The Indianapolis journal., 1893-11-26
HAVE BAD INFLUENCE
Public Balls Given Upon a Rather
GO-as-YOu-Please Basis.
TOmlinson Hall Desecrated by the
''IdeaT' Masquerade-YOung Girls
Given Their First Lesson in Vice.

When good Stepnen TOmllnSOn tnOught
of the benefit he could do his fellow-towns-
men in giving them a beautiful hall, he
never contemplated the uses to which it
has been put in giving such affairs as
that masquerade ball of the ideals" on
Thursday night. The Ideals In spite of
their name are addicted TO stern realities,
nothing more than a desire. as one men,
ber expresses il, to ''buy ourselves enough
clothes for the year" Other cities have
balls such as that given by the Ideals"
but these other cities do not pretend largely
to be cities of homes and churches
Tomlinson Hail was crowded on Thurs
day night. with a jamming, pushing and
boisterous crowd of young men freighted
with beers" and not few young ladies
with a repertoire of cuss words at theS
tongues end. Here and there, like
marguerite blooming in shoel, was some
young girl fifteen or sixteen years old
getting her first insight into the mysteries
of frazzled-edged society. 1t was intoxicat-
ing to her, she was dazed with the CLAM
our of the lights on the tinseled dresses an.
grotesque costumes. 1t was garden or
Eden to her with the snake lily concealed
Jostling up against this girl was of
those women whose cheeks were deep with
rouge, whose eyes were deep in their
sockets and whose air was brazen-too
brazen indeed or an ideal woman.
Young boys not out of their teens were
there. They were from good families, but
this vicious excitement had turned their
heads. They smirked to these women with
rouged cheeks, and were in the seventh
heaven of delight when a smile rewarded
them. They were men. Come lets go get
a beer said the silly prodigal with twenty
cents in his pocket which his father had
given him for his expenses for tSo week
IN go with you, honey" said the Ideal"
woman, and off they went to this east side
levee opposite the hall. Bareheaded was
the woman, and bareheaded was the boy;
what a great thing is a sporting nfe!
One petite creature scarcely sixteen years
OF age, moved about the hall with a timid
air that showed her to be yet a stranger
to such surroundings and such scenes. She
was dressed as houSemaid, a French
peasant or a country girl. or what not
for you must know that this was a ball
masque. Many curious people who peered
in the doors let their eyes follow this little
girl around the hall. She wore a checked
gingham dress, and what an exquisite little
waist it was! Young bioods and young
toughs alike tried TO get in her wake.
no some ns;d sne TAXED fr9m ON. others others she she
did not know how to discriminate as would
q woman more accustomed IL Ideal
balls. Presently well-knOwn character
about town, man VINO tried TO kill an
other short time ago, and who for some
reason has not Yet been brought to trial,
leered at the girl and made approaches
handsome enough. a young looker-on not
versed in wild life, talked to her a while;
he believed she was an innocent girl and
tried to persuade her TO go home. No. in
deed! She would not go home; il was too
gay. She went over and talked to two
The dresses of the two scarcely COM
prised material enough to clothe one of
them decently. Their corsages were ex-
tFpmplV dpCOllptP
they were arranged in that short curly
hair style so popular among femmes de
pave. One VentureSOme sport from the IL
linOis street ievee attempted TO make GER
tain alterations in the arrangement of one
of the young .women's hair. but she re-
sented this with q string of sulphurous
oaths. A well-dressed young man sat
along the wall, and one of these sisters
sought his favor by dropping a piece of
blushed and turned about with furtive
glance to see If any one whom ne would
care 10 know had seen his association VITA
this lovely Ideal woman.
Peggy was favorite name, Polly
was another made highly ornate with such
language as is never heard i'm a drawing
room. About midnight crowd of chorus
beauties from a theater came over to the
hall and they immediately became "stars
moment for these unsOphisticated young
girls and brazen women to move as saueI-
lites around these theatrical people
The stream OF men. boys, women and
girls to the saloons across the street was
steady throughout the early part of the
night. but Sergeant John Lowe went along
this east side levee at IL o'clock and no
more beer flowed. Peggy and Billy, Mike
and Molly. and more and more Of the same
ilk. pounded and knocked on the doors.
Beer. beer, everywhere, but not drop to
drink!
'You folks won't find It any further
from here to the hall than it is from the
hall here was the advice of Sergeant
Lowe. Some swOre at the policeman, but
in very low tones.
The ball was financially and dissipatingly
a bowling success. 1t the door taking
tickets during the evening was big po-
HceInan. 1t is not known what authority
he had 10 act thus; though he was clothed
in fun uniform and wore his star conspic-
uously. If he were sent there by the po-
lice department. ne should have exercised
his judgment In barring the young girls
from the hall. Such affairs as those of the
Ideals 1.-The Jolly Five" ''The Happy
Six" and the "Measly Seven Z" are dis
graces to the city of indianapolis and their
further toleration by the police win reflect
serious discredit on that department.