Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1885-11-05
OFFICIAL PAPER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY.


that meeting and asked him to Introduce
an ordinance for the repeal of the license
stating that he had seen other members
of the council on the subject and they
were favorable to it, and upon this rep.
resentation he had asked the city attorney
to draw up such an ordinance and told
his informant tina: If the other members
of the council were favorable to 1t he
would not oppose it, and if they had done
so he thought they ought to stand by II
now.
Mr.. Conehay did not think the license
should be repealed entirely out 1t was
thought by some to be excessive and it
might be right to reduce it,
Mr.. Kelleher said he had been inter.
viewed by one of the proprictors of the
rink on the subject while attending the
encampment at Fargo but had gwen no
promises.
Or. Glasgow, one of the proprietors Of
the rink, beng present was requested to
make his statement of the matter in res.
ponse to which he said that he thought
license of 5000 year was excessive
compared with that of larger cities and
while he was willing TO abide the decision
of the council he thought it not unrea-
sonable to ask at least reduction of the
license or an abatement for the time COW
cred by his license and not occupied as
his license dated from the first of last
July ard would expire the 3lst 0! De-
cember.
MIR. Hughes thought it would be the
better pan to let the ordidance stand as
it IS and allow reduction Tor the time
not occupied. <% .
Hon. Johnson Nickeus, who at the pre-
vious meeting when the ordinance was
introduced had given notice of his desire
to address the council on the subject, be-
ing present asked and was granted the
privileges Of the floor for that purpose.
Mr.. Nickeus spoke substantially as fol-.
lows: He said he thought 5000 was .
very small amount to pay for raising as
much hell In town as the skating rink
had done. He thought 1t should be $4OO
or $500 and that would be poor compen-
sat,on for the families disrupted and girls
ruined by the rink. Reports we'll authen-
tlcatcd had come to him and he doubted
not to the members of the council suffi-
cient In themselves to damn the rink, not
that immoral practices are indulged there
but the plans are laid and appointments
made to be consnmmated elsewhere. 1t is
true that some of the best and most res
pectable people in the city patronize the
rink, but it is matter of common noto.
rlety that the worst and most disr eputa-
BILE patronize it too. The wives and
young girls of our citizens are brought
into intimate association and contact with
persons whom they would not admit u
their homes nor recognize on the street
The police are sent out in the night to
break up the ''pea green's" and such dens
of prostitution and lnfamy but the rink
which is infinitely worse because respect
able may run unmolested In our very
midst If we must have such dens for
Gods sake license the houses of prostitu.
ton where it is crime to 60 and shame
to be seen and not the skating rink where
female virtue is contaminated by corrupt
associations and innocent girls ruined
under the guise of respectable amuse-
ment. He said he had no personal in
terest IN the matter other than that OF q
citizen and q solictude for the peace and
happiness of the homes of our citizens
and the reports that had come to him in
volvlng tie reputation of married women
and ruin of young girls demanded the
interest he had taken. He said he did
not charge the gentlemen managing the
rink were directly responsible for these
things nor that they countenanced them
but these were associations and demorali.
cations beyond control of the managers
of such places, and the fact that man
who was VIGOROUSLY disreputable va:
discharged from their employ last spring
is no guaranty that the evils were abated
DR.. Glasgow, with considerable feeling
replied in substance as follows: He said
the gentleman who had just addressed
the council addressed them as he would
jury as paid attorney; that he had in
suited the members of the council severs
of whom and their families we're patron!
of the rink He wanted to ask the gen
tleman who his lnformants were that haC
reported such immoralitlcs. If his re
marks were upon the character of rink
in general or in other places why did h'
make them against all. He hid had u
intimation of what was coming and wa
prepared for this TRADE by the gentleman
who came here as paid attorney.
Mr.. Nickeus (interrupting)-Paid b.
| whom? .....
DR.. Glasgow Paid by those who ar
opposed to the rink.
| Mt. NlCkcuS-1 Ou are any Douy WIZ
saws have said what | have as palt
attorney lies.
DR.. Glasgow-The rink known as tn
opera rink has been under my persona
supervision, with the exception OF tw'
davs last winter. He SAID whatever i'm
moralitles may have been practiced .
other rinks did not apply to this one. I
they did he would have nothing to d
with It. He had been careful to guar
against such things and believed he ha
made the opera rink place where Cit