Sept. 27, 1909 (Monday)

THE END OF THE SEASON LOOMS: The Boston Red Sox have improved greatly over last year, but, as the season winds down, they are in third place and unable to catch the first-place Detroit Tigers. However, the Philadelphia Athletics are still alive. Today's Globe has a cartoon that draws upon the imagery of Ancient Rome. Under the watchful gaze of a Emperor Baseball, the nervous A's mascot (elephant) implores the sword-bearing Red Sox to stop the Tigers. Fewer than 10 games remain.

ANTI-SLAVERY PROTESTERS TRY TO REACH U.S. COCOA USERS: A campaign begins in Boston this week that will focus attention on the slave system in the Portuguese islands of Principe and San Thome [as it's spelled in the Globe], which lie in the Gulf of Guinea. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Burtt will arrive today or tomorrow on the steamer Cestrian. In England, the cocoa-making firms have been pressured to refuse to buy cocoa from the islands in protest of the slavery. The trouble is that much of the product has been re-directed to the American market -- at a low price. America is the largest consumer of cocoa. So, the protesters want to bring the anti-slavery message here. The Burtts will be in Boston until Oct. 9. Then they will head to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburg, Chicago and elsewhere.
The issue is covered extensively in the book "Chocolate on Trial" (shown at right).