When we started Syracuse Hate Week back in 2009 it was with the explicit intention of warning the free world of the rising Orange menace. I think we've done a fair job of it, but we have failed in one regard: recognition of our Orange-averse forbearers. It has been a terrible oversight, but one I hope to correct over the next few days with recognition of the Syracuse Moral Survey Committee, a group of eighteen brave citizens who, in 1913, commissioned and published an investigation entitled "The Social Evil of Syracuse," in an attempt to fight back the rapidly spreading and evil Otto-man empire. The whole report can be found here, and it is certainly worth a read, but to make it easier, I'll put up several posts throughout the coming days with key excerptions.
To begin with, let's pick a chapter at random. Oh, I don't know, how about we start with Chapter VII, "Life Histories of Professional and Clandestine Prostitutes in Syracuse."
Let us begin:
The girls whose cases were studied and their names obtained by the investigators numbered 135. They were of all ages, from 13 to 50. The average estimated age was 24 years, though this figure is, of necessity, a guess. The list includes girls living in parlor houses, in disorderly hotels, frequenting fast cafes, living in flats, in furnished rooms, in homes, working in restaurants, factories, stores, etc. The girls are of every degree of professionalism. There are girls receiving $10 for perversion and $5 for normal intercourse; parlor house girls rendering eervice at $1 or $2, leading the men from the wine rooms to the near bed-rooms.
Note the "$10 for perversion." Unfortunately, the good people of the committee were too genteel to further define the term. Since this is a family site I'll also refrain. But they probably meant anal sex. $15 if Marrone was involved.
Moving on to this account of a young lady identified only as X201:
She was born in New York City 26 years ago and has practiced prostitution for seven years. From this practice she has received as high as $150 per week. She has one child. She has been living with a man six years and said, "Well a good pal is worth a whole lot. I have had a hard life. When he has money I have it- when I have it, it is his. We are good partners and I love him. He makes good money, and I can turn good tricks myself. She is rough and thoroughly degenerate.
I'm not sure I'd call Andy Rautins a "good pal," but to each his own.
Next, we have X207, finally a girl with a good head on her shoulders:
She gave Syracuse as her birthplace and her age 22 years. iShe was seduced at the age of 14. She has practiced prostitution for the past four months. The highest sum received weekly from this service being $30, the lowest $3. She is not compelled to work as her family is in moderate circumstances, but she likes the society of men and will run away with the first man who offers to take her out of town.
Sure, it all started to go bad for her at 14, but at least she's smart enough to be looking for the first train out of Syracuse.
Of course, she's hardly representative, for instance she's not diseased! Luckily, girl X237 is around to regress us to the mean:
Her birthplace was near Syracuse and her age 23 years. A friend caused her downfall four years ago and she has been practicing prostitution for the past three years. She comes to Syracuse every week "to see the boys." Her highest weekly earnings from prostitution were $15, lowest $3, from other sources $7. She has one child, father unknown. Just wants company and a good time, and has two fellows whom she is sure of meeting every week. From conversation investigator thinks she is diseased, but is ashamed to go to see a doctor.
They say ashamed to see a doctor, I say ashamed to be from Syracuse. More later.