The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-07
CONvIvTAL sHOPPERS.
Ladies' Room Atsschne lo Drinki Ing sn-
looms In Sixth Avenue.

Passing through tho storm doors ut the
side entrance OF n Sixth avenue drinking sa-
loon. one enters short passage. or vestibule
with a small door at the sido bearing the To-
gend. Gentlemen. unaccompanied by ladies.
not admitted" This reversal OF the customary
warning to ladies' unaccompanicd by gentle
mon is explained by glance into tho costly
furnished apartment into which the small
door opens. especially during shopping hours
The interior Is connected with the adjoining
saloon. and is often crowded at such times
with ladies' enjoying clandestine refreshments
Singly. in pairs. and in groups Of three or four
they occupy little mahogany tables. with their
glasses before them. while some are INDUCING
in cigarettes. The glasses mostly contain beer
but there is sufficient minging OF stronger
beverages to Indicate a trained habit on the
part OF tho fair drinkers. In raro instances n
male escort is observable Mt ono or another OF
the little tables. but they nro for the most part
solely occupied BY lashionably dressed women.
some with packages of recent purchases. and
others with no such indication that their pres
cnce In the drinking don Is incidenta rather
than premedita,ed.
As u reporter recently entered ono OF these
retreats. duly chaperoned. there was IA sublucd
hum Of conversation like tho soft murnur Of n
summer hive nj noon. whiie;aproned waiter
OF obseuuious domeanor WHO had entered by
II groundglUss pan.i!ed door from the aiJoin-
| ing saloon. was thkinl. tho orders OF group of
three ladies' who had Just appropriated one OF
| the tah!us. OF dozen or more others VINO
| were discussing beverages around them. ono
| Was enjoying n plat. Of Swiss cheese and an
other u srrdine sandwlr.. and three young
| lad as in expensive senl-kins ard towering hat
| plumage were luHlly smoking cigarette, over
delicate lookin NJ compounds that were airiiy
suggestive oi Il Niuuu5 or alcoholic base 1t
| was late in the afternoon.
81 mus, really be going now, dears." said
| ono OF "A party Of three. reluctantly rising.
nher ilnishing her beer and gathering W her
racffasos, IL have been here ,, two hours a., a.,
dinner be. org my husband comes homo from
| his business.
panions. fun have now tho holiday displays
and the consequent crush in the s,ores an
No. tnanks ' hat on twca already
and my husband Is too widc-awake t., put up
with It again. Go9sd-by; and remember you
There was ii . ripple q regrets AM adleux
as he tore herself away.
Then the soiitary occupant OF table IN the
| remotest corner. whom IA" reporter had not
heretofore notlced-a very pretty young woman
in mourning. bui WIKI feverlshiy. flushed
tend.nt to her side and ordered littlo more
| whiskey and setter III u low. musical voice.
ia hate to be- married aud have to hurry
homo at regulation hour. Ike ave. OBJ
ment upon tho lady VINO hal taken her lcpar-
ture in response to duty's still small voice.
| panions. Papa rarely asks mo where | have
been when | get homo late. II he does. Tvo
always purchase or two as an explanation.
town thnt ne cant discover anything in my
breath when kiss him."
rs am, to man who is not ovor-inquisitive."
said the, third. with n complacent smile;
spends tho most OF the time nj his club when
not AT his office or playing billiards down town.
Every lew minutes I,l!ics were Quitting tho
| place and their seats wero occupied by new
mingled with every day small talk and COM m:
menls upon the refreshments produced Dur
ing ono of tho most busting OF these changes
tile pretty young woman in mourning furtveiy
repea led her order. and shraDk yet deeper
into her corner. with her laco handkerchief
to her lips by the dantiest Of gioSed hands .'u
| have been here number Of times. though
| never to remain more than fow minutes"
said the reporter s companion. " The majority
Of the ladies you have seen coming and gong
are PERFECTLY innocent in seeking refleshment
or making a wearisome round OF visits. and
snm.,ns ppantabs Az 81 s% 1nef o.s 0
| But many Of those you havo seen should saw
are aat ,h have never been here without
visit the place every afternoon. weather per
mitt ing I he aristocralic- looking elderly lady
| yonder with the little girl iondling Il new doll
| AZ her side must come hore quite a. often. Tho
little girl invariably accompanies nor. and may
with their heads together while imbibing some.
thing or other through s,raws are likewise
cr and more stylish of the two is the young
wife Of an old and very rich broker. who
uDubIlesS lntts nos her wholly cEErDSSei with
an everyday shopping mania. without sus-
| pectng tho real nature Of the attraction that
keeps her from her home and children. AS for
tho pretty little widow over there in the corner.
she is Mrs. -, and think she must be the
oldest and steallest frequenter Of this retreat.
take 1t she il nova widow by reason OF the
or more ago. when first remarked her here.
band something Of a swell. and weil,known
man about town. And then she drank nothing
enough though partaking but sparingy him
self. N9w her fortune seems to have under
n9ties tho hesitnn"y with whch T" The '' wa ya4
HE'D her iasL "rderf did. 1t was slight. but
There was scarcely varant seat at the little
tables as tho reporter and his companion took
han %a5 i4a b hS T9y
ow-voiced argument with the white-aproned
attendant, who had lust taken NJ her glass and
| Its replenishment.
subsequently, one of the, proprietors Of the
saloon WAS questioned by tho reporter
There are twelve or fifteen saloons with side
accomImoda'ions for lady iipplsrs. like ours.
second streets. and then there arc others scat
tsred all over up town according to the demand.
our afternoon trade would be- apt to 70 a. beg
ging Yes. they come at night. too; but we'ro
lark. and would sooner they would come at
such times under escort. But. taken Alto
Eethcr, ladies' custom is very desirable, With
arc as, G!iet and orderly as Kittens. take what what
Is set before ON without grOwl. and pay their
| shots like thoroughbreds. Bssr Ia their favor
ie drink, but the majority OF em know good
and. in tho way OF mixed drinks one has only
to study the dear creatures tastes attentively.
and then cultivate up to EN-. to make steady
| customers Of chance droppers-n. Oh. yes. the
shoppers trade Is paying one. and don't you
| forget it,"
The reporter mentioned the case OF Mrs.
-. the young widow. at which the saloon
keeper at once betrayed signs OF perturbation
| and uneasiness.
| On Mira whom lack - loh a
| widow year or SO ago" he exclaimed impa-
tiently. She used to be q perfect little gem,
| coming here in a coach along with her hus-
band. and making tho champagne fly But
now she s getting vulgar. sir, positively vulgar.
Twice she's got 50 full In there that one OF the
waters has had to help her to horse err, and
to be kept out altogether That woman
IL a regular temperance lecture in pet:
champagne, Then it was shorty and bitters,
J ISan dead 1 and funds ranning low-sss1
ke key, rye, whisksy you know. with
| each a little lower down. The next and last