[Illustration: *Text included in illustration.
Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide*]




THE SPALDING TRADE MARK.

[Illustration : *Spalding trade mark*]

Experience has shown that in Base Ball and Athletic Goods, as in all other
lines of business, unprincipled persons are always eager to prey on the
reputation gained by honest dealing and good business management. We regret
to state that we have not escaped the attention of such parties, who have
appropriated our original designs, styles and names, and by using similar
illustrations and descriptions, deceive the public into believing that the
articles were manufactured by us, and that we are responsible for their
inferior quality. A wide acquaintance with sportsmen and an extended
experience with the various sports, has enabled us to anticipate the wants
of our patrons in securing outfits, and to offer only such articles as were
perfectly satisfactory for our own use, knowing by practical tests that
they would serve the purpose properly, and be unfailing to the purchaser.

In order to protect our customers, and to preserve our reputation, we have
found it necessary to place our "Trade Mark" on the higher grades of goods
that we manufacture and introduce. The care and discrimination exercised in
selecting only articles of the highest quality as being worthy of bearing
our Trade Mark, has resulted in giving to them a reputation as being
practically the best of their kind that could be produced.