The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-11-15
JUST BEGINNING
is THE QUESTION
What To DO With The Padu.
cab Red Light.
Mayor Yciser Thinks of IL BY Day
and Dreams Of II BY Night TO
No Effect.
SAMPLE LETTER RECEIVED

II Those who thought the red light
question in Paducah would be set
tied when Judge Reed entered judy
ment expelling the scarlet women
from Kentucky avenue, should put
themselves in Mayor Yeiser's place
for twenty-four hours, and they
would realize that the question is
| just budding.
By telephone and In person people
call on the mayor to 'protect them
from the women who are scattering
to the four corners Of the city and
infesting all sorts of neighborhoods.
Indignant correspondents also keep
the mayor informed of the result Of
the courts order and today Mayor
Yeiser said:
II have no idea how such a stua-
ton should be met
Ever since | have been mayor, ="
he continued, 1.-The removal OF the
red light district from Kentucky ave-
nue. has been agitated and no one
has suggested practical scheme. It
is easy enough to say drive them
from Kentucky avenue, but that does
not drive them from the city. They
are scattering now, and they are
likely to be anybody's neighbors
Closing them up Is not so easy as II
appears. Cities and cities have
tried to rid themselves of the scarlet
woman. Alternately they try the
plan of scattering them and segregat-
ing them. The latter plan appeals
to the police, because they can better
watch them and protect citizens.
"Ill declare it worries me. Peo-
pie come to me daily and complain
that the women are settling near
them, and, of course, nobody wants
such women any more than do the
residents of Broadway and Ken
lucky avenue"
There seems to be a widespread
belief in the outlying districts that
there will be an attempt to foist on
them the red light district. The or
der of evacuation goes into effect
two weeks from Saturday.
The following Is an extract from
sample letter received by Mayor
Yeiser:
please do not vote to put those
Kentucky avenue people down here.
We are all respectable people and
want the protection of the city, and
do not want to be annoyed by such
characters. | am widow that has
no one to protect me and my chill
dren. | think it might be better TO
put them farther out of town. We
do not need them here. Their con-
duct Is so very bad for the children
around here. am buying my place
and paying in monthly payments,
and | do not want that kind OF peo-
ple around me. | understand that
Helen Westlake has bought down at
the foot OF Campbell street and two
Others have rented right In the
square with. me. | do not see how
church member can rent to such
people. Please prevent Campbell
street from being infested with such
pests as these"
New Red Light.
To a reporter for The Sun, Ger
tain citizens alleged that the larger
number II not all the women would
settle in the district bounded by
Eighth street and Sixth street on
the east and west, and by Campbell
and Harris streets on the north and
south. Campbell street parallels the
tracks of the Illinois Central rail-
road in front of the freight depot.
They allege further that some OF
the houses are being repaired and
enlarged for the women and that the
repairing operations have been SUI
perintended by certain landlady OF
lower Kentucky avenue. One or two
new houses have been built there
lately.
If the women do remove to that
district, II will form barrier be-
tween two respectable sections or
the city. The children could not
get to the school buildings without
passing directly through 1t, or else
making a long detour. AS no car line
penetrates that section of the city,
the residents themselves their wives
and daughters, would have to pass
through that district to and from
their homes.
They, think that the presence OF
the women would draw saloons and