The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-02-26

cleveland, but Chief Chadsey of Cleve- 4
lands sanitation board is one, and is
furthermore said to be the only wom-
an chief of a police force over whom
she has entire control The following
is quoted from an article about her in
Pictorial Review for March.
when the United States govern
ment began its investigation into the
Industrial conditions affecting women
and children, Miss Chadsey was APP
pointed to make special Investigations.
She went out to the silk industries of |
New Jersey and of Pennsylvania, made |
report on the homeless women in |
New York. Philadelphia and Boston
and make special studies of mattresses |
and department store girls. When the |
Federal investigation was complete, |
she had made UP her mind to stay in
social work permanently, and she says
naively.
| 81 began to look about for a likely
place to get work. chose Cleveland
because Cleveland has particularly
enlightened social vision. 1t has had
three remarkable mayors-Tom L.
/ Johnson, Mayor Behr, and Mayor Ba-
ker-and ] had an idea that I could
get results in that city. So I went to
Cleveland"
Miss Chadsey made no mistake in
her estimate of the city. She went
there in the winter of 1910. Cleveland
residents were at that time interested
in the matter of dance halls. Miss
Chadsey appeared to them the exact
person to make an investigation of con-
ditions. They left the method of in
vestigation to her, and the young wom-
an speedily decided that the only way
to find out anything about dance halls
was to go as a girl and dance.
: 81 was younger then and looked the
, part" says Miss Chadsey sedately.
She looks young enough to fill the part
now, but it is difficult to imagine this
modest retiring young woman with
her smoothly dressed hair and her
plain, businesslike attire filling the
> role of dance belle.
+ AS soon as she had determined upon
her method of investigation, Miss
Chadsey asked the members of the
4 dance hall committee to furnish hel
with escorts. Immediately her list
filled up. All the young men-and old
y err ones also-who were interested II
u saving the youth of Cleveland from
u the evils of the dance hall seemed tt
5 be interested in getting information
IF on the matter at first hand. Consid
L erably amused and certain that he
Q stock of escorts would never fail hel
} Miss Chadsey set to work to make-u
G. for her part. She fluffed her smoot
s. hair, piled 1t up at stylish" angle
s. put on the necessary curls and puff!
q set aside her modest dresses for tn
IN peek-a-boo waists and tight skirts /
" vogue and sailed forth determined t
a. prove a success; "for" she said,
had to be popular to learn anything
IS For six months she visited dance hall
lg going early and staying until the lai
~ dancers left. The young men who &C
In ed as escorts were astonished at tn
o. demure Miss Chadsey. She danced an
Mt f1irted and accepted invitations shoN
1e cred upon her as If she. had not
by thought in her head beyond the O.
n ioyment of the evening. Certainly IL
re youths who fitted about with her ar
n who pronounced her a swell Skin
ed and invited her to have beer or win
ks to spoon" with them in dark ha
IS. ways or to go to picnic on the ne
lie Sunday never dreamed that under Il
es puffs a busy trained mind was tryiI
IS to evolve scheme by which Il
n youths could still enjoy themselv
and be protected from the evils tn
she saw on every side.
y In friendly manner both girls al
boys warned her against certain hal
halls which Miss Chadsey prompt
visited. In her six months she atten
ed seventy-nine dances. She foul
conditions only too common in o
large cities. About half the halls we
connected with saloons, and frequel
ly one-third or more Of the dance
III were in some stage of intoxicatic
I'LL Where dances were prolonged un
III morning hours all attempt to ma
Gu tain propriety ceased, and boys a
er girls sat or whirled in drunken, maj
Oh lin embrace. Older men and won
- visited the halls at these late hot
and left with some half drunken b
or girl with them.
Despite these conditions the maj
ity OF the girls remained sober a
! were evidently anxious not to becol
Vicious. but only to have a good tin