The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23

ker. the pretty girl OF the half
world who welcomed death as
messenger CT oblivion, has
raised the curtain or q local
drama that IS true. i II is neither moral
nor editytng. The young woman. VINO
chose the Wild. drunken reve.ry OF the
French ball as the setting for The clos
ing scene II her lie has furnished an
incident Of San Francisco morals and
manners which Is perhaps without pa
raIe[ IL any other American city. II
Is not Al agreeable task for men and
women 70 look upon themselves as
others see them. and the story q how
some people Of this city celebrated the
fall % the BastiIe may not be pleasant
The facts. however, demonstrate the
existence Of an evil and the!r exposure
may suggest q remedy
The fau OF he Basrre was an eX-
cuse 2 few days ago for e disgusting,
outrageous Orgy, n which men OF
prominence and women. cltngtng still
- their thought OF seit-respect- part.Ci-
ua-ed Men that deal justice in local
courts sang ribaId songs and clinked
glasses With women whose acQuatn-
ta-c= they would not dare admit IN the
Ifgr- q day. Women. whose sober in
srtrcr prompts them 70 draw their
skirts IN hasty repulsion from possible
contact with some OF their sex whose
skirts are soIed. danced on an equality
o. shame with abandoned creatures Of
tha terdarlotu.
Lawyers Judges. business and pro
fessto2aI men were there cheek by jowI
with the human refuse OF the city. The
celebration in honor Of the fall OF the
BasrLe had ended AZ midnight. Until
that hour The French citizens o. the
city, their friends and syupathizers
had obeyed the dictates of a worthy
sentiment and worthiIy horored a day
that marks an e-och IN the history %
the French people After that hour the
place became rha scene Of incidents. the
description Of which could not be 1ustt-
fed except as an exposure Of Z shame
fuI evil
AZ midnight throngs passed in and
out Of the gates Of the Chutes- Those
that we're going had remembered 3 day
sacred 20 them IL their traditions and
IN their love Of their mother country.
Those that were coming were eager FOR
2 nights debauch. L was not long be
fore indecercy established common
IzveI for the reveIers. All classes min
gled or common plane.
The gayzst among the drunken
throag vas : petite. black-eyed. pretty
girl richly gowred. There was no sug-
gastion made BY reveling companions
thai did not meet her approval. She
vas celebrating the fall Of the Bastile
as -ha closing incident Of her life. which
had known nothing Of care. nothing
OF morality and no mora Of self-respeCt.
This girl mingled with every crowd
She sat a. table in The drinking pa
vi,.3n. touching glasses IN reckless
good fellowship with men who would
rot admit her acquaintance, except
after midnight. Sna brushed against
women whose yelled faces indicated
that either their position or their pre-
sumption prompted them % feIgn de-
ce-cy in an indecent place. There vas
& confusion 0f sights and sounds Nh
sic vas playing. lights were cleaning.
glasses were clinki1g and crashing.
Now and then some q tha revelars
would divide themselves from the
thro1g a.d Al indecent dance would
mark another incident of The night.
Loud voicas would grow louder. laugh
ter and merry words would turn 70
curses. caresses change 70 blows and
friends would supplement with their
>
tongues
Police officers. conveniently deaf.
dumb and blind, would recover their
senses. separate the qEarrelers and ac-
cept again the hospitality of the bar.
The girl who was spending her last
hours Of life IL the midst Of scenes that
still possessed an attraction but no nov
city. watched II ali As the night at-
vanced all restraint was discarded. All
classes were mfngIing in riOtOus un-
concern. The girl and her chaperons.
who happened 10 be her mother. Iest
the drinking pavilion, where the lights
burned brightly and the babel OF voices
confused
Outside in the dim, fog-ladeu grounds
the throng vas as great as il was in
the pavilion The girl stopped at the
merry -g0-round. Music, woefully and
disc0rdantly metallic, was sounding
popular march Couples breast 10