Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-19

Under the caption Wheeling is Wide
Open" the Morning Telegraph of New
York, in its issue of Thursday morning,
contains the following telegram from
Pittsburg:
A party of we'll known spectators
Just returned here from Wheeling, w.
Va, report that the Nail City sports
expect to see their city the centre of
observation OF the pugilitic world next
fall and winter. The home of the
Gardner boys-Oscar and Eddie-has
always been more or less identified
with exhibitions of the manly art of
self defense. And the boxing frater-
nifty has always met with substantial
patronage at the hands Of West Vir-
ginia sporting enthusiasts.
With speculation of all kinds in
Wheeling public and wide open under
the sanction OF the local authorities,
pool rooms, athletic clubs and race
tracks there run amy old style of bet
ting that they prefer. In fact, every
thing in the line Of speculation goes
at Wheeling so long as the participants
are half way orderly about it.
As a matter of fact, with the city
receiving a thousand dollars for every
license granted pool rooms ct al, fresh
capital in the sporting line is welcom-
ed in that part of the Ohio river val
ley, whatever may be the situation in
its sister State on the opposite side of
the great river.
Ever since the situation in New York
has been SO cloudy regarding the moot
ed repeal OF the Horton betting law,
the eyes Of more than n eastern pro-
moter of f1stic contests have been turn
ed to Wheeling as the Mecca and flu
ture refuge of the boxing fraternity
in case their occupation in Gotham be-
comes a thing of the past, existing only
IN memory. And the looked for has
row partly come in the shape of east
ern money as an investment in a good
sized chunk Of Wheeling land.
Early this week a real estate trans
action was closed involving the trans
fer of a large plot of ground in Wheel
ing's suburbs, for a sum we'll up in four
figures. The purchasing agent was
later found to be a party connected
with well known eastern managers of
boxing matches and athletic bouts in
general, and the members of the sport
ing fraternity in Wheeling were at once
On the qui vive of expectation.
Further investigation unearthed the
purpose for which the ground will be
used. In anticipation of a compulsory
exodus, sooner or later, the prizefight-
Ing fraternity from New York, a larger
building, modelled on the lines of the
Olympic Club structure at New Or
leans, that of the Coney Island Athletic
ClulI or the Westchester Club house
at Tuckahoe, N. Y, will be erected at
Once, plans for the same having been
already given out to a well known
local a~rcitect in the Exchange Bank
building at Wheeling.
From all of which it is not to be
wondered at that the Wheeling and
Pittsburg sporting fraternity are shak-
Ing hands with each other over the
outlook for a genuine Monte Carlo en-
terprise in the former city, for other
features besides boxing exhibitions are
said to be contemplated.
Even if the Horton law should sue
cessfully weather it's next crisis, in
September, this West Virginia enter
prise should prove a paying venture,
owing to the open welcome from State
and local lawmakers extended to sports
in general, with any form of specula-
ton and public betting allowed, so
long as the aforesaid spectators be-
have themselves. Sensible Wheeling!
Dan A Stuart, of Texas and New
York, is the man generally supposed
to be behind the new venture, but the
report could not be verified here to-
night. Such we'll known men here as
John Quinn, M. F. Hughes. Buck"
Connolly and others say that it is a
surprise to them that no n has start
I'd such an enterprise before, while in
Wheeling partners Fields & McLaugh-
lin, of the Turf Exchange, John Scott,
George Murphy and others are much
enthused over the outlook.