Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-23
60,OOOPEOPLE
EXPECTED FOR
PRIZE FIGHT
Toledo Hotelrnen Preparing
to House 10000 Visitors
Over Night.

Toledo, O, Juns 2s.-rhis city must
grapple with a difficult housing prob
lem in preparing for the enormous
crowd expected here to witness the
heavyweight championship contest
between Jess Willard and Jack Demp-
sey July 4. With a seating capacity
estimated at about $4,000 in the arena
1t Is estimated that at least 60, 900 Wis
itors will be in Toledo the day of the
bout. OF these about one-third, or
100000, r expected to be in the city
over night. Sc
Toledo itself is a city Of about 30O,-
600 population and even in normal
times hotel accommodations are in
adequate. The acity boasts Of eleven
hotels of 100 or more rooms capacity
and ten more of fifty rooms or better.
The two biggest hotels have been
sold OUT for the last six weeks.
Nearly all the other larger hotels have
reservations calling for their full ca
pacity. The smaller hotels are filling
more slowly, but unquestionably will
be occupied to capacity long before
July 8.
All the hotels plan to install extra
cots and beds in the rooms. A flat rate
of IS a bed, whether there are two or
half a dozen beds in each room, has
been established as the minimum.
Only a few newspaperrnen. who have
been on the scene a month or more,
alone. Other guests will be obliged to
share their rooms with as many per-
sons as the management sees fit to
provide beds for.
Estimates place the total bedding
accommodations in the hotels at a
discrepancy of $4,000 beds for the
number of persons expected to spend
the night Of July 8 in Toledo.
Ad Q. Thatcher, a Toledo sports
man. is the leader in the enterprise to
provide sleeping accommodations for
this overflow. Thatcher and several
associates, have obtained leases on a
downtown district and for the last
month have been installing cots. The
two largest of these buildings, the
Terminal building and a five story
structure formerly occupied by Tole-
dos largest department store. will
provide o for 5000 and $500 cots
respectively, while others probably
Thatcher and his associates are in
environments. All bedding for the
temporary sleeping accommodations
is being rented from Chicago. linen
for 10000 cots having been secured
by the Toledoans. Probably 10000
beds will be ready by July 3, which
leaves only 1000 extra sets" for any
emergencies which are bound to arise.
Lodging houses are preparing to do
q land Office business. Like many 9TH
err American cities. Toledo has out
grown its housing accommodations in
the last few years due to the great in
dustrial growth and rooming quarters
are none too plentiful even in normal
times. Keepers of lodging houses are
planning to double up their regular
guests to make room for the expected
influx Of visitors.
Toledo is within a short train dis
lance Of many large cities and hun
dreds. OF persons will stop over night
in these cities, coming to Toledo only
In time for the contest. Hundreds,
perhaps thousands, Of persons will
stay all night in Chicago, Detroit and
Cleveland, all within. a few hours ride
Of Toledo. @s..eS - h
Pullman and steamer accommoda-
lions cannot be- counted upon. The
United States railroad administration
has ruled that AZ cannot permits the
boxing contest TO. interfere. wtthttrain
movements vital to, the disqualification
LOT returning troops and has already
cancelled permits for many special
trains which had been planned for the
contest. Persons who were planning
on making the trip on these special
trains will therefore have to come to
Toledo before the bout and will add
to the crowd OF visitors here.