The suburban citizen., 1900-08-25
The rIOtive for Vicious Attacks on
Reputable Business rIen.
A True Statement About the Columbia Pleasure
Park, Including SOIar-Pexis Blow at the
Kickers-Facts and Figures for
the Scrap Book,
o.:

Junction. how bows in knee brepches
have established q new code of vile
language over at the Junction; how
twelve married men kidnapped forty
three married women at the Junction
and carried them off to a deep cave
near GiesborO Point; how the vilenesS
Of the beer served there caused an
Austrian prince to commit suicide, ~
etc, etc. A scare heading is put on
the article and in a short time it is on
the streets. Many persons will believe
the whole article, some will believe
only part of it, while a very few who
know the facts in the case will not be-
lieve one single line in it,
Let us look this matter squarely in
the face.
The Columbia Pleasure Park is sur
rounded by high board fence enclos-
ing the barrOOm, dancing pavilion, a
small eating house, a bowling alley
and a billiard room. 1t is conducted
by Messrs Gregory & Schultz the
owners and proprietors. The buildings
in the park are all one-story affairs.
In the dancing pavilion one end is
given up to those who like "tO trip
the light fantastic" while the other
half is supplied with neat tables and
chairs for the use Of those who want to
sit down and enjoy a lunch or bottle
Of beer or other refreshments. They
may sit and watch the dancers and
listen to the music by an orchestra all
the evening without buying or being
asked to buy anything whatever If
they want to. No one is impOrtuned
to spend a cent The place is large
enough to accommodate a vast crowd,
and the management want their guests
to enjoy themselves thoroughly. In
return they expect people to behave
themselves, and no one who does that
need expect any trouble at the Colum-
bia Pleasure Park The fact is, a man
can go almost any place he wants to
on earth, and he will never get in
trouble so long as he does behave him
self. Everything is open and above
board at the park, which resembles a
German beer garden. No matter what
you do you can see and be seen by
practically everybody on the grounds.
There are no secret alcoves, no private
bedrooms, no Convenient corners or
other devices to assist evil-disposed
persons in carrying out their nefariOus
schemes. Everything is on the square
Since the Columbia Pleasure Park was
opened, about three months ago, it is
conservatively estimated that fully
250,000 people have been entertained
within its borders. Out of that vast
number not a single person has ever
been killed or even injured and only
seven persons have been arrested for
disOrderly conduct. Out of this num-
ber it is positively known that two of
them were more or less under the in
fluence Of liquor when they came to the
resort. From their conduct it is evil
dent that their intention was after get
ting full in Washington to "gO out to
the Junction and clean the place out"
In short, they were looking for trOu-
BILE, which they thought they would
find lying around in huge chunks out
at the Junction.
Let us see. The city Of Washington
contains about 2OO, 900 people, who are
entertained more or less after a fash
ion every day. In that time there are,
on an average, about forty arrests
covering nearly as many crimes. 1t
takes about four hundred policemen to
keep tile number of arrests down to
that figure, and it costs a small fortune
every day to maintain the service and
the courts, without which there would
be at least a thousand crimes commit
ted every day The Columbia Pleasure
Park management entertained about
100000 people against Washington
100000, and yet there were only seven
arrests for trivial cause, and some of
those were caused by men who were
more or less intoxicated when they
reached the park. And yet this Is the
place that has been held up day after
day as zone of the vilest pest holes in
this country" Column after column Of
rot" has been written about it, much
to the permanent injury of the place
and to the great financial loss of it's
owners.
One Of the seven arrests above men
toned is directly chargeable to a
Washington policeman, who came to
the Pleasure Park under the influence
of liquor, armed with a badge and a
revolver which he drew out and -four
ished in crowd, almost causing a riot
Charges were brought against him, and
in three days from the date of the oc-
currence he was notified that he would
be dismissed from the force the fol-
lowing day unless he resigned. He
thereupon resigned, so as to be eligible