Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-18
MEN IN BLUE AND BRASS.
THE WEARING OF UNIFORMS
GRADUALLY INCREASING.

Popular Prejudice by DOnntng n suit
Himself - Captain Williams Heroic
Method of Dealing with PIclpookets
-POtter's Improbable BishoprIe.
NEW YORK, May 16.-An evolution in
/ the matter of clothing, which admirers Of
Jefiersonian simplicity consider an imta-
tion OF the customs, or, rather, costumes,
/ OF the effete monarchies of the old world,
has taken place here within the past few
years. 1t is the wearing of uniforms by
the employees of corporations, and Of livery
/ by the servants Of private individuals.
/ But little more than a quarter Of
century ago the police were only dis
/ tinguishable from other people by their
badges and their clubs. When a uniform
was first proposed it was stoutly resisted
as being sign of servitude unworthy of
American freemen. The late Inspector
| Thone did good service to the promo
tors of the innovation by being the first to
wear the uniform, and through his
example the rest of the force were gradu-
ally induced to wear them.
There has been great change from that
day to this. Now, not only policemen and
tiremen wear uniforms, but also conduc-
! tors, district telegraph messengers, and
all the different kinds of employees whom
! 1t Is convenient to have distinguishable
! by their clothing. The custOdians of the
banks, insurance offices, and big build
! ings generally, wear uniforms, so that the
stranger within the gates will know
whom to address when they wish for in
! formation, and many of the big dry goods
! houses send parcels to their destination
| by uniformed messengers. 1t is made an
! objection to wearing blue flannel or even
| blue cloth suits, in summer, because blue
! Is the universal color for uniforms, and
/ flannel is the cloth generally preferred.
| AS yet none of the New York newspapers
force their reporters to wear uniforms,
| although for a brief period this was done
1 by the Springfield Republican.
Laying aside the question as to whether
! 1t Is un-American or not. this custom of
! clothing employees in uniforms Is open to
the objection that it often is made the
means of extOrtiOn. The employers pro-
/ vide the uniforms and make money by
their sale. If, too, an emplOYe IS dis
| charged at the end of a few weeks,
through perhaps no fault of bis own, he
has only obtained by bis short service
/ suit of clothes which is Of no use to him
unless materially altered. The District
/ Telegraph bows suffered severely the cold
days OF last winter because the wearing
! OF oYercoats was discOura ged, if not alb
solutely prohibited, as they hid the uni
| form.
These little fellow VS., by the, way, some
times are utilized in rather an absurd
way.
| II HAS BECOME A RECOGNIZED PRACTICE
FOR WOMEN
to use them as escorts. The order con-
tinually comes to the different district
telegraph offices that 'Mss So and So
wants a messenger to escort her from
stn1n nh. 49,
else" As the boys furnished for this
! duty are often not yet In their teens and
small for their age, IL is questionable
whether their escort is much protection.
| However, they are as useful for the pur-
! pose as maid, without which no very
| young New York woman who can afford
! it will stir in the streets even in the day
time. This last is certainly an imitation
of the practices Of the effete m0narchies,
etc. No prOperly-behaved Young woman
is liable to insult in the average New
York street, even if she has no maid as a
| body guard. and the latter is small pro-
! lection if they make the mistake of pass
| ing the hotels where the ''mashers" most
| do congregate.
| 1t is pity that Capt Williams does not
| treat tnese mashers as he does profess
siOnal pick-pOckets. The other day, at
/ some grand occasion in Madison Square
| Garden, he suddenly grabbed a WELL
| dressed, inOffensive appearing person who
! seemed TO be minding his own business.
and, pushing him violently along several
Yards finally shot him with tremendous
! push towards the exit. Before the push
! had lost its impetus one of the Captains
! policemen gavo him another. and after
| running the gauntlet Of several other po-
! lcemen the poor man was ultimately
throHn out Of the building. "Wbat did
he doYp somebody asked Williams. "Do"
was the reply. "He's a-pick-p pocket"
The law provides that professional
thieves may be arrested when in places
where they are able TO ply their profess
sion, but to make an arrest takes time
| and trouble, and Capt. Williams prefers
| to club a thief out Of temptation IN place
\ OF locking him up as the easier process
/ Of the two. The thief who sued him for
assault and battery would not be liable
/ 10 get satisfaction, and Willams thus far
has pursued his peculiar plan with i'm
\ punity, except when be has made tho
mistake Of clubbing the wrong man. !. e..
| a man who wasn't a thiet. II he
| dubbed masher or two,nO jury certainly
would give verdict against him. But
| Pm fogetting my text
WHILE UNIFORMS ARE BECOMING THUS
POPULAR
with corporations. livery is fast becoming
/ the only wear Of the servants I'm large prl-
Vate establish ments, as well as In clubs
and hotels. Not only the coachman (and
/ fOOtman. If there be One), OF the more
! pretentous private houses, but the house
man-servant wears livery. COurtlanGt
/ Palmer, the millionaire Ol socialistic pro-
| pensites for instance, has men in livery
! 10 open the door Of his house in Gramercy
| Park 20 visitors.
Livery. indeed, has one advantage over
the swallOw-tails which walters wear.
When II Is worn the male guests at an
evening entertainment are not 20 apt 10
/ be mistaken for the servants. This has
occurred go often az DelmonicO's that the
waters there are not allowed to wear nous
tacbee and whiakers. except I'm the form
Of small ''side boards" 50 thar they may
be distinguished from the male patrons OF
the place who, ordinarily, wear hair on
their face In some shape or other. An
actor, who, for professional convenience,
/ keeps bis face shaveD, gains nothing by
this rule. A young woman last winter
asked Lawrence Barrett 20 call her car
riage for her, and, before he could explain,
her escort gave him aquarter as an incen-
tive.
\ !. Assistant Bishop Potter has reason 20
/. fe0ret that be did not stick 10 bis nOiO
/ episcopoff. lie did not want 10 be bishop,
aud he was almost chosen In spite Of him