most
reckless fashion.

Even the newspaper men who accompanied them on the trip caught the
contagion. P. J. Donohue, of the New York "World," since deceased, was
one of the most reckless of these. He could see nothing in the race but
New York, and no sooner had he struck the town than he began to hunt for
someone who would take the Chicago end of the deal.

About nine o'clock the night before the playing of the first game he
appeared in the "Inter Ocean" office and announced that he was looking
for somebody who thought Chicago could win, as he wished to wager $100
on the result. He was accommodated by the sporting editor of that paper.
The next night after the Giants had lost P. J. again appeared on the
scene and announced his readiness to double up on the result of the
second game. He was accommodated again, and again. New York was the
loser.

Still a third time did P. J. appear with an offer to double up the whole
thing on the result of the next game. This looked like a bad bet for the
local man, but local pride induced him to make the wager. For the third
time the Giants went down before the White Stockings, and that night P.
J. was missing, but a day or two afterwards he turned up quite
crestfallen, and had a draft on New York cashed in order that he might
get back home again.

Mr. Donohue was not the only man who went broke on the result, however.
There was not a man on the delegation that accompanied the Giants that
did not lose, and lose heavily on the games, which went a long ways
toward illustrating the glorious uncertainties of base-ball.

The season of 1886 saw another change in the National League circuit,
Buffalo and Providence dropping out of the fight. The vacant places were
taken by Kansas City and Washington. The Detroit Club, thanks to a deal
engineered by Fred Stearns, was greatly strengthened by securing the
quartette of players from the Buffalo Club known as the "Big Four,"
these being White, Rowe, Richardson and Brouthers, which made them a
most formidable candidate for championship honors, and which, indeed,
they might have won had it not been for the Philadelphia Club, of which
Harry Wright was the manager.

Commenting on the League season for that year Spalding's Official Guide
for 1887 says: "The past season of 1886 proved to be a very profitable
one to a majority of the eight League clubs, those of Chicago, New York,
Philadelphia, Boston and Detroit all finding it a successful season
f