The Detroit times., 1911-12-20
MUNICIPAL DANCERS GIVE
IMPETUS TO WAR ON
OBJECTIONABLE PLACES
Times Correspondent Goes To
Chicago Schoolhouse and
Meets Boys and Girls.
AFFAIRS ARE BIG SUCCESS.
Recommends Pastime as Sure
Antidote For Questionable
Places.
AFFAIRS ARE BIG SUCCESS.
BY {. c. RODGERS.


CHICAGO, Dec. 1S.-"Will you do
this two-step with me-" She said she
would; a smile and a nod intimated
that she would be delighted. The or
chestra" turned on the music-Miss
Mona Christensen presided at the
piano-and away some 20 couples
whirled.<
II was delightfully."- informal AFFAIR
this dance the other night at the Kos
ciuszko school, In the heart OF the
Polish district, where in one block l.
100 youngsters were counted by the
census man last spring
A dance In school," you ask.
Exactly that--a dance, round dances,
first a waltz and then two-step and
then a waltz again and so on, while
the grown-ups whose toes no longer
trip freely with the music and the
teachers and principal stood around
and laughed and chatted and had a
good time.
had fine time at the school CEN
ter dance; everybody did And We
liked II all the more because we were
not dancing In hall where profit was
the main consideration.
The young woman who did the two
step" with me remarked that she was
lawfully glad" she didn't have 10 90
- the O. 80 ~ evenings
Recreation
"A girl never knows what sort OF
place she Is going to until she gets on
the floor" my fair partner OF the waltz
exclaimed. why. here, we girls all
know it's right, and there can't any
body be rude to US.
That seemed to be the spirit prevail
ing the school dance. The boys. most
OF them graduates Of the school or
young fellows who have moved into
the neighborhood. tried to maintain
standard of conduct far above that ex-
hibited in the dance halls Of this sew
ton While not Chesterfieldian in
manner. they acted as respectable
chaps. I didn't see one Of them grab
a girl by the arm and yell: Come on
the floor. kid"
A girl could refuse to dance with
Young man without being Snsulted.
One girl told me as the $3.50 bell gave
the pianist notice TO begin Home
Sweet Home" Il have been 10
all the dances around here, and
this Is the first time can go
home without having to refuse
several invitations to go 10 the
back room for drink and I'm never
going TO any other dances but here
after this"
OF course. the younger girls and
boys PLAYED checkers, dominoes, au-
thors and other games In one room.
Some boys PLAYED basket ball in the
school gymnasium.
Practically all OF the dancers were
between the ages Of Is and %. and
with few exceptions all worked during
the day. or the girls ten are tele-
phone operators. two stenographers.
and -four Office girls Half OF them had
at one time attended school In the
building.
That same evening looked in at
two other schoolroom balls and
found good times. a whole lot OF laugh
ing and merriment everywhere. In no
school did the janitor-the oficial
''bonneerr--have to request any per
son to leave the dancing floor because
1of questionable conduct
Y All the teachers and principals
agreed that both girls and boys de-
inanded round dances; they wanted to
waltz and two-step and wouldn't come
20 the school social center II these
&iances were not permitted
n Miss Perry. principal Of the Smyth
school. believes that her school dances
will drive the dance halls from her dis
trict. 1T is much better that the
girls and boys meet here and dance
Ito their hearts content. than to do the
same thing In the halls where rude
and disgraceful conduct, nearby sa-
looms and questionable characters will
surround them" she explained.
Each school will have entertain
ments two or three times a week, and
there will be picture shows, clean,
Wholesome shows, games for the
smaller children, drills, dramatic clubs,
and everything that will tend TO bring
the men and women. the girls and
boys OF that school district into closer
contact with each other.