The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-11

DR.. Ramband, of the New York Pas
teur institute. has discovered that hy-
drophobia turks in the kiss, and a case
is cited where man kissed his child
the child having been bitten by a dog
months previously-and thus became a
victim of hydrophobia. The cases, for
tunately, are rare, and it is the more
humorous side of kissing that has at
tracted late attention. When asked the
other day what was the greatest dan
ger from kissing Mrs. Langtry declared
that it was because it leads to a law
suit. That it sometimes leads to a
lawsuit is literally true in one city,
and that is Boston.
Hunting for kisses with searchlights
is the latest detail of the metropolitan
park police of that classic place. Never
did park police have a better hunting
ground, either, than the historic River
Charles, where on pleasant Saturday
afternoons and evenings as many as
1000 canoes have been known to glide
in peace, harmony, and, in the past,
with much demonstration of affection
between the canoeists and their guests.
Yes, the park police, married or sin
gle, with or without mustaches, put in
the hours between dark and midnight
hunting for kisses and searching out
clinging embraces. They are not hunt
ing kisses for themselves and with
the young women of Riverside, Newton
and Waltham in their present state
of mind it is just as well, for the most
handsome policeman of the park flo
tilla could not hope single favor.
They are hunting for kisses with
searchlights that they may arrest the
kiSserS and drag them into court. Bos-
ton has decided that kissing in the
Charles is a crime, and that even re-
Ginning side by side in a canoe is worthy
of a $40 fine.
The Metropolitan park commission
has drawn up a new set of rules and
regulations to govern the conduct of ca
noeiSts, andalmost every hand which has
ever held a paddle is raised in revolt.
There are seven rules in ali, but it is
No. that is causing CONSERVATION in
some quarters and a liberal amount of
Indignation in all. 1t reads:
mo person shall annoy another per-
son by the use of threatening or abu-
i've language, or loud cutlery, or solicit
any subscription or contribution; or
have possession of or drink any intox-
icating liquor; or play any game of
chance; or have possession of any in
strument of gambling; or do any OBJ
scene or indecent act; or have posses
sion of or use a f1ashlight, searchlight,
or dark lantern"
The remainder of the rules have
caused no objection on the part of the
vast majority of canoeists. In fact, the
whole great, terrible thunder cloud cen
tiers in the police Interpretation of what
IAN indecent act" is. Holding hands,
kissing, smuggling together in the bot
tom of the canoe to listen more intently
to the band concert, resting a tired
head in the lap of lady fair-all these
things, the police declare, are barred on
the Charles by Rule No. l.
To prove it they arrested Matthew
A. Peterson and Flora Smith. po-
nceman in citizens clothes padding q
canoe sneaked into the little cove in
which Peterson's canoe was drifting.
The hand Of the fair Flora was being
firmly held, and the police flashlight
disclosed 1T all. The young man and
the policeman had a heart-to-heart
talk and rather stormy things were
said.
I've warned you," said the police
man. You've got to sit up decent in
your canoe or be arrested
Five minutes later he slipped back
into the cove, and again his light flash
ed. 1t was dreadful thing he Witness
ed. Actually, so the police story goes,
they were kissing. 1t made the Puritan
blood in his Pilgrim veins-the fore
fathers of this particular cop landed
at Plymouth and his foremothers at
Salem-it had made his blood run cold,
and member in good standing of the
Society of Colonial Wars, he swoop-
ed down and arrested them. Matthews
stormed and said things, and fair Flora
chung tighter and cried, but it was all
In vain. The police light of Boston vir-
tue, personified and exaggerated, had
found them out.
Peterson Paid for 1t.
A few days later, in the district court,
Peterson paid fine of $40 and the case
against Miss Smith was placed on file.
The judge, with surprising chivalry for
Boston, argued, it is said, that the get
ting together in the canoe was mostly
the young mans fault.
There is not a finer spot for canoeing
in the whole country than the Charles
river, a peaceful stream, winding,
hanked with shady banks, with little
half-h1dden coVeS here and there in
which canoes float snugly Close to the
stream, in several places, the city has
placed band stands, where concerts are
given several times week There are
between 1000 and $500 canoes on the
river, and often a fleet of 900 gather
Tor band concert. There are great
lighthouses, where canoes can he stored
Tor nominal fee, and young folks from
all parts of the city journey to the
canoeing grounds by convenient troll
ley cars
This has been going on for years and
years, and today the Charles river.
with its canoes, is as much an insti
tuition as the Pop concerts or the
public Fairgrounds for poor children.
No statistics are available, but one is
safe in saying that thousands of hanpv
young homes in Boston and the SUBJ
nrbs owe their being to Charles river
these canoes, and they turn over most
easily in the hands of one not used
TO their tricky ways.
You must sit STILL" warns the ca