VlIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND. AUGUST 29, 1900."
FANCY PRICES ARE
MOSTLY HOT AIR
Press Agents Use Imagination
in Announcing Sales of Pa
cific Coast Players.
BOTH LEAGUES DRAWN ON
Race In Two Circuits Remains t'n
changed Plans for Eight-Club
Organization at Standstill
at Present Time.
BT TV. J. PETRA1N.
With Judge McCredle away at the
beach and J. Cal Ewlng- too busy to
come north, the past week brought
nothing- of Interest In the way of dig
cussion about the proposed new base
ball circuit next season, and It will
probably be several weeks before the
moguls actually get busy with plans
for the prospective eight-club league.
As to the status of the two races
In which Portland Is more or less in
terested, the relative standing of the
various clubs remains unchanged. San
Francisco has managed to make up the
losses sustained against Portland In
tne first three games of the previous
series, for Vernon has not offered much
resistance to the Seals. In fact the
Vernon club Is such a weakling aggre
gation against the leaders that Danny
Long ought to be ashamed of himself
to store the wins made against this
rlub In the Seals' strong box. The
situation is much the same In the
Northwestern League, for Vancouver
has made but a half-hearted campaign
against Seattle In a two weeks' series.
By trimming the weakling clubs the
feals and the Turks are now comfort
ably Installed In the lead, which gives
each a firmer grip on first place as
the end of the season approaches. The
Seals have nine weeks to play, and
Seattle only five, and the possibility of
either team being headed does not
loom up very bright.
Spokane Still Has Hope.
Despite the odds against them. Spo
kane rooters maintain that their club
will yet beat out Seattle, and In the
Coast League there are not a few fans
who expect either Portland or Los An
geles to overhaul the Seals. For either
of the leading clubs to lose It will re
quire a considerable reversal of form
nnd a series of defeats. Seattle could
almost break even from now to the end
of the race and yet win out, for Spo
kane must win the majority of the
games to get within touch of the Dug
rialtan crew. However. Dug's team, whiie
It has not been showing the speed it
did at the start. Is keeping up a con
sistent winning gait.
As the season's end approaches the
big leagues continue to riddle the minors
f"r recruits, and numerous players from
the coast have been selected for faster
compan next season. So far, all players
have been purchased outright, for the
open season for drafting has not yet ar
rived. In announcing the prices paid for
some players the ludicrous Is mostly ap
parent, for some ban players have been
reported sold for J40O0 and $5000 by Pa
cific Coast and Northwestern League
managers. The prices quoted must mean
mostly stage money in some Instances.
All the big league scouts who cruised
this neck of the wooks marveled at the
prices aeked for players, and were de
I'ghted to reach Portland to talk busi
ness with the McCredies, who were not
In the "get-rich-quitk" class. Three
Portland players have been sold to the
major leagues, and the aggregate price
for the trio Is1 hardly as much as Dug
dn!e says he Is to get for Lee Magee.
Over Seattle way this will be constructed
to mean that Magee is three times as
valuable a player as are the three Port
landers, but it is only the Seattle "spirit"
cropping out again. Dug is so elated at
handling large bunches of the coin this
season that he triples all offers made
him for players when announcing their
tales.
Magee Has Made Hit.
The Seattle man may have been offered
half the price he announced bb getting
for Magee. but if he did. the big league
purchaser Is a sucker. Magee Is a clean,
active young; player, but far from being
major league caliber, and will not be for
at least another season. In Seattle he
is the reigning sensation, having fallen
into the shoes of George Oapron. for
gome reason. In the Spring Dug's press
agents announced that the fat man had
bought Capron for JjflOO. or thereabout,
hut right now not one of them will vouch
for tne purchase price." and Dug will
have to keep Capron for the next five
years to get his money's worth out of
him that is. If Dug paid 15000 for him.
If he paid nothing at all for the player,
which pounds more reasonable. Dug has
been a lucky man. for Capron. being a
Itreen youngster, has some promise and
may advance.
Of all the players who have been sold
t the "prese) agent" figures In the
Northwestern League this season. Kln
tlla and Campbell are the most valu
able. Campbell, the Aberdeen outfielder.
Is the most likely looking ball tosser of
the league. He te big. strong and young,
and 'possessing thes- attributes', as well
as the ability to play baseball, he has
a bright future. Kinsella is the best
pitcher in the Northwestern League. He
has more up his sVeve than any of them,
and has the advantage of height, reach
and weight, and the big league scouts
pay hut little attention to tlte undersized
pitchers. In discussing Kinsella's pros
pects in the big leagues. Catcher Arm-
bruster. who has ben a major leagticr.
says Kins-lia has just as much as
Christie Matthewaon, or big Ed Walsh,
and predicts tl-.at he will make good if
he goes there with the Intention of stick
ing. Of the Pacific Coast league players
who have been sold, only one Is quoted
at a high figure, which is probably some
what padded, though It may represent
the value of the slavers to be secured
in trade. This player Is Rollo Zelder. of
t!'e San FYanc'sco team, who is really of
big league caliber, and will undonbtdiy
make good, though $Mft sounds like high
finance. It looks very much like the
Marquardt deal, when John T.
Brush, owning the New York Nationals
and Indianapolis American Association
teams, sold Marquardt from the latter
to the formT club and paid himself J11.
rtfl. Moredie rouM have done tlw same
thing whn h trareferred OYioney and
Chnault to the Pacific Coast League
Club from his Northwestern team.
Fancy prlce"paid for baseball players
are mostly mad? in stage money, or are
creations of the Imagination of the ver
satile presj? agent who has invested his
money In mining stock certificates. While
most of the players who go from the Pa
cific Coast to faster company have made
food In the past and undoubtedly some
of those who go this year will do like
wise), the loor fans should not he filled
with soft soap about the exorbitant fig
urea for which the players were pur
chased. Rmember. the best player ever
taken rem the Coast went Xroiu Port-L-
land to the Chicago National League
Club for 1750. and that player is Joe
Tinker.
BENEFACTRESS POISONED
Maidservant Out or Work Avenges
Her Wrongs on Brother's Sister.
PARIS. Aug. 3S. (Special.) A servant
girl from Brittany stepped briskly up to
a police station the other afternoon, and
on being introduced at her reuest to the
commissary, boldly said:
"Arrest me. I have avenged myself on
my sister-in-law, and she must be dead
by now."
At the same time she handed to the
Sergeant a little phial, still containing
some atrophlne. and when, greatly
alarmed, the magistrate proceeded to the
address given, he found the woman suf
fering cruelly. The doctor, who had been
hastily summoned, had promptly pre
scribed an emetic and said he had Just
arrived in time to save her.
The maid-servant Is now at the depot
of the Prefecture of Police, but as a mat
ter of fact she does not seem to he al
together responsible for her actions. The
cause of the dislike she had taken to her
Fit'ter-in-law Is inexplicable, as she had
been treated most kindly. "
The girl came to Paris from Brittany
ten months ago, and wandered from one
place to another, giving satisfaction no
where. Whenever she was without a
place she was taken In by her brother,
a respectable shopman, and his wife In
variably gave, her good advice and
WILL WRESTLE WEDNESDAY
worked hard to procure her another sit
uation. Sullen and unsociable, the maid
servant made no friends, and at last ehe
took it Into her head that her slster-ln-law,
who waa really her benefactress,
was doing her utmost to render life Im
possible for her.
The wretched girl spent a wnoie aay
tramping about in vain quest of a place,
and. on her return to her brother s
dwelling, his wife treated her to a sub
stantial meal, and had filled a glass with
rum and water to drink her health when
the young woman, unperceived, dropped
some atrophlne Into tt. and without ut
tering another word walked ,off to the
police station for the purpose of sur
rendering herself.
LAMA IS BACK IN TIBET
Recent Gueat of China Goes Home
With His Immense Retinue.
SHANGHAI, Aug. 28. (Special. )
After a sojourn of many months In
China, the Dalai Lama has arrived In
Tibet, and the Tibetans are reported to
be much gratified at his return.
He left Sinlnglu early in June, but ow
ing to the scarcity of grass on certain
portions of the route and the consequent
difficulty of feeding his Immense train
of" baggage animals, the Journey to
Lhassa proved a protracted undertaking.
Some 1300 camels started in advance,
and accompanying the pontiff and his
retinue were 70o more, besides over 300
horses.
Injured Brakenian Dies.
ASTORIA. Or.. Aug. .(Special.)
Mathew Fagan, the Astoria & Columbia
River Railroad freight brakenian who
was run over by a train at Clatskanle
several days ago, died today as a result
of his Injuries. The body was shipped
to Portland this evening for Interment
The deceased was about 30 years old and
unmarried.
THE TEXAS WONDER
Cures all Kidney, Bladder and Rheu
matic troubles; sold by all druggists, or
two months treatment bv mail, for $1.
Dr. E. W. Hall, 2928 Olive Street, St.
Louis, Mo. Send for testimonials.
- e.
STEAM SHUUX
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SCENE SHOWING PROGRESS ON NORTH COAST RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION. I
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NORTH COAST TO
ENTER PORTL
Company's Original Plan Will
Be Adhered To, So Stra
horn Says.
TIETON PASS TO BE USED
Rich Valley t Cowlitz Hirer Will Be
Tapped, and Electric Power
' May Be Used to Climb
Heavy Grades.
SPOKANTB. Wash.. Aug. 2S. (Special.)
Being asked in regard to the plans of
the North Coast Railroad Company so
far as they will affect Portland. Robert
NIGHT AT EXPOSITION RINK
r T asaf
:-
E. Strahorn, president of that company,
today said that the company had never
given up Its original plan of reaching
Portland.
He said that It was Inconceivable that
with such a considerable mileage drain
ing the best producing centers of East
ern and Central Washington, and a well
defined and settled programme to reach
Tacoma, Seattle and other coast cities,
his company would never be satisfied
without a good line Into Portland.
While reluctant to discuss anything of
flu's sort, he admitted that the diffi
culties which have been encountered In
crossing the Cascade Range have had
much to do with the apparent slowness
of the company's operations on this
through Hue to the coast. The com
pany has assiduously prosecuted its en
gineering work on both the east and
west slopes of the Cascade Range In the
vicinity of Cowlitz, Tieton and Natchez
passes continuously for the past four
years.
Tieton Pass Decided On.
Tieton Pass has absolutely been de
cided upon, and the approach from the
east is all that could be desired, as It
reaches the tunnel site by a remarkably
direct and easy line, with maximum
grades of only 1 per cent. The great
difficulties have been encountered on the
west slope, where North Coast parties
have been at work at all seasons of
every year since the enterprise started,
excepting In mld-Wlnter, when the work
has been rendered inpractlcable by very
deep snows. Large parties are known
to be at work at this time on the Puget
Sound road from the west portal of the
tunnel across to the head of the Nes
qually River, by which route the com
pany has evidently determined to reach
Puget Sound. In 'the vicinity of Tacoma,
by water . grade.
Mr. Strahorn said that no change had
been made In the original plans of the
company to reach Portland by a line
which will leave the Puget Sound line
in the Upper Cowlitx River Valley and
practically follow the Cowlitz River route
to the Columbia, thence rnto Portland by
some route not 'yet disclosed.
May Use Electric Power.
Another thing was developed which ap
parently has an important bearing , upon
this matter, and that Is the interest fhe
North Coast Company Is apparently tak
ing in the possible future electrical
WUKk l. MARSHALL, CAMO.V,
and
equipment of Its mountain lines. It
seems to be an open question whether
the company shall persist in Its efforts
to reduce its grade down the west slope j
from Its 1V4 per cent maximum to l per
cent, as prevails on the east slope, on
account of the much cheaper operation
by steam, or whether the much shorter
line shall not be adopted and operated
by cheap electric power on considerably
heavier grades.
The company is known to have done a
lot of work In the way of location, sur
veying and preliminary development of
water powers in tha Cascade Mountains,
especially on tributaries of the Cowlitz
River, looking to this possible contin
gency. A line of this sort could be
found which would shorten the present
North Coast location adapted to steam
road operation by some 25 or 30 miles,
all of which would be over the portions
most expensive to construct. This, it Is
believed, would make a net difference
of several million dollars in original con
struction charge, even allowing liberally
for the cost of the development of the
electric power.
Cowlitz Valley Rich Prize.
In any event It Is plain from the lrttle
which President Strahorn Is willing to
say about the Portland line that he not
only values the Portland extension very
highly, but attaches great importance to
the occupation of the rich Cowlitz River
Valley, which his line has been designed
to serve from one end to the other.
As the North Coast enterprise unfolds
itself it is more than ever apparent that
it is not to be any cheap line, merely
built, for sale or transfer to some. other
Interest, as some critics have appeared
to fondly believe. Recent contracts for
work in Marshall and Hangman Creek
canyons, almost in sight of Spokane,
cover some of the heaviest railway work
ever attempted In the West. This is
notably the case In the 12 miles of con
struction recently undertaken by two
contracting firms In Hangman Creek
Canyon, on the North Coast Palouse
branch, which will cost something like
half a million dollars for grading alone.
In this short distance the course of the
stream is changed a number of times to
afford proper room, and the best align
ment for the tracks, and no less than
five tunnels, aggregating over a mile in
length, are being constructed for the
same purpose within a distance of less
than ten miles. Bids have been called
for on other heavy work further south,
both on the Palouse line and on the
Spokane-Puget Sound line.
. Legal Complications Block.
The right of way work on these lines
Is practically completed, and no lm
portant complication, remains to retard
construction excepting the troubles the
North Coast has with the Spokane. Port
land & Seattle and Northern Pacific, in
Marshall Canyon, and the Important law
suit now in progress jn the Federal Court
here over the possession of the very val
uable tract of ground near the business
center, which the North Coast Is seeking
to obtain from the Great Northern Com
pany. in order to reach Its passenger
terminals located in the business center
at thp City Hall, and to afford additional
room for Its freight terminals. The only
other detail to be arranged is the com
pletion of the franchise through the city.
The City Council has already taken fa
vorable action on about two and one-
half miles of the territory covered by
the line within the city limits, leaving
about one and one-half miles of the right
of way still to be dealt with. While
some opposition has been manifested
from time to time by Interested parties,
it is well known by those in closest touch
with such affairs that Mr. Strahorn, with
his usual dogged persistence. Is making
satisfactory progress, and that It is only
a question of a short time until he will
get practically what he has asked for.
Meantime high-grade experts on terminal
and bridge construction are rapidly com
pleting plans for the construction of the
company's great terminals here, which
Involve the expenditure of something like
4.000,000 within the city limits.
Equipment Is Received.
The company is also very active in its
construction work from the Columbia
River westward. Seventy-five miles of
grade have been completed on this por
tion of the line, and nothing but the com
pletion of the Columbia River bridge will
interfere with this part of the line being
in operation before the close of the year.
The steel and ties have been ordered for
this Taklma Valley section and are be
ing delivered rapidly. Some of the equip
ment In the way of engines and cars has
been ordered for some time and Is being
received. The work on the Columbia
River bridge is progressing rapidly, and
the contractors express little doubt about
being able to complete It on contract
time, which is understood to be Decem
ber 1.
DOUBLE FUNERAL HELD
Two Victims of Cave-in at Albany
Are Buried.
ALBANY, Or., Aug. 28 (Special.) The
funeral of William H. Peacock and Asa
L, Peacock, the two brothers who were
killed by the cave-in of a well which they
were digging on the ' farm of William
Peacock, Just across the Willamette
River from this city, Thursday evening,
was held this afternoon.
The funeral services were conducted at
the First Methodist Church by Rev. W.
S. Gordon and were attended by a large
crowd.
MSAR .POKA..
- 'it
.............
FINE PLAYERS FEW
Tim Murnane, Baseball Ex
pert, So Opines.
VIEW IS NOT FLATTERING
Maintains That Three Teams Could
Not Be Picked From Any ot
High-Class Leagues That
Would Be of Quality.
In his weekly letter to the Chicago
Record-Herald last Sunday, Tim Mur
nane, of Boston, the well-known base
ball expert, makes a few assertions
that may seem startling to the aver
age baseball fan. For Instance, one of
them is that there are not more than
30 first-class ballplayers in the two big
leagues, and this in the face of the fact
that there are 16 clubs each having
from 20 to 30 players on the payroll,
causes some speculation, especially
when coming from a man like Murnane.
The letter, which . is based on the
threatened invasion of big league ter
ritory by the American Association, is
as follows:
How many really great players have we
in the country? Certainly not enough for
the make-up of three major leagues. Not
enough even for the make-up of two ma
jor leagues, when the qualifications call for
speed, inside knowledge of the game and
ability to hit and field up to a hisrh
standard.
One great catcher and two extra line
pitchers will make a winner out of an or
dinary lot of well-handled ball players,
while a great all-around team lacking the
box men and handled by an ordinary man
ager will become a big disappointment.
For example, take the American Asso
ciation this season, by the way remarkably
well handled by President .Josei h O'Brien,
of Milwaukee. It gives the patrons of the
game in the West baseball that pleases
them, made possible by the fact that the
clubs could strengthen up to the averasre
by players not quite capable of making
good In the two major leagues, often for
peculiar reasons. - This shows the Ideal con
ditions for prosperity in the organizations
not called on for the best work of a string
of stars.
When the American League branched out
Into the larger cities there was no thought
of furnishing eight teams of stars rather
the best of the minor league players with
a sDrlnkllng of the stars, averaging about
four to a team. The Idea was an excellent
one. and worked out for the reason that
the four stars were selected from the one
major league that held undisputed con
trol of the business for 30 years, with the
exception of 18!)0, when the brotherhooa
took a fall out of the old organization.
Today fully nine-tenths of the great ball
players are controlled by tne major leagues,
and while working under the National agree
ment this condition is bound to remain aa
it is at the present time. Give me 30
playera picked from the major leagues and
I will guarantee to Duna up a Daseoa.ii
league that will be second to none in five
years, providing the eight cities are picked
for the combination, for I claim that there
are less than .60 first-class ball players to
day In the business, and I will not confine
the number to men of the special class of
Lajoie. Wagner. Evers. Chance, Harry
Lord. Mathewson, Bresnahan. Fred Clarke,
Speaker, Bradley, Mitchell and a few others
now electrynng tne country wun ineir Dm
liant all-around work.
Catchers are of little value unless they
can think behind the bat. throw sharply
and hit a bit. First basemen must be hit
ters as well as good fielders. Second base
men must be brainy workmen as well as
fine batsmen. Third basemen must be able
to call tbe turn on every batsman and whip
the ball around the bases from all angles
while under a full head of steam.
Then comes the shortstop, the one man
on a team that must be a great all-around
workman on ground balls from long and
short distances. He must have the nerve
to go against the base runners and act as
the Indicator of the team. The outfielders
must be able to hit, throw, gather in
srrounders on the run. run bases, and lay
for the batsmen. These men must be natural
ball players not forever getting injured. Like
all true athletes, tney must nave tne Knaca
of avoiding a collision with other players at
the same time going arter tneir opponents
in a most aggressive manner.
Size the boys up. At the most, three
teams in each league can claim a half dozen
men who can fill the bill. This is double
the number that flourished six years ago.
The wonders come into the game slowly,
while the average player, and good ones at
that, have doubled In the last five years.
Fielders have always been plenty, while
batsmen are Jewels hard to find.
10 SETTLE OLD SCORE
ROLLER AD OLSON WILIi MEET
HERE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
Big .Wrestlers to Clash in B'inish
Match Catch-as-Catch-
Can Style.
Charles Olson and Dr. B. F. Roller
will wrestle in a finish match, catch as
cath can style, and best two falls out
of three, at the Exposition rink next
Wednesday night. Every known hold
in the game is at the finger-tips of
these two world-renowned grapplers.
and the contest should be worth going
miles to witness. - Although Roller has
defeated Olson, he had no easy time of
it, and Olson had Just stepped off a
2000-mile train trip. Then Olson was a
stranger in a strange land, and the Se
attle rooters for Roller disconcerted
him. It was just like a baseball team
playing away from home. Wrestling
s a great deal like baseball. Any twist
or quick hold can stem the tide, and
when two men like Olson and Roller
meet In a mat contest to a finish, there
s no foretelling the result
Olson was seen in action with Roller
at the Exposition Rink three weeks
ago. He more than held his own for
the 20 minutes that remained of the
handicap, and Roller admitted after
wards that he made a big mistake when
J he essayed to throw botn Yousiff and
Olson In 75 minutes of actual wrestling
time When they meet at Exposition
Rink next Wednesday night, each will
be in prime shape and try his level
best for the long end .of the purse
money '
Olson's record speaks for itself. He
seldom loses a bout, and he claims sec
ond place in the wrestling world to
Frank Gotch. His losing houts can be
counted on the fingers of one hand,
and a three-fingered hand would an
swer the purpose at that. Roller has
ambition to climb some day to the top
rung of the wrestling ladder, and his
sole defeats were at the hands of
Champion Frank Gotch.
The preliminaries will be In strict
keeping with a high-class wrestling en
tertainment, and not an effort will be
spared by the local managers to make
Wednesday night's show the real open
ing of the Portland wrestling season a
success. If Gotch remains in Seattle
viewing the fair till Wednesday, he will
come to Portland and act as referee for
the big event.
Salmon Fry Planted.
VANCOUVER. Wash., Aug. 2S. (Spe
cial.) Ten thousand of the first salmon
fry to be hatched at the state plant! on
Basket Creek, were Dlanted this morning
at the Young place on Burnt Bridge
To Our Fellow
We have bought the stock, lease and fixtures of
the Coleman Hardware Company, 67 Sixth street,
next block north from Wells-Fargo building) and
desire to make room for a complete modern vul
canizing plant for repairing auto tires and inner
tubes; also to rearrange the stock in order to put
in a full and complete assortment of Auto Sup
plies. There are certain lines of hardware that we
wish to eliminate,, and will sell below cost.
A. J. 'Winters Co.
AUTOMOBILE DEALERS AND AUTO
SUPPLY HOUSES OF PORTLAND
Archer, Combs
AUTO SUPPLIES,
DICK
BALLOU & WRIGHT
Automobile Supplies
86 Sixth St. Main 1834: A 1834
PIERCE
CADILLAC
DETROIT ELECTRIC
Vulcanising A Retreading. R. E.
FORD
FORD AUTO AGENCY, 86 Tenth Street
STEVENS -DURYEA AND SELDEN
-AUTOMOBILES
GRAHAM MOTOR CAR COMPANY
FIFTEENTH AND WASHINGTON PHONE8 MAIN 8408, A S36.
TS Auto Co.
SEVENTH AND BURNSIDE
526 ALDER STREET
STUDEBAKER CARS
Pone 1853
WHITEsGa7oi AUTOS
White Motor Car Co.
68 TENTH STREET PHONESi Main 693, A 2334
Creek near the Fourth Plain Road. An
other batch of 10.01)0 will be given their
liberty in Salmon Creek next Wednes-
WRESTLING
Next Wednesday Night, Sept. 1
KXPOSITION RINK, NINETEENTH AND
WASHINGTON STREETS
Dr. B. F. Roller
VS.
Chas. Olsen
DOORS OPEN 7:30
Admission $1. Reserved Ringside $1.50
Seats on Sale at Schiller's and Cadwell's.
Automobilists
& Winters Co.
306 OAK STREET
Northwest Buick Company
F. W. VOGLER. Gen. Mgr.
7th and Couch A2520. Main 4555
MORGAN U
WRIGHT
AND
GOODRICH
TIRES
COVEY MOTOR CAR CO.
SEVENTH AND
COUCH STS.
TIRES
BLODGKTT, S10 Alder t. Main T005.
FIVE-PASSENGER
TOURING CAR
DEIVERIESNOW
Peerless
Pope-Hartford
Chalmers Detroit
Hudson
AGENCY
9 E. E. COHEN
Manager
Phones A 4944
Mala 2383.
Chapman and Alder Streets
Jay, near the source of fhe stream. The
salmon freed were the cut-throat trout
from Ijake Chelan.