Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 203, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1917 — CHARGE ADMISSION TO GAME [ARTICLE]

CHARGE ADMISSION TO GAME

First Time Money Was Asked to Witness Contest Was in 1859—Fifty Cents Was Paid; The first time admission was ever charged to see a baseball game was on July 20, 1859. The game was played between teams representing Brooklyn and New York. The game’was played at the Fashion race course in Long Island, now out of existence. What was in those days a vast crowd at a baseball game assembled to witness the contest, that Is, 1,500 persons. And they each paid 50 cents admission. Gee, wouldn’t It be great if we could do that in these days? But in 1859 the high cost of living had not yet struck us. Them were the happy days.—Milwaukee Wisconsin.