The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-01-17
GAMBLING WOMEN
HOW THEY PLAY POKER AND
BRIDGE WHIST AT
ST LOUIS,

bands for Household use
Drains Before Break,
fast and Night Caps
on Retiring.
i St Louis, Jan. 6.-Most of the
] society women of this city declare
that whatever the conditions may
be in Philadelphia the women Of
st Louis are not addicted to gannb.
ling, cigarette smoking and wine
.bibbing. A notable exception
however, is Mrs L J Silva, of No.
Io11 North Whittier street. She
was once a prominent figure in the
society world, and since the loss CT
her fortune has been a successful
architect. Mrs Silva said:
~ am sure that the conditions
complained Of by the Rev. Mr. Rich
lardson are growing more and more
apparent here. While do not 90
out much nowadays, I know it to
beEa fact that gambling is increas-.
ling among the women who move
in what is known as good society.
l could name 500 women ofSt Louis
who belong to clubs which meet
weekly or oftener for the sole pur-
pose of playing poker and bridge
whist. Large stakes are played for
at these meetings and hard feelings
sometimes prevail. I know women
who are accustomed to losing or
winning $500 week at poker par.
ties. I also know women who
have been obliged to pawn their
jewels to pay their poker debts or
to pay their dressmaker bills be.
cause they had lost at gambling
the money their husbands had
given them to settle their accounts.
cat these gambling parties cock
tails, toddies, brandies, wines and
beer are imbibed by SO per
cent of the women who belong to
the morning, afternoon, and evening
whist and poker clubs. It is quite
common fol-. fashionable women to
take 'bracers' on arising in the
morning while preparing for the
theatre or the ball, and 'night-caps'
on retiring.
1T Is a matter of record that
agents of the anti-wine crusade who
kept detectives stationed for days
in front of a downtown woman's |
saloon reported that between the
hours Of II a m and 1890 p m the
shopping hours an average of more
than 1 loo women passed in and out |
Of the place. Ninety-eight per cent
Of these women plainly belong to
the better class and were fashion,
ably or richly attired. The great
majority of thousands of women
who go there every day drink in
tokicating liquors.
AS for tobacco, the most eonclu-
slve proof to-. my mind, that. the
cigarette habit is growing among
the women is that the Unionstation
has been obliged to is
sue an order prohibiting the smo-
king of cigarettes in the ladies with
trawlng-room at the station, which
IS frequented by the better class of
women travellers, the emigrant
class being denied admittance to.
his luxurious resting-place."
Washington, Jan. 13.-The ways
ind means committee of the House
oday decided to report a bill pro-
riding for rebate equal to the du.
y now imposed on all kiuds of coal
md coming from all countries for a
period of one year. This bill is a
ubstitute for the one introduced ,
y Representative Hill, of Connec-
icut, which provided for rebate
Until June 80 next. 1t is expected /.
he bill will be called up in the House
t once. The bill adopted provides:
"That the secretary of the treas ,
Try be and he is hereby authorized :
nd required to make full rebates ;
t duties imposed by law on all coal ,
+ every form and description i'm /.
orted into the United States from
oreign countries for the period of
ne year from and after the passage {
f this act"
Richardson (Tenn.) proposed an !
mendment striking out the words a
for period of one year." which !
7as voted down. He then proposed f
q amendment placing all coal on i
be free list, which was also voted c
own. The final adoption of the A
i'll was unanimous. :
Representatives Payne, Dalzell
nd Grosvenor held conference
lth the president this morning rel