Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-03
The Question of the ''Young Lady,
and the Music Garden.
DISCUSSED FROM SEVERAL new POINTS
Testimony Of Correspondents Who
Have Watched Such Things.


Of Responsibility should drink beer in pub
lie gardens threatens to be the subject of a
discussion only second in interest to that
inspired by the clash Of the money stand
ards. The Star recently published a COM
n,unication In which the writer called at
tention to the fact that a certain public
garden was patronized by young women
and girls in bicycle costumes who had
stopped in after wheeling to drink beer,
and expressed the opinion that such a Gus
tom was somewhat reprehensible when
certain of the surroundings and the char
acter of some of the other patrons of the
place were considered.
This card brought forth a spirited re-
joinder from correspondent who signed
herself Young Lady" In order to fully
acquaint readers with the issues in the
controversy that contribution Is republish-
ed. 1t read follows:
A Young Lady md Beer.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
l was very much amused at an article in
your paper a few days ago referring to
beer garden In this city. Well, this makes
me tired. You can go in any city in the
United States and find such places. for in
stance, Baltimore. New York. Philadelphia
and Atlantic City, frequented by nice peo-
pie. 1 have been there, both in this and
In other cities. There is only one here,
Of them. 1t Is positively nothing wrong A
lady can be a lady in beer garden, store.
parlor, church or on boat. / am q nice
young lady, of good family and fine sur
roundings. know right from wrong, as well
as DIR. So and So, and dare any one man
or woman to come to my face and say
otherwise. Evil to those that evil think
eth. 1 like beer, and have been to that
frequent there. That is nothing detrimen.
al to the girls. Do you think 50? ride
wheel, consequently visit the same. and
must say l haven't seen or heard anything
more, when a young lady goes away to
Atlantic City or New York she visits such
places and nothing is thought of 1t. Now,
why can't she do it at home. in the midst
tolerated in other cities; why can't it be
here? hope DR.. So and So will see this
YOUNG LADY.
Is She Testified.
In a letter to The Star, Mr.. David c.
Bangs of 1919 9th street northwest takes
occasion to reply to the above. He writes:
shakespeare has aptly said. so full of
artless jealousy is guilt it spills itself in
fearing to be split. and the young lady
has revealed the effect of the contamna-
ton Of beer gardens in almost the first SEN
tence of her letter to your paper yesterday,
entitled "A Young Lady and Beer, when
shea lady-descends to the slang of the
streets in her expression Well, this makes
me tired. No one denies that you can go
to any place in the United States and find
beer gardens-you can so TO dives of the
lowest type and find in them persons
claiming to be ladies and gentlemen, but
does that justify a young woman assert
ing herself to be a nice young lady, of
good family and fine surroundings, know
ing right from wrong in degrading Ter
pure womanhood by placing her sweet
presence amid the influences of sin and de-
hatchery? "A lady can he lady in beer
garden. store. parlor. etc. but Is that
valid reason for her deliberately thrusting
herself amid communicating influences when
1t is not necessary, and where she knows it
subserveS no good, to herself her COM
panions. My dear girl. you cannot touch
pitch without being defiled, and no one
can make habit of drinking what was
never intended by our Creator as a food or
a stimulant, without steadily and surely
lowering their own moral tone and throw
ing their self-respect to the Winds
properly defining the meaning of friends
| is more honored in the breach than in the
observance II your beer garden friends
are men, they will, in most every case be-
hind your back. speak slightingly of YOU.
and by innuendo, asperse your good name
and give out an impression of you to other
men at which your parents and you would
blush. If these friends are women they
will drink with you and chat, and straight
way go away and find delight In heaping
calumny upon you. True, as you say, EVIL
" him tnat lnlnketn eFll, but when we
see what is acknowledged by all the world
to be evil. how can we think but evil of
it?'
Difference in Beer Gardens. :
Another correspondent takes issue with
Young Lady, in the following sentences:
In the article headed "A Young Lady and
Beer published in a recent edition of The
Star. 1t is plainly seen that the Young
Lady has very poor idea Of how a lady
Of good family should conduct herself
THE fact Is admitted that refined and re-
spectacle people visit summer garden at
Atlantic City to hear the excellent music