The sun., 1903-03-29

There are two afternoons each weak.
~ben the women OF this town work great
transformation In the corridors. palm room
and Turkish rooms Of the Waldorf Astoria.
After the Wednesday and Saturday NATL
nee. the ground foor OF the hig hotsl doesn't
look like part Of n hotel at all, but like q
huge women's club. with 600 members,
ALI present and each with something to
say.
The man who ventures into the hotel
around S O'Clock on these days has very
little chance. for clerks. pages. bellboys
and walters seem to recognize q prior right
\ TO their services on the part OF the women.
, and bestow them without much regard to
tho wants Of the men.
New York has never had such q public
meeting place for women a. the Waldorf
Astoria has become. This is the one hotel
in the city where tho women enter freely
and without hesitation. by the same en-
frances as the men, wander about an
they please without escorts. order their
meals and their drinl<s In the public dining
rooms and even In the palm room. sip their
tea and coffee In the Turkish rooms.
and even at times invade the billiard
rooms. which. In other establishments.
are by common consent sacred to the men
alone.
The scene In the big hotel after matinee.
especially on q Saturday. ia a brilliant and
interesting one. From 40 o'clock on.
tho women come In crowds to the hotel.
Sone come afoot some come on street caB.
some COM public cabs and many In private
carriages. put az soon a. they hit the hotel
they make for the palm room and the Turk
ish rooms
They come In by the Thirty-third street
entrances and by the main entrances on
Thirty-fourth street. shgly. in couples and
In parties. and by o'clock the lower part
OF the hotel b filed with q Babel OF fe-
male voices.
It is a brilliantly dressed crowd. The
women OF the Waldorf Astoria always wear
good clothes, although some might find
fault with their taste In the matter Of bril-
liant colon. A . rule, though. 1t IL . fine
display Of gorgeous gowns worn by hand
some women. who are able TO display them
to their best advantage.
One would suppose that the main object
Of the women who nock thus unescorted
10 a big hotel after the matinee was to
get something to eat or drink. This 10
tr,,e OF a large number Of the women who
have turned the Waldorf-Astoria into Q
women's club; but there are others who 60
There for other purposes. A great many
70 there to sit down and gossip. They
talk about people they know who are not
present and about aoquaintanoes who arc
present. They arc not as profitable to the
hotel - some Of the others, but are never
made to feel that they arc unwelcome
A great many hundred women who have
nsver spent oent In the hotel. have never
stayed In It overnight and havs never had
q meai IN IT mako practice Of whiting its
Turkish rooms on ore or two afternoons Q
week, Just for the sake Of seeing the people
who do 60 there and Of being seen there
themselves.
Men who do this sort Of thing around
hotel arc ignominiousiy put out a. q rule
after one or two warnings. but at tho Wal.
dorf-Astora . remarkabIs degree of tols-
ration h shown In this matter. A long -
q woman behaves hersek and keeps up q
reasonable degree Of smaxtneas In her ap-
pearancs. she oan use the tapestried
couches for effective lolling - freely -
her sisssr who has money to spend and
spends Il.
This particular kind Of women who a6ect
the waldorf-Astor conAns themselves
almost entirely to the Turkish rooms.
There h another crowd. which makes the
palm room its Gosl a. soon - Il 10 rsleassd
by the MATINEE. Il h Q mono haAhy crowd,
and h gsts out Of The matinee with thirst
which nothing hut Martini cocktail oan
ssaaAss. Fortunately for this crowd. ths