tention he desired. Recently he asked
President Ford to visit OttumWa on
March 90, stating that he would call
together a dozen or more responsible
men who are interested in the reten-
ton of the franchise, and hoped to
perfect an organization which would
carry on the baseball club al least for
another year.
..l- = No "a
Crosse meeting. President Ford has
askd that he be permitted to visit OF
tumwa on March %. It is probable
that this date will be accepted, and II
the Ottumwans are prepared to organ
iZe on that date they will be cOnsld-
cred as still In the league.
Lacrosse Situation Bright
Malloy, the Lacrosse promoter, de-
clares the situation to be bright in
that city, and asks that the visit there
be deferred until March 20, when he
expects to be ready to organize. Pres
ident Ford is planning to meet the
Lacrosse fans on that date and is as
sured that there is every probability
that the promoters will lie ready TO
take over the Ottumwa franchise.
should that city fail to retain its berth.
With renewed interest at Ottumwa
and Lacrosse practically certain Of
making application, the baseball out
look in the Central association is much
brighter today than it has been for
some time.
Lacrosse Now Favorite.
The hardness Of Ottumwa to claim
it's franchise rights has caused La
Crosse to become a favorite with sew
eral Of the members of the league. The
local directors are in favor of the ad-
mission Of Lacrosse and Belden Hill,
Of Cedar Rapids. has declared himself
in favor Of the Wisconsin town. Gin
ton, it Is understood, is favoring La
Crosse, and it is quite probable that
Dubuque's sympathies lie n the same
direction. Waterloo some time ago
expressed satisfaction with the La
Crosse application, but no definite
word has been received from Mason
City or Fort Dodge.
The difference in mileage, between
Ottumwa and Lacrosse, will mean lit
tie to any OF the clubs. The exact diff
ference in travelling expenses for the
season, between Ottumwa and La
Crosse, to this city ,is $6i. 1t IS be-