The morning call., 1892-09-18
on TIE MASSAGE ROUTE.
A Round Of the Vile DenS
Made.
ALL FOUND TO BE ALIKE.
same Of the Inmates Make Pretensions of
Being Legitimate" While Others
Tell What They Really Are.
ALL FOUND TO BE ALIKE.


work toward improving the morals of the
city yet attempted
Since the article was published il will be
noticed that the advertisements in the
Examiner which were exposed in THE
CALL-the ones wherein young girls were
advertised for as massage assistantS-have
been suppressed and only the regular
massage cards appear.
To test the validity of the statement that
these advertisements were only snareS TO
trap the unWary. a CALL reporter has
been making the rounds of the places in
the past few days and has found them to be
only ordinary bagnios which use the
columns of the Examiner and Report TO at
tract custom.
The first place visited was at - Post
street. where a female, who passes under
the name of Mamie Kelly, RdYertIses mas
sage and alcohol baths. The woman is
tall blonde Of uncertain age and ths gen.
eTal appearance OF her room would not
lead any one TO believe that oatnS were
given in any form whatever, IN fact the
woman did not make any pretense OF CIV
ing massage.
one Of the next advertisements answered
was the following:
MISS BELLE RAYMOND AND ASSISTANT.
VI - Post 81. psrloT :; massage.
This is in the same house, and when the
reporter kHOCkeu /
by the Raymond woman IN person.
She was dressed in q transparent gaUZe
affair, which was neither mOTenor less than
indecent. Her assistant was also in the
room and went by the name OF Maud. a
few minutes after the reporter entered she
lett the room TO so to her OVID, which was
On the next floor
The subject of massage being brought up
the propTietress laughed and said 1t was
only a bluff, that she never gave any baths,
Il WAS too much work.
Ou see," she went on, I'VE always keep
alcohol and cologne here il case any one
really wants a rub but we never do it if it
can be helped, but then We don't want to be
caught" On being asked if The advertise
ments brought many people there. she SAID
yes. and we have awfully funny times
with those who don't know the ropes"
The woman did not make tie least pre-
tense about her mode Of making a living,
and came out boldly.
The next place visited was advertised as
Florence Reynolds and George Nllils, -
Grant avenue. Both of the women were
found at home, and the visitor was cordially
Invited IN.
The rooms were ordinarily furnished, and
the women were about as ordinary as the
rooms.
When the reporter informed them that he
had read their advertisements IN the Exam
ineT and wished TO 90 through course OF
massage treatment as he was in bad health.
both Of the girls laughed. They evidently
took il as q great joke that any one should
really come TO see them with the Intention
Of taking bath.
After few minutes conversation, during
which the girls frequently winked al each
other, one Of them came over and sat on
The sofa beside the reporter and said that
their bathing establishment had got out OF
order this afternoon, but if be would call
again in the evening they would be very
glad 10 see him.
There was nothing, in fact. about the
rooms to lead any one to believe that there
was any desire to give baths of any kind, as
they were only furnished in the ordinary
way @ q suite Of rooms, with the exception
that the room furnished as a parloT had il
addition piano and sidebOaTd
After promising to call again the reporter
left.
No. - Geary street was the next attrac-
ton, and here a number Of massage insti-
tuitOns were found.
Out Of three called upon two Of them
were found to be of the same kind as the
last visited, the inmates informing the
writer, after a few minutes conversation,
that they did not give massage, but took
that way Of getting men to call upon them.
The third one visited there, however.
made q bold endeavOr 10 carry out the idea
that her advertisement was q legitimate one,
as she had the paraphernalla necessary te
give an alcohol sweat bath; that is, she had
a box in one corner Of the bedroom, with
hole IN the top, which she informed the
caller was used with great success in all
skin diseases. Nothing further in the room
led TO the belief that it was a bona-fide
establishment, although il might have been,
az the owner was somewhere IN the neigh
bOrhO0d Of s. years Of age.
4 call was then made on Gertie Sanders,
at - Ellis street. This lady, according
to her advertisement, mas Lately returned"
from where ne one knows, unless It was from
a paintshOD, as sne had enough on her lace
to start a studio for irst-class artist.
ASsOOn as massage WAS mentioned she said:
"Oh, yes; | am one Of the Oldest manipula-
tors in the town'-aud she looked it too
and shall be pleased to give yon a course"
Upon being asked what it would cost she
said. that her regular charges. with an al
cOh0l rubdOwD, were three dollars for each
operation, but II any one took regular
course a reduction would be made" Not
wishing 70 take a regular course tie reporter
said he would think the matter over and let
her know next day.
Miss Dollie Woods and assistant, at -
Powell street, were then called upon, bnt
no answer could be obtained from knock
at the door. and the inmates were probably
out or taxing much-needed rest after the
late hours Of the night before.
May Roberts. who has place at OFar-
rell street, was visited next and the occu-
pant was found to be living in a single room
rather sparsely furnished. and with a most
noticeable absence of any furniture neces-
sary to massage, alcohol baths or any other
mode Of treatment as advertised in the Ex-
aminer
The girl who presided over this estab-
lishment did not, in fact, make any pre-
tense OF giving baths, but enjOiDed her
visitor that she only advertised In the
papers because others did and that il was
good way to make new acquaintances and
much easier than picking them up on the
streets.
OF course this was not brought out in the
first part OF the conversation, but only after
a number of questions had been asked the
girl as TO how successful she was IN making
a living at the massage business.
Another advertisement read:
IVA EDWARDS AND ASSISTANT FROM SAN
T. Jose. No - Sutter ST.; alcohol baths.
This woman was found in her rooms. but
without any assistant.
She informed her caller that she only
had her card that way as it sounded better
and she did not think she needed any
assistant until she grew older. Baths
could be had il any one wanted one, but
she did not care TO labor much.
In every place visited the reporter re-
ceiyed the same information, the most
prominent ones having their rooms az
ranged merely as lodgings. some of the
places having three or four rooms.
They averaged from one to four inmates,
who took this uode Of advertising to draw
custom to their places
Some Of the faces seen were those OF
streetwalkers well known to the police
and who can be found any night pacing the
pavements on Market or Kearny streets in
search Of victims
In only two cases out of ten or twelve
visited were there any indications of even
pretense to give what was advertised, and
these two had probably only arranged their
places with a view to deceiving the unwary.
There were forty massage" advertise
ments in yesterdays Examiner.
That paper, however, is not alone in the
publication Of these indecent notices.
The Report OF yesterday had, among many
others the following, which are rendered
innocuous by leaving the numbers of the
honeaz