Clipping:The history of the formation of the UA
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| Date | Saturday, April 19, 1884 |
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| Text | It is not six months ago since the Union Association was talked of. Early in November last Al. Pratt, at one time famous as the pitcher for the Forest City club of Cleveland, sent out letters with a view to forming a new association. Among those who heard from him were Thomas J. Pratt, a base-ball enthusiast of Philadelphia, A. H. Henderson, the organizer of the Chicago Union Club of 1883, and William Warren White, the mainstay of the old Olympic Club of Washington. A meeting was held at Pittsburg, and there after a pooling of issues it was found that there were not clubs enough to form a national body, and as a result the Pittsburg man dropped the matter. The others, however, pushed ahead and after some correspondence the services of Mr. Lucas were enlisted in the enterprise. He founded the organization in an embryotic state. It lacked a head and there was but little body to it. Chicago was all right. The club that proposed to enter from that point had splendidly inclosed grounds and the nucleus for a good team. The Philadelphia club had an organization but no grounds. The Washington club was on a level with the Philadelphia. The Baltimore club could give but little account of itself although the men mentioned as its promoters were known as gentlemen of wealth and energy. But the clubs of Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington and St. Louis were not sufficient in numbers for form a national body. Eight clubs at least were needed–four in the east and four in the west, and here were only five. The Richmond and Brooklyn clubs promised to come in, but at the last moment showed what they were after by applying to the American Association for admission. Brooklyn was admitted to that body, but the claim of Richmond was not honored. After such a move, however, the promoters of the Union Association quite corresponding with the Richmond Club, and started to look up some better and truer people. Mr. Lucas was the prime mover of the matter. He left here unaccompanied a made a tour of the country, the result of which was the complete organization of the Union. His first stop was at Cincinnati. Here Justus Thorner, the president of the old Cincinnati Club, was found, and he, after some talk, promised to put a first-class team in the new association. From Cincinnati Mr. Lucas went to Boston, and here he found Tim Murnane, the veteran player, with a full team on hand and ready to join any organization that presented itself. He was invited to joint the Union, and accepted the invitation. Boston and Cincinnati made seven clubs, and there was an application in from Altoona. The latter city was looked upon as quite a railroad center, but Mr. Lucas knew nothing of its claims as a base-ball town. He visited there, and finding an organization backed by the best men of the city, with a splendid complement of players and an excellent outlook, he honored the claim of Altoona, and believing that his labors were at an end he returned home. Scarcely had he arrived here when he heard that the Boston Club had concluded not to enter. Upon receipt of this information he returned to Boston and found the club there without a recognized leader. Those who had previously taken hold were still willing to enter, but they wanted some one to lead the way. Mr. Lucas found George Wright and told him that the Union must have a club in Boston. He advised Wright to go ahead and organize one, and his words were: “From your club and draw on me for any money you may want to forward the enterprise. With this kind offer ringing in his ears George Wright went to wrok, and before the knew it had the services of a score of good men enlisted, and the Boston Club’s stock was taken up by the home people with a rush. This ended Mr. Lucas’s labors so far as the whole organization was concerned. St. |
| Source | St. Louis Post-Dispatch |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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