Evening journal., 1904-01-07
YOUTHS WRECK
W. c. 7. i. ROOM
Boys Having a Rough House
Dragged Out by the
Pol ce
GOOD PEOPLE CLOSE THE QUARTERS
May Be Reopened But the Members
Will Have to Sign a Pledge Before
They Can Gain Admittanee to the
Room.

Again has the liquor giant overcome
the temperance workers
All Middletown is talking Of the way
in which the Young Women's Chris
tian Temperance Union met defeat in
it's very laudable attempt to keep the
young men of their thriving and typi-
cal Delaware town i'm the straight
and seemingly uncomfortable-path
that lead to virtuous rectitude.
This is a tale Of how the temperance
people were wOrsted. only to resolve.
at the time when resolutions are all
the thing. TO keep up the fight until
finally success shall crown their efforts.
Thinking, in the goodness OF their
hearts, that the young men OF the place
would enjoy and appreciate a reading
room in which they could spend the
long winter evenings and be comfort
able without recourse 10 the hotels the
Y. w. c. r. L. secured pleasant quar-
ters in Broad street building and had
| il nicely furnished for a club room
Everything was in apple-pie order
when the room was opened-but the
good beginning did not yield the re-
suit that it promised.
Things went well for a few days
only a very few. however. Then q
time Of "rough-house" ensued. with
disastrous effects TO the furnishings
and to the peace Of mind OF the mem
bers OF the Y. W. c. r. L.. as we'll
The whole town was electrified on'
day when the story crept around tina
two of the young men who were fair
lly regular attendants at the room
were found there Enthusiastically an,
i'm a room especially intended for tn
PRONUNCIATION of temperance topics.
The Nervousness of this unpardon
able offcnse was recognized at once
but this was not the end not by
long way. There was nothing YER
startling happened for a day or tw
and then the towns police force wa
observed one fine afternoon draggin
out two well-known youths-both yer
lperoeptibly under the influence G
liquor. 1t was sad. but very true. an
the good temperance folk could onl
wonder what was coming next
They soon found out.
Ruined Furnishings.
In 4 few days it was discovered ihs
miscreants had utterly spoiled the fui
nishings of the room, by expectorating.
j President Roosevelt says the props
p Anglo-SaxOn word is splitting g"-tC
, bacco juice all over the walls and. cei
I ing-that last most remarkable fea
so these youngsters considered. Th
was the last straw. To harbor DRUM
en- boys in a temperance room was ba
enough. but to have the rooms utterl
spoiled by the very young men Il
whom these comfortable accommodi
tions had been provided-and at cor
siderable expense-was too much. tt
room was closed and now pleas
sign the pledge" campaign is bein
carried on.
mo, won't sign any more pledges
said one youth on Wednesday. TT
going TO get drunk if / want to and
aint going to hide when do IT, eithe
1 amt ashamed of il. you bet. Tho:
women amt going to work any moi
J skin games on me-
1t is understood that the room wi
i be reopened i'm a few weeks and thi
y admission will be "by card only''-ti
cards being pledges. Meanwhile Il
young men continue to enjoy then
selves as OF old.