Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-25
TOLEDO HAS BIC PROBLEM
HOUSING OF FIGHT CROWD
DIFFICULTY TO BE SOLVED
Hotels Sold Out and Vacant Buildings
are BeinE Fitted Up rs Sleeping
Quarters for rhOus1nda.

IoLEDO. OHIO. June 24.--This city
must graphic with u difficult housing
problem In preparing for the enormous
crowd expected here TO witness the
heary~eiEht championship contest be-
tween Jess Willard and Jack Dempsey.
mated at about $4,000 in the arena 4,
Is estimated that at least 10000 visitors
VIII be in Toledo the day of the bout.
Ot these about one third. or 10000. are
expected to be in tho city over night.
Toledo itself is city Of about 800,
900 population and even in normal
times the hotel Recommendations arc
Inadequate. The city boasts of eleven
hotels Of 100 or more rooms capacity
and ten more Of nifty rooms or better.
The TWO biggest e. ,,n hotels ,l have been
Nearly ail the Other larger hotels have
pacity The smaller hotels are filling
more slowly, but unquestionably viii
DC occupied to capacity long before
All the hotels plan to install extra
cots and beds In tho rooms. y nat
rate OF IS bed, whether %i,s there arc
has been csta blishcd as the minimum.
only Il few newspaper men; who nave
been on the scene a month or more
other guests will be obliged 10 share
'hoir rooms with as many persons KS
the mana cement sees hit TO provide
Seem Shy About 1900 Bed..
Estimates place the total bedding
accommodations IN the hotels At dis
ercpancy of 1900 beds for the nun
Der Of persons expected To spend the
nigh, OF July in Toledo.
Ad Q. Thatcher. Toledo sportsman.
is the leader in the enterprise TO pro.
vide sleeping accomm odations Cor this
overflow. Thatcher and several assoc
ciates have obtained leases on num-
her of vscan, buildings in tho down.
have been installing, cots; The two
largest Of these building. the Terminal
building and ,hvc-Story structure
formerly occupied by Toledo's largest
department store. viii provide room
for 1000 and 900 cots. respectively.
while others probably Viii have room
for another 1000 beds
Thatcher and his associates arc in
staiiing cots formerly used in army
ram,onmen,s; All bedding, for the tenn
pora.y sleeping accommodations is be-
ing rented from Chicago. linen for
10000 cots having been secured by the
Iolsdans. Probably 10000 beds VIII be
!. 900 extra sets" for any emergencies
which are bound 10 arise.
Lodging Houses VIII Thrive.
Lodging houses arc preparing TO do
4 land office business: Like many
other American cities. Toledo has out
grown it's housing accommodations in
the last Few years due to the Industrial
growth. and rooming quarters are none
Keepers OF lodging houses are plan
Ming to double UP their regular guests
10 make room FOR the expected influx
OF visitors.
Toledo rs within short distance OF
many large cities. and hundreds OF
persons VIII stop overnight In these
cities. coming 10 Toledo only In time
for the contest. hundreds. perhaps
thousands. OF persons VIII stay All
night In Chicago. Dt:roi: and Clevc-
land. all within few hours ride OF
Toledo.
Pullman and steamer acComrnoda lions
cannot be counted upon. The United
states Railroad Administration has
ruled that II cannot allow the boxing
contest TO interfere with rain move
ments vital TO the rehabilitation OF
returning troops and has already can
'eled permits .or many special trains
which had been pianncd for the con-
test. Persona who were planning OH
making the trip on these special trains
viii therefore have 10 como TO Toledo
before tho bout. and Will add TO the
crowd of NiSiiorS hnrc