The San Francisco call., 1898-03-20

sOmaIly. The result is now seen been informed that women go dowr for few hours and go to these poo rooms, while their families suppose they are shopping, or are at the the aterS.
 "I have not looked into the law any and cannot speak as clearly as l would like. I have had complaints made ot boys frequenting the pool rooms, but investigation has shown the reports in this instance to have been exagger- ated.
 T purpose to investigate, and if find that the children of women ire quenting the pool rooms are neglected by their mothers inattention, l shall make an effort to remove the children from their custody upon the grounds that they are not fit and proper per sons, for the reason that they are gamblers and the associates of women of i'll repute. There was a case which came to my notice a week ago of a mother and three daughters living on Turk street. One of the daughters is 16 years of age, and is known to have visited one of the pool rooms within a block of her home with a woman who bears an unSavory reputation, and when I questioned her about it she ad- mitted visiting the place, but saw no
 
 in the gambling.
 "I have information from another source that she has been a capper for this poolroom. l admonished her about visiting those places, and she promised not to do so again, but unfortunately her mother is a woman of loose habits and fear that the advice will be heed ed only for the time. l told her if she persisted in going to such places, she being still a minor girl, l would appea to the Superior Court for letters ot guardianship, and remove her perma- nently from her mothers care"
 Here Is what some of the representa- tive ladies of the community have tC say about the evil which seems now ir a fair way to be abolished through the fight made by The Call:
 MIME. LOUISE A. SORBIER-When read in The Call of women engaging 1T pool room gambling I was simply horri fled It Is bad enough for men, but ir women 1t is so deplorable that if there is any way al all of suppressing the evi it should be done. I have heard of womer going to horse races and betting, but that Is a small offenSe when compared with this. Everybody should take hanC to stop 1t, and the police should stretch a point to do their duty, moral if not legal. The Call is doing an immense gooC by revealing the presence of such con. cern. and should be supported by a united effort on the part of all respectable peo. pie
 MRS. ADDIE L. BALLOU-This is 2 most corrupt city. It is impossible to rear children here in the way they should be reared. In my opinion this gambling by women is most disgraceful, and I think it the stern duty of the municipal au. thorities to devise some way of putting ar immediate stop to so demoralizng prac ttce. l believe there are constant reVela. tions being made regarding our city State and National Government making it imperative that wives and mothers at ir1er fn o,-s to the affairs of civil life. Women have a great many foibles, but when Ii comes to affairs like this. in which women themselves take a hand In the furtherance of debauching and demoral- izing influences, their moral support would be a most potent factor for good [ It might be argued from the fact that women patronize these pool rooms that in preventing these corrupt practices they would do no better than men, but 1t Is a fact proved by experience that where mer and women work together they do so tc their mutual advantage and welfare.
 MRS. JULIA SCHLESSINGER-I think the practice of gambling on horseracing and prize-hghtfng by men is most derog- atory to the well being of a community But when 1t comes 10 women indulgine in so degrading nractice 1t is certainly time to call a halt. As long as honor remains to womankind there is some hope for children, but when both fathers an6 mothers lose respect for themselves, ther the hope we have for the rising genera,
 
 police ought to be able to stop these de moraliZing practices in some way ol other. If there is no law covering the offense now, the Supervisors ought to frame one without loss of time.
 Mrs. John Pettee said: This is the most disgraceful thing l ever heard of. In fact, it is contemptible in the extreme. The idea that such a place is allowed to run is more than I car even believe. It should be condemned ir1 md cH aot cease night or day until the men who are running such disgraceful and harm full resorts were driven out of busi- ness. It is bad enough for the mer to gamble as they do, but when the women start it is time something was done. Such places are the ruinatior of young girls, a menace to all and g disgrace to the city. It was a revela- tion to me, but it is hard to tell what may be expected where law is as slack as 1t has been shown to be in this city I will do all in my power to help sup. press the evil and I hope nothing vii be left undone which may tend to put stop to what may result In the sep aration and misery of many families.
 Such a state of affairs as The Cal says exists should certainly bt stopped" said Mrs. Louis Sloss, wher speaking of The Calls expose of the pool rooms for women. "I not only think that 1t is a terrible thing, but also think it is wicked. To think o1 women going there and spending mon. ey that does not rightfully belong tc them is frightful. How can one hell but support a paper in its crusade against an evil of this sort? I mos1 heartily indorse 1t in every move ii will make in order to prevent this state | of affairs going on. I think that the paper has opened the eyes of many | who never dreamed of women leadins