Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-05


question.
Hes painter" the janitor replied.
HAS he any moneyr'
"a little over $780,"
"Well, tell him if he will paint the up
per floor and the back of the Express
building PHI get him place in the fire
department"
The terms were accepted. The man did
his work and got his place, but it was as a
''buffalO' fireman up above Harlem
bridge, where the payment was only $25
month. The janitor himself tod this
story.
These incidents are not related in an
unkind feeling toward the dead editor.
He died worth $500, 900. but if ne had had
the broadness of vision of old James
Gordon Bennett and the pecuniarv scope
OF Joseph Pulitzer he might have died
worth $l0,000,000.
II.
The dude is dead and with him has de-
parted from the manners of the town the
era OF vasuous and Owlish gravity. He was
surly. sullen and inert protest against
lOudness and display; but he's dead and
out of fashion and men are hurrying TO
exploit the very things he most abhorred.
Now the bowling swell, with dash OF
the old time fop, is in vogue. By day he
wears showily embroidered silk and satin
waistcoats, white oVergaiters, brilliantly
hued scarfs, gaudy gloves, honey shirts,
flowing trousers ana clothes OF many
shades; at night his shirt front is figured
and friiled, he sports gold buttons on his
waistcOst, satin stripes on his trousers
and adds dash of color TO it all by
thrusting a bright crimson, yellow, or,
blue handkerchief INFO his breast. Nor
has he the manners Of the solemn ape of
year or more ago. He hobs along at a
lively gait and grins hilarious greetings
to his friends. He's cheap and nervous
at times and hence men feel Tor him mo-
mentary spasms Of dislike; but he's bet
ter than the dude, for after looking at the
dude man was apt to hate himself
Something new appeared in town
short time ago, but though it is English
and has apparently come to stay, 1t has
not met with fervid reception. 1t makes
its way slowly and erratically. 1t is the
lurching English walk. Perhaps the
most proficient OF its vOtaries is Lon
doner named Benson, who came here
with a lot of letters recently, and has
spent all his time since dashing up and
down the steps of Fifth avenue residences,
leaving vast quantities of cards upon the
citizens of New York. His manner of
walking was recognized at once as dis
tinctly the thing In London this year, and
club men and anglOmaniacs lay in wait
along Fifth avenue to see him pass by.
OF all the walks this is the most absurd.
To begin in good form the knees must
never be Strengthened under any circum-
stances, and the toes should be turned out
as far as possible without putting the
heels IN advance of them. This gives
rather parentheticel look to the legs
from the front elevation, but it is lndubita-
bly, correct nevertheless. Having as
sumed this posture, the walker should
lean his body forward from the hips,
draw his shoulders over in front, elevate
the chin as far as possible, and then start
off with the arms hanging straight at the
side. Bend the knees outward at every
step and move as rapidly as possible. Re
peat as before and then rest eight minutes
in horizontal position.
Altogether the walk is not like that az
fected by variety actors, mlmicking old
plantation darkies, and L am told that II
a man huns gently some such strain as
"Climbing Up the Golden Stairs" while
perfecting himself in the minor details OF
the walk he will be vastly aided thereby.
1t is n matter of Importance to the world
at large and hence this wealth OF detail.
am not surprised that foreigners are
at times baffied and ratified by the Ameri-
can fashion of giving promiscuous intro
auctions to everybody upon the slightest
provOcatiOn. 1t is at times somewhat
confusing TO the native born. Shortly
after 3 O'Clock yesterday.I wandered into
the Hoffman House cafe and dropped into
chair near window to wait for man
with whom | was to dine. A man with
flowing whiskers at an adjoining table
nodded cordially and moved up beside
me.
"How's Dlxey% he asked, shaking
hands heartily.
''Great," said !, mechanically, pushing
a cigar toward him as L Tried 70 think of
his name. He was quite atiable.
moment later u dapper little chap
who appeared to know my companion
come up and His WHISPERS introduced us.
saw to my intense delight that His Whis-
kers did not know my name nor that of the
third member OF the party. We sat there
for ten minutes talking easily a3d then
there was slamming of doors and Cap
tain OF the Seventh Regiment, whose name
escapes, me came stalking in with three
hilarious friends. They had walked up
town. One of the friends seized the hand
of His Whiskers and said RAPIDLY:
Chow are you, old boy? Len induce
the Cap'n an my two friens. Goo fell
Prs"
His Whiskers shook hands with great
serenity, and waving his hand toward us
said:
Every glad to meet you. gentlemen.
lHese lTleuuS Vi mine YOU undoubtedly
know"
Thereupon there was more hand snak-
ing and a struggle TO see who should have
the honor OF ordering the first round be-
gan. We sat there for nearly an hour. A
dense mystery surrounded the names,
but the men were so familiar to one an
others eyes--and had been for many
years about town-that they talked like
old acquaintances.
w hen the man with whom was to dine
came in he asked careleselg:
wv no are your friends?'
Then | told him that did not know the
name of a single man III the party. 1t is
not at all likely that the members OF that
particular group will ever come together
again. Ii they meet in the street the
chances are that no salutations will be
exchanged, for acquaintance made after
TINS fashion are seldom kept up. 1t is GU
rious bow near men come To knowing
each other in some instances in New York
without coming together. | could point
out dozen men whose names are per-
fectlY well known TO me, whom | meet at
luncheon, dinner, at the tbeatre-every-
where--daY after day, year In and year
out, aud yet | do not know them. We
EaVe many mutual friends. We have sat
side by side at glove fights and the like,
exchanged a thousand little courtesies, are
ia some instances members Of the same
clubs, and yet because there has teen no
absolute and formal ceremony of intro
ductiOn we never come together. MANY