The San Francisco call., 1910-02-20

r HERE has been q lot Of talk
lately about the increase Of
drinking among respectable
women. Sermons have been
preached on the cafe habit and there is
a general outcry on the subject.
There are women of a certain class
who always have drunk and probably
always viii drink. They are not un-
der discussion. II is the home women
the family women, who are being
talked about Do they go about in
twos and threes and groups in the
afternoon and drink cocktails instead
OF tea?
] resolved to see for myself, and
with that end in view visited, with
a friend, all of the first class cafes
and hotels in the downtown section,
about half a dozen. where drinks are
served to women.
had been told Of one place in par
ticular. in Powell street near Market.
one Of the most stylish cafes in town,
where the women congregate. But
we were going to do the thing thor
oughly while we were about il, so we
started a few blocks further up the
same street. where we went in, one at
a time. through a whirling door, down
the hall and into one Of the most beau
tifuIly appointed rooms in the country.
It was just then verys quiet indeed;
however, at the far end of the room
was an immense open fireplace with a
big wood fire blazing and cracking in
its depths, so we sauntered over to a
window near it, settled ourselves cozily
on one Of the luxurious high backed
couches OF blue velvet with which the
place is fitted up and touched the bell.
Little, low, round tables-they are
really so small as hardly to be worthy
the name OF table-are scattered
about at intervals. in proximity to
couches and chairs. and on each one Of
them is little push bell. BY pressing
the button you may have drinks served
to you on this same little table, and
it is much more cozy and confidential
than the table OF cafe. especially for
tete-a-tete.
When the waiter came we ordered
tea. We were politely informed that
tea was not served there. To be sure,
we were not in the tearoom, but I had
thought, Of course. II they serve
drinks they'll serve tea, too. 1t seemed
not, however, SO we ordered Scotch
highballs.
The whisky was brought to us In
little individual bottles, much like
small vinegar cruets. each just big
enough to contain one drink. The
waiter poured the whisky into a long
glass and then added siphon water
until the glass was filled.
Presently, as we sat there beside
our drinks, two girls came strolling
over to the fireplace sat down in big
easy chairs and one of them touched a
bell. They were both young. the elder
about % and the younger not more
nan I9, I should say. At glance one
could see that they were unusually well
bred girls. and the older one was a
beauty.
I wondered if they would drink cock
tails. It didn't seem possible.
IF they had men with them" I
thought. perhaps they would drink,
but two girls by themselves? Hardly"
But they did.
When the waiter brought their or
der one was red. 1t was in a tumbler
with a big chunk of ice. The glass
was about two-thirds full-a Dubon-
net cocktail, / think it is called. The
otter was golden in color and was in
y long stemnied, shallow glass with an
olive in the bottom of it-a Martini
They sat there in front of that fire
chatting away as gayly and uncon-
cernedly as though they had been cud-