The record-union., 1893-07-05
AttHreunttErtta.
THE CHEAPEST AND BEST MEDICINE

the ladies' entrances. But aside from the
strictly disreputable class, the private
rooms of the saloons are visited by a
large and increasing body of women OF
respectable associations and connections.
They are cultiVating the drink habit in
its worst form, and under the most de-
MOI alizing influences.
If man will stand where he can
watch one of these ladies' entrances for an
entire evening he will be instructed and
saddened. | have seen women whom
| deemed above reproach emerge from such
| places actually unsteady from drink. l
have seen girls enter who had no idea of
what they were TO be introduced to.
Curiosity, novelty, the love ofexcitement,
coupled with little adroit persuasion at
! an opportune moment, induce the nrst
visit. 1t is seldom that the first visit is
the last, and it generally degenerates into
practice.
| "Such visits are usually begun at the
| most favorable moments to promote an
! appetite for hquor. Returning from the
theater or party or alter drive, the
| flush of eXhilaration makes the effect of
| liquor more seductive than at any other
time. A love for stimulants is thus en-
gendered. The less previous experience
women have had with liquors in their own
| homes the more liable they are to fall vic
Tins to the liquor habit.
OF a few ministers and temperance
retorners are very much shocked at the
| practice Of women drinking wine at table
with their meals, and they are prone to as
/ cribe the increase OF intemperance among
females to that practice. 1t is not the
| wine drunk at the home table that does
the mischief. 1t is the wine drunk abroad
at first and then the thirst for whisky
and brandy that follows wine-blbblng at
odd times and uncertain hours. At meal
a
! toXicants, and when the drinking is done
| openly in the presence of the family
there is little likelihood of its degenerat-
ing into intemperance.
"Now contrast all this with the sur
reptitious and irregular drinking in the
| private room Of a saloon where every sur
rounding is meretricious, every situation
suggestive and every association of a
rakish character. A man does not take
| his own but his neighbor's wife to such
! places, and young men only escort girls
! there whom they never think of marry
/ ing. Every person of experience knows
the rest without being told.
| ''It is an alarming fact that intemper-
ance among females has enormously in
| creased of late years. and is still increas-
ing. In this city the consumption of
alcoholic liquors by women of the leisure
! and well-to-do class is matter of grave
concern. Tho laboring class OF San Fran
cisco women do not drink nearly so much
or so generally as the working women OF
any English or Scottish city, but the
quantity of ardent spirits drank in our
upper circles is astonishing. More of
! this drinking is done within the portals
of the ladies' entrance than would be gem
orally credited. l am constantly called
| in to prescribe for nervous headaches
and incipient hysteria caused solely by
over-indulgence in intoxicants."
Chief Crowley readily admitted that
the practice of women drinking in the
| back rooms of saloons was enormously
on the increase, and was productive OF
many evil results. lie preferred to let the
| Police Commissioners discuss the matter
of remedying the evil, however. He
said it would be exceedingly difficult to
| deal with by ordinance. Under the ex-
listing laws and ordinances the police are
almost powerless in the matter. They
see the number of saloons with ladies'
entrances multiplying with rapidity
daily, and note the constantly increasing
army OF female patrons without being
able to apply any remedy.
! If an observant man of easy address
will take cruise around the places he
| will hear stories that will astound him.
| He will also learn of women habitues
that will give him a decided shock, and
| be made acquainted with practices from
which his soul will revolt. 1t will take
| him but little while to convince him
self that immortality is the most profitable
feature of catering alcoholic drinks to
women in private rooms, and that the
social evil is recognized adjunct to this
! branch of the LIQUOR trade