Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-10-13

mates of the American Legion and
American Legion Auxiliary, who went
to the New Jersey convention at Lake
Hopatcong on September 14th to 18th,
inclusive, are back, and with them
comes the news that Wildwood won
the convention for 1928.
Mayor w. COPYRIGHT Smith, who
helped to get the Motion Picture Con-
vention and the New Jersey State
Hotel Association from the same
place went with the Wildwood dele
gates and a%lternates. The Wildwood
delegates were Post Commander Al
fred Winterburn, Elmer J. Sinnamon,
Harry E. Weir, Harry F. Greaves, and
William Woods. The Auxiliary dele
gates were Mrs. ]. Albert Harris, Mrs.
William H. Smith and Mrs. Elsie Phil
lips. Mrs. William Woods accom-
panied her husband and Mrs. Weir ac-
companied Mr.. Weir.
Mr.. and Mrs. Weir made the trip
by motor as did Mayor Smith and
Messrs. Winterburn, Sinnamon and
Greaves. The others went by train.
The Wildwood delegates took with
them a thousand Wildwood buttons in
Orange and Black, the city colors, n
bearing the legend, "Wildwood-by-the-
Sea. September, T~wenty-three,"
thousand copies of the wildwood song,
"I'm Wild About Wildwood" and as
many lead pencils also painted IN
orange and black. The latter were
given by the T. S. Goslin Lumber Com
pany. These souvenirs played an m
portant part in securing the owen
ton. The buttons were pinned TO
everyone who would wear them on the
first day. That evening a copy of the
SONG was placed at every plate and
the orchestra played the song while
the wildwood folk taught the conven-
ton of nearly a thousand to sing 1t.
Every minute of the Wildwood dele
cations time was taken in election
eering and roofing for the convention
and very little sleep was enjoyed by
anyone. The reception accorded
the convention by the Hotel Alamac
was not one to make business for the
hotel nor win friendship for the man
agement. The rate was 81 a day, and
in some cases for four in a room, and
the menu was cut down to a minimum
despite the fact that about IL regular
guests paying no higher rates were
served in another DOR from the
regular menu. No entertainment was
given and the guests were left to
amuse themselves as best they might
ILL. -0kL;0O hut q 1oE o &c q haCiC
The last straw was the action OF
the Mayor of the town. The cars of
the delegates were parked on hotel
property overnight and on the second
night their numbers were all taken
by the policeman, who is also an m
ployee in the Mayors garage, the only
one open. Forty angry delegates gath
cred around the Mayor, who announc-
ed that it would cost them $500 to
park in the street or $1.0O if parked
in his garage. The delegates had
learned that the garage was owned by
the hotel owners and leased to the
Mayor and that the street was not a
public thoroughfare but private
grounds. Their knowledge Of the stu
alton and the fact that his honor was
believed to firt with the Volstead Act
for profit caused a cessation of hos
tilities and the fines were not paid.
The delegates parked their cars on the
hotel athletic field in spite of the own
ers' refusal to grant permission.
other little items, such as charging
fifty cents for a bathing suit and then
fifty cents more for bathing in the
lake helped to give the delegates a
feeling that Lake Hopatcong is a fine
place to stay away from at all times.
"Jerry's," the famous gambling house
within a stones throw of the hotel
was, along with the cafes and other
places, dispensing liquid refreshments,
raided by state police the week before
the arrival of the convention.
After the first day no n except
ing a few Atlantic and Ocean City
delegates were talking anything for
the next convention excepting Wild
wood. The South Jersey delegates
met in caucus and went unanimously
for Wildwood, Atlantic City withdraw
ing after learning that city had no
chance.
A few hours later the Ocean City
delegates decided to stay in the race
and Atlantic City pooled interests, Of
fering $4,000 to help Ocean City out.
About that time Trout from Ocean
City decided he needed help and tele-
graphed to Mayor Champion to come
to Hopatcong. A meeting of the
Convention Committee was held in the
absence of it's chairman, and disre-
garding all parliamentary usages or
fairness the committee voted four for
Ocean City and one for Wildwood. In
stead of the Wildwood delegation at
lacking the double-cross and demand
ing that the committee meet with the
proper chairman and minus the dele
gates run in for the occasion, they de-