The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-10-01
How Women Begin to Drink.

Gut OF an examination OF 2Ui lneb-
rate women. | have found that 12S be-
gan their drinking by the use of beer;
81 by drinking whisky Gas punch at
first, usually; 20 began with wine, 8
with gin, AMI / ! could not remember
what beverage was first used. These
young girls, mill and shop girls, large
ly began by going To some so-called
refreshment saloon with their friends,
and the debutanto usually began by
slipping little tonic (made of hops.
sugar and water, charged with car
bonic acid gas and coloTed with burnt
sugar.; beer soon followed, and soon
rioting, other kinds of intoxicants, reck-
IessnesS and crime; and what was al
innocent, foolish girl yesterday, is to-
day branded criminal, and all for
glass of beer. Alas! how many such
ruined lives have seen.
Beer was also the beverage which
the older inebriate women used to en-
tice the younger ones TO drink. A call
upon one of these old sots was the sig
nal for ii pitcher of beer to be sent for
and u little coaNing and urging would
result in the first fatal glass being in
dulged in. The steps were then easy.
oCIA ID tuC u 6ILICh luS
maker sets for the feet of the unwary.
And he usually makes sure of his prey
because of it. A glass of raw whisky
would have presented but slight attrac-
tion to these oYerwork ed, half-fed girls,
had it been offered them at first. After
that sleeping devil, the appetite for
intoXicants, had been aroused by beer
1t became altogether different matter,
and, at last, in many eases, chloroform
or peppcrment oil was added to the
drink of these maddened creatures, so
furious had the appetite become for
something stronger.
1t may be of interest to note that of
the 204 inebriate women 1876 had been
guilty of other crimes, and yet in but
sixteen instances did the first commit
ment of d crime ante-date the habit of
drinking.
Several hopeless drunkards, far gone
toward insanity, had never drank any
other intoxicant than beer.
One hundred and thirty-two were
committed to the prison for drunken
ness; 90 for oifenses against chastity
and public order, and 16 for crimes
against property. Their ages when
last committed averaged 30a years.
SiXty-iive between 80 and Al years of
age; - between % and 81 years of age;
81 between 20 and 26 years of age; 80
between 10 and q. The remainder were
over Al years OF age.
Many of the older ones could not tell
how many sentences they have received,
showing the absolute uselessness of
Furnishing these poor creatures while
the temptations are Lett in their way.
To show the effect upon the children
OF lnebriate parentage, | collected the
following:
OF Ill inebriate mothers, thirty-three
of whom had inebriate husbands, 408
children were born. OF these, 227 per-
ished in infancy and early childhood,
and of the survivors many are doomed
evidently to an early death. In many
cases, the death of these children was
indirectly due to the inebriety of the
parents-as cold, deprivation, etc.
Ages: Twenty-seven of the 204 women
began to drink intoxicants before they
were 10 years of age; II between the
ages of 9 and 15; "A between Il and 21;
81 between 20 and %; 33 between 25
and 81; 10 between 80 and Al; 3 be-
tween 40 and 81.
Average age, 49, years. More than
one-half had formed habits of intem-
perance before they were 81 years of
age, and more than one-third at the
giddy age of from 15 to 20 inclusive.
One hundred and thirty-two began
to drink socially, and with female
friends.-L. IL. tail, iSupt. Women'S
Ref0rm'y q. Prison, Sherb0rn, MaSS.