Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-31
RAN TOWN ON FINES
PAID BY AUTOISTS.
Village Near National Capital Derives
Big Income from Owners of
Automobiles

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 25.- TSpe-
elal. Some fifteen years ago q party of
Philadelphians bought tract of land on
the Conduit road, just over the Maryland
line, from the District of Columbia. Here
they undertook to establish a "Chautau-
qua An enormous auditorium was
erected and several other buildings of
almost equal magnitude. In addition.
there were built sevcnty-live COTTAGES.
The first year that the place was opened
Il great many cottagers and tenters at
tended the lectures and for a few weeks
1T looked as though the enterprise would
be successful. Then came the slump. and
the Chautauqua idea was abandoned.
Soon the place grew very much like
Goldsmith's deserted village in appear
ance.
Town Has Sprung Up.
Then some one bought one of the cot
tages, and he was soon followed by others
until about a year ago the village of
Glen Echo incorporated, and now it has
sprung into international prominence
through the activity of its municipal au-
thorities.
The Conduit road is n government Gre
alton. 1t covers the water conduits which
bring WaShington's aqueos supply from
the Great Falls of the Potomac TO the
reservoir supplying the city's needs 1t
Is well kept roadway and is popular
among autOmobiliStS.
The taxable property of Glen Echo ia
comparatively insignificant in value and
the enterprlSlng mayor of the town had
to look around for other means of rails
ing revenue He called his counsellOrs
togethers and they adopted an auto speed
ordinance and appointed a marshal to
enforce it. Since the creation of the mu-
niclpal government of this insignificant
hamlet, people so fortunate as to own
automobiles have been mulcted to an
extent which if continued promises to
make the treasury of Glen Echo the
most plethoric of any village of its size
in the world.
Five or six times every evening the
vigilant marshal holds up an automobile
and hales the occupants before his honor
the mayor and in each instance the treas
ury of the municipality is enriched by
fine Of from $40 to $50 and no guilty
speeder is permitted to leave without de
posting the cash or valuable collateral.
Arrest an Ambassador
While there was a great deal of growl-
ing among Washington car owners over
the action of the Glen Echo officials
nothing official came of it until they
undertook to hold and fine the Italian
ambassador and the Duke AbruzZi. Then
they found that the United States law
would protect the ENJOYS of foreign pow
ers from annoying enforcement of petty
municipal regulations. Now the state
department has the matter under cOnsid-
Grafton but whatever the outcome may
be the mayor and marshal of Glen Echo
have succeeded in making themselves
known far beyond the confines of Mary
land or even the United States Of Amer
lea.
Big Fish Landed.
Up to date several diplomats, upwards
of twenty senator's and hundreds of other
people more or less prominent have been
arrested and fined for speeding on the
Conduit road and the financial returns to
the village of Glen Echo during the past
three months from these fines exceed the
total revenue of the hamlet from all other