Br "Smor"
We have dealt with almost all sides of life in the Russian colony, but have never yet touched upon the subject of bar girls. Yet scores of young, attractive and intelligent girls are employed now in this profession.
For the girl herself, of course, this comparatively new profession is first and foremost an extremely tiring one, demanding both physical and nervous strain. To entertain guests under the eagle eye of the proprietor or someone specially hired to watch her, to entertain not only one guest but often two or three at a time, to see that unity among its members. Lieut.-Col. P. L Usikoff, chairman of the examining committee, reported on the Union's finances, noting that $500 has remained in the bank from last year. The activities of the board of directors were approved by all, and Col Kotchneff, the Union's present Chairman, was re-elected to this post for another year. Following a time-honoured tradition, a Court Committee was elected, this year comprised of Gen. Jukoff, Gen. Ogloblin, Gen. Zimin and Mr. Shendrikoff, barrister-at-law. the gentlemen run up as big a bil as possible, and to converse all the while in a foreign toygue—all this, of course, is difficult even physically. And it should be kept in mind that the ardour of working in a "first-class" bar is greatly multiplied in one of the third order. Work in bars of hotels or large restaurants does not differ greatly from work elsewhere. It demands, of course, a somewhat more than average ability to make oneself understood in foreign tongues and to keep up a conversation; for it seems that when a man sits down at a bar the natural inclination is to talk.
The bar is a sort of club for lonely men. To drink without talking is the ability of few—and the bar girl must always be prepared for questions of the most unexpected sort. As in a higher class bar in Shanghai these questions may be asked in English, French or German, the more of a linguist the girl is the more successful she will be in her profession and the higher she will stand in the regard of her employer. It is reasoned that if a patron can chatter freely with a bar girl in his own language, an extra drink is practically assured.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.