Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1867-10-19
PRErrY WAITER GIRLS.

All cities have particular localities noted for
crime, and known by some peculiar name. In
San Francisco it is called the Barbary Coast,
and has lately been visited by writer in the
Bulletin, who thus speaks Of the class known
as "Pretty Waiter Girls" and the practices of
themselves and employers to obtain moneys
The saloons where waiter girls are kept are
mostly underground, and may as aptly be
termed cellars Unlike dance cellars, howev-
| er, these are provided with a number of small
tables, where the visitor can sit and drink has
lager, and firt with his attendant. In some OF
the saloons under mention, from six to twelve
girls are employed, and they aid very materl-
ally in bringing custom to the house. They
are very affable, as a rule; SO much SO that
they will go up to stranger who has seated
himself at table, place hand Familiarity on
his shoulder, and bending forward until their
ear rings tickle his nose, inquire atectlonately
after his sanitary condition, and await his Or
ders smilingly Is it to be wondered at that
with such mellifuOus Hebes surrounding him,
man should call for champagne, even when
he only intended to drink beerR Or that hav-
| ing so ordered, he should invite the bearer to
join him in quafing the sparkling beverage!
Not at all, and the prOprietors know 1t. Or,
| if man be tired of playing billiards and talks
of leaving, what so likely to detain him as
soft arm gently pressing his own, and SOIL
voice observing reprOachfully, faint you going
| to treat me before you got" The sober man
can get along pretty well in these places, but
! in some of them the intoxicated Individual is
reckoned fair game. We noticed before that
it was matter for surprise how SO many es-
Establishments for only drinking purposes could
sustain themselves, so close together we are
now about to inform the reader how some OF
them keep the wolf from the door, When a
man enters who has already drank too much,
they press him to drink more. BY and-by he
becomes sleepy; his head droops on the table
before him, and he becomes Obvious Now
what harm is there, under these clrcumstan-
ces, in placing five or six empty champagne
bottles on the table before him None, GER
tainly. But if when he wakes and asks what
is to pay, the willy waitress points to the empty
bottles, and replies: Let me see; one, two,
j three-there's Just six of 'em; thirty dollars,
SIR" Then the matter becomes somewhat
more than Joke. But do they ever do this
All we say, is, never go to sleep at one OF their
tables Another of their playful maneuvres
is as follows: A drunken man asks girl to
come to the bar and take drink. He pulls
out twenty dollar gold piece and throws II
on the counter AS soon as he has done this
his attention is called away, and ne is kept en-
gagged in conversation for several minutes. Al
the expiration of that time he bethinks himself
of his change. "Change, indeed! y is the in
Iiured exclamation. Why, you haven't paid
for your drinks" eyes, l did, put down q
I twenty" "I'Il swear never saw it. moi
III" anor Il" from all the girls and so ne &C
knowledges himself mistaken, and pays again
You see, there is so much competition thai
these poor people are compelled to work the
@oracle," as they call it, little. There are
many other ways of working it than those We
have mentioned, and they all pertain to thai
branch of pursuits denominated, by Captain
Wragge, ''moral agriculture.