The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-18
FOUL AND REEkING.
Grand Jury Committees
Searching Report.
Fsarfuliy Vivid Pictures Of Barbary Coast,
Chinatown and the Vicious Haunts of
Dupont and Merton Streets.

Committee CD Social Evils of that body. 1t
is the result OF their jaunt about two weeks
ago last Saturday night.
DARKEST SAN FRANCISCO.
Your Committee on Dives and Social Eyils has
been through darkest San Francisco ana ioaaa
The YliirIs theateIs, dives and dancing cellars
app ieuIly IN a moSt iouiiShIng ana prosperous
condition.
ton of criminals are Chiefly confined 10 the
north end of kearny street OF What is commonly
called the BaTbary Coast.
uniuYiIinC tie furniture and Stage fixtures ef Il
cheap and tawdiy character. I've girls en-
uoyed walters ana decoys, with few eNcep-
lions. are bTaZeu-iaced, hard-featured, coarse
looking wanlons. painted. powdered and be
decked III cheap and gauGy hnery TO dazzle Inc
eye aud bleed the pockets OF The unsophlst-
The patrons are medley from all nations.
drawn riiucilally from the army Of The great
unwashed and represent the lowest strata Of
THICK, FAT AND STIRLING.
In every place inspected The ventilation was
wIetched tie atmosphere thick. fat and sitting.
You felt II, YOU tasted II, and when you got into
The open air you heayed a sigh OF relief.
These Vile resorts have no attraction
for refined instinct, CT to one accuS-
Toned 10 the use of soap, water and Turk
ish towels. AS all these dives ana deadialIs are
alike in character, engaged III the same nefarl-
Gus business aud Iun gu the same general plan
OF cam On, X wasn't deemed necessary by
= yonr committee 10 parteularize.
II Is a Wcll-kuoWn fact that the dives, dance
used rs barmads aud decoys. are the favorite
=. rendezvous for thieves rlckpockets aud cut
JhIoatS; tia; they furnish our penal ins buttons
with a large percentage of their Inmates and
give infinite trouble and annoyance TO the Police
Department. Notwithstanding all this, those In
authority and entrusted with the clty's welfare
knowingly permit these hutbeds of vice TO 20 On
from year to year liopagaIing criminals and de-
Drawing the community.
We DEEAUCH, DEGRADE AND CRBIINALIZE.
AIe we. lie people. not acting criminal part
If We sim lold our hands aud llstlessly look on
willie this diabOlical state OF affairs continues?
Are we not working al the wrong end. striking
at effects instead OF the CAUSE? We FIRST de-
baucb degrade, cTimlnsliZe, and when the harm
Is done we then engage IN the al
wise and pound foolish POI c.? Is 1t not time 10
CIV Lat and Try little prevention, Ills always
cheaper lhan cure?
A moleIy Of what IL costs 10 maintain the city
ana county itis, House OF Correction. Industrial
School Magdalen Asylum, etc. spent in preyen-
ton would give us cleaner cljy aud save annu-
ally 10 The tax payers thousands and thousands Of
dollars. Ihe human haElies Who are pieylng on
tie body iolltlc all over tbe city should be cut
s!io! IN iHslI criminal career. ne interest OF
good government demands it and the attention OF
tie Board Of supervisors IS RESPECTFULLY but
earnestly called TO ihs crying evil. 1t needs
Immediate acion. High license IS The most
effective rem dy. II has The sanction of the
honest, healthy, moral sentiment of the people.
AN APPALLING PROPORTION.
There are 424S licensed bars for tie sale of
liquor III tile cily and county Of San Francisco.
or one saloon for every seventy Inhabitants,
counting men. women ana children. Win THIS
showing Is IL any wonder that our City FriSon Is
nlled with dIunks, cur courts clogged with bust
ness our orphan aSyIums hed Win the childIen
OF drunken parents and our homes made DESC
Et4?
Iwo-lhirds OF those engaged 10 the sa-
loon business keep groceries for show
and SCI! whisky for tyil G. Tie grocery, with
bar attachment. Tor many reasons is far more
aemoralizng than the saloon.
A quarterly license of 500 would, in the opin-
ton OF your committee, close more than onr-half
OF all Inc bars In The city, and would lessen
crime, misery and want In similar ratio. But
Tie saloon Is power IN politics, 1t makes and
Unmakes men. tho officeho!der and the Office
seeker lOath TO incur Its enmiIy. Jleroic
treatment is needed for The evils that stiiicI tile
body polite. Strong selt-Iell6nt, independent
men, WIN no axes 10 grind, are wanted al the
ci!ys helm, 10 carry out the wishes Of the people
and enforce the municipal ordinances.
CHINATOWN IDYL.
Your committee is next in Chinatown, In the
c, urtyard OF Palace Hotel NJ. q but no more
Ike Palace Hotel No. l than Hyperion to a
satyr. The surroundings are dlDgy, dirty and
begrned win NTH; the air rank with a com
pound Oh Yiiiainous smells. Chnamen with here
aud there woman are Thick as bees IN i hive
lying on rudely constructed Dunss, devoid OF bed
clothes, and sqlalid In the extreme. The heat
generated from lamps, Opium pipes, and
crowded mass OF peTspiIlng humanity UbYiates
tie necessity CT fires and bed clothing The I'M.
mates of lie close, Contracted quarters that
ever ywhere abound, are lying around in every
conceivable position, and IN every Stage OF
stupefdciion from The effects Of the lethean
drug
But one and all have weary, tired, languId
Unlike WHISKY olium has no fight In II, if It had
pandemOnium broke loose would reign in China
town.
THE END JCSTIFIES TIE MEANS.
&Bpt who can blame these miserables If bys
Will from an opium l1le they can escape. even
Tor lev short hours, the Inferno that surrounds
them. Don't we, who claim higher civilization,
often follow the Biblical Injunction: give wine
IL them that are sad aud strong drink TO
them that are troubled In mind, that they
may forget their sOnUws and Tememb.r their
Trouble, more.
thanks 10 tie Police Department, is now en-
tiley fee from them. Descended into an under
ground dungeon, fronting on this alley which
would PUT TO shame the black hole OF Calcutta.
here human beings were packed ike sardnes
In box aud breathing an atmosphere that would
XIII decent hog IN twenty four hours.
HEROD IS NOT N IT.
The basement under The Jacksoa-street theater
out-herojs herod. II Is cut up inie innumerabe
sinail rooms. sepafHIed by labyrinth OF pas
sag ways, so barrow that two persons cannot
pass each other without turning edgewise.
There Is no ventilation aud In case OF iie there
Is no possible escape. These underground dun
geons. where The light OF day never peuetrates,
ale alive with CnGkroaehes and salir'ted with
1eculeHt matter. They ar menace to Oh health
d OF The city. Ttey are not fit iur human
haDl zion, and they should be closed al once
aud forever.
Our city is young In years but old in crime
IL has all the conoontants OF the oldest cities in
the world. II has extreme wealth and extreme
poverty growing apace. Ii is wicked as The wick
edrst, and scenes are occurring daily that Zola
dare not paint II has human beings burrowlng
ana ehild in This broad land of ours should be
entitled 10 an abundance of fresh air and sun
shine.
THAT PUTRID SORE SPOT. CHINATOWN
To cap The climax, don't we for some unac.
conntable reason take much pride and pleas
nie IN showing that puttid sore spot. Chinatown,
10 our Eastern and European visitors as we do
In attracting their attention TO our scenic WON
ders' giant trees and mammoth pumpkins?
Our city, hom lis admirable location, should
be one Of the healIhiest cities the globe. But
IL isn't. Chinatown IS stlnk-pot, the air is
pregnant with malaria, and The sewer gas from
the streeicorner cesspOols is strong enough to
knock you down. III one man kills another he is
indicted Tor murder. But malaria and sewer
gas are killing by the wholesale. Your doctor
VIII tell you so, yet no one is indicted.
Our Board OF Health is culpable for the ciiy's
unsayory condition. There Is city ordinance
which makes il incumbent on the Board OF
Health 10 thoroughly flush and cleanse the pub
lie sewers not less Than four times a year,
hut oltener IL deemed necessary. TO pre-
vent sickness. his ordinance Is manila
tory and should be enforced to the letter
DEPRAvITY.
Tie social evil holds high carnival in Dupont
street, Grant avenue, Morton street and alleys
adjacent or opening into Dupont street. The
most beastly depravity can he found beneath The
shadow OF Inc cross, corner OF Dupont and Cali
ioTnla streets, and In The vicinity OF the fashion
able club houses.
Every approach to the old cathedral Is filled
with the lowest class Of women, who, 10 the
disgrace OF the city, openly, boldly and defantly
ply Their unhoy calling with immunity at all
hours OF The day and night Grant avenue nd
dupont street are great thoroughfares right In
Tue neals u me CITY, ana IL IS burning shame
either stIeet without being iGsulled.
Young aud old, In going 10 coming from
chulch, have tLelr eyes and ears opened by the
iasciFlous looks, gestures and opportunities Of
-braZon waRtons.
VICE IN PURPLE AND FINE LINEN.
Even Sunday school children are subjected TO
similar indlgnlties aud witness for the first time
gllded vice dressed In purple and fine linen
ana as one oil highlands greatest poets so we'll
expressed It,:
Vice is monster of so frIghttui mIen
AS 10 be hated needs but 10 be seen;
Jet seen too oft, familiar with her face
we hrst endure, then pity. then embrace.
CLEAN OUT THE REST OF THEM TOO.
The Police Commissioners have demonstrated
what can De done by driving the Chinese women
from Bartlett aiey. But why stop there?
Bartlett alley was n terra incopnlta bIddan in