The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-11
Take a Look at the Mid
West; Depression Is
No Fun.
RESORT OWNERS FLAT
Don't Whine About Bad
Business; Some Have
1t Worse.
BY CHARLES CARLL

Hotels begging for patronage, eS-
pecially those in summer resort
areas where unbelievably low prices
are asked for room and board, and
not room alone, as the story read.
Farmers admit they don't know
what will happen and lean on fences
and sit in filling stations along the
countryside to tell you that the flu
ture is a blank.
And, above all, operators of sum-
nner resorts and other Ravens of
the vacationists, now at the pin
nacle of the season, plead with the
vacation public to come in" The
operator of the chance racket in
these places has changed his policy.
The chances are shorter mad he'll
double your winnings for you.
1t Costs Little
That's the way the situation sizes
up in Indiana, Kentucky and
Ohio.
All those people-thousands of
.them-whose summer livelihood
means their salvation this winter
are the hardest hit by the depres-
sion.
Any man, woman or child who
knows his midwest, can start in the
family auto with less than 500 in
the First National and enjoy, what
in 1929, was a wealthy mans
vacation.
Decrease of motoring vacationists
is evident any weekday on any
road leading out of indianapolis.
Take the route to Cincinnati. Miles
of the road are desolate.
Garages and restaurants along the
road are in the most serious stages
of desertion.
It's a Dark Future
Business men in the Ohio city
will tell you the outlook for the
winter is dark. The populace, those
that can afford to move to avoid
summers heat, are encamped along
the White Water and Ohio rivers.
Living is cheap there and many of
them will be there most of the
winter.
The others are in the city. Thou
sands are out of work as in Indian
apolis and seeking jobs that would
bring food for the dirty faced chill
dren playing on streets near the
Ohio.
More and more of these people
are spending vacations at home.
The salaried man with job says
it's cheaper"
One key to the construction bust
ness in Kentucky and Ohio is in
the foundry business. And owners
of foundries declare that one week
it appears that business may pick
up while the next two, three or four
finds the company almost idle.
Take the Race Track
Latonia, KY, only few minutes
from the Cincinnati suspension
bridge, and the hand-in-h hand neigh
Dor of Covington, boasts Of its race
track. The final day of the meet
this year found horses competing in
seven races under a hot sun before
a crowd that the newcomer thought
was an example that Mother Hub
bard went to the cupboard and was
going to spend her last bone" on a
race.
The frequenter of the track
shakes his head in despair.
It's not what it used to be-
It's Same Story
In Dayton business men and resi-
dents tell the same story Of hard
times and no future. To them the
summer is a season that reduces
coal and clothing bills; the winter
is something to dread.
Again to the north through miles
and miles of choice Ohio farmland
in the central section of the neigh
boring state. The fields are burned
by sun and thirsty for rain. Grass
hoppers in flights that beat against
the windshield are bordering on
the stage of menace to the farmers.
One hundred miles farther north,
in a vicinity made famous by an
inland lake, hotels, cottages and
amusements, three things in the
amusement section alone bring
home the depression.
A sign on boat landing says you
can take boat ride around the lake
for so cents, with music and en-
tertainment as added features.
Listen to the Cap"
But listen to the captain" of this
inland lake steamer as he sings
for his supper:
Come on, folks; see the lake in
a 'beeootifur one-hour boat ride.
Don't pay any attention to that sign.
The price is just quarter now"
And after the cut-rate boat ride,
there is the man who wouldn't take
YOUR dime unless he guessed within
three pounds of your weight.
But his story is different, too.
Now he charges Is cents and If he
doesn't guess you within those three
pounds you get a box of candy
And he says:
Il gotta eat, the same as you.
To some of them, Is cents isn't so
much"
It's Not a Song, Either
The gray-haired woman who
operates the fish pond in which
most of us at some time or another
fished our way to luck, told her
story in the closing hours of day
at the Ohio lake resort.
IF you spend more than a
quarter I'll give you a dollars worth
of merchandise. 1t is the top of
the season now and I've got to get
rid of my stock. It's no good to
me this winter but money, at any
price, is"
That's not a sales song and dance
either.
For after she closes her stand she
will tell you that this summer is
the most barren in her fifteen years
behind the smooth waters of the
fish pond.