The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-11-25
A Public Library and Reading
Room.


OF the little army of men employed
in the various enterprises that center IN
and around our town, fully one half are
men without families. for the most part
young men who are far from the homer
of their childhood and are iD fact desti
titnte of ell home influence. Yer
many Of them are intelligent and no
particularly addicted to vice, but ar,
calculated to make, under proper in
auences and surroundings, good citizens
and worthy members of society. Uude
these circumstances it becomes the duty
If the moral and Christian portion OF
the community to inquire what pro.
vision we have already made or ar
making for surrounding the class OF
persons We have named with those in
huences which tend to their enlighten-
ment, civilization and outstanding,
In reply to this question we shall b.
pointed to the spires of nearly a dozen
churches, but when this is done the
whole story has been told. We would
not detract from the importance of these
churches one iotR nor deny to them thu
need Of praise which is justly their
due; but have we done our whole duty
when we have provided these church
puvileges2 We think not.
We have 10 our midst twenty or more
saloons or places where liquor is sold
aud these comprise every grade from
the low groggery where the poison can
be had for 8 cents per drink, to the
aristocratic, nickle plated bar and fix
lures where the high toned "barkeep"
with "pIate glass" front dispenses the
slower bat not less sure poison. These
places are made comfortable and attract
i've and it is not strange that in the
absence of any other resort the young
man should prefer the saloon to the
cold, cherries, solitary place that is bis
temporary home, Once 10 the saloon
it is perfectly natural and follows, as
matter of course, that he should patron
Ize tbs bar aud indnlgsin the social game
Of cards and finally end In gambling
away bis bard earned wages, We are
not entering upon any crusade against
the saloons, but simply making plain
statement of facts as they exist, The
question we ask is, shall anything be
done to eounteract this influence and if
70, what?
We can think of nothing better than
the library aud reading rom. For the
present the library would be such in
name only, but start oOnld be made
by renting q suit of rooms IN which
should be kept all the Lending news
papeFs and periodicals of the day the
apartments to he comfortably heated
and well lighted, one room being de-
voted to a gymnasium with the leRs
expensive apparatus belonging thereto
tor the present until the funds sh"nld
he sufficient to supply fall 0Ittit We
understand that the Y, W. @ 7, U.
have on hand II considerable fund which
is eventually to be used for some snch
purpose and we tTust the time is not
far distant when active operations shall
be commenced, We have no doubt
that once a start was made, the funds
would flow in and that in add tlon IT,
Local contributions there are rich people
10 the east who would be glad to COZ
tribute could they be sure that the
money wonld be iHdieiOusly tx ended
When we reflect that from $50 900 to
S75 600 is annually paid over the bars
of this city, and that by a little labor
aud expenditure of money a large
portion of this could be diverted into
other channels, such as the building OF
homes and the improvement of homes
already started. the tine and money
requisite to make az attractive pace at
which working men eau spend their
leisure hours, outside Of q saloon, would
be returned thousand fold.