Seattle Takes the Pennant as the Pacific Northwest League Folds

The Pacific Northwest League at a meeting held in Tacoma last night declared the playing season closed and awarded the championship of the second series to the Seattle team. For some days past the step taken last night had been impending, owing to the clamor of the Tacoma and Portland clubs to quit, and the meeting was called to bring matters to a determination. Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the league directors was held and the battle was fought out there. President Hardy, of the Seattle club, worked hard to have the season played out, and was at first backed up by A. T. Sawyer, who represented Spokane, but Tacoma and Portland were so strong in their desire to throw up the sponge that the other clubs finally gave in. Last night at the league meeting the step decided upon in the afternoon was taken without a dissenting voice, and the pennant of the second season was formally awarded to the Seattle club, it being now in the lead in the race. The interests of the players were also looked after, and each club gave its guarantee to President Rockwell that all of its men will be paid in full to date. The Tacoma and Spokane teams will be paid off and disbanded at once, but the intention is to hold together the Seattle and Portland teams, each of which has now won a pennant, to determine by a series of games which is entitled to the championship of the league. The idea is to arrange a series of eight games, to begin at once, four of them to be played at Portland and four at Seattle, with one additional game if there should be a tie. This action of the directors of the league in declaring the season closed has been brought about by force of circumstances. A great deal of enterprise was shown by the different clubs in bringing such fine talent to the Coast at a heavy expenditure and in furnishing to the baseball public the strongest minor league ball in the country, but their efforts have been poorly appreciated. The attendance has been nowhere near the figure it should have reached, and there has been a constant drain upon the pockets of the backers of the clubs. In consequence the Tacoma club was finally forced to the wall, and Portland, although better off, at length also decided to give up such an unequal fight. It will be many years before the Pacific Northwest will have as strong a league as this one has been for the past three seasons, and the lovers of the game will have good cause to regret the disbanding of the organization. Since the second championship season opened the Seattle club has won sixteen out of nineteen games on the home grounds and has put up wonderful ball. Yet the attendance has been barely sufficient to pay the guarantees, and the backers of the club have had to pay the salaries of players and other expenses.