The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-30
Skating Kinks,
San F1nrciscoE Examiner.

DAUGHTERS | permitted them to attene
the skating rink several evenings,
said a lady who had three charmin,
girls. the eldest of whom recently grad
dated from the high school.
They told me, continued the lady
THAT their classmates all went there
and as / knew that many of the moth
ers in our vicinity permitted then
daughters to go, | gave my consent
! The girls came home each evening be
fore 10 o'clock, and their rudy face
denoted that they greatly enjoyed TIL
sport. One day, however, / heard m,
Youngest girl make a remark that sur
priSed me. | need not repeat it, bul
it opened my eyes to the fact that sh,
had made the acquaintance of som
one who was Installing evil thought
into her mind. l said nothing to hel
about the matter, but | watched hel
and the other girls closely. 1t wa.
but a few days before a chance expires
sion dropped by the eldest girl gave
me a ciew 10 what was going on. r
learned that they were making mash
es' at the skating rink, l then deter
mined to visit the rink myself ane
watch the conduct of the visitors.
Il mentioned my intention to
friend, who is the wife of a sergeant o
police. and she told me that her hus
band had frequently spoken to he
about the low class of men who FIRE
quented these places and insidiousl
tempted and ruined Young girls. Will
we we talking the officer returnct
home and cOrrOborated all that his
wife had related.
IL am off duty tonight he said
and if you will come with me to the
rink in the most high-toned part of the
city, l will show you opium tiends ant
short-card PLAYERS skating hand il
hand with the daughters of the most
respectable parents.
Il accepted the invitation, and a lit
tie after 5 o'clock we entered a rink
My escort took me into the gallery
where we could watch the skaters
There was a merry gathering of young
people, and | had to admit that there
seemed nothing harmful in the exer
else. To be sure. there was a little toe
much ind scriminate familiarity witt
which people tumbled against eacl
other and fell around, but they wers
all so good-natured about it that
could hardly condemn the rink. | soor
discovered that it was the surface thai
| saw
"'Do you see that young fellow il
the light suit of clothes talking to tina
lady and her daughter" said the ser
geant, pointing to a seat on the floor
of the rink
"'Yes; she is a neighbor of NINE J
replied. The young lady graduated
with my girl
well, / just want TO prove some
thing to you. l WI leave you at the
foot of the stairs, and you go over and
speak to her. She will introduce you
to the young man. Be sure and re-
member the name she calls him. !
don't want him to see me just yet.
Il did as he told me, and was intro
duced to the young nan as Harry
Smith. In a few minutes converse
ton / learned that he was a clerk in
the railroad office. He was a stout, full
faced, pleasant-looking young a
and the girl told me in a whisper that
she knew him two weeks, and that he
was real nice. We had talked about
five minutes, when my escort walked
quietly up behind the nice young
man and, laying his hand on his
shoulder, said: Jim. amt you out OF
your elementp' Did the Young mar
look insultedp Oh, no; he walked of
like a whipped cur. Ct course, the
lady and daughter were extremely sur.
prised and indignant, but when the
sergeant explained that the fellow was
an incorrigible OPP UNI smoker, and had
been living off of fallen women for
years, the mother was only too-thank-
full for his Interference. The girl II
afterward transpired, had become
quite attached to the fellow, and her
parents thought it best to send her east
for a few months.
'Dur.n g the evening the sergeant
pointed out half a dozen young mel
/ to ne who had been arrested frequent.
ly for v~agrancy. One of the most
graceful skaters on the floor. who was
attracting no little attention from tne
girls, was an individual who had served
a term in the House of Correction foi
inducing a miss of Is to enter a LIE OF
shame. Did 1 let nv g ri 60 skating
after thatP No, indeed. l have spoken
to the minister of my church about
what I learned that night, and he has
promised me to deliver a sermon upon
the subject. There are a half dozen
young ladies of the church who teacn
Sunday-school and 90 to the rink. de
has agreed to make the sermon . very
pertinent one to them
In conversation with a member OF q
prominent athletic and social club tine
other evening the question of skating
Kinks was mooted. and the gentleman
said: you know we have always
had the rcputat on of giving selec
parties. No woman with O faint OF