The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-13
GOSSIP OF THE GREAT CITY
Shameful Abuse of Theater Priv
Ieges by Prominent People.
A Scheme for Making Enough Money to
Initiate the Wander biIts, and a Plan
for Getting Money Without Work,


Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
New York, Oct. l2.-The private boxes in
the theaters in this city are public scandal.
There are exceptional houses, but by desig-
mating them l should, in effect, point out the
others, and that would hardly do To begin
with, there is scarcely an owner who does
not reserve to himself one of the lower and
most conspicuous boxes, and his own status
| soon fixes its reputation. There are in
/ stances in which an exclusive box is as care
/ fully guarded as the parlor of a well-be-
| haved family. That is true OF the theatrical
| property of the Astors. of the Gilsey and
Stewart estates, and of Jay Gould. 1t was
expected by detractors of Gould that his son
George, being young and a social admirer OF
actresses, would abuse his privilege in this
| respect but have yet to learn of his doing
worse than to admit some stage folks of only
tolerable reputation into the box. The pro-
Jected supper room, adjoining, was aban-
/ doned almost as soon.as planOed. A. T.
Stewart was notorious for his relations with
furnished actresses, but Henry Hilton, the
/ present controller of the Stewart wealth.
/ does not open himself to any such imputa-
ton. Several of the managers are the most
audacious of offenders. They reserve boxes,
too, and it sometimes seems that they do it
for the sole purpose of exhibiting their i'm
I moralties. Brazen women are put evening
after evening into these conspicuous
places where they are in eff
! feet a part of the stage picture
and are almost as generally viewed by the
audience as belonging to the managers es-
. Enlistment. These practices have become
so bad that very few of our fashionable peo-
pie will on any account sit in proscenium
box, except at the Grand Opera. 1t was for
merry considered proper, in giving theater
party, to hire several of the boxes of the
house selected. but fashion now dictates the
preference Of orchestra chairs. The change
is partly due to the growth of a refinement
that shrinks from needless publicity, but the
main reason is the abuse of boxes that I
have described.
who is that lady in the lower right hand
box?" was asked in my hearing.
THAT is Smiths divorced wife" was the
reply.
who is this in the opposite box?'
Smiths present wife"
The mans name was not Smith. and if l
should give the real one it would be recog-
nized as that of a somewhat noted actor; and
neither of the women is or has been his wife,
because he has legal spouse in England.
His matrimonial affairs have repeat eddy
been before the public, and here he was exhib-
iting their indecency by setting up his new
partner in the face of big audience while
fnIf
another man. These things may be done in
some cases for advertising purposes, but are
not for that reason excusable.
There is one New York advertiser who
strikes upward into the clerical level for
methods instead of going downward He is
a clothing merchant His announcements
abound in catchy phrases, that embodY a
great deal OF argument in a few easily re-
nembered words. Here are quotations from
one of his advertisements; Put down the
price and push up the trade" THE best ad-
vertising medium is pleased customer"
Fair dealing helps trade more than fair
weather" The smallest profit attracts the
largest number of customers" The Ian
guage OF politeness is understood by those
the world over" 1t will he seen that these
sentences have been carefully constructed to
fix a readers attention Their author is I'M
derstood to be the Rev. DIR. Deems He is not
accused of doing the work on salary He is
the pastor and intimate friend of the mer-
chant, and while favoring him finds consid-
cradle amusement for himself in originating
these proverbs.
TIE VANDEERILTs AS CHRISTIANS.
Dr. Deems is one OF the most independent
of New York cIergymen. He practically
owns the church in which he breaches, since
it was placed at his permanent disposal by
the late Commodore Vanderbilt, and he is
therefore IN no possible danger of dispIace-
ment by his congregation; and his Church of
the Strangers, though orthodox in its princi-
Piles, is undenominational, and he is conse-
quently free from outside interference By
the way, DIR. Deems insists that Vanderbilt
died a Christian. The Commodore looked
like a prelate, being austere and ven
cradle in aspect; but nobody who knew him
at all took him to be religious. He was pro-
fame, high-tempered and exceedingly full Of
fight. Even DR.. Deems does not claim that
he became a Christian until on bis death-bed |
II was through his wife's influence that he
gave church to Deems. for at that time he
was personally more interested in sending /
horse a mile in PIG than in directing his !
soul toward heaven. There is no doubt !
however, that he liked Deems very much, |
and regarded him as an expert in religious
matters, for it was to him that he looked for
advice in preparing to die. William H. |
Vanderbilt seems entirely Indifferent to the |
subject, but his sons and their families are
more or less active in church matters.
The Vanderbilts keep themselves before the
public by a succession of departures from
ordinary American social usage. Il cannot |
be said that they do these things for the cal !
culated purpose of commanding constant
attention, or that any of the doings are in |
bad TASTE other than in the way OF ostenta-
ton; but the effect IS, nevertheless, to sub |
iect the family to great deal of adverse
criticism Some OF the members care for
this and some do not Mrs. William X Van
derbilt leads them all. 1t was she VINO i'm
ported usages from England and and en-
grated them upon Newport life. Her latest ,
conclusion is that "a beautiful and immensely
costly residence in town no longer eonfers !
all the distinction that can be desired, and it
is said that she will let her Fifth-avenue