The Bradenton Herald from Bradenton, Florida • 33

DEVELOPMENT NUMBER THE EVENING IlEKALI) r.AliE TIIKEB Bradentown As the Spring Training Ground For Big League Clubs TWO BIG LEAGUE The 1 924 St. Louis National League Team at Bradentown Ball Park JOSEPH H. HUMPHRIES, WHO CONDUCTED VIRILE NEWSPAPER, RECOUNTS HISTORY Continued from Page 2, Section Three- CLUBS HIRE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS GET INTO TRIM At Bradentown, Also Syracuse particular appeal. The town has never had a "boom," in the true ense of that word.

Its growth has been steady and substantial. There has been no hysterical rises in values of real estate. J. Ralph Pickell, magazine editor and owner of Chica. go, after a visit here in 1923, in his own magazine declared of Bradentown: "I unhesitatingly say to my friends who are planning investment in Florida real estate that they visit ftra-ik'iitown.

It has not been spoiled exploited by the boomer. Values are low there, and they are real value." Mr. Pickell described the town as beautiful and enticing, with a future that appeals to the businessman, the investor, and a homincss that appeals to the man or woman who desires a beautiful place to live where nature has been lavish, the climate is gentle and the people are public-spirited and friendly. Florida's potato crop packed in barrels, sides touching, would reach from Jacksonville to St. Louis.

Internationals What Branch Rickey Thinks of City served that country for roads made it impossible for him to travel ex-cept on a plank runway in his yard. This was no substitute for the gallant show Mr. Barrick had planned to-make in his car. It would not do, after bringing it all the way from Pennsylvania. Accordingly the gentleman hitched his team to the auto and dragged it over to Palmetto, where he pushed it on the boat and ferried it across to Bradentown.

So far had the fame of Bradentown's two shell-paved streets' spread! Tl! automobile, a two-lunged, coughing, hip-shot, livid red moltcd-together mass of junk landed at the foot of Main street. Wheezing and sputtering it proceeded up this street to Manatee avenue, Tho St. Louis "Cardinals" are a fctrong, major league club. When the 1024 season opened they were in Ihe bent of trim. They had sunny days and sunny skies of training in Bradentown.

They had already test-ed their strength in many practice games with other big league teams. They are all friends and boosters of Bradentown and in Bradentown they have hundreds of well-wishers who will watch their fight for the pennant with more than casual interest. Continued on Page 7, Section Three Photo by Hawltlm. wiwwwwwMunwiDiMnnHnfyiwflftiywiw as anxious to get actual game-prac tice as well. We meet them and rub off our rough edges.

The days are clear and it is rarely that we are put For two years the Cardinals have trained in Bradentown. Formerly spring camp was at Orange, Tex. But to the expense of preparing for a game that does not come off. My "Orange was a misnomer. The town had neither the fruit nor the weather necessary for its production necessary also, for the adequate Buy a Farm in El wood Park Where Everyone is Prosperous and Happy and Knows the SUNSHINE WAY TO WEALTH training of a ball team.

So the St. Louis club came to Florida to train. They will continue to come here. There is no question about it. Branch Rickey, manager of the lads are on their toes now, and when we head for home will in tip-top shape." The team completed their training season here April 7.

See Big Leaguers in Games The Cardinals played a great series of games here the past spring. They has as opponents New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Brooklyn of tluj National League, Washington and Chicago of the American League, Milwaukee of the American Association and Syracuse of the International League. The Cardinals lost no game on the "home" grounds and only two away from here. They went North April 7, accompanied by the Syracupans. The two teams are coming back next winter.

Cardinals, says of Bradentown: "We have been welcomed here and made to feel at home. 'The Friendly City' is not an advertising slogan, picked at random from a bunch of attractives phrases. Ask any of the boys. They'll tell you There's not a one of us who hasn't "THE FRIENDLY CITY" APPEALS IN EVERY WAY Continued from Page 2, Section Three Made to Order Farms On Easy Payments Orange, Grapefruit, Sugar Cane and Vegetable land. Handy ta Railway, Water and Railway in the sunshine.

In this playground is a two-story building with a large auditorium on the second floor where the Bradentown Tourist Club, composed entirely of winter visitors and having on its roster some six hundred members representing every state in the Union, and Canada and some other foreign countries, held its gatherings and put on programs of much interest. On the lower floor of this building are club rooms for the women, club rooms for the men, and lockers for the roquers and tennis players. Out on the grounds is a large, roofed-over pavilion where those who like to play checkers, chess, dominoes, cards and other games may enjoy themselves while the breezes blow about them. The park fronts three streets, and these, GRAPEFRUIT AS THEY GROW IN ELWOOD PARK as well as the grounds are studded with palm trees and flowering shrubbery a beautiful setting for a place of easy enjoyment. felt the friendliness of this city." Bradentown has also been host this year, as last year, to the Syracuse club, of Syracuse, N.

of the International League. The number of men brought into spring quarters by both clubs was about ninety. The Cardinals' vanguard arrived in Bradentown about Feb. 25, their main body arriving on March 3. The Syracuse bunch dropped in on March 17.

Most of the players made their headquarters at the Manavista hotel, although several of the boys who brought their wives with them took lodgings elsewhere. The ball players are naturally a strong, clean-cut group of men and are a welcome addition to the social life of the crty. Several of the boys are fishermen "night fishermen" their comrades style them, as they find time to angle usually after dark. Fishing from the Bradentown-Pal-nietto bridge they have taken many pretty specimens. One of the Syracuse bovs took an old boot in the dark and almost lost his minnow gi-tting his "big catch" ashore.

Find Ball Park Modern Both clubs declare themselves entirely satisfied with the Bradentown ball park, home ofthe Bradentown club of the Florida State League. "We have played in most of the ball fields of south Florida," said Mr. Rickey, "and haven't run across any that is in better condition or better suited to our purposes than that at Bradentown. It approaches closer to the major league standards than any we have played on. The diamond is in excellent good Sam Breadon of St.

Louis is owner of the Cardinals. The club is one of the oldest of the big league and its control is highly organized. Mr. Breadon usually comes South with his men. He also has large orange grove holdings in the back-country up the Manatee river.

Last year the Cardinals finished fifth in the pennant race. This year a considerable bunch of new blood has been added to the club and the team has high hopes of fighting its way into the finals. Mr. Rickey points out the advantages for training offered by Florida. "For instance," he said, "we have only missed two practice games during the season on account of weather.

Almost every day aunng our stay here we are able to get out and get our work-outs and rehearsals. The temperature is just right and the hnin nre full of pen. The team is But Bradentown is not merely a place for the idler. It is a manufacturing center, with its mills for turning out housebuilding materials, its woodworking establishments, fruit canneries, brickmaking and artifi cial stone plants, ice manufactories, Home ready for Familv Neighbors ready to welcome you. Land ready for seed.

Trees planted and brcugh to bearing. fruit and vegetable packing plants, printing establishments, and the hundred and one industries that go 'nto the making of a busy town. So, Bradentown has a payroll and a good one. The Aesthetic Side of Bradentown ARTESIAN WELL AT ELWOOD PARK Bradentown 1b not lacking in the finer things that go to make up a community. It has splendid churches, with the various denominations repre sented, and each well housed.

It has a fine city library with well stocked book shelves. It has a number of civic organigations, among them a Kiwanis club and an Optimists' club, a board of trade of some 400 members. All of the principal fraternal organizations are represented in the list of lodges. The Bradentown Woman's Club has a beautiful home, the property representing an in-vertment of $40,000. The city itself is beautiful.

streets in the residential sections are shaded with huee palms and other knit together and functions like 8 trees of tropic and semi-tropic kinds. ELWOOD PARK HOME Premium Celery and Vegetable Farm at Elwood Park The houses are as a rule leaving broad expanses for lawns, and the lawns are studded with palms, great rubber trees, magnolias, camphors, citrus trees, the royal poinciana, the glosy-leaved mangoes, while there is an infinite variety of flowering trees and shrub-i. Every variety of flowers thrives. The city government of Bradentown is composed of a mayor and Write or Come to Bradentown. Let us shew you machine.

"The practice games we get are great helps. This season nine major league teams have trained in Florida, most of them in easy reaching distance of Bradentown. In the old days a team went off into some deserted place and trained in secrecy, like a prize-fighter, keeping a lookout for spies from other clubs. Of course this isolation was brought at the price of a lot of good practice with teams of equal strength. That's changed.

Most of the big clubs come down here to train. We meet them find theyi meet us. Our playing is improved by fighting against teams just as strong as we are. The boys ret used to being under fire and have to do their dead level best all the t'me. It's good for both teams' The same thought was emphasized by P.

G. Bartleme, president of the racue club. "Down here," he said, "there are plenty of other teams just ELWOOD PARK board of aldermen. The town is well governed. Its civic departments are well organized and administered.

Its fire department has modern equipment of motor-driven vehicles, the fire loss is small and the insurance rates correspondingly low. the health department and the sanitary department are efficient. The city it naturally healthful, there no stagnant water, the town is practically mosquitoless. The death rate is ahfurd'y low. To the investor Bradentown has a Address CARL HASELTON, Sales Manager Arcade Building, Bradentown, Florida.

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