One of the problems with trying to tell the story of baseball's early years is the lack of sources. Material is scarce, quality uneven. It's a researcher's nightmare.
Take the case of The Base Ball Monthly for instance. Hardly famous for its top-notch quality, it remains one of the few available sources. Alas, the magazine's archives were destroyed by a fire in 1893, and there is no complete collection of the publication.
Fortunately, even today, old issues can be found here and there, gathering dust in attics.
