The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-09

granted that the citizens do not
Their effort will be made to bring
This was the substance of a state
ment given out by Dickerson this
morning. At his headquarters at the
Throop hotel he w. L. preXy will be
glad to talk over the situation with
any one who is interested in his propo-
stion and while he is in the city
will do everything he can TO arouse
interest. Spencer Arthur Abbott, VINO
is very anxious to see Topeka get BACK
into the league and who would be glad
to undertake the running of team,
has undertaken to canvass the city
10 see if the required $50 pledges can
nor be procured. He is to report 10
Dickerscn late this afternoon ana II
the report warrants it D1ckerson VIII
remain here and conduct ticket sell
look for another place to put the club.
Abbott reported this morning that
ont of Is men he had called upon, IL
agreed to buy books and he says that
if this record is kept up thruout the
afternoon Dickerson will remain mere
and the drive will be continued
whether or not the figure set is
reached A. d. Birch, of Jones &
Birch was the first man to buy
ticket and Jim Hayes. the florist,
creed to take. the second Abbott
also stated that he has arranged for
conference between President D1cker-
son and Governor Capper TINS after-
noon and it is expected that the gov
ernor will lend his support 10 Tie
campaign
GET Line on Sentiment.
ut certainly seems like city the
size of Topeka should nave little
trouble finding $50 persons Wiling 70
nav $40 apiece for seventy games OF
baseball" Dickerson said. "Hutchln-
sor- a town much smaller than 10
peka, has practically agreed to 40 TINS
and | am certain Topeka can ana VIII
do it if she wants a team. If she does
not do it, however, we VIII nave 10
take the refusal as an INDICATION d
team is not desired, and, or course,
will push the matter no further at
the present time" :
Practically every fan WINS mas eA-
Dressed himself has said that Dicker-
sons proposition is fair one Ger
tainIy if baseball lovers will not puy
tickets at a bargain price TO get
club here they could not De eHpecteu
to support q club that came IN on
pot luck basis. The holders o. tha3r
thirty-doIlar books would get their
tickets cheaper than they could puy
them one at time and any one VINO
houobt the tickets and could not use
all of them could transfer as many aS
he could not personally enJoS-
Give Club Working Fund.
-Aro+her argument the w. l.. presl-
.5o47+ has mt up in favor of the ad-
vance ticket selling campaign Is thal
~ I'LL insure the baseball patrons d
team as Wen as as9ul ts
tbe club operator sufficient 1lnanGes
to face all future contlngehcaeos, 80
sa1a of $50 ticket books at $3o apiece
x%o1IId give the club $1O,5OO TO start
GENERATIONS on and this Woulo prdCt,-
calty be enough money 10 llue me 49,
over the most adverse condltlohs Ilae
could he brought about the salary
1iyoit Of the leg que is going to be un-
dor 40 500 a month this season, 1t is
and if this is lived up TO
$4,000 would almost pay expenses
Another big advantage the league
would have in taking IN Iopekd nnu
dropping Denver, would be that ABOUT
II per cent of the operating expenses
would be eliminated by the dong
away with the big railroad Iares re
CURED to take clubs to the mile fish
city and return For the last lew
Years Denver has been one of the
poorest drawing towns in the league
and every club has lost money prac-
ticaIlv every time it has made trip to
the McGiH manor. In the past II mas
cost something like $54 to send one
nlayer from Topeka to Denver and
bring him back, and expenses like this
have been a drain on the FINANCES OF
the league that have caused more
disaster than extravaganza in tght-
ing to get more expensive clubs.
May Be Last Chance.
One argument Mr.. Dickerson makes
in urging Topeka to-take advantage of
this opportunity is that there may
never be another chance to get fran
chise without having to pay money Tor
it. While Topeka is so located that 1t
will always be desirable from geo.
graphic standpoint, it is the opinion or
baseball men that after the war, when
conditions become normal again there
will be a scramble for franchises in
the leagues that have proved their
soundness by weathering the hard
time storms and that the towns with
out baseball, situated as Topeka viii
be, may go hungry for h taste of the
national pastime a long time before
they are able to get it.
II looks very much as tho a great
deal depends upon Topeka, and that
If she does not go into the league at
the present time there will have to be
a Encouragement of territories and
that the league will probably "a east,
taking in Peoria and one or two other
towns closer to Peoria than Hutchin-
son and Wichita. 1t is not likely that
can remain in the league
without Topeka, but@if this city would
support a club baseball men believe
the saving in mileage might make it
possible for the Salt City to keep q
team.
Topekans who are interested in
assisting Dickerson and Abbott in