SPECIAL-SECTIONS

Today in Jacksonville History: April 8, 1949

Bill Foley
Women gather in front the first Woman's Club of South Jacksonville, on Gary Street in 1916. [Provided by the Southside Woman's Club]

Pyramid clubs hit a bump in the road in Jacksonville when denied use of the South Jacksonville Woman's Club.

"Many members" had gathered awaiting the arrival of 32 "number five" men who were to pay a Belmont Avenue man $128 each, or the spectacular total of $4,096, The Florida Times-Union reported.

At 9:55 p.m. the woman's club president arrived and advised the gathering "We are not having this kind of a meeting here."

The pyramid craze was sweeping the nation, spreading like a get-rich-quick prairie fire from California.

The idea was simple: it was like a chain letter without getting the post office involved.

One person got two people to give him a dollar and they got two more people to give them a couple of bucks and they passed one up, and those two people got four people, etc...

On the night in question money was to be passed on the fifth level. Ejected from the woman's club the congregants gathered on the lawn of the prospective winner, awaiting persons bearing money. The newspaper said none arrived, but the man promised he would let everyone know if they did.

Duval County Sheriff Rex Sweat dismissed the fad as a "racket," but couldn't put his finger on just what was against the law.

Winners and rumors of winners abounded: a woman was said to have pocketed $2,000 after a similar gathering at the Woman's Club of Jacksonville the previous Tuesday.

The Jacksonville Journal reported one pyramid in town had reached the point where 120 payouts were scheduled in five days -- requiring 268,500 new members to make good.

The scheme eventually was declared unlawful, perhaps in part because of reaction such as the line drawn at the South Jacksonville Woman's Club.  

Also on April 8, 1949

- Tim Flock, youngest of three racing brothers, shattered two records at the lightning-fast Jacksonville Speedway and Buddy Shuman busted a third. Flock broke brother Bob's record in the 5-miler and set a new mark with a mad 1-lap dash for pole position in a race he couldn't run because of car trouble. Shuman broke Fonty Flock's record in the 25-lapper.

- The Seaholm and the Nor'easter, yachts owned by duPont family cousins, arrived simultaneously in Jacksonville, a coincidence of which the cousins were not aware until told by a reporter. Alfred V.'s Seaholm returned from a four-day cruise up the St. Johns River and Henry B.'s Nor'easter pulled in from Nassau to replace a broken cabin window.

- Coast Guard crewman of the St. Johns River lightship off Mayport received news their ship's service may be discontinued.