Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-02

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, April l..
I had never wanted to be a man
before. l was always satisfied to be
a girl, wear pretty gowns and Jewels
and go each II ght to the theatre and
dance and sing and thrill with ex-
element of the nights behind The
footlights and-now, l wonder IL
shall ever be satisfied to be girl
again?
In a popular magazine a short time
ago I read of a girl back East who
donned male attire and was "a man
for a while"
] had played a boys part on the
vaudeville stage, and l knew l could
get away with 1t better than she.
! was fitted with a complete outfit
of mems attire, then made up" so
that my complexion would not give
me away. and, accompanied by a
newspaper friend, started out.
All, the wonderful freedom of It all.
No hampering skirts, no ogling men,
no hand of a companion on my elbow
every time 1 crossed the street or got
on a trolley car-just freedom, free
dom from skirts, freedom from atten-
tions of men, freedom from every
thing that makes life difficult and
unsat sfactory for a woman.
You men simply don't know, you
can't appreciate. how lucky you are.
/ believe every man ought to put on
women's clothes-tight skirts, big
hats, corsets, ribbons and all Ger q
day-and see what we have to put up
with
l passed along the streets, through
| the throngs into the bars, hotels and
on street cars. and only once was
recognized as woman. A lynx-eyed
traffic officer. NJ. j. Coffey, had me
/ before | knew it.
Here, young fellow. aren't you O
eirl?' he said sternly, grasping me by
! the coat collar.
/ II should say not" I replied with
( a show of indignation
I'm send YOU in and let them look
/ YOU over. Take off that hat" he
! said.
Then ] had to ''fess up" for my
| hair would have betrayed me any
| way.
! My newspaper friend explained that
! ! had permission to wear mems
| clothes for a day, and the officer
! turned me free.
| | Jumped" a street car just like q
man, "sassed' the conductor. made
eyes at a woman or two-and they
I A''Poiibt'i tiiAh 1t w DIS CURIOUS.
even got off q car while it was run.
ning-and I didn't get off back.
wards, either.
We walked into the bar of a hotel
and called for a drink. but the man
ager, thinking | looked rather young,
refused to serve me, saying: "You
| look too young, my boy. Do they
know you're not at schooI?'
L made a show of Indignation and
beat it."
Into several bars I went, however
and drank water and milk.
had my shoes shined and the boy
never suspected anything.
| went to a bachelor hotel and reg
istered for a room and got by" The
clerk did not get me" at all. and !
thought that was n glorious lark.
l had dinner at a big cafe, the
waiter not seeming to think 1t
strange that We did not take off our
hats
The hardest part of my role was TO
smoke cigirettes-or rather to keep
them lighted. l managed 1t, how
ever.
I went into big department store
and bought a pair of lady's gloves
You seem to know lot about
your girls hand" remarked the girl
behind the counter. giving me a more
than friendly smile, and 7 replied:
I've held it often enough" and she
giggled.
And so it went, through streets.
on cars in cafes, bars, billiard halls,
department stores. just free; free
from skirts. from the odious tight
gowns and corsets, from the "hand of
man on my arm, and it was glori-
Gus.
Never before did | realize how n
woman is hampered by her dress.
nor how she is treated as a helpless
creature made 10 be carried over the
rough places, to be stared at, to be
kept from the jolly places where
men can congregate and indulge in
good-fellowship. We are barred from
all this.
/ did the stunt 10 satisfy a whim
more thans anything else, and when
| got back into my skirts In the eve
ming | positively could not walk for
few minutes. l took such a long
step at first | ripped the Silt"
am afraid I'll never get over the
envy | feel for those lucky enough
to be mon.
Why can't women dress like men
and be comfortable?
Why can't they have the privileges
OF men and be happy?