St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-10
FEMALE IMPERSONATORS.
The Story of One Who Died From Lacing
Too Ti0Hf

The Story of One JPho Died From Lacing
Too TiDht.
New York Letter to Cincinnati Enquirer
"Your order is for fancy dress ball
Well, when / have to refuse an order / al
ways direct ladies to clever modiste, Miss
Comstock, who has taste, and though she
does great deal of costuming also takes
private orders" Armed with the address,
''the peoples train,n as some has dubbed the
Third avenue elevated, soon whirled me to-
ward Harlem river and few steps brought
me to a modest house. AS the door opened
IN response TO my ring young man passed
out, then returned to the threshold and in a
soft voice said to a trim little woman in blue;
''Don't be afraid of making it too tight, and
sew the corsage bouquet on stoutly!n
"All right; | won't forget,n answered the
little woman cheerfully, and then she closed
the door and ushered me into tiny parlor,
the walls of which were completely covered
by cabinet photographs.
After business was disposed of curiosity
called for satisfaction, and eliminated in
the question. 'Do you make stage costumes
for meme
Eyes, but only for what are called female
''You did not know there were many. Oh,
yes, in this city there are nearly dozen reg
ularly employed, beside those who travel in
variety and circus companies. / first began
this branch of dressmaking by making a
complete toilet for IA young gentleman, the
son of oae of my customers; who wanted to
go to the French ball as lady. He was u
rather slight, short, misunderstanding man,
and when his complexion was made up and
his golden wig put on, his dress of pink,
brocadcd silk, Topped with roses and white
ostrich tips turned him into darling-look-
ing blonde In order to take the role well
he went to Walling for some lessons in de-
pertinent, aud the latter, pleased with his pu-
pills costume, cane H. me. At first heSi-
tated ut the idea, but when found these i'm
personatars belonged TO respectable families.
aud that they were little trouble and good
pay, was persuaded to make speciality of
it. =
',Who was this Walling YOU speak OFF,
"He was the most proficient actor in his
branch OF the profession. Rather delicate in
appearance. He had whittier neck than
ever saw ON any woman, and his arms were
remarkably beautiful in shape; not showing
the biceps; round and of snowy wilderness.
His dresses were all made low-neeked and
short-Sletved, and what with his way of us
ing his ewes, flirting with fan, and, in
short. affecting the airs and graces of pref
ty woman. he could make any one forget his
sex"
Where is Walliug nowtr
',Indead / don't know" said Miss Com
stock; adding ingeniously, she died when
he WAS only twenty-four years old from the
effects os too tight lacing. suppose lacing
must be more injurious to men than women;
perhaps because the flesh is iirmer, and it
requires greater compression to reduce the
size of the waist But, at any rate, | have
noticed these impersonators die young, and
in four cases tie doctors have decided cor
sets the trouble to which they succumbed-
OF course they Sre only worn when being
fitted aud on the. stage, but for this pur-
pose they are msde of the stoutest jean that
is made, laced with whip-cord, and as most
of the wcarers dance and sing, some of them
even performing acrobatic feats, they must
suffer intenseiy.s