St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-25

yived. 1t went down again. though,
and completely disappeared, when Mrs.
Fourhundred suddenly opened. door
and found myself in temperature
that instantly reminded me of 'Dahte's
Inferno"
'Hot? Why. you have never even
dreamed of such fearful heat as there
was in that room. My companion didn't
seem to mind it, but | gasped once or
twice. clutched her arm and whispered
to her that I-I-wasn't feeling we'll.
She turned hurriedly, looked at me for
a moment and then smiled. L saw that
my secret was out. She knew now, if
she'd ever had any doubt about it, that
Turkish baths and | were lifelong
strangers. She was too well bred,
thing, and she only said, reassur-
ingly, that I'd feel better in a
minute or two. And so did. Blister
ing hot as it was-and the air of the
room was fairly haZy with heat got
used to it after awhile, then became re-
signed to it and finally came to like it.
All this took some time, though. AS
soon as had got so l could breathe in
that earthly Gehenna, at temperature
of I65 deg, we were led to couple OF
reclining chairs at one end of the room,
and we seated ourselves. Up to this
time the hot, hot, hot air of the room
had occupied my undivided attention.
Now, began to examine my surround
ings.
The Hot Room in
which we were seated was twenty feet
square. The floor was tiled, the walls
and ceiling were of glazed brick, aud in
the walls were two stained glass Win
dowS. Under the marble mantelpiece
there was a table with copies OF the lat
est magazines and illustrated papers.
Scattered about we're dozen or more
reclining chairs, such as are used on
ocean steamers. Most OF them were
occupied. and several ladies were lazlly
walking to and fro about the room. All
were wrapped up in sheets. Some
wore them c0QuettiShly twisted about
their figures in the most becoming fash
ion. Others, like myself, looked more
like resuscitated corpses than anything
else. having their bodies completely ell
shr0uded.
Most of them wore diamonds in their
ears and had their hair deliberately
dressed. The were sitting in groups OF
two or three. with occasionally woman
who was evidently alone. Those who
had friends with them were having a
Jolly time-as jolly as the terrific neat
would permit. They were laughing
and chatting in an undertone, telling
stories and running over gossip. All
seemed to be thoroughly enjoying them
selves, even if the perSplraton did
pour down their faces In streams. i
don't know whether any OF them were
accustomed to use powder or rouge. Ii
they were they must have wiped 1t on
before coming into the hot room, nav
ing been warned by previous ex-
periences. for could see no traces of ii
On their perspiring faces.
ITO WY Amazement
saw that several ladies were slipping
glasses containing reddish liquids,
which didn't look like tea or sarsapa-
rilla water. Some of them had little
lacoured trays in their laps, on which
they rested their glasses. Others held
their glasses in their hands. Every
now and then an attendant, dressed LII
the inland bathing costume which had
so surprised ME in the office, entered
with tray containing drinks. IL soon
discovered that there was an electric
push-button, in the wall, and that
the ladies pressed this button, and Or
dered their drinks just as the SterneI
sex do at their clubs, suppose. The
frightful heat produced sort OF de-
licious, dreamy feeling, which was not
diminished by the gin and soda that
Mrs. Fourhundred had ordered for us.
1t was mild intoXicatiOn, though l do
not use the word in its Objectionable
sense. 1t was while in this buoyant
mood that made my great discovery
why, this must be just like mems
clubs" said | inQuiringly.
"'Well.' answered my friend. as she
muSingly held her glass to my lips. Il
don't know much about mems clubs
my dear. / don't know but you're
right, although l never thought OF it in
that light before. Many ladies come
here two or three times a week, and no
doubt they find other attractions than
the. mere pleasures OF the bath
For one thing, they can dc
about as they please here, within
certain limits, of course. There are
no men around, the clientele OF the
place is of the very best,and there is ar
air of freedom about the bath that is
delicious to woman, most OF whose
time is spent in society, and who is com
PEELED to carry herself very rigidly in
the world outside. Here she can loll
about with friend or so, sip glass OIL
whatever she wants, have pleasant
chat and study her fellow woman, be-
sides experiencing the pleasure ate nd
ant upon the bath.
IS some of the Best People
in New York are regular patrons of this
bath. Members of the Vanderbilt
family formerly came here, Mrs
Flagler, the wife of the Standard Oil
magnate, is a regular customer: Mrs
Coils P. Huntington and her daughter
now the Princess HatZfsldt, were often
seen here formerly, and Mrs. George M
| Pullman always patrOniZes these baths
| when she's in New York. Not all the
| ladies who come here register under thell
| right names in the office, though don't
see why they shouldn't; but the register
would show the names of dozens OF
ladies prominent in New York society
| On different occasions | have seen here
Mrs. Henry Hilton Jr., Mrs. w. P
| Douglass. Mrs. Hicks-Lord, Mrs. Law
| renee Godkin, Mrs. Poor, Mrs. William
Dowd, Miss Helen Benedict, Mrs. Hav
ermeyer, Mrs. Harvey Fisk, Dr.. Grace
Peckhanl, Mrs. Henry Clews and other
equally well known ladies.
| 1T is not so very unusual fol
wealthy New York ladies to have pri
| vate Turkish baths in their houses, anG
| SOlliC VI bilC tdQlCO WuO COLiO iOlN Ia w
their own baths. They find these baths
with their life and company, more in
wiling, though. and so they desert theil
| own baths for them. In view of the
satisfaction one finds in Turkish batf
part of which you have yet to expert
enee-the cost is very slight. Ten tick
| cts can be had for $40, or a single ticke
for $1.25.
al noticed that you looked surprised
when you saw the ladies about yor
! drinking. There is northing in that Il
be surprised at. You must remember
that most of the ladies whom you SET
| here have wine at their homes, and art
accustomed to it at all sorts of societ.
gatherings. When they come herr
it is only natural that they SHOULD
do what they do at home. PrObabl.
| eighteen out OF every twenty who conn
| here order drinks of some kind. l hay,
noticed that gin fizZes, brandy, Manhat
tan cocktails and lemonades seem to b.
in most demand. There is little or NJ
wine drinking in the hot room, though
many ladies have bottle of wine ant
luncheon served in their dressing room
| aftar thou bavo 6pichQd their baths