Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-08

! In another column of todays Star appears
| a description of the conditions now prevail
| ing at Chesapeake Junction. a so-called
| pleasure park, at the terminus of the Co
| lumbia railroad, just over the District line
| In Maryland. 1t Is also pointed out that
| the expectation prevails in some quarters
! that this resort may become even more
| vicious than it now is by reason of the re-
| moval there of some of the sporting clubs
soon to be driven out of New York and
| its vicinity by the operation of the new law
against prize fights.
Whether this hegra of the bruisers takes
place or not. it Is evident from the rnerest
glance at the existing situation that this
! park Is a menace to the morals of Wash
/ ington. requiring drastic attention at the
hands Of the authorities of both the Dis
trict and Maryland. We have already had
a jackson City to suppress Thanks TO the
cooperation of the governor of Virginia
| the citizens of Washington won that fight.
The question arising today as "a result of
this summers developments east of the
city is whether this painful process is TO
| be gone through again in order to prevent
| another vicious nuisance from developing at
| our doors
| The resort appears to be bad enough in
/
/ the respectable residents of the city who
are compelled TO pass through it on their
| way to and from desirable place of sum-
mer recreation that it appeals chiefly at
| present to the remedial attention of the au-
| thoritieS. Located as 1t is on the line to
| Chesapeake Beach, 1t is inevitable that pas
sengers from the latter place, returning 1T
/ night from their days outing. must come in
contact with all the vileness that has &C
| cumulated at this Infamous place during the
| evening, be subjected to the coarse language
and often the rough conduct of the ha5i-
! tues. witness fights on the cars and see
| shameful spectacles of utter demoraliza-
| ton.
| As far as the street car service is con-
| cerned many of these evils can be cured by
| a rigid application of the laws governing
the street railway service But even with
frequent arrests and elections from the
cars the central evil will remain, 20 give
future annoyance and to put The District
to the pains and expense OF keeping i:
under surveillance. unless meanwhue The
state of Maryland should act to relieve the
| capital of this burden. AMI even though
the respectable patrons of the more distaul
| resort could be effectually shielded from
this contamination. the place itself would
/
| in the days of its greatest license.
Already the gambling machine has APP
peared at this park. From The autoInati lie
device to the more elaborate schemes Of
| robbery by so-called games Of chance is bu
| a short step. Indeed the process of evolv.
ing veritable den of inquiry is brief arc
| easy when once the start is rlId.. 1t will
| even need but the addition of the
| prize ring to give Washington a full-fedset
| Coney Island. That such process can %
| stopped short was shown couple OF sea
sons ago when. after single exposure
| the nefarious business fiourishing al GIer
| Echo was suppressed. to give place III an.
| other season to the delightful resort now
open to the people there. If this could be
done in one county of Maryland surely II
can be done in another. and the capital will
| look to see the state continue its activity
| in behalf OF the general welfare.