St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-06
CIGARETTES AND GIN
Some Astonishing Fads of the
WOman's World.

CIGARETTES AND GIN
Some Astonishing Fads of the
WOman's World.
"Did you see that girl who was just
in herer' said the clerk of popular
Olive street drug store to st. Louis
Republican reporter yesterday.
That young lady?"
eyes. Well, what do you think she
came for?''
Complexion POWDER"
mo, sir"
"Peppermint?'
mo, sir; cigarettes"
For her little brother?"
''FOr herself"
''NO?'
Eyes, sir. She uses about three pack
ages a week. At first l thought she was
buying them for some one else, but /
was told not long ago by q lady who
knows her and visits at her home that
she uses them herself"
well, WE'LL"
''My friend says that it's the prettiest
thing imaginable to see her smoking.
She has the caperS of a pretty boy to
perfection. She tips back in her chair
and put her siippered feet upon the
table or windOw-Sill and kills time like
a thoroughbred. My friend says, too,
that she has one of the daintiest little
Observation-Disclosures you ever saw-meer-
schaum, and it's coloring nicely"
chow did she acquire the habit?''
From seeing Lolita smOke-three
years ago. She initiated her in fun, and
now smokes her cigarettes in great
shape and in dead earnest"
Don't her folks diSapprOyeH'
''They don't know it. The young la
dy's room is on hall next to that oc-
cupied by two young men who are stop
ping at the house, and the folks ac-
count for the OdOr by their presence"
well, she is quite an exception, amt
she?"
Not so much as you might suppose.
| tell you you'd be surprised at the num-
Der of cigarettes we sell to women
nice women, too. The physicians are
bowling about the ravageS of the cigar
cite among the young men, They have
no idea, however, of its popularity with
the young women"
THAT is rather shocking, isn't it?"
swell, comparatively so. It's very
mild kind of dissipation, to my mind.
There is such an unfortunate percentage
of girls given to worse habits and appe-
titles. / have half dozen among my
customers who are pretty heavy gin
drinkers. The appetite is hard one to
shake off,
How is it they take to gin? Have
they reached that stage through milder
drinkS?"
''Not necessarily. There are some of
them who, | suppose. hardly know what
beer or wine or whisky tastes like.
You see. gin is very popular remedy
scribe it for them. and it is q very in
sinuating drink. Holland and Jamaica
gins are smoky, but Old Tom gin has
bouquet to it almost like wine. 1t is
like perfume Or"
The reporter stated that he had some
knowledge of the flavor.
''Well, then, you can understand how
women get to liking it. [ sometimes
think the human system requires a
stimulrnt of some kind. Often it is
nothing worse than strong coffee, but
they are very few who do not have
something. Now, say l have half
dozen gin-drinkerS among the young Ia
dies. Well, presume every druggist
In the city has an equal number of pat
rOnS among them. | have more rock
candy and whisky calls, however. They
get half pint of whisky and have
couple of ounces of glycerine put in it
and then. with rock candy, it makes a
wonderfully nice drink. Of course,
you've had little Sirup in yours, but l
doubt if you've ever tried the glycer-
ine."
"That helps it, does ito"
''Takes all the fire out of it. You get
the flavor and effect without any of the
torch-light procession. Well, several
nips day of that cordial soon estab-
fishes quite respectable appetite for
it,
SIS there any considerable consump-
ton OF the more deadly narcotics or
drugs?'
''Well, yes and then, no. There is
great deal. but it is among regular pat
rOns, and is not particularly infectious,
like the others we have talked about.
Women have strong appetites, and
when their systems become used to any
thing they seem to demand it more inn
peratively than men do, and they show
less will in resisting the demands.
Quinine in small doses is used to
ridiculous extent. They take it at first
to cure cold or as light tonic. Then
they take it as preventive when they
hove been exposed to some slight draft,
and after time they get to taking it for
every fancy. Then there are morphine
WOLlCA WOIlCIl
who have been given the drug so stead
lily by their physician that it has grown
on thom. Some few women buy opium
for smoking"
''Does that prevail here?"
ooh. no, l couldn't say it prevailed,
but there ARE more Of them than you
would suppose"
''Where do they learn that?"
SIN various ways. Some of them have
been to Frisco, and the vice is there to
any alarming extent. Others have had
it taught them by women who have been
there, or by residents of that place who
have visited here who had acquired the
habit. They are persuaded to smoke a
little, and after two or three smokes
for fun it takes hold of them and then
becomes necessity. L have arseuic-
eaters on my list, who beautify their
compilations and shorten their lives
with it. Then l know women who
drink perfumes for the alcohol in them,
and women who use belladonna to
make their eyes bright. OF course the
most pitiable of all these are the women
who use, and have to use, the mar
cOtics."
"What percentage" the reporter
asked, what percentage of the entire
feminine population, adults of course,
use some Stimulant or opiate?"
well, Judging from my own trade,
which is my only guide, L should say
% per cent"