The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-21
4 MORAL PLAGUE.
The Soups are Working
Ruin Among Hoboken's
Young Girls.
SHOCKING NOCTURNAL SCENES.
Residents Shocked and Enraged--One
Evenings Experience at the
Jefferson Street Plague Spot.


The residents in the neighborhood Of
jefferson street. near Fourth street, Ho-
boken, were startled one morning about
two weeks ago to see double row OF
swings. a carousel and a steam organ
erected on the big lots in that section.
1t was readily guessed that the "scup
fak1r, who had coined so many dollars
and caused SO much evil in Jefferson
street, lower down, some weeks previous
was about to resume his nefarious busi-
ness.
Since that time the soups have been in
full blast, and the disgraceful scenes wit
messed there nightly. the respectable re-
spectacle residents claim. would stir the
authorities to action if the true state OF
affairs We're known.
To see the place and to see what gro unds
There are for complaint vi sited the
soups last night. They are situated In q
big open space on Jefferson street, near
Fourth The lots are sunken and marshy
and were more so after the rain storm
yesterday. On the east side of Je fferson
street is row Of respectable houses, and
1T is from these residents who are dis
gusted with the actions OF the unruIy
crowd that the complaints are the loud
est. Directly to the south of the soups is
Father Dominick Mazetti's Italian Ro-
man Catholic Church, and. as is usual.
May services are being held there this
month and the worshippers have been in
suited going to and from the church 1t
is said that the drunken and maudlin
cries of those who are in the swings have
sometimes drowned the voices of the
cnolr. Furtner up from the soups are
several factories.
A HIDEoUs SCENE.
When visited the place last night it
was about seven O'Clock. The apology
for steam organ was pealing forth IN
earthly sounds with the measure OF
waltz. The playing OF this organ Is,
consider, in itself sufficient and just rea-
son for complaint Although The hour
was early all of the soups were in full
blast and the carousel had cargo.
About quarter TO eight O'clock the
rabble began to arrive. Tough looking
young men with red and blue flannel
shirts eibowed their way towards the
centre, and women who needed bur one
glance to convince the most skeptfcal
that they had long since ceased to be
virtuous, Joined the gathering These
were the first arrivals and their advent
was marked by more or less choice do
Iogue.
Then came the chippies with their jaws
going like machines chewing gum.
They came in punches of twos and threes,
and as rule were between the ages Of
thirteen and sixteen years. Each con-
couple of tough-lo ooking young men, who
seemed to be on very familiar terms with
the girls
GROSS DEMoRAIIzATIoN. z
The conversation of one Of these groups
which came up and which is a fair sam
pie of the rest OF them occurred between
katie and "Jimmie.'
Say, Katie, }, says Jimmie, ssain't you
goin' III de soups wild me tonight?"
mo, I'm not; Pm goin' in wild dis
dude" Katie replied. He's got lots of
stuff and says he will do up couple Of
pints after we come out"
Jimmie got mad and went away NUT
Jering something about not shavins de
price,
AS it neared eight O'Clock the crush
was great. 1t seemed as if every loose.
character from this and neighboring
cities was in the vicinity. The chippies
seemed to delight in associating with
pretty girls, who could not be over the
| age OF fifteen years. depart in the COM
| pany OF loose characters and tough fell
| lows for walk up what is termed the
new road.
All of the swings were occupied and a
4
| IN line was most disorderly one. Might
| was right among them. There were sew
| eral lively encounters for a position in
the line. and of course the victor went up
one each time.
1t seemed to be the intention OF every
| young fellow who went in the soups with
q girl to swing her the highest, and as 8
consequence the average girl screamed
| at the top of her voice. The noise was
hideous. The dilapidated old steam Or
| gan was also getting in its fine work, and
the racket was simply terrible. I did not
wonder that the residents co implanted.
believe the racket can be heard on Jersey
| City Heights.
! A REFRESHING INCIDENT.
| Suddenly one Of the girls in the soups
| let go her hold OF the rope and grew pale.
! She whispered to her companion, a du-
| tenance suddenly assumed serious as
! pect. The cause of this little by play
| was very soon apparent. A buxom Ger
man woman came tearing through the
rope, calling in loud tone for the girl to
come from the sscups." The woman.
| who was undoubtedly the mother of the
! girl, held whip in her hand.
| The dude as well as the girl looked
scared. The couple finally got out of the
'sscups" and the dude skipped of, leaving
the girl to her fate. She had evidently
| made up her mind that a sound whipping
| was IN SbOr6 IOr u6r, Dub SQe escaped IOE
| the moment at least, for her mother, in
stead of plying the whip, burst into fit
| OF crying, which was met by the harsh
laughter of the low characters that formed
the crowd.
She paid no attention to it, but, taking
| her girl by the hand. led her away, both
! sobbing as they went.
| spoke to the woman, who, when told
| her my business, gave me her name.
/ II wish to God" said she between sobs,
"THE NEWS would show this place in its
\ true light. l. would do more good in saw
1 ing young girls from ruin than all the
| missionaries in the country"
SIMPLY DIsGRACEFUI1
! AS it neared ten O'Clock the scenes be-
/ came disgraceful The few respectable
people who had been attracted by idle
curiosity were approached by tough look
ing characters for the price of a pint Of
beer. 1t is always policy to granr the re-
quest as refusal is liable to bring on
| trouble. But the most degrading thing
of the disgraceful scenes was the sight Of
young girls, barely fifteen years of age.
asking for ten cents to go in the soups,
and when they received it 60 over to
| where gang of fellows were and rush
the can" with the money.
/ have only partially described the soups
/ and the scenes saw Some OF them would
| not bear describing in print. All have
tried to do is give fair idea Of what the
scenes are A respectable girl would not
venture within three blocks of the place
unless she was giddy fool. I propose to
| F-1lg-x,v thn ,,,offar M or,d frfvo ont fhn