New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-19
The Social Evil on burgundy Street.

The following letter has been addressed
to the Mayo, by Superintendent Boothby.
The grievances complained OF are mos:
scandalous. and should be abolished with
out an hours unnecessary delay. The city
has had for years an ordinance limiting
prostitutes TO certain portions Of the city.
but i. has never been enforced. Several at.
tempts have been made to have it executed,
bit they have always succumbed to the su'
perior influences Of real estate owners in
the forbidden localities.
It would startle our readers 10 know who
are the eminently pious and respectable
people in this city who rent their premises
for purposes of prostitution. Superinten.
dent Badger keeps lis: Of them, which is
open to public inspection. where the curious
may satisfy themselves on this point.
Captain Boothby has done very proper
thing in bringing this matter to the atten.
ton of the authorities. With the aid 0.
the Police Board, Mayor Wilt can do
the work which his predecessors have
always shrunk from or 4uailed before.
Police Commits sioner Gaudet, who is also
Mc1uuCS VI lut hCuOOl pOdius 10 WHY p.CBe
er!y called upon to lead off in this crusade
against the indecencies complained of, and
we hope to hea: Of active measures being
speedily taken.
STATE oP LorisIAHA, !
CEce Division Superintendent. Public Education,
Sixth Division. No. 20 City Hail. ,
View Orleans, September. 1875.
Hon Gsuis 4. Witt Mayor of New Orleans:
DEAR SIR-Permit me to lay before you
a matter which / consider of great :mpor-
lance to our educational interests. CHARGED
ss am with the duty of experimenting the
education of the youth of our city. l can
not fail to recognize the importance OF cul.
tivating their moral principles and pure
affections, and especially of preserving
their innocence from the contamination OF
vice. School houses should be located in
places where surroundings conduce to the
refnements of esthetic taste and moral
sentiment, because these are improved not
80 much by lessons addressed to the ear as
by examples which meet the eye. The
Deighborhood of the New Orleans Central
High School is especially Objectionable in
this particular. This institution is IN the
very centre of settlement of disreputable
characters who may be seen from almos.
every window of the building. Burgundy
street, on which the school building stands.
and the near side streets leading into i are
lluSu Will utu5 VI tuC llCSU duu HiOSs Sol,
rupt persons in the city. These lewd wo.
men may be seen through their open doors
and windows, sometimes almost nude and
generally intoxicated. Their language IS
shocking. Ladies visiting our exhibitions
and examinations are often insulted by the
coarse remarks of these wretches. The
consequence is that many of the friends and
relatives Of the High School pupils prefer
to remain away altogether than to be forced
to pass through so offensive neighbor.
hood. need not mention to you the danger
to the morals of the pupils from these
causes.
In consequence of these facts I have fel.
it to be my duty TO call upon you 10 exer-
else the power vested in you to parity the
vicinity of our High School by abolshing
these nests of impurity, or by compelling
them to remove within the limits prescribed
for them by the laws of the city. 1t was in
anticipation of this action by the authorities
of the city that the school board consented
to retain the present High School building,
although it is the only one having the
necessary accommodations which could be
procured.
Very respectfully. your obedient servant,
CHARLES w. BOOTHBY.
Superintendent of Public Schools.