The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-10-01
How Women Begin to Drink.

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Out of an examination of 204 ineb-
riate women. have found that I2S be-
gan their drinking by the use of beer;
81 by drinking whisky (as punch at
first. usually; 90 began with wine, 8
with gin, and IL 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 debutante usually began by
slipping little tonic (made of hops,
sugar and water, charged with car
bonic acid gas and colored with burnt
sugar.; beer soon followed, and soon
rioting, other kinds of intoxicants, reck-
lessness and crime; and what was an
innocent, foolish girl yesterday, is to-
day branded criminal. and all for a
glass of beer. Alasi how many such
ruined lives l have seeni
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 pitcher of beer to be sent for,
and little coaxing and urging would
result in the first fatal glass being in
dulged in. The steps were then easy
Beer is the trap which the drunkard-
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-
ton to these oVerworked, half-fed girls,
had it been offered them at first. After
that sleeping devil, the appetite for
intoxicants, had been aroused by beer,
it became altogether different matter,
and. at last, in many cases. chloroform
or pepperment 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 126 had been
guilty of other crimes, and yet in but
sixteen instances did the first commit
ment of 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; sc for Offenses against chastity
and public order. and IL for crimes
against property. Their ages when
last committed averaged 800 years.
Sixty-five between 80 and Al years of
age; 40 between % and 81 years of age;
81 between 20 and 90 years of age; 80
between Is and 81. 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 left in their way.
To show the effect upon the children
of inebriate parentage, collected the
following:
OF Ill inebriate mothers, thirty-three
of whom had inebriate husbands. 40S
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 tC drink intoXicants before they
were 10 years of age; IL between the
ages of 9 and I5; "a between II and 81;
81 between 20 and &c; SO between %
and 81; 10 between 30 and IL; be-
tween 40 and 81.
Average age. 49, years. More than
one-half had formed habits of intern
perance before they were 81 years of
age, and more than one-tnird ut the
giddy age of from Is to 20 inclusive.
One hundred and thirty-two began
to drink socially. and with female
friends. IL. NJ. Hall, SupL Women's
Refor7n'y. Prison, hter6OrH, Mass.