100 YEARS AGO IN THE SARATOGIAN
Thursday, May 23, 1918. The Saratogian claims a position of honor today as the first Saratoga Springs
business to report 100% enrollment in the city’s War Chest campaign.
Fundraising begins in earnest today to meet the War Chest’s $100,000 goal. The campaign’s object is to
create a general fund from which Saratoga Springs can meet its obligations to government-mandated
fundraising campaigns for the duration of the world war.
The campaign officially begins at 8 a.m. At 8:30 a.m. William G. Bradshaw reports that all 29 Saratogian
employees had contributed to the War Chest. The report reaches War Chest headquarters just ahead of
an announcement that all 64 employees of the Delaware & Hudson railroad roundhouse had subscribed.
As The Saratogian’s evening edition goes to press, more than $13,000 has been pledged to the War
Chest. The total is up to $28,000 by the time the War Chest Committee meets tonight. “The spectators
never yelled louder at a college regatta,” a reporter writes, “Director [John H.] irons was so happy that
he could hardly stay in his shoes.”
“Every worker reported the greatest cordiality and the finest spirit on the part of the people, all of
whom seemed to be glad to subscribe and only to regret that they could not give more,” Irons says.
Entire Railroad Sold for $25,000
“Railroads were going cheap this morning,” a Ballston Spa correspondent reports as the Eastern New
York Railroad is sold to I. W. Wiswall at a foreclosure hearing for $25,000. The price is equivalent in
buying power to just over $430,000 in 2018 money.
The Eastern New York is a nine-mile trolley line running between Ballston Spa and Middle Grove.
Wiswall pays “a very small part of what it cost to construct the road,” which “has trod a thorny financial path” from the beginning. “The road has been in the hands of receivers for several months and for the third or fourth time since it
was first placed in operation,” the reporter explains. Despite the road’s shaky history, Wiswall
apparently believes he can do something profitable with it.
Rebekahs Hold Session in Casino
Because of a scheduling mix-up, the New York State Rebekah Assembly has to vacate Convention Hall
this morning to make way for Saratoga Springs public school students holding a rehearsal for their annual entertainment. The Rebekahs, a ladies’ auxiliary of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, meet at the Saratoga Casino instead. “I never thought that the Rebekahs would hold their session in a gambling house,” one delegate tells
The Saratogian. She’s assured that “no gambling had been done in the Casino in many years.”