The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-01-21
SHAME OF GLASGOW.
Has More Women TOpers Than
London, Paris or New York.
One OF the worlds Most ProRrenaive
Cities Vet Bardened with the
Curse of Drink--some Of
the sights.

Nht HtNHths
There is no city IN the world that
has SO many drunken women in pro-
portion TO It's size as Glasgow. As
breeding place for female topers neith-
er London, Paris nor New York can
compare with the Scotch town. which
prides itself on the progress Il has
made in almost every kind OF munlcl-
pal reform
II u no exaggeration. says a special
correspondence Of the 81. Louis Globe
Democrat. to say that an American
walking in the evening through Glas-
COWS poorer quarter-through salt
Market street. Bridge Gate. or High
street--soon begins TO ask himself II
there can be any sober women In that
part Of the city. Here. IN the course
Of an hour. one may see nearly a
thousand women pass in various stages
OF intoxieation, nearly all Of them look-
Ing either for a saloon or pawnshop
which. BY the way. are usually close
together
When once a woman begins 10 drink
here she is done for" Is a quotation
In this Scotch city. and one believes il
true after an evening In the slums.
Old gray-headed women, with weak,
dissipated faces and torn rags FOR
scanty covering. reel through the
streets begging coppers with which 10
buy more drinks. Young men. them
selves the worse for liquor. oxelalm:
Give the barefooted old grannies a
penny--we hope we'il never come 10
that'" The middle-aged topers are
the coarsest of all. their hair matted in
tawny snarls. dresses half-fastened,
and their speech too foul for reDeti-
ton Some Of the worst characters ap-
pear In striped black and white fan
nel petticoats, and these women are
called the "Petticoaters
One 'Petticoater" was on an unusu-
ally high spree on the Saturday night
the writer went through the Bridget"
-as Bridge Gate street is called Mad
with drink, this lighting woman rushed
home 70 her attic. put out her children.
and with a hatchet smashed the furni-
ture and even tore to pieces the chill
dren's clothes. The Oldest boy. II.
went TO the police. but In the meantime
the infuriated mother had nailed up
The door and dehed them to enter.
Thus, In one nights intoxication the
'Pettieoater" had broken up her home.
destroyed the household treasures. and
cast her children into the street
The young women for the most part
wear coarse shawls and with great
ieftness they wind them first about
their hables and then about themselves.
every young woman seems TO be a
mother. but they pay scant attention
TO the little ones. about the only pro-
lection a baby gets being the support
from the shawl. have seen girls Of
II and u so intoxicated that they
could not walk straight Even the
little girls Of six and seven congregate
outside the saloons waiting for a peep
In. or hoping that mother viii let
hem have a "drap" The little waits
are barefooted and half-naked. The
Troop In the corner Of the mouth or
many Of these little people indicates
plainly the depression caused by cruel
" and neglect. together with M hea.th
and hunger Little stun angels born
with an appetite for drink, they have
hard time ahead OF them. II they
yrow 70 womanhood.
The cause OF the degradation Is the
wretehed home life. laziness and lu-
emperanee Thirty thousand families
Glasgow live IN one-roomed fats.
Sometimes. indeed. six OF seven FAM
lies live In one long room. with only
1 chalk mark or piece Of rope dlvld-
ng tho rented space Huddled to-
gether IN such masses-men. women
md ehildren-only the grossest immor-
'liiy can result Shelter houses are
low being built rapidly. however.
Shere men may find a comfortable
nights lodging for a pittance.
About these shelters on Saturday
Nights men are gathered b. the score.
While women and children stand near
~ begging their husbands for coppefa
There are few shelters for women.
liso where for eight cents in Amer
can money woman may stay over
hight and have a place 10 cook her
lwn tea and breakfast Bur these
ihelters do not take the place Of
lone for no provision Is made for the
children. A little one may sleep With
he muideF tiil Il Is lYe years old. but
he beds are narrow like The hunks Of
4 steamer. and generally there are half
dozen youngsters. The shelters. how
ver. are an improvement over the ten
menis. and IN them people are
ihligsd 70 live decentiY.
A large home has been established
Or married men with children who
iave drunken wives. The wee lIa-
lies. as the Scotch express H. are
aiken care Of At an absurdiy small sum.
md The father Is with them al nleht.
This picture Of sin and shame would
le untrue 70 life did il no. contain
ONE bright patches here and there