The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-01
WHEBLMEN HOMELESS.
Hudson County Association
Abandons the Club on
Belmont Avenue.
EMBARRASSED FIHAHCES THE sGLUSE
Mr.. Appleby Assumes the 81, 900
Mortgage and Then Cuts
Loose From the Club.

The Hudson County Wheelmen will
be without home before the end of next
week. All the furniture in the old club
house at No. so Belmont avenue will
have been moved and stored In some
warehouse.
The new officers who were elected re-
Gently will be installed this evening, but
they will find the Hudson County Wheel
men club in name only. The new off,
GERS are:-President, r. A. Simpson; Vice.
President. G. v. Tuthill; Secretary, H NJ
Storer; Treasurer, DR.. E. w. Harlan; Di-
rectors E. c. Snitzer, e. Nevins, George
Blakeslee, W. Schaffer and James RAN
som. IT
J. Charles Appleby will take possession
of the clubhouse, which practically passed
out of the hands of the wheelmen two
weeks ago, when for consideration they
signed it over to Mr.. Appleby.
The Hudson County Wheelmen orgnxr
lied in April, 1882, and are the fourth
Oldest wheel club in the United States.
They prospered and gained in strength
and influence to such an extent A6at five
years ago they decided to own their own
clubhouse. They secured the property at
No. so Belmont avenue for $500. It re-
quired s2,4O0 more to convert 1t to suit
their needs. Fifteen hundred dollars
were paid on the property and the own
ers took a mortgage for $4,000. The club
was incorporated and stock to the
amount of $500 was issued in. shares Of
$40 each, to cover the cost of acquiring
and improving the clubhouse.
MIR. Appleby at that time bought about
$50 shares of the stock.
In 1884 the Wheelmen fell behind with
their taxes and found it necessary to
borrow $500 to pay them. Mr.. Appleby
advanced the money and also assumed
the mortgage of $4,000, which was begin
ming to- be a burden upon the organiza-
tion. In return the Wheelmen gave Mr..
Appleby the deeds to the property on
these conditions
That he should hold it in trust and re-
turn the title to the club whenever they
should assume the mortgage, and pay
him what they owed him, also that the
Wheelmen should occupy the building
during his lifetime by merely paying the
taxes and keeping it in repair
A year ago Mr.. Appleby had some
slight disagreement with the officers Of
the club. and as a result he resigned. 1t
is alleged that recently ne patched UP
all differences and expressed his inten-
tion of having his name proposed for re-
admittance to the club. It Is said, fur
ther, that several of the Wheelmen de-
clared that If his name was proposed
they would blackball him. This. it is
claimed. led Mr.. Appleby to seek re-
lease from his agreement to give the
Wheelmen the use of the clubhouse dur
ing his life. As he had quietly bought
up enough os the stock to make
his share command a controlling vote
it was decided to release him from his
agreement when he asked It, He paid the
club $3.50 in consideration of the release.
When this deal was effected a meeting
of the stockholders was held and it was
proposed to sell the clubs effects, such
as household furniture. billiard tables,
etc., to satisfy them. They decided, how
ever. that the amount to be realized by a
forced sale would be so little that it would
not pay. II was decided at this meeting
to vacate the clubhouse as soon as pos
sible and store the club effects until such
time as the members feel that they can
afford to rent or buy other quarters.