Seattle Wins the Pennant While Tacoma's Players Chase Unpaid Wages

There is no longer any doubt that the proposed series of games between the Seattle and Portland teams will not be played. President Hardy yesterday received a letter from President Hudson, of the Portland club, saying that it was impossible to hold his team together. The men have been paid off and are beginning to scatter. The letter, with the evident intention of combatting Seattle's claim to the pennant by reason of Portland's failure to play, states that the writer did not understand that there was any specific agreement with the Seattle club to play these games, and that no provision had been made concerning the division of the gate receipts. Concerning this statement President Hardy said yesterday that the awarding of the championship of the second season to the Seattle and Portland teams for a series of games was a part of the minutes of the league meeting at Tacoma last Sunday. At the same time President Hardy agreed with President Hudson on an equal division of gate receipts, the clubs to play four games in Seattle and four in Portland with one extra game in case of a tie. In view of the fact that the Seattle team was held together for the special purpose of playing the series of games under this agreement, the league could not consistently do otherwise than award the pennant to Seattle.

While the Seattle and Portland clubs, both of which have paid off their players in full, are arguing over the championship, other matters of a very serious nature are occupying the attention of the directors as well as the players of Spokane and Tacoma. The men have not received their salaries, and in consequence there is a great deal of discontent. A number of them are in a hurry to leave for home or to join other teams and cannot afford, and in some cases are unable, to go away before getting their money. Lew Gilliland and George Borchers, who remained in the city when the rest of Beard's team started for Spokane, are still waiting for what is due them.

The worst state of affairs, however, seems to be in Tacoma, where a regular game of hide and seek is going on between the players and the directors. It is reported that the former, fearful of losing their money, have become so urgent in their demands that one of the directors is taking a vacation out of town, while the others, although still in the city, are making themselves scarce. There is talk among the players of bringing suit in case there is not a speedy payment of their claims.