The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-19
THEY ABHOR THEM.
Sensible Women Joining
the League.
AWAY WITH THE CRINoLINE.
\ Streetcar Conductor Speaks of a
Few Miseries That May Enter
Into His Life.

The absorbing topic yesterday was crino-
inc. When one friend met another on the
,treet she no longer asked How are they
all at home?" She merely said in eager
ccents: rs it really true that they have
.ome?'
There was no necessity for her to explain
what allusiOn was intended by the vague
pronoun "they" The friend knew at once
has the question had reference to crlno-
lines. and if she were a Lacquer
answered fearlessly that she was as lnde-
pendent of crinolines as free-born Amer
can is of the Gar of all the Russias.
Coupons and letters ale pouring into the
flee. and numbers Of women profess their
willingness to become missionaries in the
cause. Every day they intend to cut their
coupons out and have them signed by
friends and relations who are perfectly
willing TO become "leaguers." but lack the
energy to take the necessary steps for them
selves.
There is not the least difficulty in Undue
ing women to sign; they are generally quite
lager to do so. Some of our sex, however,
are so constituted that they Will let the
thing go from day to day unless coupon
dipped in the ink, placed in their hand.
ARy woman who UNDERSTANDS missionary
work among those who would join. if it
were not for the trouble involved in doing
30, aids on good cause.
So far | have met with only one refusal
It was from girl with very high heels and
good deal Of powder on her nose, who de-
votes large portion Of her time TO curling
her bangs"
Il mean to wear erinOline," she announced
emphatically. They are real cute, and
am going to be about the first to have one,
too"
It was useless TO argue with her. She
was slready deaf to any Of my entreaties,
being lost In a blissful daydream of the
Juror that she and her erinoline would
create when they made their first bow to-
gether to the public.
a number of prominent names already
adOrn the league, and there is no fear but
that others will follow.
Not one woman noted for intellectual,
artistic or scientific ability has yet refused
to join when the subject has been moOted to
her.
"CrinolInesI" these ladies cry, eve abhor
them. The league has our warmest SYM
pathy."
Some of the letters received on the sub
jet are intensely interesting. One lady,
who signs herself an anti-monopolist. de-
elaTes that she considers it would be posi-
tive imposition for women to take up the
whole of the sidewalk with their hoopskirts.
Another draws attention to the fact that the
windy season is coming. and joins the league
proyisi0nally-whe manufacturers supply
brand of wind-prOOf erinolines. she says
she will wear them.
Another correspondent remarks: "If
crinolinrs come. it might perhaps pay to buy
them 40 for chIcken-coops." The worst Of
It is, however, that crin0lnes will cost a
good round sum, and if a woman has made
sacrifices to obtain one she will cling to it
like grim death.
One Of san Francisco's best known
modstes has sent in her coupon. This is a
splendid act Of self-devoIiOn on her part
for she is determined to crush the cruOline,
even at tie risk Of being considered unfash-
ienable. Such herOism ought to be appre-.
ciated by her customers. It is to be hoped
that other mOdistes Will follow her example.
Mrs. Alice Carey Waterman, when she
handed in her coupon, expressed her
opinions very decidedly on the subject
What would a woman doing gymnastics
in 4 crInOline look like?" she asked. The
hoop-skirt would unfit her for any active
physical exercise"
This is, alas, too true Women did not
practice physical culture and gymnastics in
the days when crinOline ruled the land. Old
magazines that depict crinolined ladies' with
rural background generally show them TO
be INDUCING in a mild game of croquet.
Croguet has its yoteries even yet; perhaps
crnoline will give it a new lease of life. for
tennis-players and cyclists will find them
selves compelled to choose between hoops
and active outdoor sports; the two are im-
possible combined.
Croquet however, being mild and sooth-
ing game in which no one need get excited
OF move about with unseemly havoc, is
prominently fitted to be a crinoline-
weaTer's pastime.
Indeed. in every walk of life It Is quite
surprising what long retrograde vista the
adoption Of crinoline opens for women.
Half our outdoor sports would have to 90,
the tide Of miserable fashion would set
against them, for crinoliDed ladies would
never countenance movements which they
were debarred from participating in.
But l would go on playing" some en-
thusiast may excIaim. Well! let that en-
thusiast join the league. If she means TO
defy fashion later on, she should begin
now, the sooner the better
There must have been more room in the
world the last time crinoIlne was here; that
Is the only satisfactory explanation of the
fact that hundreds of crinolines were
nightly packed away in thesters: at these
same erinolines thronged the streets and
public eonyeyances. and that no one was
damned TO death In consequence.
One fact is now firmly established-the
anti crinoline leaguers are going to be
treated with the greatest Difference and re-
spect by every man they meet. "a woman
who has the courage DOT to make herself a
public nuisance Is always welcome to my
seat in the car" exclaimed one man, and
hundreds Of others have said the same
ming. MARIE EVELYN.