Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-10
the peculiar needs of sM Nineteenth
Centuriana


| Coudcrt, IS 20 be the bright particular
star Of the occasion. Even when dis
tinguished bore is advertised to speak on
the tariff or some equally dry subject
the immense saloon is generally well
/ filed By persons who are never honored
with invitations for gala-nights. and who
/ doubtless think half a loaf is preferable
to none. Poor souls They make heroic
efforts 10 keep awake, and in nine cases
out OF ten do not listen to single word
Of the discussion; but it is something to
be able to say to envious friends :" L
was at .ne Nineteenth Century Club
last night. Splendid lecture go I'M
proving
You enter well-lighted corridor,
where an imposing individual wearing q
policeman's coat and district messen-
ger boys hat relieves you of your ticket,
eyeing it and you sharply, as if to dis
cover by some subtle method of his own
whether you are actually tho person
whose name is written on the card. Woe
betide the happiless wretch who has
perchance left his talsmanic ticket
at home, or inadvertently dropped
it on the way. He will never
cross that mystic threshold. beg
and implore as he may. If you happen
to be woman wearing n bonnet you
must dot the latter in the cloak-room
before venturing to present yourself up
stairs. AS we'll appear in wrapper as q
bonnet.
THE PROCEEDINGS
The proceedings are always opened by
Mr.. Palmer, who introduces the chief
speaker in a few well-chosen words. lie
is tail and delicate-looking and talks
rapidly, never hesitating or using wrong
word.
CHANGING about the audience one notes
various interesting personages in groups
and detached There, for instance, is
Moncure ID. Conway, formerly
preacher, now O brilliant HterGtteur.
Yonder stand Edgar Fawcett and Edgar
Saltos, who always come in together.
The two men are very dissimilar in APP
pearance, Fawcett being large and com
mandiDg-looking, with all the marked
characteristics of the bon riUeur. He IS
one of the most delightful OF takers.
Saltos is sman and always exquisitely
dressed. lie is exceedingly clever, and
his remarks are favored with epigrams
that convulse his listeners with laughter.
That short man with the blonde beard
and picturesque head is Professor Boye-
sen, and in front of him is the Rabbi
Gotthiel who generally holds note
book, wherein he jots down striking
points of the lecture. Not far off are the
lngersol family, who are always a cen
tire of attraction. Miss Eva Ingersoll,
dressed in her classic Greek gown of white
cashmere, presents q type Of statuesque
beauty that is very rare.
Scattered about over the room you see
Brander Matthews and his wife, b b.
Valentine, of Fitznoodle" fame DR..
Titus Munson Coan, Thaddeus b. Wake
man, the ardent disciple of freethought;
Mrs. John Bigelow, and Professor and
Mrs. Botta There, lately leaning his
arm on the bacH of his chair and occa-
sionally whispering to General Porter,
was Paul Blouet, better known as
MAX O'Rell-short, stout, and near
sighted, and talking with gestures
and calculations that proved him at
once to be Frenchman. little
further along the line is Mrs. Custer,
refined, sweet-faced woman, dressed in
some transparent black stuff that is vastly
becoming, and if you turn your head
you will catch glimpse of Mrs. "Jen-
ME June" Croly, the president of Soro-
sis William Henry Bishop, the novelist
George Parsons LathrOp, Andrew Car
negie, and Mr.. Daniel G.. Thompson.
acting vice-president of the club and
the author of GA System of Psychology"
On the outskirts of the throng are
numberless late corners, who are unable
to find seats. Several are well-known
actors from local theatres, others are
journalists, artists. men-about-town, and
reporters for the daily press.
Now and then, when the discussion
wakes hot among the speakers, satisfied
smiles ripple over the faces of the lis
teners, who, truth,compels me to state,
dearly love crow" as much as did the
Irishman who implored somebody TO
tread ON the tails OF his coat. Neverthe-
less a serious disagreement is the excep-
ton rather than the rule, for the plat
form is one where courtesy and liberation
are the by-words.
1.-The audience will please step into
the supper-room, announces Mr.. Pal
mer when the orator of the occasion,
having demolished his critics to the best
of his ability, sinks exhausted into
chair and wipes his moist, intellectual
brow.
There is an instant rush and scramble.
The company rises en- nlaSSe and makes
its way into the adjoining apartment
where refreshments are spread. A buzz
of conversation ascends, and not until
long after midnight does the last guest
depart, leaving the solitary usher to ex-
tinguish the lights.
UNCAPTURED CoUNTERFRIT-PLATES.
"You would be surprised if should
tell you that there were only two, or per-
haps three, really dangerous plates OF
counterfeit notes still uncaptured," said
q secret service officer to our representa-
tive, while chatting about the different
showers of "the queer"
"What are the two or three plates you
speak OFF," we inquired.
"Well, one is the plate from which S. |
bills of the Manufacturers National !
Bank of Amsterdam, New York, and the
Fort Stanwix National Bank of Rome,
New York, were printed. The other
uncaptured plate is the one from which
the new S. counterfeit silver certificate
has been printed. There are also the |
plates of the $500 and $1,000 United |
States Treasury notes. The engraving |
on these plates was almost or
quite equal to the original, so much
so that nearly all the genuine
notes Of those denominations have been
retired by the Treasury. A great many
banks only take these notes as bills for
collection. 1t is the rule with the Urea
sury Department that whenever a coun-
terfeit other than q photograph, litho-
graph. or pen-made bill of any national
bank bill appears to retire the genuine as
fast as possible from circulation"
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