St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-30

IN ~
8 ! !: : J: J ! /
%l>>IAIl a. sa form. The ques-
TTZzzzER 49, - ton of where
5 shall the scarlet
M1&GEZN IN women be al
N#ZTiHl ~ lowed to live has
tHak&4zzL.ESI TX long been a seri-
WIZ LskD< GUS one, and
VIZ many men OF
MANY minds have tried long and hard
to solve it. But it seems that there Is
no use in trying to keep the unfortu-
nate creatures within certain district.
They get all over the city, and are
found, many times, in places where
least expected. Some of the leading
merchants might be somewhat sur
prised to learn that full-f1edged houses
OF ill-fame were being run next door to
their palatial stores, but such IS the
fact.
Coming up Washington avenue day
or so ago, the writer dropped into small
cigar store, between two brick build
ings, to get a cigar. The store looked
decidedly dingy, and the windows were
partially covered with 4 red curtain.
Through door leading to rooms in the
rear came the sound OF coarse laughter,
and the visitor wondered for moment
what sort of 'cgar store he had
struck. While he was still wondering
a young woman entered the store from
q rear room. and in very seductive
voice asked the visitor what he would
have. She placed several cigars on the
showcase, and in doing so managed to
get hold of the visitors hand, which
she gave gentle squeeze. The gentle
man was interested, and was soon en-
gagged in conversation with the woman.
Her name was Maude. she admitted,
with smile which nearly peeled the
paint off of her face, and caused the
gentleman to have visions OF witches
and hobgOblins.
Wont YOU come in and sit down in
my parlor?" she asked, and. determined
to see the thing out, the visitor followed.
On reaching the parlor, which was
woman introduced the visitor, whom
she designated as "Mr. Smith, to
Pearl" Lou" and Fannie" All the
women were evidently of that class not
recognized as polite society. They
were dressed as any women might be,
but their general demeanOr and looks
showed what they were.
"Well, what's the matter with having
beer?" asked Fannie. Say, don't you
think you had better set 'em up??'"
Mr.. Smith did think so, and soon Lou
had a bottle of beer opened, and was
pouring out five glasses OF it. When
this beer was gone Mr.. Smith was again
appealed to, but not responding, the
young woman answering to the name
of Lou dove down into her stocking,
produced dollar and declared that if
"Mr. Smith was not gentleman enough
to treat the ladies white she was and
would buy the beer herself
stNn, had npttnr oOmn m. Ct9irC and
see orr art gallery" gently insinuated
Fannie, after she had disposed OF her
second glass of beer. Mr.. Smith de-
clined, but was no longer in doubt asto
the character of the place he was in.
Fannie succumbed to the inevitable
when she saw that Mr.. Smith did not
care to inspect paintings" and sat
down and talked for some minutes.
"Of course, all The girls don't belong
here" said she. ''Maude runs Che
store. and / live here with her. Lou
and Pearl just happened to drop in.
There are not many who know that
this is not straight cigar store, for
Maude is pretty careful whom she asks
in. Then again. we have to be pretty
quiet here or we would get into trOu-
ble."
care there many cigar stores like
'Oh. don't give me that racket" was
the reply, "for will bet that you know
more about them than [ do. If you
don't / will pay for the drinks"
Mr.. Smith assured the girl that he
| was stranger in Minneapolis, and was
simply asking for information, as he
had wandered in there by chance, and
was greatly astonished to find the place
anything but what it looked.
''Well, if you are sure you are not Civ
ing me CUFF. [ will tell YOU" said Fan
| ME. after taking cigarette. lighting it
and seating herself on the only chair in
| the room. "Of course there are more
places like this in the city. There are
two more on tn S street, inside of four
blocks from here, and all Of them make
money. Then there is another on
Fourth avenue south and one on First
places, though, and | would advise you
not to go there"
The place Oh Fourth avenue was next
visited. THIS one, like the one on
Washington avenue, was dingy, and
not over clean. and three or four tough
looking dOughnuts and a piece OF leath-
cry pie were cOnSpicuouSly displayed
in the window. A large, feshy young
woman of uncertain age, but certain
temper, was the sole occupant of the
store when Mr.. Smith entered. She
sold him cigar in a busineSs-like way,
and Immediately retired into the rear
room, where young man could be seen
sitting Oh chair near a bedstead.
Nov, that's all right" remarked the
woman to her companion in half
whisper, as he started to rise and come
out into the store. You sit still and
In,
so don't get scared"
in lighting his cigar, and poor one it
was, too, and then. hearing no further
sounds from the rear room. took his de-
parture.
A visit to the ''eigar store'' on First
street north mentioned by Fannie
revealed the fact that it was the one
formerly run by ''Old- Mother Griffin,''
now serving ninety days sentence at
the work house for acting in leWd and
indecent manner in her shop.
These denS are as tough as anything
in the city, and, in fact, they are much
worse than the public houses of ill-fame,
for even boys are allowed here and are
even encouraged in coming. The women
who run them are the lowest kind of
fallen women, and seem to take pleasure
Olfly III tIIdG WHICH, 10 VIC dllu IGfOIGIUg.
1t is almost impossible to get case
against them, the police say. as no one
will make complaint, and the police
cannot arrest a woman for simply sell
ing cigars. They have no means of
finding out what the places really
are, as the women are very care
full as to whom they allow ''behind the
Scenes.' The men who visit the places
are not of the sort to tell what they
know, and if one of the places is pulled.
it has to be done OH general suspicion.