Reading this (
http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/bio...-brothers.aspx) the name
Ed Mayo appears. Could this Mayo be related to P.H. Mayo?
I can't find anything on Ed except he managed:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi...gi?id=205c78a2
Going back further, there is definately a connection between players in the midwest.
Ganzel and Brouthers knew each other at least from 1886 on their time on the Detroit Wolverines:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DTN/1886.shtml
Pfeffer and Ewing knew each other in 1882:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/TRO/1882.shtml
The 1890 Philadelphia A's have 4 teammates who appear in the Mayo set:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHQ/1890.shtml
Could there be a relationship between Ed in the midwest and Peter H. Mayo in Virginia and Ed knowing people/teammates (or friends of friend) to put on cards?
Also, I think business/marketing has to be considered. In 1890 with the formulation of the American Tobacco Company (
http://www.oldbaseball.com/refs/tcards.html), inserts were no longer included in tobacco. P.H. Mayo wasn't made a part of the American Tobacco Company until approximately 1898. Could have Mayo been looking to expand into the bigger (NY/Philly/Boston) market by targeting player cards to the large cities?
Lastly, keep in mind that Mayo produced the 1894 N302 football set of Harvard, Princeton and Yale players. And the N301 Die-Cut is all NY/Boston:
https://www.deanscards.com/pre-war-b...28n301%29.aspx