The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-16
DANCE HALLS
FOR DEVELOPMENT.
New York City Has Started Move
ment Which is Believed VIII
Prove Benefit to
Youth.
CIGARETTES AND PAINT
Boys and Girls Must Sign Pledge Be-
fore Being Permitted to Take
Part In the
Fun.
CIGARETTES AND PAINT

Velopment OF better boys and girls
by means of dance halls.
How's that for an advanced idea?
Sort o make the oldtime, orthodox
church members snort with disdain,
Ell?
Well that's just what's being at
tempted in this city. And everyone
connected with the movement-di-
rectly or indirectly tell you that
1t is succeeding beyond all expecta-
tions.
'In consideration for my being &C
corded membership in the above club,
l hereby pledge myself to abstain
from using paint on my face, which
deceives no one but myself, | also
waive my rights for any act unbe-
coming lady"
IN consideration for my being ac-
corded membership in the above club,
/ hereby pledge myself to abstain
from using cigarettes while a mem
Der. also waive my rights for any act
unbecoming q gentleman
Isn't this pretty good platform?
Subscribing to it is the only thing it
costs for membership in the Music
Demonstration Club, the name of the
new dance club. The patrons of the
club are the office boys, messengers,
bank runners, stenographers and Of
fee girls of the financial district. The
dance room is in the basement OF a
building in Maiden Lane, between
Nassau and Williams streets.
Dancing begins at 1910 p. m. every
day except Sunday, and ends at 1:30.
In this hour and twenty minutes,
three shifts of dancers occupy the
floor, those whose lunch time is from
noon until 1890, from 1890 until
and from l until 1:30. The boys and
girls are supposed to spend ten min
utes of their half hours lunch time
with their sandwiches, pie and coffee
and the other twenty minutes In
terpsichorean pursuits.
Some dietarian crank may object to
this, some moralist may say that it is
both physically and morally damning
and extremists in lines may point
the horrible end that awaits the par
Elephants in such pleasures, but the
boys and girls themselves, their en-
ployers and the white-hairedst man
who acts as master of ceremonies
will all tell you that the scheme Is
prolific of good results.
Twenty minutes dancing with Sadie,
or May or Rose makes Jimmy a
whole lot lighter-hearted and agree
able to his tasks than knocking about
the streets or lounging in some dark
corner with only a cigarette to claim
his attention And the same length
| of time in Freddie's or Bob's or Dicks
arms, while the two-piece orchestra
(piano and violin) tears off: "Dearie
You're the Only Girl for Me- makes
Maggie whole lot more sweet-temper
ed. winsomer and keener for steno
graphic dictation than lolling over
candy counter or gossiping on the
street corner.
If YOU don't believe all this, ask
the employers of these boys ant
girls. for it is they who pay all the ex
penses of the dance hall. They are th'
keenest business men in the world
this downtown New York crew, ant
Won wouldn't see them wasting an.
4 time or money on such "foolishness
as dance hall unless they actual.
found that the returns came In tn
way of improved service.
i The walls of the dance hall ar
newly whitewashed and strung wit
tissue paper flags of all nations an
ireland, to boot But it is the HOO
that makes the biggest hit 1t is 0
cement. with the surface heavily para
fined. 1t is something new in dane
floors but such expressions as &c
! amt this swell' show that the di'
> covered or inventor of II hit upo
+ something all to the merry
Rules are few in this inform
! dance hall, the only imperative on
) being that the boys snail not dane
, with their hats on 1t isn't hard to 81
! dance. OF course, if the sexes al
i evenly represented, the girls or poN
pair by themselves, but if there
wall flowers of either sex and SON
one happens along who wishes
dance, there's delightfully."- inform
a way of getting them together. TOT
: my knows just how to look at Mari
d and Marie knows just how to respor
e and still be a perfect lady flor h'
e white membership card adjures her
s do nothing unladylike) and SO an
body that wants dance in the Mus
Demonstration Club can usually get
" Owing to the limit time, the leng
!, of the dances is cut to one minu
d each. This gives each Shift enough d
{, ferent dances to hear all their fave
i lite music and indulge in all their
: vorite steps.