Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-07-20
In EVENING ATTIRE.
AND RESERVED LOOK
ING YOUNG CLUB MEMBERS.

An Illustration OF the Astounding Airs
Which Some OF the Younger New
Workers Put ON When They Obtain
Any Social Recognition.
A small club, OF which I am . charter
member, grew rapidly under the manage
ment Of lot Of popular men, who had been
taken into the organization, and moved into
a new clubhouse with extensive surround
ings The event was celebrated by an en-
tertainment, which began at 9 O'Clock at
night, and which consisted of recitations,
music, stories, and speeches The day of
the great occasion was very warm, the pre-
vious night had been somewhat obstreper-
Gus and difficult to subdue, and l had just
got back from look at the new athletic
grounds at Staten island, with a good-na-
tured old rounder, vino was one OF the ten
men who had started the club. He has an
interest in a steamship line, is easy going
and pleasant, an authority on club matters.
and has the entree everywhere in New
York We went to a little ale-house in
Thirty fourth street, and ate until o'clock,
when We both thought of the club recep-
ton. We drifted up to the new
young men in the place, and all but our
selves were in evening dress. 1 don't think
either one of US looked very distinguished
in tweed suits, but then men don't care
particularly about their attire in a club
with which they have been familiar from
its infancy. At all events we pushed our
way ITO the rooms on the first floor.
A dozen pale faced, small-featured, and
,l;vx, un,,p0 ,pay, or rad af haurhfilv and
refused to make room We looked about,
and neither Of us recognized an acquaint-
ance within speaking distance They were
all fellow-members, but they were all a lot
of the most aristocratic and reserved look
ing youngsters that have ever seen, and
it was evident that we had not created q
good impression One or two of the older
club servants saw US, and hurried in with
chairs, but they met with stubborn opposi-
ton from the dainty young men who were
seated, as well as from those who stood in
the way. turned to the young man who
stood rext t. me, and looked at him timor-
ously. He wore white waistcoat with
gold buttons, two cat's-eye studs,
q black tie, well fitting claw
hammer, wide satin stripes down
the sides of his trousers, bows on his
boots, and pearl-colored gloves, with black
stripes half an inch wide along the back Of
the hand He was about six feet high, and
presented a mean average girth OF about ten
inches. His face was decorated by an ex-
elusive looking mustache. and his eyes were
partially closed, as though he was very
much bored with life. He must have been
nearly % years old. After looking him
over carefully, ventured to ask, in a meek
and respectful tone, if the president of the
club had spoken yet The young man
turned very slowly, fixed his glass in his
eye, examined my companion and myself
with the utmost care, and then said: "Aw."
"Hows thats" my friend said, sharply.
"Aw"
We both looked at him in4uiringly, but
he dropped his glass and deliberately turned
away. At this po;n: we were recognized
and rescued by some friends farther away,
but neither one Of us forgot the naughty
young man in evening dress
WHEN WE SAW HIM AGAIN.
We were walking up town brislly, TO
gether, when We saw him again His mus
tache was there, as were his slim neck and
his reserved expression of the face, but all
the glory OF apparel had departed; his
boots were run over at the side, he wore q
shiny office-coat, and under both his arms
he carried big rolls of cloth, which he was
evidently taking from one importing house
to another We saw him from afar, and
waited He was smoking a cigarette, and
was rushing along at violent rate with his
bales of goods. We stopped him and begged
q light from his cigarette He leaned over,
hotly, in the most undignified manner, SO as
to hold one bale of goods on his knee while
he removed his cigarette with his free hand,
and each Of US consumed as much time as
possible in taking light Then my friend
asked him if he was well, and he said Yes,
sir" clearly, respectfully, and with an in
dubitably New York accent We talked
about the weather and the affairs OF tho
club, while he fretted and fUmed at the
waste of time; and then We ;amined the
cloth, and asked him its prize yard. After
we had learned it, we went on our way.
/ relate the incident as an illustration of
the astounding airs that some of the younger
New Workers put on when they obtain any
social recognition. The assertion that New
York men are ill-mannered and shoddy is
true as far as it concerns q few thousand
young sprigs, ana who depend very largely
for social recognition upon their clothes,
was 81 a week errand boy down town,
lived in cheap boarding house in Forty
first street, and was supported by small re-
mittances from his father, who keeps a
small supply store in Hackettstown, \. j.
His up town acquaintance only knew him as
q man Of great elegance Of attire, and he got
into a club of some position, as many other
men have, simply because he was unknown.
The man who was with me on the night of
the reception is so well known in clubdom
that any man Of acquaintance in New York
must know him at least by sight Yet he
was snubbed and insulted by an errand boy
in a club which he had helped tc organize,
because he wore tweed suit instead Of
evening attire.
There seems to be q wide difference Of
opinion about evening dress outside Of New
York, but there is no question Of the man
nor in which it is regarded here A young
man who is unknown and who has social as
pirations would do well to wear evening
dress invariably after dinner MeI who do
not have to depend on their cl,thes for
social recognition float about in lock coats
and, when the warmer NOR ms como, in
light sack suits, to entertainments Of all
sorts If man accompanies lady or
party Of ladies to the theatre he usually
wears evening '-ess, but hundreds of men
unquesionably high social position so to
the theatre. and even to the opera, when
thay feel inclined that way, in morning
,uitS-Blakely Hail in San Francisco
a remnant