Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-11
SOME CRUMBS OF CULTURE.
Inc Dofngs of Fashionable and Work.
Ing People of Boston.
HOW LEADER OF SOCIETY KEPT LENT BIZ SCRUB
BrNd THE CHURCH srEPs-BosroN As FAC
TORY FOR MINERAL wATERs-MES WHO EARN
TWO on MORE fNcoMEs-w1Spow GARDENING.
Special Correspondence of Tue EVENING STAR.


TWO on MORE rNcoMEs-wINpow GARDENING.
Special Correspondence Of The EVENING STAR.
Boston, May 10.-The funniest and most
original method Of keeping the lenten season
just past Is to be credited to one of Boston's
leaders OF fashion. No humiliation was too
severe for her, the most conspicuous Of society
women here, to endure, as a penance for past
and future frivolity. Besides, she enjoys being
advertised And so she went each day during
the season OF fasting. in her carriage to the
swell Church of the Advent, and spent the half
OF morning hour in humbly scrubbing down
the stone steps, to the pious edifcation of a
crowd of small boys Having completed her
task, she was accustomed to pick up her scrub
bling brush and pail, and reseating herself in
her deliberately equipped landau, drive home
ward behind the digniied coachman and foot
man who shared with grave and stately riyidity
the box in front. Upon arriving at her resi-
dence she would exchange her calico dress for
an elaborate demi-toilette, going through the
same performance the morrow and
so on for each of the forty DAYS. This is the
woman who Is said to own the finest Jewels in
boston. 1t was she who wished to appear at the
artists festival, week or so ago, accompanied
by live panther. Previously her notion had
been to wear costume the train of which
must be supported by twelve gentlemen clad
IN absolutely nothing but goat skin apiece.
Unfortunately. none of the men would consent
TO serve IN such guise, and thus her project
fell through. 1t was a friend of hers, by the
way who announced her own intention to ap-
pear at the festival in the character of Venus
and, lnasmuch as she was known to pride her
sell upon her repute as the fastest girl in
society here. much apprehension was felt as 10
the limit OF realism she would fix in assuming
the part There was general feeling of relief
When 1t was learned that a severe indisposition
would prevent her attendance at the ball.
MAKING MINERAL WATERS.
All the great medicinal and other mineral
springs of the world are located in Boston. At
any rate the waters have their origin here and
the local manufacture supplies a'great part of
the entire countrys demand for such bever-
ages. As matter of fact there are very Few
bottles OF actual product, even of the domestic
springs, sold. or the foreign brands no i'm
portatlons or consequence are made 1t is so
much easier, you know to turn them ont TO
order at the factory. And the same remark
apples 70 the native water. The stuff you get
under these designations at an hotel or else
where, served In bottles with deliberately men
daclous labels, Is apt to be bogus The only
real thing about ii is the excessive price Won
nave TO pay for an article that costs next TO
nothing at first hand. The process of manu-
recurring THESE mineral waters, as practiced in
Boston, ls delightfully."- simple. One solution.
the chemical base of which is soda, serves for
all OF them. BY adding one or more ingre-
dentS to this any desired variety of spring
mud may be produced at a moments notice.
Printed analyses of all the famous medicinal
drinks supplied by nature are at the hand of
the manufacturer, and all he has to do is to
follow them by rote in the compounding of the
goods he sells.
Plain soda is usually nothing but water
charged with gas. Lemon soda and other such
"tonics," as they are called are made in the
FASHION. aI M x+l1ra If Hov
extract. Ordinary ginger ale is simply COM
Dlnatlon or cheap chemicals with water, and
contains no ginger at all. All these things are
sold through the agency of drummers, who go
ABOUT the country soliciting orders.
DOUBLE INCOMES.
1t is curious to observe that, in this most
civilized Of all communities, the intensity of
the struggle for existence, while rendering en-
ployment scarce, forces very many people to
undertake two or more OCCUPATIONS for the
gaining of livelihood.
For instance, there are the statesmen and
shop-glrls, who earn few dollars weekly by
appearing on the stage in the evenings as SUI
pernumeraries and extra ladies of the walking
ballet, whenever they are called upon to fill
out the ensemble OF a passing attraction The
theater managers have them on regular list
for engagement as needed. Anumber of them
are excellent singers, trained in the local con-
seryatories. and are well paid for the work they
do IN the chorus of comic operas The Young
women are selected with especial regard TO
beauty, particularly in point of figure. Natu-
rally, the most desirable of them are apt to
abandon the counter altogether for the green
room, and thus it happens that Boston supplies
the country at large with big percentage of
It's chorus and ballet girls. The temptations of
life behind the footlghts are great though
hardly of nature to scare the fair novice out
OF undertaking such career. Frequently too
the professional artists models here do like
service ont the boards after their daily .'sittngs"
are over.
HOW SOCIAL NEWS Is OBTAINED.
Many intelligent colored men in Boston who
are occupied as BARRIERS, janitors, coachmen.
DC, in the day time, hire OUT as walters for
night duty. These fellows quite often have an
additional source of outside income rather
surprising in its nature. They make a business
of gathering information about 'societyn
matters, for sale at so much an item to the
newspaper women who are always shopping
around In guest of such gossip. Incidentally
to the performance of their mental labors. the
darkles have opportunities for picking up a
good deal of this sort of news from conversa-
tons at the tables they attend. Exclusive in
telllgence OF fashionable engagement hitherto
unpublished has money value, don't YOU
know, and few details concerning a snicv
scandal in "high life" may be readily con-
verted into cash. And yet people wonder how
the editors get hold OF facts SO carefully hidden
ASSISTING MOTHERS.
Not few women, outside of their regular
avocations, make pin money by assisting rich
mothers in the costuming of their children. II
Is hardly possible for ladies of fashion whose
time is taken up with continual round of
social duties, to dress their little girls and bows
At the same time it is necessary that the small
sons and daughters of the aristocracy should
be handsomely clad, and the object in view ia
most satisfactorily accomplished by employing
some person of taste to buy the materials and
make up the garments. The clothing of in
fants and very young people NOWADAYS has
grown to be decidedly an art, and the doing of
it well without trouble to ones self is worth
good pay.
AT THE GAMING TABLE.
There are some ingenious and highly COM
mendable young men who turn a more or less
honest penny in off hours BY gambling. A
select few of them act as coupiers for faro and
roulette banks. Skill of an unusual order how
ever, and sober habits as we'll, are requisite for
competency in this most eligible of employ
ments. Poker, being much less exacting as to
virtue and otherwise, affords a more available
field. At this charming sport it is only neces-
sary for the initiate, in order to make winning
certainty, to ''stand in with friend, and
thus clean out any acquaintance whom he may
have the pleasure Of meeting during a social
evening around the green baize. Principles of
different nature must be applied to successful
play for money at billiards or pool, with drinks
or otherwise, where manual dexterity of high
degree is essential in order to make ones gain