The Red Cloud chief., 1898-05-06
A TYPICAL SCENE.

wa
laughing, s%creeching. yelling pand'mo-
MUM. Amid it all Is heard the jangie
Of the piano and the shrill voice Of a
young hoy singing about mother, nome
and graves. Then comes Il ruls
while he passes his hat around for
money. If You have none he will lake
a cigarette. The proprietor and his
waiter rush back and forth, serving
drinks for thirsty threats.
why do people go to such places?
For many reasons. Young mon 20
there because they think that there
will be seen the giddy wickedness that
they have read about. Old broken
down FOUNDERS and sports 60 there be.
cause they hope something may mar
pen come day. The women 90 there
hccause-well. because they want "a.
1t is a place where anything. every
thing il allowed, but nothing Is ever
done. II Is a place where all tn hid
cous forms of vice are seen. The effect
may be electrical for a moment, but
once away from 1t and the reaction
ONE II is "A place where before yor
is laid all the base. uudisguised degra-
dalton of wickcdness. There Is moth
ing alluring. nothing attractive about
il. 1t is bold and disgusting.
II is a rough, jostling crowd that
haunts these places. a crowd ready to
laugh. sing or fight. 1t Is only IA ques-
tiOn Of opportunity. Some poor wretch
is fortunate enough To have two add
mirers who insist on buying her drinks
at the same time. That is always a
sign OF trouble. The piano player
looks apprehensively over his Shout
der while he plays some painfully ia
miliar air. The %'bouncer" clutches his
club tighter, the light Of battle CLEAN
ing in his eye. The crisis comes. Ho,
words are spoken, wild blows are en-
changed and then the fierce combat
ants are out in the cool night air. The
''bouncer" twists his collar into posi-
ton. The people at the other tables
look NJ for a moment, then 20 on
talking. They are quite accustomed
to such scenes. Il may be their turn
next. What has become Of the wom-
an? Already IA new arrival is laughing
and drinking with her. II Is a great
life, full of movement and action.
The early part of the evening Is al
ways very quiet in these places. II is
then the proprietor il sad and cynical.
No one is there save himself, the wait
or. and the piano player. The boss
stands behind the bar, his fat body
covered with a white apron. his dull
face scowling. for he always figures his
losses this time In the evening. The
pisno player idly runs his finger over
the keyboard while he chats with the
waiter. These W are happy II they
get enough beer and enough money to
pay for lodging, But all these people
have one thought In common How
can we get all their money out Of the
people that come in? When the rush
OF business starts all other ideas will
be lost In that one absorbing effort
At this time the place is gloomy
enough, full Of bare tables and the
lights shining through an atmosphere
Of unwonted clearness.
After a time two or three men wan
der in, who are aimlessly strollinl
about looking for sights that are to b'
seen. Some are married, some are
single; all better bred than those
about them. They talk to the proprie'
Tor in an easy, familiar manner, the,
chaff and tell the piano player ito hi
her up lively" The pianist plays "rai
time" the woman smiles, while the
visitors solemnly drink the beer served
with great alacrity by the proprietor
But matters do not go smoothly. f0l