Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-17
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Gossip About the Race Course and
Theatrical Circles. Clubs and Hotels
Ladies as Decorators and mitatOrs-
The AstOr Family Celebration.
Of THE Evening STAR
NEW YORK. November IS, 1888
TROTTING COURSE GOSSIP.

Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR
new YORK. November 49, 1888.
TRoTTING COURSE GOSSIP.
Mr. Frank Work is singularly unfortunate in
his efforts to race his famous team Edward and
Dick Swiveler. Many people must remember
the difficulty he had In trying to arrange
match with VIM H. Vanderbilt last year There
was always something the matter. Either Mr..
Works conditions were too rigorous for Mr.
Vanderbilt to accept: Mr.. vanderbilt's horses
were In bad form, or there was sguabble about
the track. Mr.. Works team has been the par
ticular pride of New York horsemen for num-
Der of years and it is still believed that it can
make faster mile thal any team on the face of
the earth, not excepting Valderbilts famous
flyers Maud 5. and Early Rose. At one time
the whole city was excited over the contest
between the fleet flyers of these two mionaires;
but Vanderbilt S fast mile at artfOrd with Early
Rose and Albion in 2:163l knocked out all other
| records. and as there was nobody who cared to
contest it. interest gradually died out. There
was some Revival in the excitement over team
trotting last Monday. when Mr. Work offered to
bet $1,000. in three bets of $1,000 each that
Edward and DICK Swiveler could go to the half
mile pole in 1:0715. l:O615 and 1:051s. The
wa1eiS were accepted at once. on both sides of
Mr. Work, and 10y the time the arTang ements
We're made for the race against time Mr. Work
had tour takers at every one of the bets That
made $4,000 for three hat-mile heats. The
races were not driven. however. and the reason
was that tue only man III New York whom
Mr.. Work viii allow to drive his team could
not be found. Grooms ana stable boys were
sent flying up and down the road. ST OPP
ping at the halfway houses and looking
everywhere for johnny Murphy; but he could
not be found. After waiting two or three hours
the horselnen reluctantly climbed into their
roadwagons and logged back to town again
Johnny Murphy is the autocrat of the trOttinr
track in New York He is more eagerly courted
and his words about horses more carefully con-
sidrred than Mr.. Vanderbiits. or those of Work
himself Murphy has phenomenal skill in driv-
ing trotters. and his honesty is absolutely unin-
peachabie. They tell u story about him to the
effect that when his father. square and straight
horseman. was dying. young Johnny was called
to Ills bedside. The boy was then Just entering
his teens. but he displayed considerable ability
| in his knowledge Of horse flesh. and his father
| had great confidence in MIN. The old man took
his son hands in each his and said:
Johnny, Ii you ever drive anything but a
| straight race, I'll rise out of my grave and
| haunt You to the day Of your DEATH" Then he
slowly died. with his eyes fixed upon
those OF his son. l don't know whether the
story is true or not: but johnny Murphy is be-
| leved to be as square a man as ever sat behind
! a horse.
THE TIIEATER TICKET SwINDLE.
| The ticket spectators have struck a new
| scheme. had it practsed on me night before
last. decided quite late, to GO to see the
''Stranglers of Paris" and when arrived al the
theater found there was not a desirable seat
| to be had at the box office. There were half a
dozen spectators hooting and bowling like
| madnen AROUND the door. and when / turned
to them they came for me with their accus-
toned voracty. | chose the miidest and meek
| est man OF the lot, and asked him for three
| seats. He said:
"Here you are, sir; only four rows back from
| the stage, On the middle aisle"
How much advanca?"
"Twenty-ive cents" said the man. took
| four dollars out Of my packet and was about to
hand it to him, when he turned to an Their sppcu-
| latOr, and said:
Here jim. you've got those seats: I've made
| a mistake; give them to the gcnt;-nan'
The other man said. "All right. si:; here you
are. and handed me the three seats in question
| gave him four dollars, and he sal Fifty
| cents more. please.c
why" said |. II thought i. was TWENTY-FIVE
cents advance"
No" he said: cts fifty cents here"
turned to look fer the man who had told mo
the twenty-five cent story and found that ne
had disappeared SO paid the fifty cents extra
| and went in. This theater has made con sid
| cradle capital by advertising orchestra chairs at
a dollar piece bnt it actually gets dollar and
half for them 10y selling the whole lower floor
OF the house to the SPECTATORS who get that
amount from people desiring seats. The sprcu-
| lators are employed by the management You
must either pay dollar and half or sit in the
last two Or three rows of the house.
A NEW HOTEL PROJECT.
number Of investors are about to erect
family hotel on 5th avenue. between 5Sth and
5oth streets, which is expected to knock out
the Windsor, the 5th-Ayenue, and, in fact,
all the most pretensious hotels in the city. 1t
Is to be on the east side of 5tn avenue. The
lot was excavated once, many years ago. but
has never been built upon. I remember play
ing ball there ID years ago. The lot was then
owned by Robert Bonner. but he sold it subse-
quentlv to the people who are about to erect
the new hotel The building will be eight
stories high, and the smallest room in the house
will not be less than II feet in height. It ia
proposed to make it Il family hotel, f1re-proof
from top to bottom, and the largest hotel in
town.
GAMBLERS AND GAMBLING.
The end Of the Turf Club has come The de-
mise was not unexpected, the only surprise
being that the institution held out as dong as it
did. Its long life was principally due to Mr.
Jerome. who owned the Club building. on the
corner of 26th street and Madison avenue AS
long as the Union League Club occupied the
premises he received a rent Of S25 900 year,
but when the Union League moved up the ave-
Mr. jerome without tenant for his building
| Then the Turf Club was organized. At the end
of six months it had grown to be one of the
most prosperous gambling bells in America
There were four biccarat tables running all
night. and so many OF the members were ruined
at the game thatit attracted the attention of the
police. and the grand jury threatened to indict
the club for running professional gambling
house. Vigorous measures were TAKEN the
games were stopped, the baccarat tables re-
moved. and an era purity and virtue set in The
name was changed from the Turf to the Madison
Club. aud gambling ceased. But when ya!nb-
ling disappear ed the members STAYED away. and
so few days ago the directors of the club cast
up the lease of the house and sold the furniture
to Mr.. Jerome. Meanwhile number of smaller
gambling houses have sprung up all over town
They are located in fashionable houses, up and
down the city. and though they have respecta-
bic members. and are run by people who have
no apparent interest in the game. professional
gamblers are, In nine cases out Of ten, behind
them.
WOMEN WHO PAINT.
The advent of cold weather and brisk Novem-
beI breezes brings the colors into the cheeks OF
| pedestrians and starts once more the never
| ending discussion about the use Of cosmetics
notably paint and powder-by New York
women This Ia one of the signs Uf the adyacc.