Clipping:Early sighting of Harry Stevens; Von der Ahe's rebuttal

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Date Tuesday, October 2, 1888
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Harry Stevens, a Columbus man, has contracted for the scorecard privilege of the world’s championship series at the rate of $80 a day. Cleveland Plain Dealer October 2, 1888

[from the Columbus correspondent] Col. Harry Stevens, the crack score card man, has been treated by Chris Von der Ahe in a despicable manner. Harry had secured a promise from Eddie Von der Ahe, the sire's confidential agent, a promise that he should have Von der Ahe's right of the score card privilege in the world's championship series for fifty dollars, “and,” said Eddie, “I'll see that you shall get John B. Day's privilege for fifteen dollars, for I'll tell him that is all you are paying us.” Stevens returned to Columbus thinking the privilege was secured to him, but was made wiser a few days later by a telegram from Von der Ahe asking if he would give him $100. Harry indignantly replied that he would not and added that he presumed he was doing business with a business man. John B. Day wired a friend in Columbus concerning the matter to the effect that he had had no communication with Von der Ahe on the subject, but intimated that he was willing, for a small sum, to let Stevens have the privilege. The moral of all this is to the effect that it is better when doing business with certain people to get their signatures to a contract or else have nothing to do with them. Harry has secured the score card privilege for the Athletic games, and he is a genuine hustler; he will make a big boodle out of it. He insists that he will have the score cards for a majority of the clubs in both associations before many years. The Sporting Life October 10, 1888

[from Joe Pritchard's column][from an interview of the Von der Ahes] “Why, I asked this man from Columbus to give me a written bid, and I would consider it. This he refused to do. Had I given him the privilege of furnishing the score card for the world's series, he would have been obliged to give us a bond for the faithful performance of his share of the contract. He made us a verbal bid, and it old him that as far as I was concerned he could not have it. I believe that he bid my son Edward $35 for our interest, and $35 for Day's interest in the score card. This we refused without any ifs or ands.”

“And his statement, “ said Edward Von der Ahe, “that I told him that I could secure the New York privilege for $15 was a falsehood. I told him that he could have our privilege for $100—no less—and that he would no doubt have to pay Mr. Day the same amount. The score card that he intended to publish would have been nothing more or less than a “fake.” He intended to fill it with cheap advertisements. I will run the privilege myself, and I will get up something nice. The card is now in the hands of the printer, and it will b a credit instead of a disgrace to the world's series. It will be printed in five colors. No, this score card man from Columbus is actually crazy over this one subject, yet he is not aware of that fact. If he wanted to do business with us why did he not submit his proposition in writing? I am of the opinion that he wants to get a little newspaper notoriety, and he desires to get it at our expense.” The Sporting Life October 17, 1888

Source Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Submitted by Richard Hershberger
Origin Initial Hershberger Clippings

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