A Little More Information About the Closure of the White Hotel

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Recently I provided a little information on the closure of the White Hotel in the late 19th century. See Thursday, March 12, 2009: The Reason the White Hotel Was Shut Down and Split from One Building Into Two Cottages.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes another brief article that referenced the reasons for the closure of the White Hotel. According to the article, after Pelham voted to permit the sale of liquor, local saloonkeepers began "grossly to abuse" the privilege by opening "dance halls, gambling houses, and even 'green-goods' games". "Green-goods" games are confidence games -- "games" that today we would think of as the hustling three-card monte game or the illegal shell game of the streets of New York City.

"PELHAM.

A special election will be held to-morrow in the town of Pelham on the question of local option under the Raines law. In 1896 the people of Pelham voted no license, but two years later this verdict was set aside in another election. The saloonkeepers no sooner secured permission to engage in business in the town than some of them began grossly to abuse the privilege by conducting dance halls, gambling houses, and even 'green-goods' games in connection with their places. Once place, known as the White House, finally became so notorious that the State Excise Commissioners revoked its license and it was closed."

Source: Pelham, New-York Tribune, Mar. 26, 1900, p. 12, col. 1.

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.