Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-24
PROPOSED POOL ROOM
APPLICATION FAVORED BY HAIR
PER's FERRY COUNCIL.
People of Jefferson County, w. Va. to
Hold Mass Meeting to
Protest.
specla! Correspondence of The Star.

Specla! Correspondence of The Star.
CHARLES TOWN, w. Va.
January 23, 1906
Jefferson county, the home of the Wash
ingtons, Masons and others who assisted in
making part of the interesting history of
the United States. is threatened with a pool
room in which wagers on horse races are
to be made, and many of the good people
Of the county are denouncing the move. So
seriously have they taken the affair that
the people of the county are to hold a mass
meeting here Thursday morning. Rev. w.
l.. Gravatt, Misrepresentation of the Epis-
copal Church of West Virginia, and Rev.
Father ]. f. Collins, pastor of the Roman
Catholic Church at Harper's Ferry. are
taking an active interest In the movement
to overthrow the plans of those who are
anxious to operate the turf exchange at
Harper'S Ferry.
A largely attended town meeting was
held in Shepherdstown today in the public
hall, when strong protests were made
against the licensing of the proposed pool
room. The license is applied FOR in the
name of the Metropolitan Turf Exchange of
Washington, at Harpers Ferry a mass
meeting had been called TO protest against
the exchange" and the hall was filed
with people from the town and county. Ad-
dresses were made by Bishop Gravatt and
Rev. J. s. Alfriend of Charles Town. by
J.
A. S. cambridge, who presided over the meet
ing. Bishop GraVatt had documentary tes-
timony from police authorities in Wash
ington as to the character of the proposed
exchange, and he also had the pedigrees of
some of the men who are active In the
present scheme. BY a unanimous vote the
meeting adopted strong resolutions praying
the county court to refuse license to the
exchange and protesting against the in
PRODUCTION of any such evil into this COM
munity."
A report from Harpers Ferry says that
the mayor and town council have acted
fayorabIy upon the application for q license
and it now remains for the county court
to sanction ii. 1t is the purpose Of
those who have issued the call for the
mass meeting to have the matter stated
in such a way that the four members of
the county court will be convinced that
such an establishment will do the town
of Harpers Ferry and the county no good
1t will not pay them TO permit the estab-
lishment of such place, the speakers VIII
argue, in order to get the benefit Of the
license tax that will be derived by the town,
county. and state.
Dispute Over Names.
1t is stated that there. are three names
attached to the app!ica ton for the license
which is in dispute, one of them being an
employee of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, another living in Washington and
the third one living in Philadelphia. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, it
is asserted, is an active party in the move
that is intended to bring gamblers to Har-
per's Ferry from Washington the com
pany having agreed to furnish a fast train
at a reduced rate of fare. 1t is reported
that the company has given a guarantee
that 1t will run an excursion train between
Washington and Harpers Ferry at much
faster speed than the express trains are
now being run. The feeling on part of the
people here is very bitter and some of
them favor appealing to the courts to pre-
vent the establishment of the turf exchange
''The establishment of such place.
said a resident of Charles Town yesterday
will mean a decrease in property values
and may be the means of corrupting some
of the young men of the county"
In order to get an idea as to how the
presence of such a place is calculated to af-
feet the county and the inuences that are
likely to follow, the Alexandria, Va coun-
ty authorities andS Mai. Sylvester chief
of police of Washington, were consulted
The responses satisfied the people who
are opposing the license that such a place
is not wanted in the county.
Maj. Sylvester's Response
Maj Sylvester's response was particular
ly interesting. He states that such places
have proved detriment everywhere they
have been In operation. He says:
Neither the race horse pool room or race
horse hand-books are conducted in order
that the patrons may make money, but IN
order that the management may make It
The gentlemen who are engaged IN tha
business are not In 1t for their health, nor
TO afford their friends "a little amusement
They want your money, and you have
every chance to throw 1t away. The indi-
vidual who wagers In this wise does not
even see the horse run for his money, nor
does he know whether the animal Is n
condition or not While there are few
who may have a friend on the track To
wire tip the many are not so fortunate
or unfortunate as the case may prove.
THE effort on the part of pool room
patron is to get something for nothing
and he soon becomes what is known as
lamb and thousands of The lambs have
been 'sheared.' Years ago pool rooms were
conducted In Washington, and the patron
age in those days WAS extensive, embrace
ing every character OF life. from the lawyer
to the bootblack, and / haze in mind sew