September 28, 1907
NO GUM FOR CROSSING SQUAD.
Too Effeminate for a Copper, Says
Sergeant Hogan.
Sergeant James Hogan, commanding officer of the crossing squad, and the glass of fashion and mold form as far as the police force is concerned, announced positively last night that the chewing of gum by the members of his squad must cease, unless there is an exceptionally good excuse given.
"Chewing gum's too effeminate for a policeman," said Sergeant Hogan last night, pulling his freshly pressed uniform coat down a little in the front, and inspecting his immaculate white gloves. "When the order of the police board forbidding members of my squad to chew tobacco while on duty went into effect, I thought it was a good thing. When the men started to chew great wads of Pepsin and Yucatan while on duty I didn't say anything, because I realized they had to have some substitute for their daily allowance of plug cut for a little while. I didn't expect them to break off all at once. But this thing of chewing gum as a substitute for tobacco has gone far enough. The men will be turning up their trousers at the bottom next, and putting colored bands around their uniform caps. It's got to stop."
Members of the crossing squad are not allowed to use tobacco in any form while on duty, because so much of their work consists in escorting women across the congested crossings. Chewing gum was hailed as the only thing which would help the men, who had used tobacco for twenty years and more, to break themselves of the habit, and its use was adopted by most of the members of the squad.
"The idea of seeing a great six-footer with a mustache and a family tripping into a drug store and lisping to the clerk to 'please give me a package of gum,' just as if his first name was Reginald instead of Bill," said Sergeant Hogan, disgustedly.
Labels: crossing squad, police
