The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-13
WILLIAMS vS CLIFFORD TONIGHT RIBBONS PLAY PATERSON TOMORROW NIGHT
GARDNER SEEKING l
 BUY CARDINALS|
St. Louis Man in New York to Negotiate With Pres
 ent Holders of Team.

New York, Jan. 1S-Russell Gard ne- of St. Louis, who has been in terested in minor league baseball for the past ten years as owner of the Memphis club of the Southern As sociauon, may purchase the com n1unity owned St. Louis Cardinals during the big baseball pow-wow here next week. Mir. Gardner is now in this city and said last night:
 Yes, I am considering a proposi- 1 ton to buy the Cardinals and will be in th.s city during the baseball con- ference next week. l understand that the present owners would be willing to sell the franchise and if Q satisfactory financial adjustment i can be arranged, I would be willing to take over the property"
 MT. Gardner is a manufacturer and in the days before the automobile, was what may be called the Henry Ford of the carriage business. He is the brother of the present gover- nor of Missouri.
 Branch Hickey. President of the St. Louis club, is now in this city and ] it is expected that James C. Jones | of St. Louis, one of the leading stock | holders, will also be here for the meeting, It is expected that these i three will get together and it would not be surprising if the news of the sale was announced during the con- 1 ing week,
 l No intimation up to this time has been made that a change III Ine club ownership had been contemplated, although it was known at the end
 of the season that the organization faced a deficit. This was not sur pr1sing, however because nearly all the major league clubs had a bad
 season on account of the war con- ditiOns. It is understood that sev-
 eral weeks ago the present ownership met all their obligations with the for
 mer owner. Mrs. Helen Brltton. whc took over the club when her uncle Stanley Robinson, died in 1911. Mrs
 Britton was the only woman club
 owner who ever sat in the National
 League meetings.
 A few years ago Mrs. Britton sold | the club to a syndicate, which has op- erated the club since that time. The attempt to conduct the club on the community basis has not been a great success, and the numerous stockhold- CTS are anxious to get rid of their holdings. One of the innovations started by the new ownership was the so-caHed 'knothole gang" Passes were given to schooAboys who stood
 well in their classes, and at every game these lads were given seats in the bleachers.
 Jack Hendricks, who has been man ager of the Indianapolis club of the
 American Association for sevedal years, was appointed manager of the | club last season. Hes igned a two years contract and it was announced 8 while ago that the club wanted to drop him and appointed Branch Hickey to lead the club.
 Hendricks went to France as a Knights of Columbus secretary and returned only recently, He has inti-
 mated that he would expect the St Louis club to honor the contract which it made with him when he took charge of the club last year. Hen- drtcks claims that his failure last sea
 son was caused by the war condi- tior5 There was also a wide breach
 between Rogers Hornsby, the clubs
 star player. and the new manager and it is stated that they were al
 odds during the greater part of the season.