The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-06
BOYS AND GIRLS DRINK
AND DANCE During THE
EARLY HOURS OF SUNDAY
Hall a Square from Police Station
Open by Official Sanction
Long After Midnight.
MANY WATERS ARE BUSY
Serve Young Lads and Compan-
ions Without Question-Police
Pay No Attention.

At 1890 o'clock this morning, one hour and
one-half after the time set by law for sa-
looms to close at night, beer was served
openly at Germania Hail. at Delaware and
Pearl streets, apparently without any fear
of intervention by the police.
No question was asked by the walters or
the two bartenders as to the age of persons
ordering the drink, and men and women sat
at small tables, or crowded around the
bars. drinking and singing.
Every Saturday night, during the winter
months, dance is given at Germania Hall
1t is generally believed that the dance is
conducted by the Germania Pleasure So
ciety, but Victor Jose, lessee of the hall and
proprietor of the barroom, and not the Ger
mania Society, is the one who gives the
dance
Youth is no bar to entrance and boys with
girls scarcely out of the short frock stage
jostle and crowd with men and women and
laugh and drink with them, making merry
at these Saturday night affairs until late
Sunday morning.
The police are aware that this is being
done The music from the orchestra, play
ing the dance tunes, can be heard late at
night and early in the morning, by any
one standing in front of the police station,
one square away.
The dances have never been interfered
with
Last night two men were kept busy
working behind the bar at the rear Of the
balcony on the third floor of the hall and
We're buster at 1890 o'clock this morning
than they were earlier in the evening.
You see" explained one of the walters,
1.-The good guys don't begin comm in until
il gets late. And say, they sure spend y
Probably a dozen walters were busy early
this, Sunday morning, serving beer to the
thirsty dancers seated at tables in the bal
cony.
Drunken men and women, even boys and
girls, were plentiful. Several young men
who had imbibed more than they could
take care of insisted greater license
than is countenanced even at these dances
and were elected by special policemen.
Last night the crowd was large. At
one table an observer saw three girls, in
appearance mere schoolgirls, with three
youths, not one of them a day over seven
teen years of age. drinking beer
Two of the children were intoxicated and
the others in the party were having rude
fun at their expense.
Women, faces showing lines of dissi-
patton, sat side by side around the tables
with girls whose fresh, rosy countenances
are yet unmarked by the life they are just
beginning to lead.
In order to get into one of the Satur-
day night dances at the hall the man pays
81 cents for his ticket and 10 cents for
each companion. Formerly an extra charge
was made for checking wraps and over
coats. but in his generosity the proprietor
of the hall now checks them free.
On the third floor OF the building is the
dance hall. Colored electric lights around
the wall and a cluster of lights in the
center give the otherwise barren-lookng
room a coy appearance. The orchestra
sits on a stage at the east end of the dance
hall.
At l O'Clock this morning, Sunday, the
hall was crowded, beer selling was GO
ing on and the dance showed every evil
dence of lasting until daylight