t about by the recent White Slave
prosecutions in Chicago and the wide publicity which they have received
has been the astonishment of thousands of persons, as evidenced by
letters, at the fact that such a wholesale traffic is actually in
existence, but what is still more astounding, not to say discouraging, is
the reluctance of other thousands to believe that many hundreds of men and
women are actually engaged in the business of luring young girls and women
to their destruction and that this infamous traffic is being carried on in
every state of the Union every day of the year.

It is estimated by those who should know, that at least five thousand men
in Chicago live off of the earnings of prostitution. For instance as to
the plan: A young girl, alien or American, is sold into a life of ill-fame
for say Two Hundred Dollars, as the actual price of her procuring. Before
she suspects any real harm, she is lured into a restaurant or a wine-room,
becomes intoxicated, is sufficiently doped to become passive, is taken to
the "house" to which she has been consigned and is immediately "broken in"
in the most violent and nauseating manner, perhaps becoming the prey of
twenty or thirty men. Beaten, threatened with exposure, and, if necessary,
purposely infected with gonorrhea, the girl is within twenty-four hours
absolutely ruined for all time--"spoiled," the police say. Oh! what a
whole world of agony and pain and bruises and disease and Hell is embodied
in that one word "spoiled." She is immediately pressed into service and
from that time on until death relieves her, or she is rescued by some one
enough interested to help her, she must receive all comers THIRTY DAYS
every month.

This answers the question I have been asked a hundred times from all over
the Country since CHICAGO'S SOUL MARKET was first published, as to whether
a woman in a house of prostitution is allowed any respite from service
during the Menstrual Period. SHE IS NOT ALLOWED A SINGLE DAY. The average
number of men who must be served by each woman in a medium or lower class
house of ill-fame is thirty-six per day. On entrance to the place, if the
house be a "Dollar house," a metal room-check is purchased from the madam
or attendant at the door for one dollar. This check is taken up by the
girl in the room and is worth on presentation to the house fifty cents,
half of its face value being received by the house for board, laundry,
hair dressing, etc., all of whic