The morning call., 1893-08-20
REMOVING A BLOT.
Questionable Career of the
Casino.
CAUSE FOR ITS CLOSING
Its Presence a Detriment to the
Park and ReprOach to the
Commissioners.

In the war that has been waged against
dives and ladies' entrances in the city the
keepers of the obnoxious places have fire.
Quently asked why the Golden Gate Park
Commission did not abate the Casino in
its grounds, saying that 1t was far from
being above reproach and that in many
respe cts il was on par with the side en-
trance saloons of the tende rloin district.
The men about town wiDked knowingly
at these assertions and patrons OF the
Casino made evasive answers to many
direct questions of direct nature.
The Casino has long been an eyesore
and positive detriment to the park. as it
occupies prominent point and has never
been source of revenue.
1t has not even been source of income
to its lessee, owing to the fact that his
prices were restricted aud he had to keep
a force of men at all times. While all
classes of people patroniZed the place. it
was frequently given over 10 the rough
element, and numerous brawlS and
quarrels have arisen bv reason of a laxity
In the management. Eventually it became
a rendezvous for frail women and the
obnoxious male masher and suddenly the
rooms upstairs came into popular demand.
There are FIVE rooms on the second floor.
Two are quite large, while the other three
are moderately small and were supposed to
be used bv the attaches of the house.
'Popnlar" demand gave the rooms to the
public and numerous long-cOntinued orgies
are said to have taken place upstairs.
Saturday afternoons and Sundays are the
DAYS when the Casino fiourisheS.
FilrtatlOnS began at tile muslc-StaDd or
the sequesIered walk and con inued to
fhnl l. n1-a.
AT the irdiscretiOns of patrons. especially
If they we're permitted to keep the change
out of Il two-bit piece. Beer and soda
were the popular drinks downstairs, but
small bottles" invariably accompaned
orders from the little rooms upstairs. The
Casino management was accommodating
and the place would remain open as long
as there was patron in sight or a posi-
bllity of one arriving.
The business of the "rOadhouses" near
the Park entrances was sadly affected
when the half-wOrld began TO flock to the
Casino, and at some of the houses they tell
queer tales of the saloon in the Golden
Gate Park.
These stories came to the ears of the
Commissioners and Superintendent Nc
Laren, but no particular attention was
paid 10 Them, especially because Of the
fact that the transgressiOns were not so
Il grant as those permitted in downtown
cdiuphos Dub bur ulu OUc
thing. They made up their minds that the
lease on the Casino would never be re-
newed-at least not during their incual-
beDcy. The lessee knew of this intention,
and consequently he made no application
for reissue The three years lease ex-
pired last May, but the Comm isSloDers
gave its holder until Septem Der l to va
cate. Then the Casino will pass into his
tory, and in its stead will rise a museum.
The "roadhouses." east and west and
north of the park. will feel relieved oil a
most formidable rival, and the sale of
liquor in Golden Gate Park will be as
strictly prohibited as is the picking of
flowers or bagging of game.
When Commissioner Sow was asked
the underlying motive of the intention 10
abolish The Casino, he thought a momen t.,
and said: go and see McLaren; he
knows all about it,"
Accordingly Superintendent McLaren
was called upon last night and said
II have no positive knOwl-dge of anv
transgression OF the terms of the lease of
the Casino, vet l have frequently heard
the stories of carousals and orgies at that
place. l have never approved OF the place
and am heartily glad the Commits issioners
have decided to abandon the saloon ad-
junct of the park. 1t has been a stigma
and shame. The ToadhOuses that cluster
about the entrances are bad enough, and
the Casino seems to have been conducted
on lines similar TO them. Ihe place stays
open as long as it can find a patron, and
the festivities at times have been un-
seemy.
II have frequently heard that the up
stairs r0. ms were used for QuestiOnab
purposes. but | have no positive knOwl-
edge of the matter any more than / have
of the dives and ladies' entrance saloons
down in the city. The stories have not
been quietly circulated. nor have they
been kept from the ears OF the Commits
soners."
1t will be gratifying to well-wishers of
the park to know that the obnoxious place
is doomed to disappear. but It's foul-smell-
ing nelghbOrs on Stanyan street will be
bene tteu by the removal.
Still, with the advent Of September
Golden Gate Park will be freed from the
maintenance of an institution that prom
iSed soon to rank with the purlieus OF
kearny, Ellis and Stockton streets.