The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-03
CURFEW Still RINGS
Children Of the Schools Know It
Means The Copper'll
Catch You. y
Chief Of Police Will Remind His
I Men That Ordinance Is to
Be Enforced.

=. -c>>~ - -
Anyone In Minneapolis who has an idea
that, because he has not heard much
talk about the curfew ordinance OF late,
the ordinance has become a. dead letter,
should visit a few schools and talk with
the children. If he fancies even then that
1t Is In danger. of becoming a dead letter
through the, summer weather he should
have a talk with Chief of Police E.. j.
Conroy who is thoroughly in ympathy
with any efficient method of keeping
children off the. streets at night and is
about to call the special attention of his
captains to the ordinance to see that it
is enforced. -- s-
A visit to several city schools in the:
downtown and the residence districts
brought to light a state Of affairs that
will surprise many of the parents whose
minds were perhaps never deeply. i'm
pressed with: the. feasibility and value of
the ordinance. A. little inquiry showed
that some knowledge Of the ringing of
the curfew and, of what it meant was al
most universal. although in the districts
where the children receive the most home
attention. the knowledge was less that
or experience and observation than Of
hearsay and comment among the young
sters. OF the carefully tended children in
the Douglas discretionary of the younger
ones have not heard the bell because they
are already in the house and often in bed
at the time Of its ringing. !;
What the Children Say.
At the Washington school B list pupil
promptly defined the curfew as "a bell to
tell us we mustn't be out doors. at night.
The same set of scholars agreed that
the law applied only to children and that
they would get arrested if they didn't stay
indoors. Another described the conse-
quences Of being out after dark as "a man
will carry US OFF, Other primary chill
dren of the Washington decided that it
| was not nice to besout late at night,
| but in the same room chorus Of Noes
| answered the question whether the good
| boys and girls obeyed the law.
| Third grade pupils there telling of their
experiences on the, streets at night, said
taht the policemen told them that if they
were quiet and orderly they would not be
| disturbed. There was much of this kind
of testimony in the down town schools and
incidental comment seemed to show that
| the officers had tried taking and sending
the children home, but that often the
| home conditions were such that they had
become discouraged and contented them
selves with seeing that there was no dis
.order. l. -, ~ il +,@ -
The basic principle of the law, that
children should be- at home and in bed
for, their own good, seems to be generally
] dPpA CCAASCU, oAIAOU6uH Sll01S 'CAlSIS dkiSO
among the children accustomed to being
on the street the restraint whose only
! basis Is fear. l. ec"i57s:f $685.. ~.
! The close proximity of the. courthouse
to the Washington school and the chill
dren interest in ther:hliilding, has helped
ito familiarize2 the pupils of the district
with the ringing Of the curfew and with
Its meaning *.Tsaa
=" The Cop Their curfew. .''
t4ho oo,,,, eao,,, g
to answer the purpose of a bell. The po-
liceman on the main business streets ap-
parently, from the children'S stories, send
them home frequently when they congre-
gate at night; but the sco1nmon attitude is
summed up III this Way, Huh, I amt
afraid of the cop. He won't do any
thing" =
:. Still a, slitae1g girl in this building told
of carrying note of explanation with her
Ito show, to the policeman when she was
|"out after the curfew hour, and of being
asked her business and showing the note.
The. fifth grade room replied in an EN-
phatic negative chorus, when asked If
they went home when the bell rang. One
boy explained that, when the patrolman
told them to go, they took a dig,'' run
ming away only to reappear later.
Babies at the Theaters.
The Jefferson babies reported that
street asked them if they knew what time
it was. One wee mite explained the rea-
son of the children of tender age being
on the street late was that they event
to the show and flutter Of hands an
swered that many others did the same
i the first informant adding that che went
Sunday night " ~
This crowding Of the cheap theaters OF
Sunday night is a. regular practice will
many families of the downtown districts
! even the smallest children going. Man,
!; !; children just entered school, and year.
old, are attending the theater alone a
> night. Sunday school in the morning AM
the theater in the evening Sunday Is
Q regular program with many.
, At the Douglas school the pupils do no
! seem to come in contact with the en-
= forcement Of the ordinance often excep
on HaIlowe en-. and a few pupils had al
> impression that it was meant only 70
= such special occasions They were NOR
!. familiar with It's summer workings, a.
. they are usually indoors early in white
: and are not like to notice the bell !.
, A Private curfew.
Ill One little girl reported that he mothe
E rang a private curfew BELL at night.
t the opinion Of the pupils, those childre
who were permitted by their parents t
: stay out paid no ,attention,to the curfe1
4 unless they We're sent home by the pc
: lice. EG.|s . i
il In one instance party Of children wer
h told by the policeman that the bell ha.
$ rung and he would give them just tw
e minutes to get home. His instructor
i were to "seoot'' and they scooted.
81 ;. The Douglas class in civics in tn,
eighth grade approved Of the law ant
thought it a, necessity in some parts O.
the city, but less needed in that vicinit,
than in some others They find it valua
q BILE because it keeps boys and girls out O
bad company, because so many evil thing
happen at night and because children neet
: more sleep than grown people and shout,
be indoors early in order to get it.
:, Good Word for the Police.
e In all Of the schools the police fore
It got many unconscious and genuine rec
d concentrations. There was not a. hin
!, from any child of harshness nor bullyin
Ii and the children generally seem to un
: derstand that the police are their protec
: tors and friends.
TuE uEDOCW DEDITDI n