St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-07-07

AooSuN0 oEuASc dOWn tue Ml1AtHs
tickets for the Saturday, 1880
midnight cruise down the river.
The four were Mr.. and Mrs.
u. Mitchell Rhone. e4s Igiehart
Ave, J. Alphonso Horton, 67t w.
Central Ave-, and Dorothy Mon
son. 200 N. st. Adams st. they
were told by the Waterman on
the boat that the boat was for
whites only, and they could not
come aboard.
Boat Here Each Year
The steamer Avalon comes am
nualiy 70 the Twin Cities for from
10 TO IA days. sponsoring pleasure
excursions down the mississippi.
Owners Of the boat have ccnsas-
tently refused to allow Negroes
to ride on these cruises. II docks
at Lambert's Landing In st. Paul.
and solicits riders from advertis-
ing in the daily press and by pos
ters throughout the city. Tho
Avalon this year leaves st. Paul
on July Q.
The captain OF the ship, q Cap
tain Hail. at first told the two
couples they could by no means
enter the ship. He said that on
that night the ship was being for
whites, and Negroes would have a
night on July 0.
might for Negroes
The couples asked why IL WINS
necessary TO have . special night
for Negroes, and why such infor-
nation was not present in the
ships advertisements. The cap
tain. however, shook his head and
stated they Just could not got ON.
The owner Of the boat, Henry
Meyers. who was selling tickets
and collecting money at the time.
then interfered and said that Me-
gro night was July 8, and II the
two couples did not get off the
boat, they would be thrown Off.
Horton then informed Meyers
that he had purchased the tickets
In good faith and demanded TO
know why he could not ride ON
Saturday night. He told him he
had waited until 1880 30 he could
ride on the midnight cruise.
Meyers. pocketing the tickets
Horton offered him, offered to re-
fund his money for the tickets.
However, Horton said he intend
I'd TO ride on the cruise, and did
not want refund. Meyers then
referred him TO the captain Of the
boat, saying that he had the final
say as to who went on the boat,
but the captain continuously said
you just can't ride tonight"
Meyers would not return Hor-
toms tickets. However, Mr.. Rhone
refused to let Meyers have his
tickets, saying that he did not
want a refund, but wanted to 60
on the cruise.
-. But Don't Dance
Meyers and Hall then went into
a short conference, returned and
told the two couples they could
20 on the cruise, but could not
dance, explaining that they could
not dance while there was drink
ing on the boat.
Rhone and Horton refused 10
board the ship under those con-
ditions, stating they had pur-
chased the tickets and meant to
get their moneys worth. Meyers
said the captain had the right TO
admit or refuse whomever he
chose. even after tickets had been
purchased.
Yearly Practice
Negro couples attempting to
ride the Avalon have continuous
ly been refused admittance. The
captain each year has q different
reason for not letting them ON.
Last year, he told several couples
that private parties had charter
ed the boat for that particular
night. Each year that the Avalon
has refused the admittance Of
Negroes, II has been violating the
civil rights laws of the state.
The st. Paul branch OF the
NAACP Is planning legal action
against the owners Of the boat
and the captain. J. Nathaniel
Smith. president of the branch.
and members Of the group were
in conference with the County At
torney Thursday morning, July Q.
Mr.. Horton is bringing q civii
suit against the owner and cap
tain Of the boat. Attorney Hyman
Cohen, 92s Minnesota Bldg. q
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