The St. Johns herald., 1890-07-03
COLOGNE DRuNKARDs.
How Some Women Get an Idea Of Whisky
 anI wate-.


 and wate-.
 'sDid you notice that woman who ju-t went out?7 asked the clerk in Wash ington street drugstore of reporter re- gently.
 "Yes," was the reply, "and very pretty woman she was. too"
 ''Oh, as for that" said the clerk. "shes pretty enough, but did you notice what she bought?'
 Mot particularly" was the reply, ''but thought it was cologne or perfume of some kind"
 ''So It was," said the clerk, ''but she does not buy the cologne for pertaining purposes, although she buys much more of it than any other half-dozen persons who trade at this store"
 ''What, then, does she do with it if she does not use it for pertaining purposes?" ventured the reporter.
 "To get drunk on, " was the laconic an- swer.
 ''To get drunk on!'
 ''Yes, that's what I said. You never have heard of cologne drunkards, then. Well, that woman is cologne drunk ard, and one of the worst of them, too. She buys from one to two dozen of those long, slim bottles of 4711 cologne every week, and she takes it entirely her self"
 ''How does she take it?"
 ''As rule on Jumps of sugar; at least I suppose she does, for that is the usual custom of cologne takers. They saturate number of lumps of sugar with the fluid and carry them about with them. When las is tho case with a whisky drunkard) they feel as if they needed drink they will take one or two Jumps of sugar, and, letting it dissolve in the mouth, they will get sort of an im:ta- tion of perfumcd whisky and sugar and water. You know, of course, that the base of tho cologne is alcohol. and for most people alcohol is altogether too strong to be taken raw, and this is one of the reasons why the sugar is used.
 "Ano:her reason, suppose, is because it is easier to carry about, and can be taken without detection when on the sugar. Some of the cologne users-and there are great many-can drink their liquid raw. and those who have arrived at that stage can drink pure alcohol, CT almost any thing else except, perhaps, sulphuric or some kindred acid"
 Are many men addicted to the habit?" was asked.
 ''No. have never heard of single case of a man taking cologne, but there arc many women who make a regular practice of it, and great many of the drug stores have regular customers whom they supply with different brands of cologne and perfume, By far the greater portion of them, however, use this All, which is made in Germany, and has very fragrant, refreshing and lasting odor.
 'I have sat in the theater many a night and watched elegGntly-dressed ladies, whose husbands had perhaps gone out between the acts, slyly open their reticules and extract the sweet smelling cubes of sugar. After several of these had been dissolved tho lady would have what tho boys call a stilP Dn, that is, she would be sort of quietly drunk, and her husband, who had been out several times himself to see a man, would never notice it, as his own liba- lions had dulied his senses a bit.
 ''Oh, yes, it's great scheme for the ladies, for it perfumes their breach as well as gets them full, but it would be far better for their constitutions if they were to drink whisky, brandy, gin or any other kind of liquor, as none is nearly so injurious in its effect as is the cologne. "-BoSton Globe.