Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-06
less fine singing and more prayer and

less fine singing and more prayer and
gospel.
IF the devil was a citizens of Oma-
ha today, l believe he'd join a church
and be in frst-class standing as long
as he paid the preacher and attended
meetings.
"Churchmen, deacons and even
ministers use tobacco, but never
knew an earnest, active Christian to
use tobacco"
BLACK Holes of Omaha"
The Midway" and the Under
world" he compared to the Black
Hole of Calcutta, and described as
"the two black holes OF Omaha" THE
Midway has run so long it has turned
black" he asserted.
"What did / see theref" he queried.
81 saw enough; I saw enolgh! Mig
gers with heads like whales and
bodies like elephants; drinking, gam
bling, and money enough to tempt
even a preacher. The front door was
locked, but that was a joke. No
place in the United States is more
corrupting than that Midway. Drink
ing in one room, gambling in another,
something else in another room, and
far worse upstairs. l didn't go up to
see.
Then we went to the Underworld,
my guide and |. And we got 1t in
the neck. 1t was hell's half acre: dirty,
unkempt drunken people; murders
have been committed there, I've been
told; nearly make women and vile,
drunken men. | saw the bear trot
and the foxy hug and all the other
dances. | was making some notes,
when a big bouncer with a grip like
a whale grabbed my notebook and
tore it up. He told us to go and he
l,elped US along, and we got more
willing as we went.
Game, But Had No Chance.
"Of all the names that man called
mel He even reviled my dead
mother. 1t was hell let loose We
struggled at close range and he tried
to take my cane away. Then he
threatened to cut me in two and
throw my body on the dump. Pm
game and l dearly love a fight, but
that was no place for a minister, and
| didn't have chance.
"The rabble chased and cursed us.
Where we're the policef We saw
some policemen, but they were very
much preoccupied. shall never for
get that night"
Referring to the recent ball of the
theatrical Mechanics association, the
preacher told how it ended in fight
and said he was glad the women had
to yell, as they deserved to, for being
there.
you can't always be safe at a
dance, even when the mayor leads it.
If you attend, you're liable to get
your fxings," he said.
Omaha isn't dead yet. My mail
has brought lists of places that need
cleaning up, and offers of assistance.
I've had telephone calls all day from
people who are willing to help.
Omaha will drive out the devil when
she awakes from her lethargic sleep.
Mayor Dahlman, Commissioner
Kugel and Sh.riff Clark cannot dis
claim knowledge of conditions. God
bless our new sheriff! He has a
chance to be man, and he will have
to be, or he'll lose his job. He never
had a greater opportunity, and he
won't have it again. expect much
of him.
ut is up to the mayor also to get
up and do something in what are per-
haps the latter days OF his officehold-
ing. The pedigree is worthless if the
horse can't rot. Also Kugel. He
meant right, but he has been per-
suaded from the right.
God is waiting for tn: kettle of
public opinion to boil over. Omaha
wants to be a pure and noble city,
where the young will find it hard to
60 down and easy to go up"
One of the biggest collections of
the season at the Peoples church
was taken up while Rev. Mr.. Savidge
waved Old Glory and declared that if
people are not pure, they cannot be
patriotic. The money was to pay
for coal with which the church was
heated, he explained. Mrs. Savidge
dumped the collection into her hand
bag at the close Of the meeting.