The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-26
YOUNG LADIES
DECLARE WAR;
Leap-Year Rights and Privi-
leges Cause Trouble
in Alameda.
GIRLS MEAN BUSINESS.
Kissing Must Come With En-
gagement Rings" Is the
Proclamation.
MEN ORGANIZE FOR DEFENSE.
They Attempt to Compel the Enemy
to Arbitrate by Swearing
Not to Marry.

There are troubles in the Transvaal,
Armenian life is hard, some rapid Spanish
is being spoken in Venezuela and Cuba,
and warclouds are everywhere except over
China and Japan, but the most serious
disturbance yet reported has just broken
out across the bay in the fair little city of
Alameda.
The girls of the Encinal City have issued
g proclamation in the secret circles of their
society that they will not allow young men
to kiss them before they are engaged.
This uItimatum, hurled at the enemy in
the very beginning of a leap year, has
caused CONSERVATION in the ranks of the
young men. The latter want to arbitrate,
but the girls refuse to yield single oscu-
latory point and intend to stand firmly Tor
the ancient matrimony doctrine.
They propose-and the girls have the
right of proposing in leap year-to put an
end to the trIfling with their affections.
and the young man who wants to indulge
IN Alameda kissing will first have to es-
tablish treaty relations with papa"
1t was early last week that the decision
was agreed upon at a meeting of young
women and the next day about every girl
in the city had heard and Endorsed.
The young men heard of it, too, for they
were brought face to face with the situa-
ton. Then lot of them held conference
to decide what measures should be adopted
in defense. Arbitration was discussed,
but the news was received that there could
be neither arbitration nor appeal. Then
the men determined to adopt policy as
strict and severe as that of the young
women to compel resort TO arbitration,
and a bachelors union was organized.
The members of the club have pledged
themselves not to form any "entangIing
alliances" this year; neither to marry nor
become engaged.
That is the condition of affairs at pres
ent, and while it exists there will be no
weddings and the kissing will be limited
strictly TO the gentler sex. With the
beauty and the bravery for which Alameda
is noted, how there will undoubtedly
be sharp battles and long sieges, but the
girls insist that they will cling to their
principles even if they don't have any
young men to cling to.
The charter members in the anti-matri-
mony organization are prominent at Ala
media and the girls admit that all of
them would make good husbands They
are: T. c. Stoddard, the postmaster; DR..
c. G. Zeyn, City Marshal Rogers, AL C.
Whyte, A. P. Smiley, ]. A. Munro, A. P.
Stefvater, Lawyer w. NJ. Simpson, City
Recorder A. F. st. Sure, P. A. Kearney,
Louis Schoneau, A. G. Burns, Charles
Nelson, Marcus II. Wiggin, Charles FLEET
ter, George Odel, John Lucich, George J.
Foster, Dexter Gilbert, Robert Mitchell,
Homer Farris, James Wilson, Hans Hum
mel, George Manley, John Lubben, Albert
Schumacher, Robert Brewer, George Nc
Rae, Fred Schuman, Charles Frost,
Thomas Hanson, a. Koerber, Frank Fa-
bens, Walter Osborn, VIII Hebard, Charles
Hebard, Thomas Ernst, Henry Miller, Ed
ward Cleveland, Louis Fischer, William
Mexican and ]. A. Powell.
The girls are not troubled by the array
of the organized bachelors, however, and
they say that the young men have merely
taken this opportunity of issuing a leap
year manifesto to show that they are un-
married.
One rule of the bachelors is that any
member attending more than two leap
year parties during the year will be fined
$40. Another is that member seen in the
company OF any one young lady more
than three consecutive times must pay SIS
to the club treasury. Sunday evening
calling is entirely prohibited by the con-
stitution.
1--WE have learned all about the organ.
ization," said one of the Alameda young
ladies last night, land every member of it
will be blacklisted. We are going to have
rules, too, and one will be to invite no
member of that club to leap-year party.
There are plenty of nice young men out
side of Alameda YOU know The rule
about Sunday-evening calling we will ex-
tend to the entire week, and the men will
see that we have the be st of the battle"