Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-25
QUAKER CITY ISN'T SLOW.

QUAKER CITY ISN'T SLOW.
Reform Movement Brings to Sight I'm
mistakable Proof of the Fact.
IF the iniquities which have been re-
vealed to the uninfOrmed Chicago ctti-
zen as a result of the civic federation
movement, have created establishment
you may imagine the shaking UP which
the crusade for moral reform has
caused in my town. said a Philadel-
phia gentleman. "Philadelphia has al
ways been regarded as a staid and
sober old city, but we have been
shaken out of our complacency, I as
sure you. To the younger men of the
city, unfortunately, these disclosures
have not been in the nature of news
The most painful feature of it all is
that the things now first exposed to
tile light of day and which have
shocked the respectable element into
activity, have been familiar to the
young men of from II ito 80 for years.
1t was the general impression, when
was young, that if a person of fast
proclivities desired to put in his crop
Of wild oats it was necessary to go to
New York city. We have found to our
chagrin, however, that any man can
have the widest kind of a fling and
never 60 beyond the boundaries Of the
quaker city; Ito, nor beyond the circle
which marks the 11file radius from the
city hall. In a small side street within
easy walking distance of that citadel
of our civic honor, over which William
PENIS heroic statue mas stood in
watch and ward for so many years, a
dive was found which it would be
hard to beat even in the Bowery. It
belonged to what is known as the
wide open variety, where music, beer
and brutality in the lowest form were
kept on tap every hour of the day.
Others, some of them in Eighth street.
In the very heart of the city, were
ostensibly conducted as restaurants
and closed at midnight, but were in
reality resorts for diSreputable women
who made them their headquarters
from which they conducted their
predatory operations early in the even
Ing, shifting to other haunts later on.
Women of the half world, who, it was
found, had been driven out of New
York and Baltimore, had come-iust
think of it-had come to Philadelphia
for refuge, and found it! We were so
secure in our morality-either openly
or IN effect, thanking God daily that
we Were not as other cities, like the
Pharlsee in the scriptures it
never occurred to us that any defense
was necessary against the advances of
the arch enemy in our quarter. One
OF these women, known as Something
or-Other, had a place in Tenth street.
near Callowhill which she conducted
as kind of academy in vice. 1t was
the favorite resort of young men be-
tween the ages of IL and 20, who were
taking their first steps in a career of
dissipation. The frequenters of the
place were sons of wealthy parents, as
rule, although there were among
them some clerks, who managed with
their earnings to keep in the set with
the others for a time. The woman
who ran the institution accumulated
a large fortune in a few years, and
with its aid succeeded in maintaining
her position, in spite of the frequent
outbursts from indignant parents and
threatened raids Of the police Raids
were made occasionally, but very
shortly afterward she was again
found carrying on the same kind Of
business at the old number l speak
of this woman and her history in the
past tense because l hope that the
movement set on foot by Dr. Baker
and the Presbyterian Social union has
at length disposed Of her. Another
stronghold Of iniQuity, equally famous
in its way, has long fiourished in
Eleventh street, just below Pine. This
place is frequented by men of high
standing socially, the mention Of whose
names III this connection " oull create
a tremendous sensation, in the best cir
cles Of several cities. Cabs from theI
fashionable clubs stand there far into
the night. Several attempts havei
been made to close up this house, butt
somebody of influence. whose identity |
it was impossible to discover, has al |
ways stood in the way. What will bel
the result. now that our civic fedora
ton has taken hold of the matter, l !
cannot say. l hope it will clean out |
this and other moral plague spots as
efectually as DR.. Parkhurst and his !;
helpers have done in New York city.
Insurgent successes We're reported |
from Cuba.