Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-01
The Gambling Girl is
Not a Modern Product,

I'm weary of all this cant about
bridge and women gamblers and other
absurdities." said she of the new chiffon
muff. IF | did win enough at cards this
winter to buy set of opals is it any
harm? Isn't it better than going in
debt? l have no patience with those old
fogies who want everybody to be as prim
and as prejudiced as they themselves.
But | have one comfort. Great
grandma has ceased troubling. She
talked about the good old times when
she was girl-and when apparently no.
body had any fun-until l abhorred the
very sound of her voice. So / deter
mined to find out for myself just what
kind of times they were when my saint
ly and silver-haired ancestor was young.
| found out that grandfather must
have gone to cockfights, drank port by
the bottle, stumbled through the minuet
and otherwise behaved himself in man
ner unbec0ming n gentleman of today.
If be didn't do these things he could not
have been person of fashion, and if he
was not Il person of fashion greatgrand-
mother has deceived us shockingly.
From her accounts one would think he
was the greatest grandee of Bath-and
later of Blocker street.
What L found out about cards pleased
me most. 1t was such complete poetic
justice. 1t was better than having the
gambling girl of today vindicated. l
found out that he girls Of greatgrand-
mothers day could have, in more senses
than one, given us cards and spades
when they sat down to play piquet and
OezlQue. In those days women of social
position-even women of title-kept pub
lie gaming houses! | unearthed in some
old Notes and Queries the genteel intel
hgence that Lady Buckinghamshire.
IL4ady Elizabeth Lnttrell, Mrs. Sturt and
Mr.. ConcannOn, all great swells in those
DAYS, were reprimanded by the public
Office authorities for playing faro. 1t
came out in the evidence that these fash
lonable danes were accustomed to play
at Il. O., Rouge ct Noir, etc, from about
IL or II o'clock till 3 or 4 O'Clock in the
morning. Each fair delinquent was fined
t10, and Gillray in caricature depicted
Lady Buckinghamshire tied to the carts
tan tn! and receiving a tiogging from Lord
chef Justice Kenyon while her two
slters in misery are beholding the sad
scene from the uncomfortable embraces
OF the pillory, the placard 'Faros
Daughters Beware drawing attention to
the recent criminal proceedings"
= a little later on Il writer says that
at some of our first boarding schools the
falF pupils are now taught to play whist
ana casino. 1t is calculated that
a clever child. by its cards, and its nov
els, may pay for its own education. Now
that was n nice state of affairs for good
Old tines So completely has gambling
got the better of dancing that at a pri-
vate ball last week a gentleman asking Il
young lady from Bath to dance the next
two dances. she very ingeniously replied:
Yes. if you will play two rubbers at
casino."'
'And card playing was not the only
manly accomplishment of the ladies Of
those days either" continued the woman
with the new chiffon muff. vindictively
What would the much-abused woman
of today think OF a contest between Mrs !
Thornton and Mr. Flint to ride four
miles, for a prize of $4,000? There was
a select company Of 100000 persons to
witness this unique race, and fortunes |
were bet on the result. The lady. whose |
dress was "a leopard-colored body, with |
blue sleeves. the rest buff. and blue cap |
lost. though on another oc- |
casion she is said to have achieved the |
distinction Of beating the famous jockey |
Buckle IN a two-mile match by a half o |
neck. ON this auspicious occasion she |
wore a purple cap and waistcoat, nan |
seen-colored skirts. purple shoes and |
stockings.
Talk about bridge. Why. il is mild |
enough to be called Brooklyn bridge |
to the amUsements of our gen |
lie anccstresses Of a hundred years ago" |
New York Commercial Advertiser.