The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-10-20
1lUMAh SAYS she
ENJOYS SMOKING
Mn. Atherton, Novelist, Defends
Others Of Her Sex Who Use
Cigarettes.

CHICAGO, Oct. 1s.-"well." said
Mrs. Gertrude Atherton. If you ask
me, see no reason why women
shouldn't smoke cigarettes. Neither.
n fancy, do many women OF the bet
ter class In America, for i am sure
they do IL, and quite freely. too, in
their own homes, although, OF course.
they refrain from smoking In public.
Most OF them. though, once they have
acquired the habit. probably would
like to have their license to smoke
when and where they please extended.
And why shouldn't they enjoy the
same privilege as men in that re-
gnrd2"
Mrs. Atherton- made those state
ments- at. the LaSalle hotel, where
she was q guest In a brief stay In
Chicago on her way from her home
lin San Francisco to the east
II know there is a certain bour-
geois sentiment against smoking" she
continued, II hear that club women
and persons OF that sort occasionally
indulge In. pious administrations upon
smoking women. And often some pub
lie lecturer will get up and rant and
make herself ridiculous denouncing
the practice. but cigarette smoking Is
increasing rapidly in America never
theless And why shouldn't It? It's
q pleasant pastime.
Surely you'll not be surprised to
learn that at the houses where l am
entertained In New York and San
Francisco. cigarettes are passed TO
the women with their coffee as mat
ter OF course. And wherever women
have become frank and have lost their
little hypocritical nerves. you will find
! them smoking, just as they drink
liquors after dinner"
Mrs. Anterior, who has once or
twice scared into the realms OF those
novelists who are ranked as the best
sellers" smokes cigarettes herself.
and. since she Ia q novelist, IL may
be assumed that she is something OF
an authority on manners and Gus
toms.
DO you think smoking is as general
among Americans as among European
women" she was asked.
well, II Is becoming So" she re-
Piled. "You see, American women
often do not smoke because they have
not been brought up to 1t, as we say
Now on the continent women smoke
as matter OF course. And, assure
you. the practice. II followed In mod
Grafton. IL absolutely harmless.
II have smoked cigarettes for some
time. I never have been able 10 OBJ
serve any unpleasant effects. but II
did should stop. The people VINO
talk q lot of SNUG nonsense about the
baneful effect OF the habit do not IN
fiuence me at all. l hope l h9ve
emancipated myself from parochtai
standards, OF whatever sort"
After an extended discussion OF
modern actions tendencies, In which
Mrs. Anterior said that everybody
nowadays wrote as he pleased, a ally
thrust ut librarians, AZ lacking appre-
hension, and a deeper one at Robert
Herrick. whom she declared 30 have
mo art and to be dull, deadly dull.
the novelist delivered this broadside
at Chicago. with the additional blow
of - deadly inferno"
This city IL horrible. 1t rests upon
me like q weight. IL suffocates me.
l cannot think here. The hideoumess
Of II exceeds my poor descriptive pow
ers. Thank heaven ! am but bird or
passage. leave here today for New
York. II ever I live In Chicago.
hope that II may be In some future
incarnation, when that city beautiful
OF which you talk shall have been
realized"
Mrs. Atherton will spend the win
ter In rest abroad.