National Republican., 1883-01-02
THE PASSING SHOW,
As One May Sec it From Almost Any Street
Corner in Busy Gotham
A Flutter Among the Flounces Of the Co
Operative Dress Association.
Cosby Chapter on the Plays and Players Seen
Nightly at the Theaters.
What New Workers Eat, and How and
Where They Eat II.
Sn,cial Letter

New YoRK, Dec. 3O.-The perpatetio New
Yorker is very frequently forced to the con-
cusion that there arc altogether too many
people in the world.
Let those who doubt It just try promo
made on Fourteenth street on any one of these
bright afternoons. There arc many amusing
features in the motley crowd, and for ono
who can enjoy the occasion without loss of
temper or care for time il is vastly entertain
ing
saw to-day Dicscns's Fat Boy and Mr..
Pickwicls, Rip Van Wrinkle and his laughing
brood of youngsters, the Queen of Shcba, and
Lazarus, Uriah Hcep, and Mr.. Guppy while
the linCal descendants of Annnias and Sap
phira sold their possessions upon almost every
foot of CurbstOnc aud broke the crisp air into
ripplcs and eddes by their too too frantic cries.
Here was a clown who by touching spring
jumped up, lcngthcning out his comical body
a foot or more; near by n huge rat on wheels,
wound up by string TO run yard or more
pampas grass peddlars stove polish men with
coats all shined mp" with their wonderful
compounds; cake vendors, with trains of hum
CRY, cagcr-eycd youngsters following in their
wake; poor, emaciated old men, tottcring OH
eternity's brink, trying TO exc out miscr-
able subsistence by offering lead pencils,
which everybody was too busy TO buy, and
iostling their feeble forms were the the wives
and daughters of the rich, In luxurious robes,
any garment they wore of sufficient value TO
keep starvation away from the poor old pil-
grim's door for the short span of his remain
ing life. Nowhere are the contrasts so
marked as in the great cities.
As / was crossing town the other day stop
ped to watch group of little children, mere
babies. The poor things had crcpt out ofsome
alley or cellar, and cold. halEdrcsscd, dirty,
tcar-stain6d, and whimperng, they huddled
up i'm sunny corner TO get from Heaven the
warmth that earth denied them, when their
eyes were caught by large show case of the
most exquisite dolls l ever saw. In an in
slant they forgot cold hunger, everything but
these beautiful suggestions of luxury and
happiness, and scampercd like little brown
mice to the case. | followed them and liston-
ed. In moment every doll had q name and
an owner. This one was Jennies, and Katy
lad chosen that for her special pet and one
by one their temporary possession was par
celed out among the five little waits, scarcely
larger and infinitely more helpless than the
dolls themselves They walked with them,
rode with them, bought them grand gowns
and furs, and made great dinners for them.
What though soup" and " chicken" were
the finest dishes they knew, yet the royal
sauce of hunger and enthusiasm made it to
them banquet fit for kings.
COOPERATION.
There was smal-sized cyclone on Twenty
third street the other day, when a number
of interested individuals applied for admission
to the building occupied by the Cooperative
Dress association.
The newspapers are giving the management
some rather hard raps, more severe, perhaps.
than Just or deserved. There is sort of " l.
tOld-you-so" air about the criticisms, and that
form of reflection never so0thcs the wounded
feelings or pride of those who have been
swampcd either by moral or physical storms
and seas
Miss Field has been constant, in season and
out of season, in her endeavors to carry the
project through. She has been faithful, and
her plans have been made with great skill and
judgment
Mr.. Lyman, the manager has performed an
incaculable amount of labor, and was ever
present to make things run easily, and as a
manager was an undoubtcd success.
Tho trouble at least the immediate cause of
the present financial difficulty, leaving out
the general question of cooperative success
appears to be, that former buyer or superin-
tendent had deckloadcd the association to the
verge of laundering with purchases of fine
and expensive costumes, many of which re-
main still OH hand. The officers now in
charge have among their number few who
have looked upon the use of printers ink as
q sheer waste of money and against these
forces Miss Field and Mr.. Lyman found them
selves unable to contend successfully without
exposing themselves to the charges of out.
rageous eXtravagancc and wasting the sub
stance of the stockholders Had there been O
wholesale slaughter of suits and cloaks, and
n few minor items, and constant, lavish, and
judicious advertising, the present disaster
would in all probability have been averted
As il is, New York is likely to lose the bright.
est, chceriest reception room and the most
attractive restaurant in its whole length and
breadth.
So far as my observation goes there is no
such inviting spot in the city to while away
an idle hour, and nothing approaching in
quality and price the neat, well ordered, pal
atable lunches one could always find ON the
upper floor of the cooperative The moral
of the whole affair Is that too many cooks
spoil the broth" There should in every bust
ness establishment be single power from
whose decision there is no appeal, If such
power had been vested in Miss Field there is
but little doubt that the association would
have been the gainer by it. As 1t is, it only
furnishes the male reporter with another
sweet mOrsel TO roll undor his tongue, and q
little moro vitrol in which to dip his Fabcr
No. when he wants TO make littlo fling at
women in business transactions.'
1.-THE PLAYS THE THING"
10 manage thcater with fair degree o.
success seems just now to be the highest am
bition Of II certain class of enterprisng busi
ness mon.
Modieska, ut Booths theatcr, is winning
her usual share OF gold and glory. This wccl
we have Frou Frou and full houses.
in striking contrast to this lady is th,
uuch-talked about and notorious Langtry
How much better think you will things IN
now that Mr.. Langtry has sent his sister owe
to act ms GhaperOn or duenna, or whatever
they may please TO call her, The genera
opinion seems to be that the Lily is very self
wiled and obstinate pOsy, and will not lc
any one interfere with her plans or pleasures
Few more charming places in which Il
spend an evening can be found than tn,
Madison Square theater, II is Il positive de
light to sit through u play where one can re
cognize the usages of polite society and leave
the house with no sense of deiCaCy offended
no morality outraged and only the sweet anC
tender memories of gentle wc-bred Ameri
can home manners and domestic troubles
aminbly settled and only arising from to,
much pride and too little plainness of speech
OF the stage Miss Carrie Turner is bright
pretty, chatty young lady Of versatility anC
tact in conversation and dainty and ladylikt
tastes.
Kate Claxton, as the great American orphan
is at the Fifth avenue thcatcr. Whether a
orphan or theatrical phmuiS, Miss ClaXtOn Il
profound success.
The manager of the Casino hopes TO brush
few thousand Of Uncle Sans promises to pay
into his cxchequer next week by means Of tn
"Qucen's Lace handkerchief If he doesn'
.,ooJ 4L,, so,,n Jnlipot, Gtlrip IN gnt, an 4 la