The record-union., 1895-06-14
WHERE ARE OUR GIRLS TONIGHT :?
A Query 1t Would Puzzle Some
Parents to Answer.
An Incident That Illustrates One o.
the Sad Phases of Life in
Modern Cities.

Two young men of this city will prob
ably remember their experience of last
Sunday morning for some time to come,
and not with feelings of unmixed pleas
ure either.
A Well-known resident of this city
went into a certain saloon about $50
o'clock that morning-a saloon that has
private rooms attached to it-whereln
men and women can get whatever they
may wish to drink. In passing by one
of the rooms. just as waiter was COM
ing out, he saw therein two young girls.
not yet II years old, with whom ne was
well acquainted. and in whom he felt an
interest. They were drinking beer with
the two young men in question.
Taking in the situation at glance he
went tor the two young men, one OF
whom managed to escape after receiving
several blows. The other showed tight,
and received tbrashing from the ath-
leiic champion of young womanhood
that he VIII not soon forget.
While searching for the one who
escap ped, the citizen opened the curtains
of another room and discovered there q
man IN company with q married woman
CT his acquaintance. They were rather
taken aback 1T his intrusion on their sup
posed privacy.
At first his impulse was to enter COM
plant against the proprietors for selling
liquor 10 minors, but other consldera-
tons prevailed and he allowed the mat
ter to drop. not wishing to publicly blast
the regulations OF the girls.
1t is no longer Il question, Where is
my darling boy Tonight? The girls
are leaving the boys far behind in the
race on the down grade of lite. Ii some
OF the fathers and mothers who live in
cities could traverse the round OF saloons
where rooms are maintained for women
and girls to pass hours in the company of
men, they would be horritied at the
rey Citations that would be forced upon
them.
Many girl who is supposed to be at
dance, or visiting some friends of Ler
own sex, spends her evenings and the
better part of the nights in these back
entrance deus of vice; and not few
wives and mothers do the same thing.
The SCENES That confronted and startled
the citizen above referred 10 are common,
everyday affairs-so common that men
who daily drop into this class OF saloons
think nothing of them, supposing that
the women and girls who indulge in
these nightly orgies are Outcasts from
home and society circles.
This state OF thing has its origin In
paternal carelessness, over-contidence in
their girls, or Indifference to their fate
The Sunday picnics, participation III pro-
miscuouS dancing parties" license to go
at will with men OF whose true characters
little or nothing is known, beer drinking
at home, slackness in church-gOing-
these are among the more prolific sources
OF that moral degeneration that is daily
dragging down young women into the
mire and pollution OF the gutter.
1t is possible tor some OF these things
to be abated by the strong hand of the
law, and if it be not done the next gen.
GRAFTON will witness the sad sight of
women, who could be saved, going to
swell the ranks of that more vicious class
who take to lives OF sin as naturally as
young ducks take to the pool.
If the women who have SO much time
to hold congresses" and pirate about
"the home'' and the political rights of
their sex, would spend portion of that
time. and bend their talents in doing
missionary work among the young
women, especially of the working class.
they would accomplish something
worthy OF themselves.
If the fathers and mothers Of girls
would organize and demand that all sa-
looms that harbor women be abolished,
and follow up this line of agitation per-
sistently, they could break the back of
the monster that is causing SO much mis-
cry and degradation.