St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-18
GIRLS WHO WILL SMOKE.
Connecticut Is Full of Pretty
Females Who Like to Puff Cigar

Females Who Like to Puff Cigar
cites.
Hartford dispatch to New York Sun.
A delicate judicial question will soon
invite attention to the Land of
Steady Habits-Will the coming
young woman of twelve or fif-
teen years be allowed to smoke!
One of the interesting and far-reach-
ing laws that were enacted by the last
general assembly is the famous tobacco
statute, which provides that 'minOr
under sixteen years of age" shall touch,
taste and handle not tobacco sin any
fOrm,'' the penalty for violating the law
being fine of 81 and costs, to be inflict-
ed on the father of the offending lad.
The statute was worried through the
legislature by good anti-tobacco folks,
who "vieWed with alarm the dire en-
croachmentS that the tobacco habit is
making among the young (bOys) in the
public schools and on the streets"
1t has long been noted by them with
pain that tender youngsters of from six
to sixteen years smoked ''sniDeS" in the
streets and chewed navy plug with the
solemn satisfaction of an able seaman,
both in school and after school hours.
1t would have pleased them to knock
out tobacco wholly in Connecticut, but
being keenly conscious that it would
not do to be radical with legislators.
nine-tenthS of whom chewed plug, and
in commonwealth whose best crop is
tobacco, they bore down all the more
Oh the juvenile tobacco habit.
Some of the hard-headed old legis-
lators did not fancy the stringent tobac-
co bill, especially back-country farmers
who have been in the habit of sending
1.-THE boy'' to the village store in the
busy season for a couple of hands of
plug, and who noted that the measure
fOrbids boy to even touch tobacco in
any form. But the bill was passed by a
vote that was practically unanimous.
The new law goes into effect Aug. l.
The tobacco statute having been ably
designed to sharply twlg male minors
less than sixteen years old who are adj
dicted to using the weed, no one doubts
that the executive arm of the state will
be able to do it's duty; but scoffers are
asking whether the same arm will reach
out impartally to female violatOrS OF
the. statute. Will miniOn OF the law
be justified in invading the home of a
young lady less than sixteen years old
who smokes cigarettes, and will judge
be justified in filming her mother 81
and costs for the daughters 0tfense?
That is aadelicate question, land able
lawyers are unable to answer it con-
clusively. It's not disputed that there
are great number of Connecticut
young ladies who smoke cigarettes, and
many of them are less than sixteen
years old. Not less than score of Nor
wich maidenS smoke, and two or three
girls in short dresses occasionally are
seen putting at cigarette while on
their way to'school. In many instances
the female smokers boldly buy their
tobacco supplies at the cigar stores;
in others gentleman friend, whose
age ranges from six to sixty years,
ministers to the feminine demand.
In Har ford the number of young ladies
who smoke is twice or three times as
great as that in this town, and in
Bridgeport. New Haven, Meriden and
Waterbury there are female smokers,
both minors and adults. tits evident to
to enforce the juvenile smokers act
will have to be men of conspicuous
tact and ineXhauStible discretion.
A startling illustration of the passion
with which Connecticut girls have taken
stand on the tobacco question may be
noted. At Waterbury not long ago a
fashionable young lady talked freely
with newspaper reporter. She said:
Oh, yes, we all have smoked more or
less. l hardly know of girl of my ac-
Quaintance who has not smoked cigar
cites at some time or Other-JuSt to see
how it would taste or seem, you know.
Then lots of us smoke them for tooth
ache. You doubt it? Well. just you try
it the next time you have toothache,
and see whether it is of any good. It's
sure cure. Most of us have the tooth
ache quite often, you can imagine"
Still another Connecticut city girl eX-
pressed her views. "Why, of course we
smoke more or less; all society girls do.
| mean cigarettes, of course. though [
highest social circles who rarely pass a
day without smoking half OF at least
part of a regular full-siZed and mild
cigar. Why, 1t is easy enough to get
cigarettes. All the drug stores keep
cigarettes nowadays. you know, and
nothing i'll is thought of young /.
lady who goes boldly in and !
buys a package. Why should it
be considered questionable |
act? How is dealer to know whether 1
the purchaser or male member of her
family is going to use them? Why, in
New York and all other fashionable
cities, society girls smoke cigarettes
more or less. Lots of girls learn to
smoke in boarding schools. They fire.
quently begin by borrowing a cigarette
of a gentleman friend, and after they
have learned what jolly thing tobacco
is. why, they take up cigar smoking
just little bit, you know, because then
they have learned to enjoy smoking as
luxury, not as a novelty"