Evening journal., 1907-06-13
CIGARETTES
IN FRISCO

/ saw three womon enact clever little
comedy the other day. A certain restaa-
iant near Van Ness avenue was the the
atre IA which tho comedy was acted.
There is large open grill IN the p.aco
and q smaller room in which tables arc
placed for women who. being without
masculine escort. do not count publicity.
There was no one ia toe womcn's COM
par,ment at the umc the three women
entered There was nothing "loud" in
their looks They had ev IDENTITY been shop
ping and We're talking over Their pur-
chases in low, well-brod tones From my
corner in the larger compartment could
not hear what they said. but they had
short confab with the waiter after they
had consulted the menu and paced thcif
order. lie nodded and went away to mn
their needs. Then one Of the women took
chair from an adjoining table and
placed Il at tho vacant place at her own.
Before it She placed the match stand. and
when the waiter brought glasses she set
one before the vacant char. Taen she
produced a cigarette clse. and with her
two friends proceeded 20 enjoy a smoke
necessarily somewhat sufrepNtous inas-
much as other people might ou'cr al any
moment. when the cigarettes were
smoked out the trio placed tho chlred
ends in the dish before the emrty chair.
'rhe seat had every appearance of have
ing been recently occupied and hast ly
vacated. when they had finished their
| light repast the three women went out as
]
that the waiter smiled as he took their
very evident. douceur and his observation
/ Of the fourth place at the table showed
/ that he was ION 20" the ruse. AS I passed
out I asked him DC many women smoked
I at THIS rca'auraat ~ never eaw anybody
/ do 1t at the tables before" he replied.
"hut lots smoke in tho lavatory Az our
/ old location, before the fire. when we had
| private boxes, whole punches of them
used to come In and order cigarettes
( nice ladies. too It's "a pity we can't have
smoking rooms for them isnu itg'
! Before the quake there were at least
/ three places where women could enjoy a
cigarette with Their meals without blush.
ing for their tcmority. sangulnetu's. I.u-
CHI, It's and the Palace palm garden per-
mitted the privilege Tho first time ]
saw woman smoke n the palm garden
I noticed that she attracted some atten-
ton. though she WAS a litilo German girl
IN her early twentes and was accom-
panied hy her parents. After THAI. "a mob,
lady from London went the German glr
one better aud puffed her cisaretie while
stroliing down the corridor. BY and by thg
custom became $50 common that no smolS
er invited remark Every now and thor
discussion anent feminine smokers h
raised 10y the ssnsltionaists Lately tho
Francisco Club discussed the pros an,
cons Of a smoking room in its projec'e ed
club house. just the other day a Ger
manized New York woman on returning
home on visit shocked some of her com
patriots on board ship because she FOL
lowed the custom Of her adopted counir,
and pufled her cigarette openly. Several
Gothamized California women have re-
turned here and told their old friends tina
nearly an modish New York womei
smoke where and when ehoy Ike. IT'S jus
one Of those subjects. like that of wine a
meals or the decollete gowns. thet SHOULD
he paraneled with the old axiom Of al
tending to ones own business 20 the ok
clus'on Of thai. of other Poople.-san Fran
cisco Chronicle.