The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-14
QUEER CONDITIONS.
Rooms 10 Rent and Lager Beer on
Pine Street.
Captain Stevens Says More Policemen Are
Needed Ihereabouts.

Look at the map ofs Providence and one
would naturally suppose that all OF the
principal tboroughfares leading TO the
business center. on the Vest side, are
sswhite' streets; that is, wide, clean and
properly paved, as indeed they are. In
fact, the city has recently spent hundreds
of thousands OF dollars TO improve its
highways and purposes, "God wot" Cor
rather, as p. j. Mccarthy insists upon
having 1t, "the machine Willingly to
spend great deal more in the near fu-
ture. Nobody has ever disputed that
Westminster and weybosset streets are
uwnife" streets. Broad street has also
ALWAYS been accounted beautiful street to
traverse in winter or summer. Broad.
way. since the advent OF its Trinidad
asphalt Is mecca Tor bicycllsts, Day or
night, although an occasional downfall
OF awkward policeman spoilers out for
ssscorchers" is chronicled. Washington
street has been widened, and. IL is under
stood, Is one OF the "whitest" streets IN
the city today, because all the liquor
saloons are closed up between Dorrance
and Walker streets and, SO far as Captain
Stevens, of the Central station, knows
there are no houses OF Ill repute to be
found there.
But p ne street, dear old Pine street,
npon which so much attention and 30
many dollars have been expended, re-
mains the same as when the sports and
gamblers visited NarargaDsett Park
during the running races last year and
the year before.
Every house on Pine street, almost with
out exception, between Beacon avenue and
Page street, has rooms TO let. That IL,
there are signs TO that effect somewhere
on the front OF the houses. Some signs
are ON the doors, some on the windows,
and some even are on the second and
third stories They differ somewhat and
from the wording OF them q stranger is
easily fooled, IL not foiled. For instance:
"Furnished Rooms 10 Lett" or, "Rooms
to Let Without Board" or "To Let
Rooms" or ..Rooms by the Day or
Rooms. - or % Rooms, no questions ssked.d
1t Is only necessary for the curious to
stroll up Pine street TO see for themselves
these and even other signs of a delusive
character and while looking around II
will be noticed that In simost every in
stance the blinds arc closed In the front
part OF all these houses. IL, per-
chance, the blinds and windows are open,
or the Stats OF the blinds are turned to
admit OF ''peek in, "fsiryn in low
necked yellow elk may be looking out.
She may be chewing gum, or she ma.
be making dresses, although dress
makers signs are conspicuous by their
Qbsense.
Il may transpire il the "curious" in
dividual happens along at the right time
that he will notice beer wagon (com-
monty known az sspring water cnrts1
In front OF the house and will see racks
of lager beer going in at the back door at
the same time. In fact, IL is not imposs-
5ble or impro bable that there may be two
..v hAa cQo
wagons 10 be noted along the radius men
toned on Pine street at the same time.
The inference Is not to be drawn, how
ever, that this stun is sold illegally but
one must naturally assume that the
dodgers are either hard drinkers, or OF .
very generous nature.
Police Captain Stevens has something
10 say about this thing. which is to the
effect that undou btedly there are some
squeer places on..Pine street.
Since the new central station was open
I'd on Fountain street, he says, all OF the
questionable people I'm his district have
gradually gone elsewhere, but he is posi-
tive they aid not go over to Pine street.
He admits, however, that there are with
out doubt several houses on Pine street
whero people who want to get down town
and get out of the rent cheaply hire
houses and let out one or more rooms
without asking what they are to be used
for. Most OF these rooms are hired by
s'street walkers" and they may invite
whom they choose, male or female, to
stay over night, or as long as they please.
The police, Captain Stevens says, are fol-
lowing them up.as fast and as hard as
possible, hut 1t Is hard to "catch on" un-
der the circumstances.
sswhat will purity ..Pine street, cap
tain7" the reporter asked.
'More policemen" replied the captain.