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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1913)
Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page CopyrlKhC 1013, by tho Star Company. rjrrat Britain nights Reserved WeMetheCurseoftheD The Successful Social Experi ment Which Is Substituting Safety for the Menace of the Haunts Where Lonely Girls, Seeking Innocent Gayety and Companionship, Become the Prey of Evil By Mrs. CHARLES H. ISRAELS, The Distinguished Humanitarian, and Chairman of the Bureau of Amusement Resources for Working Girls. THE first ot a chain of danco halls, that we hope will extend acroBa the contfnent, was opened at the north east corner of Madison avenue and One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street, New York, last month. Tho, sign, "Cabaret Dancing," flares forth Invitingly In electric lights and any young person who wants to dance may enter and may. danco six Mines for a quarter, pro vided he or she dances with propriety. It not, he or she Is Invited to leave, and amplo reason for going la provided In the person of cveral capable pollcomeni The hall is cleap, large and well lighted. The young persona who fill It whirl Joyously about to popular music. There 13 nothing to dis tinguish it from tho other danco halls with which tho city Is dotted, except the world wide difference between vice and vlrtuo, clean and unclean living. While I and my associates of the Committee on Amuse ment Resources for Working Girls have been destroying agentB, we have also been constructive ones. While we closed the in famous Haymarket and Dal Tabarln and West End Casino, wo have opened Dance land at tho foregoing address, and we ex pect to open many others with the help of this and other cities. Tho dance hall, improperly conducted, is a hotbed of infamy, nightly conducted, it Is a hoalthful and Innocent means of recreation and a prevention of evil. Of the one hundred and fifty thousand women who live on the wages of Bhamo In this city four-fifths began their downward course at a dance' hall. It all began with the natural and proper wish of girls to got married and bo placed In life. This, It Is interesting to note, is much stronger in foreigners than in Amer ican girls. The proportion Is as seven to three. Foreigners have been taught to seek marriage earl. American girls consider it an Incident, not indispensable to getting on In life. To giye this impulse a proper chan nel 1b tho duty of us, who are older and wiser. , t My attention to this need nnd my Inter est in supplying it wore awakened twelve years ago by the cases of three girls. I was working then with tho Educational Al liance, and went often to a roof playground on the East Side. One of these girls we will call Roste. Like the others she was mad for amusement. When a street band passed her eyjes flashed and her muscles tingled. Sho was like a wild creature athrill with tho Joy of life. Every day that I went to tho roof she sat there on the curb watching tho children play, and wish ing amusement could be furnished for chil dren of her age. sixteen. Sho grew more and more moody, and each time I saw her a purpose seemed forming in her mind, one day some one told me Roslo wbb "in trouble, along of stealing." She had beon taking a few coins now and then from her mistress. They were not large sums. We soon settled tho matter. But bursting Into a storm of sobs on my shouldor sho told me frankly why sho had done it. "I wanted to get some ribbons and things to make me look pretty, then go to dances and get nvm-marrled." Mlnnlo was an older friend of hers, a girl of twenty. She was a stenographer, and stole larger sums. Finally sho got into the check-raising business, and was sent to Bedford Reformatory. Maud, who was a waitress, and sometimes relioved tho cash ier of the restaurant by taking her place at tho till, stole a few dollars, all for the same reason. With a llttlo more money they could make themselves prettier, could go to a dance hall and there meet Prince Charming, who "could forever after gild their lives. The picture of little Margaret is ono of darker colors. She was the stenographer for my counsel, a dainty, rarely pretty little' creature, a mere child In years and a babe in experience. She plnel for amusement as does a little child locked in a dark room. Sho went with another girl to a dance hall. There she met a youth who made love of IHb fashion to her. She be camo infatuated In a half childish, half wom anish way with him. Within a year Mar garet was dead. At sixteen she died, a mother. She and the nameless child are burled In Pottor's Held. A girl, Gretchen. who worked In my household, was a victim of the danco hall, and in a not unusual way. Gretcben had the foreign thrift, and in the few years that she had worked In this country she had saved flvo hundred dollars. Gretchen, llko most girls, wanted to marry. To marry she must meet young men, and to meet young men she must go to danco halls. She began going out with another girl to theso places. Tho horrlblo after math of bad dance halls followed. In a week she had married mm, had gone to Rochester with him for a honoymoon, and was deserted at tho station. She never saw him again, nor her bankbook, which was tho reason for tho marriage. A few of the glrla have contrived to aavo a few hundred dollars. One I know had saved a thousand. This tho men they meet at the danco hall discovered and marrying them Is tho host way to got access to the bank account. Thoy go with their brides to tho banks, havo their names written in tho books, draw out tho money and disappear. Tho only danco hall marriages I have over known have had the possession of the bank books as tholr motive, so far as the bridegroom was con cerned. While largo, dark, empty rooms surround some of these dance halls, and private rooms are to bo obtained at others, often tho danco hall 1b merely a place of meet ing, which leads to further acquaintance at other resorts, especially at some of tho seashore resorts. Two glrla, Alia, a Rus sian, who had been in this country but two years, and a younger girl of her acquain tance, met at a dance hall two young inon, Such Degrading Dances as This the Apache Dance Soon Filter from the Stage to the Dance Halls and Form One of Its Greatest Dangers. They Are Forbidden in the Safe Dance Halls of the New Movement. "The Floors of These Dance jElf Hand of Satan. In Would Come an Inno- SJWSlw , MH$ cent Girl-thc Claw Would Close and- wf$ There Would Be Another Lost One." tU-.. who Invited them to go with thom to Coney Island next day. Tho glrla accompanied thom, nnd they heard the old oxcubo: "It 1b bo lato. Why go homo to-night?" Tho caBo coming under my attention I Bent for ono of tho young men, nnd wo soon convinced him ho was amonablo to tho law unless ho married hor. This bolng made clear to him ho said ho was willing to marry hor. It was Alia who surprised us by saying: "Ho Is n miserable dog. Ho devolved mo. I will not marry him!" Her lesson was a sufficient one. Alia shuns tho danco halls now, and I am not sure that she will even como to tho model ono. Sho has become a man hater. But two girls, Bertha and Jennie, had no such chanco to rehabtlltato themselves. Meeting at a dance hall two lndn who lured thom to tho Boaahoro resort the girls nover tried, or trying, they failed to ro-ostabllsh themselves on firm ground. Bertha wont recently to Blackwells Island.. Jennio I saw walking tho dark sldo of Sixth avenue ono night. Hor fnco was painted and hor hnlr dyed. Hor eyes hal grown bold, ns do thoso of women who, having beon hunt ed, turn hunters of men. A typical case, ono reprosenting tho amusement hunger that loads to such pit falls was that which I relato to thoso whoso help I need in the establishment of model danco halls. It has helped to bring about the legislation which placed dance bulla under the control and surveillance of tho License Bureau. When Frolda enmo to this country sho was sixteen, pretty, full of fun nnd had n Wholesome curiosity about America. Sho camo alone. An undo, who had threo daughters of his own, gavo hor a homo. Thoso girls had boon In America slnco thoy wore babies. Thoy were typical Now York work ing glrla. They welcomed tho "greenhorn," and put her In the kitchen while thoy went out to work. Tho Now York cousins had grown up In tho freo atmosphere of tho ropubllc, with men friends, "soclabloB" and all the rest of tho things that mean a "good time" for tho American girl. They were not inclined to In troduce the "greenlo" Into tholr sot. Sho F you no more Winter, Tho Turkey Trot, as Shown Here, Is Barred from the New Dance Hall Movement. Tho Touching of Cheeks an Eccen tricity of Move ment Are Contrib uting Factors in the Dangers of the Old Dance Hall. Lj l nrnulrod stylo, and she 7oko no In'telUgible English. After Frieda .flnlBhed hor day's work In the torment, making things smooth and comfortablo for tho other girls, she wbb expected to spend tho ovonlng In tuu kltchon by herself, listening to tho laughter, song and talk that floated In from tho parlor, whoro tho other glrlB woro having a good tlmo. Sho soon Indicated that sho would like to take part in it, but, like Ctndorella's slstors, tho cousins would havo nono of It. When Frolda went out to do errands sho noticed that thero were streets with places othor than etoros. Thoy wero brightly Hghtod halls, from whose open windows strains of music floated, and across which forms flouted In rhythmic motion. One ovenlng Bho drifted In. Sho found that she did not need to know Kngllsh to bo welcome At onco Bho found the things sho missed at home life, Joy, laughter and young people. Bho was protty, and as glrla are always In demuud at dancos she was soon being shown tho danco by a youth whoso evident business It was to glvo her somo return for the twenty-flvo contB Bho paid for n les son. Quickly uho learned tho value of knowing how to danco, nnd still moro quickly did hor popularity grow with the boys who camo to tho hall. From that hall Why Winter Creates New Bad want to Insult somebody, and hear Winter nbout It, wait till Suinmor comes. with Ub colds and Us other pain- ful gifts of grip, lufluoma, broncltls and rheuma tism. Is tho seaBon of bad tompors and law buUb." This Is tho advlco of an obsorvlng London law yer tho prosont Winter is very trying In London." Tho lawyer goes on to say: "In the Winter people go to law about fancied Insults, and are always taking offense when nono Is intended. "Llttlo things annoy people and drive them to law In tho Winter, which would bo thought very little of In Uio Suinmor. Litigation and court cases of every description aro certainly far moro plentiful in 'Winter than in Summer. I should estl mate that tho business of the County Courts increases by about 30 per cent, and that of tho law and police courtB by 70 or 80 per cent. What Is tho reason? The weather! It Is very slmplo. "In the Summer If your acquaintances tread on any of your pet corns you can go off In a rago and in ten minutes you have probably worked off the greater part of tho trcublo through your skin. "In Summer your skin acts moro easily than In .uuiuuti to go to othora, whuru aha was taught that to bo roally popular It was essential to learn to drink "BtyllBh drinka," and that dancing without drinking was "alow." Thon ono night when her head was whirling from excitement and dazed with drink sho foil. Sho nover turned again from tho path that began In tho kitchen ot tho tenument, whoro alio sat longing for tho birthright of her youth. Sho followed it through tho mnzo of wretched slavery to mon, nnd walked to Us ond flvo years lator In a reformatory to which sho had beon committed, and where her nameless baby waB born. It la to prevent such fates as Frelda's that tho modol danco halls aro oponed. There every girl can enjoy herself as much as sho ltkos in dooenoy. Hare Is a dancing master to consor tho dances, and tho man ager will help him. Every ono Is welcome who Beems respectable, and thero will bo plonty of young mon of good character to boo that there aro no wall flowors. Women connected with our committee will be thero ostensibly to danco and enjoy themselves with tho rost, but really to see that the girls aro protocted from undesirable ac quaintances. Vigilance and tact will pre vent tho beginning of aoqualntancos that load to such flnaloa na that of poor Frieda's story. Tho girls nro protected without knowing it. Thoy havo chaporons without bolng appallod by tho new strange name. Wo will not bar the bunny hug nor tur key trot. No danco that I recall Is la It self Indecent. It Is tho way It Is danced that niakos It Improper. Our claim la that if tho right position Is maintained the dnnces hnvo no vulgarity. Tho dancers should stand at a respectful distance from each othor. A girl's hands should He upon a young man's arms. Her arms should not bo about his nock, nor should her cheek bo proBBod against his. Wo havo arranged for classes In which lessons In dancing aro given at twenty cents apiece. Tho hall will be open on Wodnosday, Saturday and Sunday eve nlngD, wo reserving tho right to exclude any ono wo consider undesirable. Wo expect to fulfill our object, which Is to make clean tho amusement atmosphere in Now York. What happens on the street wo cannot help, but wo moan to provide that any girl or woman who goos to a ball for innocent amusement shall have It, and that Bho will bo as safe as though danc ing In her own home. Tempers and Lawsuits beoauso of tho temperature at any rate lu a normal Bummer. Then, again, you get more ox erclso, or what 1b tho same thing, an equivalent amount of oxerclse produces a greator result, "Your liver actB moro easily and you don't feel boaton down and depressod as you do In dark, cold, dismal weather. "An official of the Westminster County Court told mo that tho origin of the trouble In very many cases dealt with thoro during the Winter could bo attributed to tho weathor, and cltod tho following typical Instance of a complaint made to him: " 'A widow a cook-bousokeopor, living out, asked for the recovery of wages, following on wrongful dismissal. '"Only a wook ago, sho declared, her mistress had given hor a ralso of 60 'cents per week to help her pay her rent. On Monday morning sho was suddenly dismissed without notice, after servinc breakfast two minutes late. " 'No reason wne glvon her for the dismissal, but she said that her employer was Irritable at the time, because of tho bad weather.' "There can be no doubt that Winter weather a'' counts In a very large measure for the troubles ol the season.