Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-07-17
w. &. 7. u. COLUMN.
EDITED By MRS. , W. HASTINGS
Smoke Houses.

well. In our gir'hood we often "put
on few chips-iust 10 keep the tire
smpuldering;n aud after "A bump or two
from the banging hams, they were 80
low and we so tail, we emerged from
the smoke house blinded by tears and
glad to sntf the pure air again. We
ought 10 be used to smoke, ! suppose
but we are not. doubt whether even
the Icclandic woman relishcs the flavor
and effec, OF bones burned IN her ice
hut 10 thaw walrus meat for sick child
and mother. Smoke houses used 10 be
exclusively for smoking meat. In lat
~ times there came 10 be smoking cars
and smoking rooms exclusively for
smoking men, But it was soon found
that the men never got done, and that
they would not be restricted. If the
offender OF public taste and comfort
could not be arrested and detained the
next best thing was To arrest the iuno-
cent party and shut him or her up-in
lice with modern politics So we came
To have NIGHT rauchen ears for the gen
eral public and rooms exclusively for
women. But the device of putting the
muzzle on the wrong dog does not work
we'll. For women exclusively in
large letters upon wide open doors in a
depot at Washington. stared MS IN the
face for three long hours lately.
Thoughts were not particularly clear or
brilliant during that time on account of
the dim haze that enyeloped everything
and penetrated TO the delicate tissues Of
head and throat, making them tingle
and smart; but we noticed that the wo-
men were "eyclusively" in the room as
igned to them; but that men came and
went through the room, to and from
the trains, carving active pipes and
cigars: and that young men lounged in
he doorway lazily putting their cigar
cites rs they scanned the docile women.
The word docie is used advisedly.
Later on, in palace sleeper (?) late at
eight the atmosphere had the same
singing effect, to the exclusion of sleep;
and in the observation car the next
morning all women excluded them
selves. not voluntarily. but necessarily,
except two, and one of these was final
" obliged TO retire after mauful
tight (D against smoke and the result
ant sick headache.
1t is no uncommon thing to be awak-
ened at dead of night in IA hotel by the
penetrating fumes of tobacco and to be
obliged 70 close the transOm TO the eX-
clusion Of all draft, while the
nauseating atmosphere perslstentIy
creeps in at the crevices and destroys
all hope OF rest or sleep. Such every
day experiences give rise TO the ques-
tion a to whether the label smoking
apartment in parlor ears, sleepers. etc,
is not misnomer, as TO whether seats
in street cars exclusively for smokers
is not a m,snomer. In day ears and
street cars men not infrequently smoke
unrebuked and not few restaurants re-
mind one OF Germany where the brod-
chen often tastes so strong of tobacco
as To nauseate the unaccustomed for
eigner.
Is 1t not time to call a halt even AT
the bayonet of public comfort and hap
pinessY Some consciences may be
prlcked by such considerations which
cannot be reached for lon tina" -
by the pathology of \ i
till. when We remember
upon a stretcher and anothe
valids chair apparently in
dying condition. both carr
further part of a large wait o." "
Il depot, with friends fannin tnep. aud
anNiously scanning the crowd of Snok
ers. all of whom seemed unconscious o
any discomfort on the part of the sick
or well. we almost despair of reaching
the public male conscience on the sub
jet of tins outrageous nuisance. But
so long as non-smoking men and wo-
men sit down quietly and endure, the
evil will continue its Entertainments.
Women ought To assert themselver on
this point of vital account TO health and
happiness. II is not an uncommon
thing for women to say, Il dread the
journey for | shall be sick the whole
way on account of the smoke" Is it
not time that we cultivate enough of
the Johnny Bull assertiveness To at
least protest against tobacco smoke,
where we have paid our money and are