The San Francisco call., 1899-04-01
s r1lN. .lApHIRA Duaht11 : .

9@->-~-~-@->-3-<~ ~-%-@-<-@- -&p-<-E<
derer, chairman of the Board of City
Trustees, at the corner of Regent street
and San Jose avenue, have. come under
the ban Of those who commenced the
crusade against living pictures Miss S.
burgess, a middle-aged lady, whose home
! is on San Jose avenue has long objected
to the galvanized iron Cupids that orna-
mented Mr.. Forderer,S front lawn and the
groups representing Venus and Adonis
and other allegoricaf= figures that have
made the gentIemahes premises con-
/ spicuous place among the handsome
homes of this city. r.. :.
/ Prompted by what she terms the cour-.
| age displayed by F. E! Mason and Flemon
Drake in frustrating: the plans of St
Agnes Guild to give q living picture per-
formance, the lady has addressed a letter
to Mr. Forderer requesting him to smash
his statues or drape then:in proper cloth
|. ing
Being man of marked morality and
superintendent of the First Nj. Z. Church
Sunday-schooI, Mr.. Forderer is much an
noyed at Miss burgess. opinion of his in
nocent statuary, and is seriously consid-
ering the adyisabiitY of destroying his
valuable works of art rather than excite
the unfavorable comments: of his corre-
spondent and others whose delicate sensi-
thing living or dead not fully clothed
The lady will be a valuable acquisition
to the Mason-Drake forces; as she hints
at. a determination to make the fight
against living pictures and clothesless.
statuary an issue in the local campaign:
She has taken up the fight with an earn
estness and determination that will over
shadow the efforts of MIR. Drake: and Mr..
Mason and will make the ladies of st.
Agnes Guild Shudder.: The: letter received
by Mr.. Eorderer is as follows. ~.
ALAMEDA March 80. 1895
Mr.. Joseph Forderer-Dear Sir: Pardon my
writing you, but do SO under deep eOnvlc-
tion and sense Of duty The exposure in the
papers of the awful and. immoral performance
! which was to have been. given by so-called
ladies ladies Of Of Christ Church m which but ut for the
would have been held and become shocking
example of depravity has furnished the text
OF and the reason for writing this letter.
AS family man and President of. the. City
/ Trustees l feel that you. VIII receive my re-.
marks in good spirita and realize how hard
It is for. unmarried and: lonely lady TO speak
| out plainly and to the point on a matter SO
delicate; But i must, and will speak.
Mr. Drake has my greatest admiration and
1 feel for him in the trying notoriety TO which
have brought him. Living pictures are shame
full and shameless.
!. Now. Mr.: Forderer, there is another thing
and that Is statuary. It makes me. blush to
have to- say 1t to you. but although you have
/ no doubt never realized 1t the statues In. your
+ yard on. Regent street are an offense to any
one of decacy of feeling and should not be in
| this Christian community. They are figures of.
! heather goddesses and +@f:men without decent
drapery l think it positively horrid to keep:
| such things boldly on view: AS a public officer
asking for the ballots of your constituents for
! election again and as a father | beg of YOU
T head With an ak or cover them with proper
/ drapes. E
| Church would side with me in this if 1 dared
| approach them, and know that in acting
| my request you will win votes and the heart
| felt thanks of hundreds of your appreciatiye
| townswornen and all good men, such as Mr..
| Drake and Mr.. Mason:
In earnest for the uplifting of the
| home SAPHIRA BURGESS,
Miss burgess was seen this evening at
| her home on San Jose avenue. She
| mentioned to Mr.. Forderer, and said
! she considered she was only doing her
| duty. in calling his attention to what she
! considers the immortality of his garden
| ornaments. At first she was not inclined
| to discuss the matter at any length, pre-
| ferring to await Mr.. Forderer's s action on
! her communication.
II know that great many people ridi-
| cule such action as was taken by Mr..
| Drake and Mr.. Mason, and / presume
! that will come in for a share of com
! ment for what ! have done" said the
| lady but as a Christian woman l feel
| this community TO do what | can in my
! humble way to suppress and stamp out
everything that has tendency to de-
| grade or demoralize.
Il have only lived in Alameda for
about a year, but am told that Mr..
| Forderer has been allowed to keep his
! Statudry. on eAIllpillOH lOI q louSs lOuB
| time before I came here. Maybe he does
not think there is anything wrong about
them. He is filled with Western IDEAS, l
"There are no Anthony Comstocks out
here. The. nearest approach to one that
have heard of in California IS Mr.. Ma
| son, and | admire him. II there were
more such men here Mr.. Forderer's stat
uary would have disappeared long ago.
"I am not alone in this matter. Many.
| of my lady friends agree with me that
| these things are worse than living pic
|. lures, for they are constantly on exhi-
! bition The thing will not stop here.
| Already my friends and l are taking
! steps to organize the 'Anti-Vice in Art
Society," and we intend to make our
| selves felt in the coming city election"
| Mr. Forderer is a manufacturer of gall
/ vanized iron cornices In San Francisco,