The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-18
GEN. HOLT'S STATEMENT
NEGROES WILL NOT nE ALLOWED
 AT ATHLETIC PARK.
Owner of Property Says Colored Rase- Ball Team Played Game There .
 Dy Authority of Tom 0,Hrfeu~

OWHet OI EhOpCrty SayD NOhOFOu A@oC@ Ball Team Played Game There . Dy Authority of Tom Editor The Advertiser.
 My attention has been called to an article headed. Tt Will Kill Athletic Park and Pickett Springs" and signed "A Patron." published in The Adver- tiser of Saturday. June 18th. 1905.
 Montgomery Traction Company . lease to the land. free of rental for q period of five years. beginning January 1st. 1908, on which Athletic Park is loca- ted. At the time gave use of this land to the Traction Company. 1t was my purpose to contribute the use of the land. in order that the Traction Company might fit up suitable build ings and grounds as a Baseball Park for the accommodation of the public. and also with the understanding that only white persons would be allowed to play ball on these grounds.
 The game of ball which was played by negroes on these grounds Satur- day was played there without my knowledge or consent. have been informed by Mir. W. H. Ragland, Gen. eral Manager of the Montgomery Trac- ton Company, that 1t was done con-
 
 also that the arrangement was made By MT. OBrien. manager of the Mont- gomery baseball team. He assures me that the use of these grounds by me- .groes for playing ball or other pur- poses will not be permmitted by the Montgomery Traction Company at any time in the future.
 I have repeatedly refused to lease park grounds to negroes on the Pick 1fnA of Traction Company because I thought to do so would be detrimental to the best interests of the Trac- ton Company, and against the wish es of the great majority of the white people of Montgomery I also thought 1t would be more satisfactory to the colored people to have a public park of their own on a different line. and made preliminary arrangements for the location of park for negroes at or about the place where Washing ton Park is now located. on what was proposed to be an extension of the Mobile Street line by the Montgomery Traction Company. The persons in control of the Traction Company at that time saw fit not to complete the extension of this line and establish tho park for negroes. as contemplated. and Mir. Ragland. after accepting a posi- tion with the Montgomery Street Railway. carried out. in a large meas ure. the idea in the location and building up of Washington Park on the line of the Montgomery Street Railway.
 My lease contract with the Mont gomery fraction for Athletic Park pro- vides. that I shall have the right to cancel that contract for the lease of the land on which Athletic Park is 1aratad certain ranffnuep rfeS and I will exercise what I believe to be my right in cancelling said lease contract before I will permit said park to be used by negroes for playing games of baseball or for any other purpose in future. I am assured. how ever. that there will be no repetition of permitting colored people to play ball on these grounds.
 My contract for the lease of tho park grounds at Pickett Springs with the Montgomery Traction Company. provides that said Traction Company. it's successors and assigns will not sub lease or sublet any part of said prop erty, without obtaining my consent in writing, except to grant privileges thereon. of a character not inconsistent with good order and chastity in a park frequented by the public.
 The contract further provides that the Montgomery Traction Company will expend. in improving said park, a sufficient amount of money to make it an attractive resort.
 One of the causes of difference be- tween me and the Montgomery Trac- ton Company and its managers and officers arose out of the fact that the park at Pickett Springs was IDN fixed up and equipped according to my un- derstanding of the contract, by which was induced to execute the lease for the park grounds and rights-of- way over my property and convey to the Montgomery Traction Company tho franchises which I held.
 Before I sold my stock in the Mont gomery Traction Company and pro- cured a settlement of the litigation which Mir Harmon had with the other stockholders and bond-holders of the present owners of the porperty that they intended to fit, up the park and develop the property of the Montgom- cry Traction Company in a way that would be satisfactor' to the public and highly advantageous to the city and people of Montgomery, and the desire to have these Improvements made was a material consideration to me in mak- ing the settlement.
 I now desire to assure the people of Montgomery that I will use every effort ir my power to have the park at Pickett Springs kept open to white people only; that order and morality will be preserved on the park grounds in such manner that any lady of the city of Montgomery may feel safe in going to the park. and in taking or sending her children there.
 1 feel assured that the park grounds will be kept under such surveillance end management by the Traction Com pany as to permit only such amuse- ments as are chaste and moral in their nature, and that this park will not be used as a resort by other than white persons. Sc lons as this policy Is car ried cut by the Traction Company I shall do all in my power to aid its managers and officers in making the Pickett Springs line a paying invest ment, but If, at any time. an attempt should be made by the managers of the Traction Company or anyone else to open Pickett Springs park to colored people, us q resort, or to use the same as place of gambling. or conducting amusements that are immoral or un- chaste, or permit disorderly conduct on the grounds, I shall do all in my power in opposition to same.
 I have felt, from the beginning of the construction of the lines of the Montgomery Traction Company, and feel now. that tine colored people arc entitled to a park. as d place of re- sort. for playing baseball and for con- ductinG other amusements, but I think such park and place of resort should be located on a line of street railway ether than that on which the park pat ronized by the white people Is located, in order that there may be as little mixing and c1ashing of the two races lAs