The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-23

l)sa, Gambling M Whisky
Y 800 Openly Carried - 4
~ City ThsresghfAre.
n rHOnAs b. FOWLER

Ou8ut W ~ AAoW - - saAS
sisSk and tan district Of Rock Is
1 Il Is not large. but 1t IL COM
sis1e II is located on Third avenue
Tween Twentieth and Twenty
tSIrd streets. l visited three COM
ilnadon saloons. restaurants and
1ouses OF prostitution. Third ave-
me-. I have been given to UNDER
sand. is one Of the principal
shoroughfares of Rock Island. It ia
the igateway from Davenport into
he business heart Of your city. The
first time ! drove through that ave-
nue. was impressed with it's un-
effectiveness for any sort Of legiti-
mate commercial business because
Of It's outstanding low moral atmos-
phere, with numbers OF idling
negroes hanging ir front Of several
Of the principal buildings. not that
members Of that race haven't the
same right to loaf that whites
have, but it struck me that there
must be some explanation for I'D.
many able-bodied men hanging
around and without any apparent
means Of livelihood.
have already described the place
at the corner Of Twenty-first street
and Third avenue, where there is
carried on, in addition to q bar,
restaurant and house Of prostitu-
ton, a complete gambling estab-
lishment-when the lid isn't on.
This resort, / was informed,
has as high as dozen negro wom-
en- soliciting in the place. employ
Ing various ways Of attracting
trade, the women, some Of them
girls not yet out Of their teens, sit
ting in the windows Of the restaur-
ant and reckoning to passing men,
while others loiter in the doorways
and address inviting remarks at
those coming under their notice. 1t
was the holiness and manifest lack
Of fear Of police interference that
impressed me here.
II was II o'clock at night when
dropped into the bar between
Twenty-second and Twenty-third
streets over which a colored wom-
an seemed to be presiding. She
had Il negro assistant. l tried t.
tdy drink Of whisky, but the
V oman, an intelligent and attrac-
tive rei scn, told me that she wasn't
Lifting out any hard liquor. Then
| sugge ted that would buy what
ever she had for sale. / She said
taat the closest she could accom-
modate me was near beer. I invited
her to join me in a drink of that
stuff, and she accepted. l heard
loud voices On the floor above.
asked the woman if a party was in
progress.
Whites and Blacks.
mot exactly" she replied Just
a few of the white boys cutting up
with the girls. That's alk' She
wanted to know II I cared to mingle.
] told her I had nothing else to do
Just then. She led me to the sec
ond floor. She asked me II I was
stranger In the city. and l told
her that l was.
you amt one Of those govern
ment devils, are your" she asked.
assured her that I was not. and
she took me at my word.
IF you are not acquainted around
here" the woman explained, 81
guess there won't be any harm in
your going right into the dance hall
where the girls are. There are
three white boys in there with
them. They are Just dancing and
drinking"
1t was an attractive dance hall
though not overly large. The white
young men, all we'll dressed, boys
doubtless from good families, were
dancing with the colored women
All had been drinking considerably
They were drinking hooch whisky
and beer. A negro presided at the
piano, and want to say that he
knew how to pummel the worries
And the girls knew how to dance
They were young and exceedingly
well hammered for inmates Of such
q place.
One Of the young men came lovez
to me and shook hands with me
and asked me to join him in q drink
l ordered beer. One OF the girls
called me pretty name, told me
reminded her of a friend she
used to have in Kansas City, and
asked if l wished to dance with
her. I declined the invitation, but
said that would buy a drink. This
girl told me that the woman who
directed me upstairs ran the bar
and house Of prostitution.
Shes smart woman" the girl
said. She don't get fooled very
often, and she hasn't been pinched
since l have been here. She
watches her step, and don't get as
ioud as some of them cheap niggers
mat We have in this neighborhood
one mas lot of white customers
ana she makes money"
Don't the colored boys come up
mere and dance with you girls?" ]
Not on your life," the girl as
sared me. III black boy came
pesticating around here during
BUSINESS hours he'd get bounced on
toe head with something. We cater
oniy to the white folks, and you'd
Se surprised at some Of the nice
ooys that come to visit US. Once
- a while they bring their white
sIis with them Just to show them
"nat dandy place we've got here"
No Fear Of Police,
! asked the girl if she wasn't
Iraid that the police would raid
'ne house. She smiled and poked
me In the ribs. Now l do know
you don't live in old Rock Island,
.ne girl said laughingly, exposing a
pair OF gold molars. "Oh, you buy
me drink and dance with me and
SIit talking politics." ordered an
Wner drink, but / still refused &c