boy, and you belong right here. If you'll come to Chicago, I'll accept the Presidency of this Club, and we'll give those fellows a fight for their lives."
I gave him to understand that I was not averse to such a movement, and said that, if I did come, I would bring a team of pennant winners. Later in the season, in June, 1875, he called upon me at Boston, as President of the Chicago Club. He there and then signed Barnes, McVey, White and myself, and I accompanied him to Philadelphia, where Anson and Sutton had already been secured through my efforts. This left three places on the team which could be readily filled from strong players on the Chicago nine, consisting of Hines, Glenn and Peters.
Every effort was made to keep this matter a secret until the close of the season, chiefly because there was a rule in force at that time to the effect that a player signing a contract with any club during the playing season, except with the one with which he was then engaged, would subject him to expulsion from the Association, which meant expulsion from professional Base Ball.
This secret lasted about two weeks, when an announcement appeared in a Chicago paper that the four Boston and two Philadelphia players above named had been signed for the Chicago Club for 1876. This announcement occasioned a great sensation in Boston and Philadelphia, and, in fact, everywhere throughout the country.
As I write this story, many amusing incidents are recalled of our experiences at Boston during the balance of that season. The Monday morning when the announcement appeared in the Boston papers it so happened that
