Chicago and its cess-pools of infamyWilson, Samuel Paynter
History
Chicago and its cess-pools of infamy
Wilson, Samuel Paynter
Chicago (Ill.) -- Social conditions; Prostitution -- Illinois -- Chicago
Men meet abandoned women here, and accompany them to their houses,
risking disease, robbery, and even death, with a recklessness that is
appalling. Young men of respectable families come here nightly, and
spend hours in company with these abandoned women who frequent the
place. These same young men would shrink with fastidious horror from
even a moment’s conversation with the cooks and housemaids of their
own homes. Yet here they find pleasure in the association with women
equally as ignorant and unrefined and in every way unworthy to compare
with the honest and virtuous maids of their homes.
A great deal of immorality is carried on in the city of which the
police cannot take cognizance, and of which it is impossible to obtain
statistics. This grade of vice is confined largely to persons of
normal respectability. The columns of certain city journals contain
numerous personals by which appointments are made, and communications
exchanged between persons engaged in intrigues. These people support
the numerous assignation houses which abound in the city. Some of the
most fashionable are furnished and owned by men of respectability. They
put a woman in charge of the house, and share the large receipts with
her.
Great efforts are being made by benevolent people to lessen the amount
of vice with which the metropolis is cursed. The problem is fearful
to behold. The most successful of these various means that have been
adopted to rescue fallen women from their wretched lives, are the
missions. They are open to all who seek refuge in them, and invitations
are scattered among them by agents. The women are treated with
kindness, and encouraged to reform. They come voluntarily, and leave
when they wish to do so. They are always welcomed, however often they
may wander back into sin. “Until seventy times seven,” is the rule.
Divorces
If you watch the daily papers you will frequently see advertisements
reading similar to the following:
Divorces without publicity, in 30 days, all causes; every state;
consultation free; experienced lawyers; success guaranteed. 86 ——
street.
SMITH, JONES & CO.
Divorces cheaply, without publicity; desertion, incompatibility,
non-support, intemperance, compulsory marriages; any state;
explanatory blanks free, always successful; consultations free;
confidential. 105 —— St.
LAWYER SMOOTH TONGUE.
The divorce lawyer is a prolific sort of a fellow, and somewhat of a
nuisance. No self-respecting attorney cares for divorce court practice.
It is considered by attorneys of established reputation to be degrading.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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