The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1920-02-04
LIQUOR FLOWS
AT TIJUANA
Herman KOenekamy, SOjOur1ing In
California, Visits New Town Across
Mexican Line from San Diego
MEN AND. WOMEN AT THE BAR

MEN AMI. WOMEN AT THE HAN
est White Blend in Border Monte
Cario-The Race Track
We are in receipt of q cOmmunica.
ton from our old friend, Herman Koene.
kamp, who with his wife, is spending
the winter months in California. Mr..
Koenekamp writes that he and his wife,
Mr.. and Mrs. H. F. Johannsen and Mr..
and Mrs. H. F. Koenekamp spent two
days at San Diego and while there took
occasion to motor across the boundary
into Mexico, where they visited Tijuana
which has become miniature Monte
Carlo, where liquor flows freely and
gambling is INDUCED in by hundreds OF
tourists.
Mr.. Koenekamp enclosed n clipping
from San Diego newspaper describing
Tijuana, which will be of interest to Re.
view readers. The article follows
They're OFF, at Tijuana.
Those four words paint picture de-
serving the brush of a racemaker's g
study, with contrasts done in vivid col
ors and depicting the variations of hui
man proclivfties from deepest crimson
/ to the purest white. q
Tijuana, oasis Of the thirtsy; refuge
Of those devotees who kneel at the
shrine Of the elusive goddess of chance.
reckoning with alluring fingers to those
who love the sport Of kings-Tjuana. a
city remade, rejuvenated overnight by
virtue alone of that imaginary line call
ed the boundary of Mexico. Born OF
this line is this study in contrasts. Lead
ing to it from the protesting city OF San
be the worst road in the world, but 1t
is the worst ever saw for bumps, ruts
and general cussedness. 1t carries on
the brown derby from all other roads
since the demise of the late Mr.. Caesar.
The Road to Ruin
This road Is getting its share of ad-
vertising, not only from the thousands
of motorists who have tOiled over and
through 1t in the past two days, but
from the ministers of San Diego. AS
this is written thirty. three preachers Of
this city are addressing their fiocks on
"the road to hell and it is the strip of
mud and ooze from San Diego to IL
juana that is the subject Of their SER
mons.
But at the end Of the weary motor
lists rainbow across the line is q pot
Of silver, big round silver dollars, wait
ing to be lured to the pockets Of the Wis
meets the eye, in Mexico, is q large sign
reading, This way to Monte Carlo,
and on its left lies the road to the race
truck. a hundred Yards distant. ~ 4. Z:
These two places, the track and the
casino, are Tijuana at present. Hence
the endless line Of automobiles, hence
the pulpit humping, hence the study
!, in contrasts. Sponsored by Jim Con-
roth and Baron Long they DecameI Sat.
urday' the mecca Of thousands Rwho
.carrle to look and iremainedtto play
in those spots, unique, perhaps on the
North American continent. i3Rr it
5@elThe racetrack. a magnificent plant,
re{1olent of new paint, was crowded Sat
ufday afternoon. Nearly 5000 persons
witnessed the reopening of racing under
weather conditions that were ideal. The
SAN scintillated, the horses pranced and
cavorted, the pari.mutuel machines
changed their peans and their knells and
the crowds drank it all in--along with
a considerable quantity Of alcohol.
Brass Rail Of YOre
Underneath the grandstand was the
bar, with brass rail, shiny mahogany
cleaning glasses and everything Tor all
the world like those that used to -four
ish in the United States before the
drouth.' 1t was well patronized by
both sexes, a sign over it's ornate mir.
ror proclaiming 1t was 'for men and for
women"
While the ponies ran; of course, 1t was
deserted, but between races the remarks
S of the Carolina governors passed from
lin to lip. Yet there was little drunken
ness. 1919 3li2l
i saw four drunken persons In that
large crowd and perhaps a score more
who. obviously had been imbibing. But
the people who had come to that race
track impressed me as having come to
see the races and to bet on them. Many
persons never left the grandstand and
the colorful scene, the bright dresses
Of the women, the yells as the horses
came into the stretch and the vast sigh
Of They're off," combined to form an
atmosphere that was redolent or sport
but not of vice. I expected to see at
this racetrack scene of semi-debauch-
ery-I did not see it.
Under the far end Of the stand. in
the betting ring, it was the same. The
crowd was put for fun, conservative
fun. There were few large wagers. Two
dollars was the favorite sum. and I no
ticed very few bets OF more than $lo on
a race.
Sartorially, the occasion was not q
fashion display Most of the women had
come too far to be able to appear In the
costumes that mark the brilliant gath
erings at Pimlico, Longchamps or Au.
teuil. Sport costumes there We're, OF
course, of fetching design and many
beautiful furs, but most of the spec
tators were dressed quietly ana warm
ly. as beseemed motorists from Los
70. ~.