The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-26
NEW YORK CRAYONS.
The Vanderbilts' Dancing Master-EmbryOtic
Tragediennes-Ne York Amusements.

Correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.
NEW York, Oct. 23.-How would you like to
stand the Vanderbilts in a row and make them
hop, skip and jump, just as you pleasedf The
man who does this is about the oddest-looking
fellow in town. His real name is Robert Man
uel Smith, but he doesn't use the Smith part OF
it, except to provide a middle letter, Tor ne
calls himself Robert S. Manuel He used to be
an actor in a small and rather comic way, but
8 his heels soon became more profitable than the
! remainder of him promised ever to be, and he
! opened a school of dancing. 1t is as a terpsi-
chorean instructor that he directs the move
} ments of the Vanderbilts who learn to dance.
He has hair in abundance, and of yellowlsh
white his features are inimitable, which is
fact not to be greatly regretted, and his
gait suggests that it was acquired in some place
where the sidewalks are paved'with eggs. If he
succeeds in impressing his own individual style
! on all his Vanderbilt pupils, then the family
will become the most distinctive for manners OF
any in New York. How he got the job nave
not been able to find out but he has had 1t sew
eral years. and it is said to be profitable. His
income is estimated at five thousand year.
His pupils from the Vanderbilt family, in its
various branches, number about twenty, and
range from three years to thirty IN age. me
residence, and they have just been resumed for
the season. Three new quadrilles and some
notifications of the waltz have been approved
in a convention of Fashionable dancing masters
and with these the young Vanderbilts are being
made familiar. Manuel also has charge of the
polite department of the children, and that is
why, judging from his own style, say that
there is likely to be remarkable generation OF
millionaires.
PUPILS OF THE DRAMATIC SCHOOLS
A. ,ro1
ing of New York, however, and its peculiar as
poets are visible publicly. The Lyceum school
of acting is an established institutions and why
shouldn't it be when over $50 stage struck per
sons have paid 5000 apiece in advance for tuiJons
Spectators are not admitted to the exercises, and
so am not able to give warranted-correct de-
scription of the inside scenes. But you can in
fer
What are they drilling you at9' asked of a
fair pupil.
''fhe forum scene in Julius Caesar" she re-
piled. with half gasp of enthusiasm.
'iAs there is only one speaking part in it of any
account and that a male one," interposed, Il
shouldn't think that you girls would get much
training through it,.
80, we're the Roman mob" she exclaimed
with no abatement of aspiration Were taught
poses, eesticulation and facial expression. Pro-
fessor Freeman recites the speech of Marc An
tony"
AS Freeman is an actor, whose speciality is low
comedy, the girls are bound to get some peculiar
views of tragedy from him, at all events When
it comes to the outer characteristics of the Ly
ceum school, there is need to imagine the
comcality, for it is penteous in the makeup
and bearing of the pupils as they come and 60
The striding regularity of their gait, the firm ex-
preston of their faces, the haughtiness of their
mien, combine to prove that not one contem-
plates comedy. Nineteen in twenty of them are
girls. and eighteen of the nineteen wear the ex-
I'D hn4e hi
from the street costuming of actresses They
are so intensely preoccupied moreover, so dis
traught so soulful, rapt! They are moder-
ately pretty, take them altogether, and | have
no doubt of their sincerity But already the
block is infested by bogus pupils, in dress
and demeanor eounterfeiting the genuine
and well calculated to deceive the young fellows
who go around there to mash the stage stricken
girls. To see a hawk swoop down on what he
Ehinks is dove, and bear her away in his claws
while she is herself bird of prey, is one of the
most cheerful sights imaginable.
..- DUDES HURDLE RIDING.
People are inclined to laugh at amateurs who
would not be considered funny professionals.
There is nothing symmetrical or graceful in a
horse jockey, as he humps and straddles gro
tesquely on the back Of race-horse, but we ac-
cept him as matter of course, and never think
of ridculing him But let an amateur rider
mount horse and we make a jovial diversion
of him. 1 have not in years heard so much jol
lily on any occasion as when the other day. the
Country Club had steeple-chases in northern
suburb of the city. The event was acutely
fashionable. Seven tallyho coaches brought
loads of 'the best people, and further opponents
of top circles in society came in ordinary car
riages Such sections of approved American
arstocracy as exist in Boston, Philadelphia,
Baltimore and other cities sent delegations, so
that the assemblage was fully representative of
wealth and fashion. Now, the odd thing was
that these folks We're quite as ready to make
sport of the amateur riders as the most
unaffilated spectators could have been
The great race OF the day was
J steeple chase requiring leaps over a
vide ditch two stone walls and two hurdles
The jockeys required to weigh 10 pounds
by means of lead weights in case their own ad-
voirdupols was not so much, and the horses,
though excellent beasts, found the burdens de-
pressing and felt disinclined to do the requisite
leaping. The riders were society handles to a
man; but the spectators, especially the girls
laughed at them from the instant they mounted.
There were four of them One was flung to the
ground at the first hurdle; second was somer-
saulted over his boiling horses head at the
next obstacle; third transferred his seat in the
saddle forone OIL the muddy edge of ditch and
the fourth cleared wall without his steed. Every
horse became riderless at some point in the race
but two of them were overtaken, remounted and
ridden to the finish The winner was Jack
Cheever locally noted beau of New York So
eiety. 1t was he who, on the abrupt stoppage of
his horse before hurdle, quittle the saddle
with immense momentum, cleared the beasts
head and the hurdle, and struck unhurt on the
furf beyond.
Hi, hi, Jack, what now" exclaimed SYM
pathetic dude, loudly enough to be heard by
most of the assemblage.
THE banner, please, Mr. Merryman, was the
equally audible reply from a swell girl who,
standing on bench, was watching the race
through glass Her ready suggestion of the
circus ring convused the hearers and Jack
Cheever will not hear the last of it.
Whether it will break off the matrimonial en-
gagement between him and the bright belle re-
mains to be seem
SOCIETY REPORTING.