I hope this is not TMI for all of you.
As children these girls were victims of the poverty after the Civil War. They survived as best they could, and ended up running a brothel in Missouri. But they were smart and found a way to get rich. They looked all over the US, looking for a place with lots of rich men, and no high class brothels. They decided on Chicago. They moved there in 1900 and remodeled a place with lavish furnishings, that would make a rich man feel at home. In 1900 an average man's wages were $6 a week. A street corner prostitute charged 25 cents. At the Everleigh Club, a girl charged $25, a gourmet meal was $50, and a bottle of champagne was $12. The most rich and famous people came there.
Here are two stories about the place.
Prince Henry of Prussia came to the USA to buy a ship. While here, he wanted to visit the club. At the club that night, one of the girls lost her slipper and spilled some champagne. One of the Prince's entourage grabbed the slipper and filled it with champagne and then drank from it.
It started the fashion at parties.
Growing up as a teenager, I learned a lot of "dirty words". One of them was the word "Poontang". As in "I am going to get me some poontang tonight". One of the girls at the club was from China. Her name was Suzy Poon Tang. She was famous for being able to satisfy any man, better than any other woman. So much so that her name became synonymous with sex.
