St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-09
IN A TRIFLING VEIN.

Wnen my attention was attracted TO a very
light, yet plainly visible, cloud of blue smoke
issuing from the top of private COX, from
whence came also unmistakable notes of
hilarity-in the form of strong laughter and
delicate giggling. l didn't have to tip the
waiter or peep into the box to know that the
party consisted of two men and two women
and possibly pug dog. OF course there
was nothing extraordinary in the pair of
couples taking a late and jolly supperto-
gether, and the only thing that bothered
me was. that blue cloud of smoke
l wondered if it were possible for
two men to manufacture such San
extensive cloud. Soon a waiter parted the
curtains to carry in another bottle and |
took advantage of the opportunity to make
an instantaneous survey of the interior l
wasn't shocked at all when discovered that
my interesting blue cloud had four persons
attached to its lower extremity. The raw
material from which the said cloud was
manufactured consisted of cigarettes-and in
my moment of observation noticed that the
dear girls were putting quite as industriousiy
as the men.
A few minutes before midnight l was
standing in the entrance of the cafe when
the jolly quartette departed, and then l
knew their names Don't be alarmed girls.
m not fool enough to print your names,
although you do live on ST. Anthony hill.
And then, probably you consider you were
quite justified in smoking cigarettes by
the public precedent recently established in
this country by the Infanta Eulalia. But
you were not.
don't know that there is anything ma.
terially harmful in a woman smoking a
cigarette now and then. 1t has been quite a
general custom i'll this country for many
years. Yet there is no doubt that it is ex-
tremely bad form. II doesn't look we'll and
1t is certainly degrading No mau eTtertains
the same respect for q woman after he has
had a socfal-cIgarette with her There is no
genuine reason why ne shouldn't. but the
fact remains that he doesn't There is a
very strong prejudice against cigarette
smoking among the women of this republic
and it Will take more than the exhibition of
one foreigL p .ncess to overcome it.
~
When | observe the enormous sales of sa-
lacious literature an forced to the conclu-
sion that society is becoming more and more
degraded every day. Some time ago 1
learned from an authoritative source that a
New York weekly increased its circulation
about tenfold by infusing plenty of salaclous
reading matter and some highly coJored and
suggestive pictures into its constitution The
man who sells papers, books and cigars at
the Ryan hotel told me last week that he
sells many more copies of this saucy New
York publication than of any other. \ dealer
up on the hill told me the same thing and
added the remark that most of his customers
were women of the aristoeratic circles A
dealer ont on East Seventh street, where the
trade comes from The lower strata of society,"
informed me that the sale of the New York
paper had not increased materially on his
Therefore l am inclined to think
that this publication has gained its large in
crease in circulation almost wholly through
the patronage of what we comm only term
society" people.
But, society wants to be smart, witty
and saucy. 1t ought to be. probably to
make it endurable. And I don't know but
what the salacious New YORK paper is a coed
educator in its way.
Queer studies of human nature couldCbe
made in the pool room down on Robert
street. In the early morning the dead
game sports are invisible A few seedy-
looking individuals stand round, alternately
consulting newspapers and the blac kboard.
Say. Jimmy" from one of the seediest.
'Crossfire colt i'll the fit IS a dead sure
thing
Rats replies Jimmy. MY wad goes on
Roland Reed
Your wad." says seedy. sarcastcally
You'd tink tort youse had a wad be the way
yer tar&! Yer gimme a PAIN
About l2:3) the advance guard of tie
dead game. variety begin to come in. They
ell ha
size of their feet. 1t seems TO be matter of
honor among sports to wear the larges, shoes
money can buy. Another thing by which
they may be identified is their propensity to
make atmosphere bets. such as: ''Er hun
dred ter two you're way OIL" and I'll 90
fifty yer don't know er horse from a hole IN
the ground"
AS the time for the first race approaches
the place rapidly fills up. An air OF intense
mystery settles on every one. Utter strang-
ers whisper to each other as if they had
been friends for life.
i've got $40 on Airshaft. What do you
Think from one.
We'll" from the other. Il don't think at
all. You might as well throw your money
down the sewer You haven't got sense"
A pleasant little way of answering q mar,
and a stranger, who simply asks an opinion,
but they SAY such things in the pool room ~
IL
Everywhere are the touts. These festive
individuals. when there are seven horses in q
race, go to seven men and try to persuade
each one to play different horse. After the
race is over the winner no sooner gets his
ticket cashed than voice from behind him
SAYS:
Say, boss, what do get for the informa-
tion?''
II
They're at the post" cries the operator.
A sudden silence falls on everyone Every
eye is glued to the blackboard. Every man
there can see on that black surface
with its white chalk marks, the
green fields and far reaching stretch
of track; the grand-s tand with il
excited occupants; the gally caparisoned
jockeys on their mounts, maneuvering for q
good position.
They're off,
Every one talks again
3 IA at the quarter says the man a
the instrument.
excited individual.
"A o II at the half--Knapp secondr'
cry goes up from the followers Of
Knapp.
Knapp in the stretch-A o Il second
Drizzle third and coming up fastn'
A loud whistle from every one indicative
of surprise.
"Drizzle wins
The race is over Another whistle-som,
laughter-many a hard drawn face-a few
muttered curses and, while the winners casl
| their tickets, the talent prepare for pick
| ing the winner IN the next race
Very Visionary.
| Boston Globe.
Lieut.. Gov. Percy Daniels, of Kansas
has risen to notoriety by devising al
extremely comprehensive income ia.
scheme. He proposes to levy a ta
upon all incomes as follows: One De
cent on incomes of 100000 to 1000.
600. per cent on 81, 00O, 900 to s., 600. 900
per cent on $4,000, 900 to $4,000, 900, L
per cent on all over S10,0O0,O0O. He es
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