Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-05
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM.
NEW YEARS PICTURES IN THE
METROPOLIS.

ing features in the observation of New Years
day IN the metropolis. You are awakened
unless you are out late-by great uproar just
as the minute hand swings past u o'clock. The
steamboats, on the river set up shrek, rhe
factory bells are rung and cannons are shot of
IN back yards. This din lasts for almost an
hour. Unless you are of cynical nature, you
cannot fall to see something humorous IN the
free lunches that are spread in the hotels for
callers in quest of a snack. This New Year
custom is not only observed in the smaller
hotels, but in those of the first class | strOlled
into Ed Stokes gorgeous cafe IN the afternoon
anu anu Iound II thronged with vlsltors-men
about town, CalifOrnians i'll New York, many
OF them, and strangers III the city. This bar
room has become one of the sights of the me-
tropolis which the countryman includes in his
programme 1t is easy to distinguish him as
he stands before the great pictures where nude
women are represented as dispOrting them
selves, limp and gaping with astonishment.
Inc New I ear lunch was great attraction,
and several white aprOned walters were kept
employed in serving the callers with chicken
salad, boned turkey and other delicate dishes.
There were some young men who made a
round of all the hotels, and appeared to find
great enjoyment in being able to snatch up
such fine free lunch. There was also an un-
usual number of street musicians out. Stroll
ing bands wandered through the streets and
played famlllar airs. Acting on the idea that
people are in a more liberal mood on HOLIDAYS
than at other times, they go out and play till
they have no wind left. You would frequently
meet also solitary musician playing solos on
the cornet, making his fingers fly over the
keys and rolling his eyes towards upper
windows in quest of contributions. If
there there +hsn lbs any any set one more melaR,
plays IN band, it is the musician who plays
on his own account. Another odd feature of
the days celebration is the rides through the
streets that are taken by minor clubs. They
rid otIa hna
vehicle drawn by six horses. They have in
scriptiOns on the outside of the numbering We
hicles aforesaid, in which they are seated,
giving general greeting to the public and
wishing it many returns of the dav. They,
themselves, are in an advanced state of hilari-
ty and toOt tin hOrns which they project from
the windows. The attitudes they assume are
grOtesque enough to be worthy of the pencil
of a Hogarth or CruIkshanks.
The bancO men who duped Oscar Wilde set
their trap for him and sprung it more for fun
than to get his money. These men are usually
as solemn as owls, and think of nothing but
getting victim with fat pocket book; but
occasionally they enjoy joke. They talked
of laying a trap for Oscar Wilde months ago,
always bursting into roar of laughter when
they spoke of it, and waited for their OppOr
tunity. At last brilliant idea
occurred to the inventive mind
of Hungry Joe, the leader of gang of conf
dence men, which was that he should play his
old game of impersOnating young DreXel.
Mr.. Wilde knew young DreXel-of course he
did. Therefore he would be glad to see him.
would he not? This proved such a brilliant
success that Hungry Joe and his companions
had a wine supper after it was over, which
lasted until "A late hour in the morning They
drank wine in the young aesthetics honor, and
repeated the events of the episode with rOars
of laughter. 1 doubt if Hungry Joe and his
companions ever before had so much fun in
single night. As for poor Oscar, 1t was a sad
way to end his singular career in this country.
He had been called a fool many scores of
times, but he would not believe it himself, nor
could anybody prove it absolutely. But here
he was forced to admit himself that he was
very fool, and the low opinion this cruel fate
compelled him to take of himself made him so
unhappy that he fled home to his
mamma for consolation. But what
will he do there, | wonder?
friends there, and being called upon by them
to explain the sad story, will be more unpleas-
ant, will it not, than it would have been to
have STAYED here and lived it down? There is
one way out of it: he can fatty deny it. But
whatever may be said about Oscar, he is mod
erately truthful, and he would probably in
this instance, not tell lie. If this ludicrOus
termination of his career in this country put
him in an acrimonious mood, he may revenge
himself upon this land of barbarians by writ
ing book holding us up to ridicule. This is
quite likely, as he has been talking for some
months of writing a book about Americans
and their ways 1t Will be waited for with
breathless interest. A very curious volume
could be written by clever humorist or sa-
JlflSI ABOUT Ine young anu unSOpDlsIlcdJeQ
poets career during his visit to this country.
1t has wonderful charm of novelty, for no
man ever went through such series of events,
and no one ever will again. His history from
the day of his arrival to that of his departure
was phenomenal. It would afford rich mate
rial for novel, in fact, with the long haired
apostle of asthetlcism in it as the hero,
Salm Morse, the author of '"The Passion
Play" is still having hard time of it. He
has been working night and day to get his
new theatre in readiness for producing ''The
Passion Play" He has all along anticipated
some moral opposition to the representation of
the Passion" but he has held that there
could be no legal interference to the perform
ance. But what will be done can never be
ing clergy has induced Mayor Grace to deny
the application for a license. There are sew
eral possible ways out of the difficulty, but it
will cause Mr.. Morse great deal of annoy
ance, and will delay the production OF the
play, if, indeed, it does not prevent it in the
end. These attempts to prevent the prOduc-
tiOn of '"Ihe Passion Play" are variOusly re-
garded. Some believe that no measures are
purpose of those who have
undertaken to give this performance.
The clergymen almost without exception take
this view. But there is large class which look
upon legal ce-especially that it is
induced by the influence or appeal OF the
church-as persecution. 1t Is very doubtful
whether the use of physical means will not in
the end react in favor of the author of the
play. Persecution almost always does react
against the prosecutors. Some regard the
only wise course to be to permit the 'Passion
Play" to be produced without any legal ap=
position whatever, so that if the play rs not
worthy it will he condemned by the public,
and thus be made to fail.
There is always some club scandal going on
in New York. If there is not something new
an old scandal keeps reappearing ia a new
form. There was great row IN the Turf
Club about year ago on the discovery that
the game of baecarat was PLAYED day and
n
made through young man who lost large
sum of money at the game rushing out and
telling his papa all about it. Since then an
investigation has been going on, and the other
day the grand jury found indictments against
the officers of the club, one of whom is an eX-
Surrogate. 1t is said, however, that the in
persists in continuing to have baccarat played
in its house. The Turf Club is 2 very Queer
organization. Many of the men whose names
appear on the list Of membership never Joined
bers withdrew from the club when
gambling was introduced, As the club is
mostly made up of men who find their great
est pleasure in games of chance, it will now
probably go to pieces. The LOubat- -Turnbull
affair, which created such an uproar in the
Union Club last winter, is now in the courts
Mr.. Loubat has brought suit against ghe club.
He does not wish to be reinstated as member
of the club, but he Wighes to have the disgrace
removed Of being sqmmaFily kicked out. The
hearing Is not far enough advanced for any
conclusion as to the result to be arrived at.
Mr.. Turnbull, who was quite hero at the he
ginning of the Loubat- -Turnbull affair. Is Just
now under dark cloud. At the time that he
defended fair woman against the ribaldry of
Mr.. Loubat, ne was regarded as a hero, but of
late aGousatl0ns OF the gravest character have
been made against him, and it is asserted that
he has fled from the country. At any rate no
body seems to know where he ia Just now
When scandal is once started It Is a long
time cQMins 10 an end
II may be permitted to speak once more Of
Mrs. Langtry she is now in great disfavor
here. At first she was given cordial recep-
tlon-more than that shs was received in the
most kindly spirit. But now those who were
most friendly towards her have become dis
gusted by her conduct and have no regard
for her left They look upOn her
association with young Gebhard as scanda-
lOus, and believe the stories about the famous
beauty's escapades in London which they be-
fore refused to credit. Without doubt Mrs.
Langtry could not draw half a house here in
New York were she to play again. Gebhard
is still attentive to Mrs. Langtry, although he
has been temporarily separated from her since
her departure for Chicago the other day He
is to join her there as soGp As he can arrange
some of his nIlEats affairs. 1t is said on good
That he has been lavish in bestoWing
presents upon her, and that she has shown no
day that she had eYea accepted handsome
presents frerif George Gould. This.
II true, would appear to indi.
cate that Mrs. Langtry is not only Lacking in
a sense of propriety, kUt aYaricious. There
is nothing whatever attractive in jay Gould's
boy George; on the contrary, he is not pre-.
possessing in appearance, and is coarse and
vulgar in his manners. he has na position in
society, ana, as far as / know, has no desire 20
move among people OF culture. His tastes
take him in an entirely different direction
AR he has the management of the Grand Opera
House, which is now leased by Mr.. Abbey, if
is presumed that he was able to make Mrs
Langtry's acquaintance Though f1ef manager
or his ASSOCIATES. Georgie IS no doubt quite
proud of being mentioned with 'sFweddie" at
the clubs and about town as an admirer of