The Washington times., 1903-05-08
WILDWOOD" IHRIVES
AND SEEMS POPULAR
Extensive Patronage for
TakOma Park PoOlrOOm.
OVER 400 MEN BET ON RACES
River View Turf Club and Wildwood
Club Tickets Blaze Way to Hotel.
Probable Issue Over License.

Several hundred men are at wildwood
today. and those who have the money
and inclination are making bets on the
yesterday, and the poolroom attachment
of the resort was doing rushing busi-
ness, despite the protests of the in
censed citizens of Takoma Park
1t is manifest, judging from what was
seen at casual visit to the place yes
terday, that Proprietors Andrews and
Turner Will go ahead selling liquor and
tickets until the courts decide whether
their Takoma Park opponents have
right to stop them.
In the meantime the attendance is in
creasing, most of the visitors coming
from Washington, and gagged by the
numbers OF blasted hope" tickets
those bought on horses that fail to win
which are torn into pieces and scat
tered along the railroad track, the
profits of the Wildwood Hotel" are
growing with the attendance
A Trail of Pool Tickets.
These tickets blaze the way to the
betting room. Torn into soiled bits, the
trail begins at the little station where
the tracks of the Washington and Bal
timore Traction Company branch into
the forest from the main line on
Brightwood Avenue. Then the trail fol-
lows the curving rails OF the 'Balti-
more" line, increasing among the wild
flowers beside the trackbed until they
reach the asphalt walk leading up to the
hotel. There they are SO thick that
visitors walk upon them.
On some appear the name River View
Club and on others. Wildwood Club.
cause the Wildwood tickets were not
| ready for the opening day.
| For what place the former were print
ed could not be learned. There is a
River View resort at Jackson City
and another near Baltimore.
| At the end Of the trail of torn tickets
the usual concomitants OF road house
were disclosed. Groups of sports" sat
| in the shade on the broad porch, talking
and smoking. Here and there some
We're drinking.
| On the whole, the resort was as or
| derly as poolroom is expected to be.
to the place remarked:
1T warn't intended for no Sunday
school picnic. Licker is sold to drink
thar, and bets is made on the hosses.''
1t is in this light the citizens of Ia
koma view the new enterprise at
Wildwood. 1t may be orderly as pool
rooms so, say the citizens. but they
have no use for poolroom and liquor
selling.
The Legality of a License.
The hotel has a license to sell liquor
generally. For the poolroom they have
no license of law, and when asked about
it one of the principals answered; Il
don't think they need one" The liquor
license, however, was obtained from
Prince George county, while the charter
of Takoma Park says the town shall
have control of the sale of liquor On
this point of law the citizens of Takoma
say they are going to take the matter
into court, and it is this point the pro-
Drietors Will fight.
The rFoprietors have arranged, as
promised, that the trip can be made to
Wildwood for five cents. When one
leaves the Brightwood Avenue line he
simply gets aboard the car for Wild
wood. No transfers are needed. No fares
are collected, and no questions are
asked. 1t is a free ride
Mayor J. 3. Kinnear and his associate
authorities of Takoma are busy prepar-
ing a case against the Wildwood people.
They are working in secret. When ask
| ed yesterday what form the action would
take. Mr. Kinnear said;
4 cannot say anything as to our in
tentions, because it would probably in
| terfere with our plans. We are going
ahead. however, and will see if the place
Will be allowed to remain undisturbed."