The morning news., 1889-05-18
NO SMOKING IN THE PARK
THE POLICE HAVING A LIVELY
TIME STOPPING 1T.

The Mayor Called Upon to Enforce a
Dead Letter Ordinance-A Quiet
Evening Smoke Under the Trees OF
Forsyth Place Under the Police Ban
A Big Kick Against a Law That
Was Never Enforced-An Effort to
Secure It's Repeal.
No smoking in the park.
That is the latest wrinkle. The police on
duty around the fountain have something
more to do now chan to hunt bull frogs in
the basin and admire the park statuary.
They have to stop about every third man
that enters the park gates and tell him that
1t is against orders to smoke inside the in
closure
"Welll That's the queerest law I've struck
yet" remarked visitor and stranger in
the city, to his companion as they strolled
up the Bull street walk yestsr-
day They had hardly got in
side the gate before a policeman
stepped up, and tapping one Of them on the
shoulders said: " Gainst orders to smoke
hsren In spite Of all the police could do
the cigar trade has not been hurt, though.
THE REASON WHY.
"Why notp nearly every one asked when
told tuat smo king was not allowed.
"'Gainst the chiefs orders" was the re-
ply. There WIS any amount Of kicking,
but the police did their best Instead of
being soft snap" the park policeman 5
lot has come to be any but happy ore.
The way it came about is this: In 1866 the
city council passed an ordinance prohibit
ing smoking in the park under a penalty
Of not exceeding 500 fine or thirty days,
hA fla
was passed the city WAS filed
with refugee negroes and there was a
great deal of trouble with the colored peo-
pie generally. They gathered in the park,
and so great was the nuisance that the gates
were finally locked and no one, white or
black, was allowed inside the inclosure
WHEN THE LAW WAS PASSED.
This caused a great deal of annoyance
and inconvenience and the council on re-
opening the gates passed an ordinance pro
hibiting smoking and prescribing penalties
for dlsorderlY conduct. Since then there
has been no trouble. The ordinance in re-
gard to smoking was never enforced, how
ever, or if 1T was it was only for a short
time.
Complaint has recently been made to the
mayor OF groups Of negroes who loaf under
the trees and on the benches with nurses
and their charges, smoking cigarettes and
pipes and blowing the smoke into the chill
dren's faces, and the mayor at once issued
an order for the enforcement Of the ordl-
nance.
'Ihad nothing else to do, - Mayor Schwarz
said. ''Ihe law exists and we must enforce
it."
The complaint was made by William
Hunter, Esq.
MR.. HUNTERS OBJECTIONS.
Mr.. Hunter was seen, and he said: Moth
ing was farther from my mind than to in
convenience any body by merely asking if
the ordinance did not exist 1t is not my
purpose or intention to pose as an obiector
TO anyt ing that the good citizens favor
The truth about it is, it affects me, indlvid-
ually, neither one way or the other. 1t
came about in this way: The other after
noon, in company with some ladies', | was
walking through the park, and large num-
ber Of seats were occupied by nurses with
baby carriages. Nearly every nurse had
her beau, and he sat by her smoking a
cigarette. As be puffed the smoke out it
filled the air and blew in the babies faces
Ladies in the walks smelled nothing but the
Objectionable odor Of cigarettes. ]
knew, or thought at least, that an
ordinance existed prohibiting smoking in
the park, and when it was convenient |
| asked Mayor Schwarz if it was not so. The
| next thing | heard about il was that the
ordinance was in force. | have nothing to
gain by its being enforced. It was only the
provoking incident, which almost any citi-
zen would have objected to- that prompted
me to do as ] did"
An effort will be made to repeal the ordi-
nance at the next meeting of council. The
ordinance applies to the park extension as
well as TO the park proper, and if its en-
forcement is insisted on the one policeman
who is on duty there will have lively time
putting out cigars.