The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-03-11
K. |. c..
FLOUR.
MIDNIGHT SCENES IN kALIsPELL
A Sermon BY the Reverend J. w. Nor
ris, Phi. D.

At the Epworth Methodist church
last evening, the pastor, Rev. J. w.
Morris, PHI D., took his text from the
seventeenth chapter of the Acts of
the Apostles, as follows:
Nov, while Paul waited for them
at Athens his spirit was stirred in
him when he saw the city wholly CIV
en- to idolatry'
DR.. Morris said:
There are different ways of look
ing at city. Some will see it from
one standpoint; some from another.
Some will look for the business cen
tres, others look for the public parks
and boulevards; some for the operas
and theatres and still others for the
saloons and dives. Three things l al
ways look for on entering new city.
They are the churches, schools and
newspapers. These all tend toward
the enlightenment of community.
l would not live in a town too immoral
to support church; too ignorant to
support a school, or too poor to sup
port local paper.
Nov l want you to look at this town
for about thirty minutes, and then
keep on looking until you have seen
the naked truth of matters. And
don't intend to say anything to reflect
on public men or decent people-if
can help it. Abuse is not wise meth
cd. This town is above the average
for it's age and size, in intelligence
and enterprise. Good churches and
schools, growing population and
prospects of a prosperous city in the
near future. Why, then, should poll
ticians and business men condone evil
wink at laWlessness and crime and get
down and lick the feet of a drunken,
motley crowd. for their patronage?
First l want you to look at these
gambling dens and low dives called
concert halls They are sink-holes
of low vice. have made the rounds
of two of them and the sight is sick
ening enough l made the second
round the other night between one
and two o'clock in the morning and
still they were packed with should
say-hundreds of men and a few pros
titutes, all stupefied with liquor
have authority for the statement that
these saloons pay out from two to
three hundred dollars month for
railroad tickets alone, to import these
troupes of low prostitutes to enter
tain the vulgar crowd. The whole
thing is run in the interest of the sa-
loon. For this purpose men and
youths are lured to these places. roll
led of their money, debauched in
character and dragged down to ruin.
1T is sickening sight to behold
these crowds break up at two or three
o'clock in the morning. as these sink
holes of perdition vOmit forth their
mass of putrid, drunken humanity,
and many of these wretched creatures
betake themselvs to the houses of
prostitution. These public performan-
ces of nudely dressed women, togeth-
err with the fumes and draughts of
liquor, kindle every low passion and
drive men on to hell. Then think of
these low dives being open Sunday
nights in open defiance of law, with
their low prostitutes and drunken
crowds of gamblers filling the streets
with their vulgar songs and midnight
carousals. What sights for the youth
to see and hear on their way home
from church services.
Next l want you to look at these
cribs on Third street and Second av
enue. They are a part of the city
Somebody owns them. Somebody is
responsible for their being there
They are in the heart of the city, sur
rounded by residences on every side
Somebody's children have to pass
them every day ON their way te
school, or to the postoffice, or to tn,
store. There are % of these creature.
who pay license-or fine. of two dol
lars week. That is the minimum
1t ought to be made fifty or hundred
Two dollars is small tax on sucl
crimes, that few men may real
big revenues from property let TO
the shame of the city.
Il am informed by one who ough
to know that there are over so O
these public characters in the cit,
l don't know; twenty-eight ought t
be enough for the town. But VIII
should such a thing be allowed in
decent community?
again. want you to look at tn
late cock fight in this city. That
another midnight scene that some {
you didn't see. I quote from one {
the city papers of Feb. 2Sth. {
course it is true. The papers alwa,