Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-12-20
PLEA FOR PLACES Of
INNOCENT AMUSE MENT
DR.. WERNER MAKES RECON-
MENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
Offers Suggestion of Skating Place
on the River for Young People
to be Maintained by Citv-COl-
leagues are FdVOrdble-All Petit
tons for Street Lights Refused
in the Interest of Economy.
(From Wednesdays Daily. }

The regular meeting OF the city
council last evening was not marked
with anything of the sensational, the
only enlivening feature coming with
the discussion that followed the COM
munication to the council by Alderman
Werner on ways and means to provide
amusement for young people of the
city, which met with the hearty ap-
prevail of majority of the members
of the council and was the occasion
for few appropriate remarks along
the same line of thought oy Mayor
| Mulberger. The communication of
Alderman Werner was as follows:
To the Mayor and members of the
common council, Gentlemen:
Today, as time and time before,
ordinances and resolutions have been
drafted, passed and defeated, which
have had sections in them pertaining
TO the control of minors visiting
saloons and being given intoxicating
liquors.
Time and time again, complaints
have come to members Of the council
or to the chief of police about the
control of our boys on the streets or
in their private club rooms.
Boys at all ages seek companion
ship and will congregate during the
summer time and pleasant weather on
some of the prominent corners of our
public streets. The police comIrg
along, greet them generally with &:
Move On ~
This started the private club rooms
where the boys meet and are unre-
strained to certain extent. There
are number of private club rooms
maintained by boys IN our city. By
the order of the mayor several weeks
ago, the chief of police Was instruct
ed to inspect each one and give a re-
port of his findings and existing con-
ditions. AS | understand, the report
was favorable in each case, some of
the club rooms and houses were well
Lighted with electric lights and COM
Portable and the boys engaged in
reading, playing cards, popping corn,
etc.
Now there may be some objection
to the boys having their club rooms,
for the reason that intuxlcants may
be brought to the rooms.
Now gentlemen, as representative
| r,f ity haE ha oh
the matter? What can we do for our
boys? Remember, boz or young
man generally gues into saloon, not
for drink, but tor sociabilIty. They
seek companionship. They find warm,
well lighted rooms in which their
innate artistic sense is fed by form
and culor, by pictures and ornaments,
by music and games.
Possibly free lunch is served to
appease the hunger that d small purse
was unable to secure at restaurant.
The stimulant may have been the last
thought.
would ask the question, where can
a boy or young man go? He cannot
and will not always stay at homs.
The library board has provided a place,
but that is M t the kind Of a place he
always cares to go TO. He seeks COM
pansionship half way unrestrained.
Gentlemen, l would ask you to go
back to the years when you
were fourteen TO tWenty-four years of
age. Put yourself again in the same
position.
| have suggestion to otIer which
will be a nominal expense to the city,
while it will afford a great Geal OF
amusement and recreation to OLD
and young-maIntain skating place
On the river, have the same lighted
up with al arc light that can be
extinguished at midnight; have the
same uunder control of the chief OF
police and board of public works; the
ice to be kept free from snow and
occasionally flooded with water.
The boys will attend to 1T that a
number of rough benches are main
ldliSu, anu dLSO JULIET cUInlUrLS.
Gen, .emen. am not afraid to say
that thousand young people will
say, 81 thank you
There are number of suggestions
| would like to offer, but will refrain
at present At another time | will
present them.
MIR. Mayor, | ask that you kindly
make suggestions and refer to some
committee to act.
After making few timely remarks,
the matter was referred to the board
Of public works and the committee
on streets and bridges.
1t was resolved that an order fer
the sum of $4,000 be authorized against
the city bridge fund, payable to the
order of the Dornfeld- Kunert Co. as
final payment for the cost of con-
structing plate girder bridge across
Rock River at Oconomowoc avenue,
said worn having been done pursuant
to their contract.
The board of public works in their
report to the council reported that the
contract price for the coustr Icton of
bridge was Sl2, 500; that there had