The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-01-16

"Cigars for three" said the officer.
And as the man slowly moved away
after giving the three visitors sharp
look the officer said in answer to the
question from Mr.. Marsh: "Oh, the
shows free. Sos the lunch. But ev-
erybody is expected to take something.
The saloons amt doing this for their
health nor for the love of the people.
not if they know it."
What if we refused to buy either
cigars or beer" Gordon asked, for he
had never entered one Of the vaude-
vile halls but once before and had
then gone in to hunt for. one Of the
young men who had been attending
the night classes at Hope House. His
knowledge of the character of the en-
tertainment was gained from Ford, the
university resident.
The officer shrugged his shoulders.
They'd make it mighty uncomforta-
BILE for you before you got out or got
in again. The saloon may be social
necessity to the poor devils in the
double deckers, but it don't furnish
social amusements without getting
mighty well paid for it. It's free, but.
it's expensive" said Officer Roberts.
AS he finished speaking, the bar
tender came back with the cigars and a
tray loaded with beer and whisky. The
liquor was distributed around on little
tables at which the boys and men in
the audience We're mostly seated AS
the curtain went Up to the music of
the orchestra there were about $50 in
the room and stream ,cf newcomers
noisily entering. Before the first song
was finished the hall was filed to suf-
location.
| As TIE ent ataiI1ielit. if Ii ..aIid he
called such, went on, John Gordons soul
! was stirred deep with red biooded
indignation. After tho FIRST two or
three vulgar songs which We're fol
lowed by some suggestive dances, he
sat there practically bearing and see
ing nothing on the stage. The audi
ence had become the absorbing study
| for him. The people. There they were!
His choice! 10 serve and to love! But
| was it worth while?
Tine majority of the company was
composed of young men between eight
cen and twenty-five years of age. They
were as a type pale, listless and as
ton;s1:ngly duh of expression. John
Gordon was irresistibly drawn to I'M
agine the exact appearance of the
rooms that these young men probably
called home. He then began to raise a
host of questions concerning their par
entage, their occupations, their wages,
the amount they probably spent on the
saloon and the places they went to on
Sunday. The absolute absence of any
thing interesting or 'elevating in their
lives impressed him with tremendous
reality. AL the churches in the city
were on the fine streets miles away.
There was not a religious institution.
with the possible exception of Hope
House, that had any influence in the
lives of these apathetic, coarsened, dis
sipated young men. The vaudeville
and the saloon touched their lives, but
the church never did. Yet it was the
sinner that Jesus came to save. Was
The church realizing her responsibility
to neglect this awful swarm of youth
that bred like disease In the tenement
and cursed God and died in the i'm
pure atmosphere of these polluted
walls? God have mercy on them! Are
they more sinned against than SHINING