Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-09-26

TIN, admittedly rejecting upon tfl
court and upon the judge personally.
Schaefer and Amis have been the
most conspicuous figures in fight
for reform which has within years
time metamorphosed the famous Ar.
kansas spa from a rendezvous of gam.
blers. swindlers and municipal graft.
ers. into a city free from gambling
"hells." pool rooms. wine rooms. con.
fidence men and swindlers who for
merly thrived by preying upon the
unfortunate invalids and others who
came here by the thousands to heal
themselves in the celebrated waters
controlled by the United States gov
eminent. From the "widest-open
town in America. where folly and in
iquity held high revel Hot Springs
has been transformed into compare.
lively respectable city. In years
time twenty of the most famous gam.
bling palaces In the United States
have been forced to close their doors.
eight thriving pool rooms where hun
dreds sambled daily. on ponies gallop-
ing In all parts of the United States,
have been driven out two race tracks
put out of commission and numerous
other reforms effected. OF the two
tracks Essex park was forced into
bankruptcy, while OaKlawn. Dan
Stuarts famous half.million dollar
plant has been turned to more leglti-
mate uses as the headquarters of the
Arkansas Fair association
X. o. schaefer, the youthful editor
OF the Daily Bulletin, who is largely
responsible for the accomplishment of
these reforms, is but 22 years of age.
and appears even younger. That he
has the courage of his convictions is
shown by the fact that once before he
went to jail, editing his paper from
behind the bars, rather than pay fine
imposed for contempt of court Little
more than a year ago the Hot
Springs gang was laughing uproar-
ousy at what was considered the
harmless enthusiasm of callow
youth. Today the laughter has sub
sided to a sickly grin, and is likely
tn vanish entirely.
''It is particully gratifying to us"
iaid Schaefer In an interview, that
the reform movement has been what
might be termed commercial sue
cess. Many prominent citizens anu
some of the reform exponents. at that.
actually believed that common decen-
cy and honesty will kill the resort.
They believed that when the gamblers
and the wealthy members of the sport.
ing element who formerly filled this
city during the winter season were
given the cold shoulder, that the city,
depending as 1t does on tourist patron
age, would suffer irreparable damage
Others of more farseeking Judgment
believed that thousands of respectable
patrons We're being kept away from
Hot Springs on account of its notori.
Gus character as gambling resort,
and have had their theory sustained to
a most gratifying degree As soon as
the word went out that Hot Springs
had been civilized marked increase
IL the number of health seekers and
the better class of tourists resulted,
which has made the present summer
season twenty per cent ahead of what
1t ever was before"
The Rev. w. T. Amis, Editor Schae-
fer's co.worker in the battle for re-
FORM is now being doomed for gov
ernor OF Arkansas on the strength of
the reputation he has gained by fight
Ing the Hot Springs gang"
1--WE will continue our fight until the
last CRATER Is out of office or in the
penitentiary and until the men who
have stuffed the ballot boxes with bur
lap and excelsior and stolen the citi-
zens' ballots are punished" is the war
llh' VI tbN 'l'i
man. Ams is also young man, the
Hot Springs church being his first
pastorate.
1t Is now generally admitted among
the business men of Hot Springs that
reform has been good thing for the
town. Many men who at first looked
upon the reform crusade as disturb
Ing element that was likely to "hurt
business" and make capital timid
are now lined up in the reform ranks.
Few would care now to return to the
old regime, when Hot Springs, naked
and unashamed. faunted its sins to
the world. The goddess of Chance
has been thrown from the pedestal
she SO long occupied as the ruling
deity OF the Arkansas spa. The efforts
of the reformers have shown that a
town may be both prosperous and de
| cont. A martyrdom In jail will only
serve to add to the fame of the Hot
| Springs crusaders
Washington, Sept. 24.-Bids were
opened at the navy department today
a.