Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-08
WOMEN DRINKING.
THE ALARMING GROWTH or lNIo~''
CATION AMONG WOMEN.
Drinking Among Women Has Increase" W
an Appalling Extent-Thc Genera
Opinion That the GentIer Sex
is Tipping Too Much.
Correspondence Of tho Richmond Dlspssch'l

is Tipping Too Much.
Correspondence Of the Richmond DlspsichI
NEW YORK. June ]. 1890.
One Of the significant signs OF the tluieto
Is that wOmen's work was never IN so nun .l
demand as at present, The woman, Of 10
day stands out a strong. striking. ana lnuG T.
pendent figure in our civilization: one -
working shoulder to shoulder with melt
and while, perhaps. she is not being so Ne,,s
paid for her labor, the truth OF Byron
assertion that time will make all Things
equal NAV be depended upon in her case
LOVE or TIE BOTTLE
While woman has been doing great deal
OF good in the world. she IL also DOM
much that is wrong. and those who Know
the facts well are astOunded mt the cupidity
Of woman IN crime and the amazing pr
dilectiOn that large numbe OF the WeaAei
sex have for the bottle.
In other words drunkenness has become
very marked feature Of life IN the ols
cities. 6
i have conversed with large number OF
physicians on this subject, with restnu-
rant-keepers. with men who have made inc
study OF crime their life work. and all agtgge
that intoxicatiOn among women Is appau-
Ing. -
Nor is il altogether among The lower
classes of women that this is noticeaole.
Nor can It be said 10 prevail more IN ono
section Of the country than another. ~
seems TO be universal.
DRUNKENNESS on THE INCREASE.
Some time ago l addressed an inquiry TO
large number OF physicians, superln-
teudents of police. judges, and others VINO
doll itf N n
number and variety Of people. and WIN
one accord they agreed that drunkenness
among the gentler sex was on the increase
Among the authorities were q score OF SUI
perintendents of police in the biz cities,
half dozen police justices, such men as Ll-
bridoe 4. Gerry, the head of the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty 10 Chill
dran, Secretary Rounds. of the Prison
Reform Association, Judge Duffy, be-
fore whom moro men and women are
brought than any other police justice IN
New York city. the Superintendent OF tho
Institution on Blackwells Island. to which
mon and women arrested for drunkenness
are taken, and Anthony COmstock, tho
moving spirit in tine Society for the sup
preston Of Vice. They all agreed that wo-
men were drinking too much and TOO
heavily. and a number of them added that
when a woman starts on a downward path
she seldom or never stops until she reaches
the end-the gutter Some OF these gem
tlemen. among them judge Duffy. gave 1t
as their opinion that the cause OF this IN
crease in liquor-drinking was id!eness
AMONG THE woAlTS.
Drunkenness among women" said
Judge Duffy, rs more marked than any
one dreams OF. and what is more, IN my
opinion. il all comes from idleness. Inc
majority If women have nothing to do
all dav while their husbands are away At
tending to business, 50 they get together
and drink and drink and drink. y they
had work TO do they would not do tins. Al
least. not to the alarming extent That no"
prevails" . ..p 7
But how would you prevent it," l
asked him.
"If had nv wav." said he, II would
compel every man and woman to work u
certain length Of time every day. Women
have nothing TO occupy their minds. IL
they had work TO do their minds would 90
clearer. they would be IN better physical
health. and there would be less drinking
than now. would apply this rule to both
prince and pauper."
That solution Of tho problem sounds
very well, but it is not feasible and 1t -
not likely to ever be applied so that TIP
ping may be decreased.
AsAD CASE.
Only last week n woman was found
drunk about midnight on
Broadway. She was arrested, slept all
night in pOllce-statIOn, and next
morning she tearfully explained that
she was a cousin of tho great inventor
whose name Is q household word in this
laud. Her friends knew she was not given
to excessive use of liquor. but she had met
some ladies in the shopping district and
they had adjourned TO restaurant, where
q great deal Of strong liquor was disposed
of aud the end was drunkenness. Hers was
not an isolated case. There is hardly day
in which some woman OF good family, and
eminent responsibility is not arrested Tor
10 has become so much a
feature of Pohce-COurt life that such
cases no longer attract attention. ! may
say frankly that there is but little if any
limitation TO it. The poor wash-women OF
the docks with their pintS of mixed aies,
by means Of which they become unduly
exhilarated, and the wealthy women OF
MURRAY Hill who sip champagne and strong
wines in the gilded cafes on upper Broad
way may be pointed to az types. The one
spends but few pennies while the Other
may recklessly squander good many dol
REMARKABLE SCENE.
happened the other day in a restaurant
on a prominent thOrOughfare uptown. IL
was late in the afternoon. There were
number of women slipping lemonade. eat
ing ice-cream, and gossiping with Their
neghbOrs. At n table or two III front Of
me sat q handsome-lookng woman with an
armful of bundles. She had evidently
been on a shopping expedition and was
tired. She settled down solIdly in char,
and as white-aproned seryitor approached
her she bent her head over archly and
some mysterious phrase 70 HIM.
lie shook his head and pointed to the pro-
prietor, who was sitting at the cashiers
ut is one Of the rules of the place, ~
said the waiter, THAT no liquor shall be-
served to ladies unaccompanled by gentle
men,
"How dare you refuse my order" said
the lady, as her face flushed. You are
iusolent and | shall report YOU"
u" 4 dare 70 do this, madame, because Z
am simply following my instructions"
By this time the proprietor, who had
overheard the conversation, reached thu
table.
q am very sorry," he said, but it is N,
rule Of our place. There Is no reflection
on you in any way. but we Will not serve
liquor to ladies who are not escorted bf
gentlemen. We would rather lose Their
custom. We had TO do this in self-defenc+
We used to serve liquor TO women but Z
got Us into no end of trouble. l am very
sorrv we cannot obhge YOU"
The lady arose hurriedly, took up her
bundles, and walked out.
TIN THOUSAND SALOONS.
But If there are few places that derry
this privilege TO woman she need not 20
athIrst. There are more than TO- 900 saloons
in New York where liquor is sold openly
and above board. When you say this tie
half has not been told. When YOU are il
formed that there are several Thousand
drugstores in New York in which liqu)r
can be obtained upon q very fimsy reason
for wanting 1t, not all has been told. Aud
when you are informed that grocery stOts
sell as much liquor, comparatively speik-
ing, as the saloons do, the half is not .et
told.
The keeper of any of the swell restsu-
rants will tell you that some of his best
so far as liquid refreshments
are concerned. are women; just rs he
druggist will tell you that the persons who
enable him TO pay his license for the sale
IF liquors are largely women, and justes
The groceryman will, it he tells you the
ruth ~, tho tnattaP tbat MANY of btg lp5t