The Whistle

It was like a scene from an Alford Hitchcock movie or perhaps aTwilight Zone episode but for a brief time in our house on Cedar The Whistle, as my little sister called it, split the night air at exactly 10 P.M. weeknights, sending her diving under the covers for protection from the night invader.

The "Whistle" of course was the nightly curfew siren that told all young folks under the age of 18 that they needed to be off of the streets and safely in the security of their home.One did not want to get caught out there. The Wallace Police were very vigilant in enforcing the weeknight mandate. I don't know how many times that I heard my mother say that there was nothing good that happened that late at night and "decent" people were all home by then.

Interestingly enough, Wallace also had a curfew in the early days of its history, but the time of reckoning was only 8:30 PM. I'm sure my mom would have said, " Nothing good happens are 830, and decent people are all home by then." Here is an article from the Spokesman Review published on December 4, 1911.

Curfew Law Hits Boys At Wallace

Police Officers Declare Ordinance Will Be Strictly Enforced

Hereafter

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Lads May Face The Judge

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Violators Who Refuse to Follow The Advice Of Authorities Will Be Punished.

The police force of Wallace has announced a stand against the violators of the curfew law, and with or without the cooperation of the parents they propose to rid the streets of children each evening after 8:30 o' clock.

Last night the third of a series of arrests was made.The boy in this case was under the age of 14 years old and not only refused to go in but challenged the officer's ability to make him go home.

Second violations will be made cause for presenting the case to Probate Judge L.E. Worstell, who is thorough sympathy with the curfew ordinance. 

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19111204&id=D9wUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6699,566156&hl=en

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Wow,8:30 !!!!!!!!!!!!!