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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (May 5, 1910)
. If ' L - - - , , \ . . S - - _ t 1 vI . o . fN + h . 4 _ 4. w l . . . w . . . _ , I . _ 1 - ' tN ) . . . Matwr , . . . . .U. . . . . . . . . - . . - - - _ u _ _ - . " ) . , - HE great game of baseball , during its six months' sea- son , holds full sway as the national sport of America and exacts its tribute from the millions. It is esti- mated that 200,000 people saw the opening games in the National and American Leagues this year , and the prospects for a successful season were never brighter. Every year sees a greater attendance at the games and greater profits from presentation of the efforts of skillful players. Last year , for instance , the attendance at the games of the two major leagues were 7,978,108 , while that at the games of the minor leagues has been put roughly at more than 25,000,000. This meant receipts estimated at $5,983,581 } by the 16 > teams of the two big leagues and of $8,750,000 by teams of the minor L leagues , or a total of $14,733,581 for organized baseball in one year. The games ' were played in 267 cities. I The number of paid admissions to see the games of the two major leagues from 1901 to 1909 , inclusive , was 50,134,235 , or well over half 'the . estimated population of the United States. So strong is the hold of the r -igame on the American public that it has become a great business , in which men strive for franchises and give bonuses of thousands of dollars for star . players. It is so profitable an enterprise that men are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for the provision of comfortable and safe : accommodations for the entertainment of the great armies of spectators -who daily , in the season , throng through the gates of their fields. $12,000,000 Invested in Ball : Parks. r The fields or parks in the different cities where the major league games . are played have been valued at $3,000,000 for each of the leagues , or $6,000- . 000 for the two. This is probably an underestimate , for the ground value . of the home of the Yankees , at 168th street and Broadway , New York , alone &as recently been placed at $1,700,000. The valuation of the Polo Grounds , . the home of the Giants , is probably ; in excess of $525,000. The owners of this famous ground have received more than $400,000 in rentals since 1890. .33hibe Park , the home of the Philadelphia American League team , represents .an investment of $750,000 to be carried by the profits of baseball , while Forbes Field , in Pittsburg , the home of the Pirates , is valued at $900,000. In addition , the value of the grounds used , by the minor leagues has been iplaced : at $6,000,000. This makes a total investment to be carried in the . tnarne : : of professional baseball of approximately $12,000,000. The buildings in new parks are of fireproof construction and provided -with club-rooms , with baths for the players and elevators for the ease of . . - the spectators. Parlors with maids have been included for the benefit of the women patrons of the sport. Systems of drainage have been laid in the grounds , so that a shower need not make them "unplayable. " Pirates' Million-Dollar Field. Forbes Field , in Pittsburg , is an illustration of the length to which . .baseball investment will go. The inclosure , which is so roomy and free from flaws that there are no ground rules , has been styled the mlllion- , dollar baseball park. The ground is valued at $500,000 and the fireproof : stands , of concrete and steel construction , cost $400,000 in addition , making & : . total cost , as mentioned above , of $900,000. Even the bleachers are con- ! -crete , with metal seat supports. The field will accommodate more than 20,000 persons seated , and eventually will have provision for 50,000 spec- : tators. There are private rooms with baths for star players and a fully -equipped laundry for washing the suits between the games. Philadelphia has two great modern baseball parks , the one erected by \ the National League three years : ago , and Shibe Park , opened last year by -the American League team , and second in luxury and beauty of equipment f _ only to Forbes Field. Shibe Park represents an investment of $750,000 , and its structures are absolutely fireproof. It will seat about 23,000 persons and accommodate probably 40,000 persons all told. The field is probably the largest in the world. A feature is a mammoth telegraph board , on which are displayed all the league games and other information of interest , to those who follow baseball. Patterned After Roman Coliseum. The Chicago American League team , the White Sox- , have a new home , representing an investment of $500,000. Those "fans" who are acquainted with the history and architecture of ancient Rome will be reminded of the city sitting on the seven hills when they approach the entrance to the arena upon which the sport of a modern republic is presented to the gaze of the populace. The facade is patterned after the Roman Coliseum. The seat- ing capacity is 32,000 persons. There are elevators for their use. The Chicago National League team has a remodeled home , costing $600,000 and built of granite , steel and concrete. The St. Louis American League team also has new quarters of concrete and iron , opened a year ago. . What has been described as one of the "most complete" baseball struc- tures in the world is the home of the Cleveland American League tea 1. It will seat about 20,000 persons and accommodate .10,000 more on a pinch. The manager of the Giants does not intend to be obliged to turn away , 150,000 "fans , " as he is said to have been obliged to do two years ago because of lack of accommodations. The stands have been increased in size and will now seat 37,000 persons. There will be standing space for 3,000 more. The improvements cost approximately $150,000. Next year the Washington and Detroit American League teams will probably ; have remod eled homes. Both have purchased property for this purpose. Other clubs also are thinking of making improvements in their quarters. Princely Salaries of Diamond Stars. The cost of baseball is tremendous. The salary list of the players in the major and minor leagues has been affirmed recently by an authority to be $5,000,000 a year. This sum , doubtless , is exceeded , for there are some officials and players who receive salaries that seem regal for such a demo cratic game. Byron Bancroft Johnson , styled Ban Johnson for short , was recently re-elected president , secretary and treasurer of the National Amer- ican League with a salary of $25,000 a year to continue for 20 years. Math- ewson , the crack pitcher of the New York Giants , has a contract for $10,000 a year , but it is believed that he receives nearer" $15,000. John P. Wagner , familiarly known as Hans , or Honus , is supposed to receive $10,000 for his six months' work as a shortstop on the Pittsburg National League team , while Lajoie , the second baseman on the Cleveland American League team , is a sufficiently able player to command for six months' services as much as a United States Senator receives from the United States treasury for his part in deciding the destinies of the great republic. Railroad fares and hotel expenses also form a staggering item in the cost of baseball. It certainly costs more than half a million dollars a year for car fare for the major and minor leagues , and the hotel expenses of 7,360 players spending , perhaps , one-half of their time away from home , can hardly be less than $1,250,000 for an entire season. Add to this $25,000 for expressage , cab fares , trips to and from hotels and fields , tips and inci- dentals. The cost of shoes , masks , uniforms , gloves , bats and balls , all of ' the best material , is figured out at $356,000 , over $100,000 alone being an- nually paid out for shoes. Finally , to total everything , a game that involves a capital of more than $12,000,000 , an annual expenditure of more than $8,000,000 and an an- nual income of $14,733,581 is surely a profitable business proposition and a game that is worthy of the patronage of all sport-loving Americans. . . . ' ' . f / s 'Q dr t { y , S & ii7 1k ' /f\ Y' ! r + ' , . - z . . L- - -i---r - - ) -1-- : irtJr1,4 . 0 . 0 . ' , , , , , , . 0 0 0 0 - ' Y'A ; : ; _ i i _ HERE THEY ARE - ALL THE OLD GUARD , --I . Aa lMAN WITH ONE ACRf 1 "Way to > Independence Pointed Out I to a Head of Family Who Has a Job. / \ I DOESN'T ) NEED ANY EXPERIENCE j " "Intensive Farming Side Line That Will Keep the Wolf from the City Toiler's Door. . . . . . - - . . . The most independent man in the "world is the man with just one acre. It * sn't too much and it isn't too little. A " rjaaan. can get out of an acre all the veg- etables that he and his family can pos- sibly eat for the entire year ; and he -can also raise a good deal to sell. With . , an acre a man can have a comfortable ! Thome and plenty of space for grass and flowers , and he can grow fruit. I know -call this from personal experience , Har- 1 37 Sprackland says in the Saturday Evening : Post. My family consists of a "V7ife and six children. My place is just an acre ; my home has nine rooms. I have got good returns and I started . in without any real experience as a gardener or farmer. As to grass and flowers , I thought , from the first that we ought not to -crowd them out , for they make the "iiome so much more attractive ; and though , in a narrow sense , they may "Beem to take up space that might be - tised for money making , there is a ben- . efit from the beauty of such things 'that's worth .more than money. Three-quarters of my acre is given -up to vegetables. Half an acre , includ- ing the house space , would be enough ' .l it all I wanted was to grow things for -ourselves ; but I want a chance to sell things as well. It's a mighty good -thing to have something on the side as -a help in good times and to fall back .on in , bad times. I feel that a.man can . 1 \ - - - - - - - - - - - - . ' = . . ) rn ] ] [ m ( ) U [ I N Y ) Jr ( lr A flrJllrj [ { ( The eyes of the country are rest- ing on Milwaukee , the first great American municipality to elect a So- cialist mayor and an administration favorable to his views. Of course , the principles , of , Socialism-State owner- ship and control-cannot be put into effect in Milwaukee , a correspondent asserts , but the mayor-elect and his supporters expect to institute a great number of reforms along Socialistic lines , and both in and out of the city the experiments will be followed with keen interest. One thing which friend and foe alike must recognize is that the So cialist victory is no accident , the same correspondent asserts , but is the out- growth of steady growth and the re- sult of a constant propaganda. For a dozen or more years the Socialists have been active in Milwaukee and have won some minor victories. In 1898 the Socialist vote was 2,414 , and : four years later was over 8,000. In 1904 the Socialists polled 15,000 , in 1908 , 20,000 , and the present year 27- 622. Thus slowly and by degrees the Socialists have been growing in 'strength. A prominent factor in the Socialist victory was the fact that the party had representatives in the State Legislature , and that the work done by these legislators in the interest of organized labor had won the , confi- dence of the unions. Union men who had no enthusiasm for Socialism had - get such a big success , and can do it so easily , that I want to tell about it. I aimed , first , at growing all the veg : etables that my family could eat. I think that ought to be a man's first ef- fort , before he thinks of growing things to sell. Fill your own table and cel- lar first , and then on your surplus land you can raise things to sell. There are several benefits in having a small piece of land. The money in vested is much less ; and then , too , the land itself can be worked : to far better advantage for you can give it much / . : ! ! e : . : e . . 4 I Emil ] eic le 1 0' ' more personal attention and do so with much less expenditure of time. And you can fertilize it richly for mucU ! less cost than you can a large piece. We hnd practically all the vegeta- bles : tomatoes , potatoes , beans , peas , cabbages , beets , turnips. And besides these I gave attention to a few things with which I could get special results. That's the way to do. Grow everything for your family , and , besides , specialize with a few things for the market. When one can do this sort of thing II I doesn't it seem as if everybody ought I I I - - - - . _ - - --1Il _ /IiII observed that the Socialist legislators worked for their interests , and the re- sult was a tendency on the part of organized labor to support Seidel in preference to either of the old par- ties. ties.Until Until the close of Mayor Seidel's term he will be one of the most inter- esting figures in public life. He is a business man of good standing , is sec- retary and treasurer of the Milwaukee Pattern Manufacturing Company and since 1908 has been alderman-at-large. He is a little man , not much over five feet in height , and is slight of build. He has a high forehead , a big nose , and a strong , firm mouth. His eyes , wihich are blue , are keen and snappy. They suggest his manner , which is nervous and active. A mop of light yellow hair is tossed over his head. His brows are slightly bent , the reason for which may be suggested in the fact that he wears glasses. 'He is a native of Pennsylvania and has been a resident Wisconsin since babyhood. At the age of 13 he learned the trade of furniture carving. His recreation , even at that age , was the study of astronomy , and his evenings were passed at tne public library. His father , a railroad bridge builder , sent him to Germany for his health in 1886 , where he remained abroad for six years. When he returned in 1892 he joined the Social-Democratic party , in which he has ever since been ac- tive. to have his acre , or at least his half acre ? And it seems to me that no greater good could be done by rich men who want to help mankind than to buy up land not too far from the I cities , at acre prices , and encourage men to take it from them in small lots I at acre prices and let them begin a life of health and independence. I think there is nothing that can give a man such pride as owning his own place , "and I am sure that no million- t aire is prouder of his big estate than 1 I am of my little acre. 1 I , ti . . . . . . . SOM [ fOlllfS I Of Ttlf LAW r IN CRiMINAL PROCfDURf HAT the criminal procedure of courts in the United States is sadly defective , that sweeping reforms are needed to prevent T the growth of lynching outbreaks , and that this country may - J well learn of older nations how to administer justice In crIm- inal cases , are some of the things pointed out by Charles B. Brewer in'McClure's Magazine. Beginning with the statement , " - that only one life is required for about one hundred lives taken in the United States , the writer gives detailed figures for some large cities. In Chicago , for example , he says there were in the fiscal year 1908 165 homicides and only one legal execution. In St. Louis for the same year there were ninety-two homicides and only one legal execution occurred. Discussing what he calls "a smug complacency to place the responsibility for present conditions on the foreigner/ ' Mr. Brewer admits that "there is more crime , proportionately , among those of foreign birth in the United. States than among our native-born , " but says it is "scarcely enough , how- ever , to cause ' congratulation for our own righteousness. " A number of cases in which justice was diverted for trivial reasons are cited by Mr. Brewer , of which the following are examples : "Because the indictment charged that the crime had been committed on a 'public road , ' and the evidence showed that , though constantly : used as such , the road had never been dedicated to the State. 'Because the indictment named a specific though a correct date , instead of saying 'on or about' a certain date. "Because the indictment for murder charged that the deed had been committed 'unlawfully and with malice instead of 'malice aforethought. ' Justice Brown of the United States Supreme Court ( retired ) is quoted as saying to Mr. Brewer that the" choosing of a jury ; should never consume more than one or two hours , and as saying further : "A court in conservative old England will dispose of a dozen jury cases in the time that would be required here for dispatching one. The cause Is not far to seek. It lies' in the close confinement of the counsel to the ques- tions at issue , and the prompt interposition of the court to prevent delay. The trials are conducted by men trained for that special purpose , whose in ; terest is to expedite and not prolong them. No time is wasted in immaterial matters. Objections to testimony are discouraged , rarely argued , and almost never made the subject of exception. The testimony is confined to the exact point at issue. Mere oratory is at a discount. New trials are rarely granted. A criminal trial is especially a serious business , since in the case of a ver- dict of guilty it is all up with the defendant , and nothing can save him from punishment but the pardoning power of the Home Secretary. The result is that defendants rarely escape punishment for their crimes , and homicides are infrequent. - OLD INDIAN fIGHTER TO THE RETIRED LIST L Brigadier General Howe , a Survivor of the Modoc Campaign , Soon , ' to End Service. ; f WITH ARTILLERY 46 YEARS. , Soldier Took Active Part in the Fight Against Captain Jack and His Braves. : Brigadier General Walter Howe , United States army , who recently was in command of the department of the East in the temporary absence of Ma jor General Leonard Wood , has served in the artillery forces for forty-six years. General Howe is soon to re- tire from the service under the age limit ! law. He is one of the few sur- vivors of the officers of the United States army who took part in the cam- paign years ago against Captain Jade : and his fellow braves of the Modoc tribe in the far Northwest. It was during the campaign against , t Je ! Mpdocs that artillery was used by I the white soldiers as a weapon Cf r Offense against Indians who had taken thtf warpath. At that time General Howe wa . : ; a second lieutenant serving with a lighf battery ! of the -Fourth Artillery. Captain" Jack and Scar- Faced Charlie , Modoc chiefs , and the'ltf following resented the attempt which was made to get them to leave land on which their tribe had dwelt for years. Peace commissioners were sent to treat with the Indians , one of the members of the commission being Gen- eral Canbjv Captain 'Jack asked : for a parley with the commission and the request was granted. As soon as Gen eral Canby and his fellow commission members met the Indians Jack and hi , ; following opened fire and killed every member of the peace party. The Modocs then took to the lava beds of the Northwest and it was found to be impossible to dislodge them by means I' : 0 , s YY . w . , , : , ' . , , . . . . I ' ' : : : : ; , : : . < § s' . . . . . w' kW C ; L ft111 ' : t : : - - , . BRIGADIER GENERAL HOWE. of direct assault. The . troops engaged < against the Indians at the first were ] cavalry men , and all their operations : had to , be conducted dismounted. A battery of the Fourth Artillery , to which Lieutenant Howe was attached , was sent to the front and the shelling ] of the Indians' position was begun. It took a long time to dislodge them , for i the lava beds were full of caves which 1 made excellent bomb-proofs. Finally , however , starvation did what shells , could not do and the Modocs surrend- ered. Captain Jack , Scar-Faved Char- lie , Jim and one or tWO other Mouocs were hanged for the murder of the peace commissioners. Brigadier General Howe entered tha United States Military Academy as a cadet during the Civil War. It was only a few years after he was grad- uated that the light battery towhich he was attached was sent to the plains country and thence to Oregon. After the Modoc war was over it be- came the practice to attach light bat- . teries to expeditionary forces in the field against the Indians , and Lieuten- ant Howe served in the Sioux cam paign of 1876 , a campaign which saw the wiping out of General Custer and three squadrons of the Seventh Cav- alry , the temporary triumph of Sitting Bull and then the final rounding up of : several thousands of Sioux warriors who had taken to the warpath because of the invasion of their country by the whites. In the army General Howe is known as one of the most proficient students in the artillery branch of the service. He was graduated from tne artillery school in 1873 and has served with both the field a'nd the sea coast branches of the service. J.oLr' --r' , ; BATTLE : FOR GIRL' ' . - - - . ' w C . ' c t .q r 4 1 r q U' " _ c'- _ _ _ Anton Stromme , aged 28 ; Joseph Kalpasch , aged 27 , and Michael Wietrzick , aged 29 , were taken to the Minneapolis City Hospital suffering from knife wounds as the result of a fight between five young men in a dark kitchen of Mrs. Rose Gieski's home. The men were rivals for the affections of Agnes Gieski , aged 16. ' The other two men , Stanislaus Dum- bravitz , aged 20 , and Edward Swo- linsk , aged 27 , are at large. , They are also : believed to have been wounded. , - Tactic Kolanyak , a sixth man , is also ( being sought by the police as having ; been implicated in the fight. The men. met at the Gieski home in the even- ing. A fist fight started in the kitch- 2n : regarding the girl's affections , and ' soon knives took the place of fists to settle : ; the matter. IliK Opportunity. "How did you manage to go through every house on that block in broad daylight without being detected ? " asked o } e burglar. "Very easily , " replied the other. "I selected a time when a moving vaa Irove : up to vacant dwelling. . I worked while the neighbors were hanging out of : the front windows to criticise the furniture. " Washington Star. The Wily Dealer. Indignant Customer-I want to re. turn : this jewel box. It's not ivory , aa represented. . Dealer ( musingly-Now , I wonder if it can be possible that elephant hfu - ' 'alse teeth. - Cleveland Leader. - - - . - . C.
