Source: Chicago Daily Tribune, 15 July 1915, pg. 17.
The sex fence at Diversey beach will be torn down today.
A reporter for The Tribune waded out along the rope barrier yesterday and informed the bathers of the final action of the Lincoln park commissioners on the matter.
The announcement was met with cheers.
The men bathers immediately shouted it across the tabooed strip of water to the women bathers hanging on the ropes six feet away.
"C'mon over! It's all right now!" a boy shouted across the water strip.
"We'll be there tomorrow," came the reply from a nymph in a red bathing cap.
Cheers for Winston.
"What's the matter with Bertram M. Winston?" shouted one bather.
At the mention of the name of the commissioner who presented the resolution for the removal of the fence and pushed its adoption many of the Neptunites cheered.
But the removal of the fence and the restoration of former freedom, respect, and confidence to the Diversey bathers will not mean a revival of the instances of misconduct that brought about the construction of the sex barrier a year ago.
But the Censors Remain.
Two extra beach censors will patrol the sands and waters, ever alert for any violation of the rule of propriety. Any bather taking undue advantage of the regained freedom will be arrested and barred from the beach.
"Everybody's glad the [damn] thing is to be torn down," said one attendant. "It made every decent man feel like they were not to be trusted. Everybody will have a lot more fun out there now when they can bathe and swim and dive in common."
Take Telephone Vote.
The telephone assisted in the adoption of the resolution that brought down the fence. Absent members voted aye over the wire. Provision was made for the beach censors, but no special list of regulations have been laid for the conduct of the bathers, according to the vice president of the board. "
The fence never should have been built," said Mr. Winston. "If a bathing beach presents such possibilities for misconduct that men and women have to be fenced off like prisoners then bathing beaches had better be abolished."
