Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13

! z. J: !. +: !: & ! ]. ].
Nv
As., regularly in the
Y0So% payof paper there
1GGTY which has made a
fXN ,k$rgEa@Ss point of printing
MS AnMyy the portraits of
prominent debut
antes together with
lot of personal
news about society people. The contribu-
tors in question are a man and woman.
They pose as terrific swells and yet both are
paid by newspaper for selling purely con-
fdential information. The man receives
81, 200 and the woman 81, 500 year.
Some time since Ward McAllister, who
is more or less the arbiter of New York So
ciety. announced that there were only 400
people who could properly be designated as
in society in New York. The statement
raised howl, of course, for there are mil
lion or two people in this town, and at least
several hundred thousand of them are well
bred. well-born. well-to-do and thoroughly
above criticism in every way. To assert
calmly that all these people were out of the
ring and only four hundred were within the
charmed circle was wonderfully audacious
thing to do, but Ward McAllister had the
courage Of his convictions. Four hundred
it was and four hundred 1T remains. He
will not admit that the number is any larger
I discovered the fact that the people who
are exploiting the household affairs "of our
best people" are regularly in the pay of q
newspaper by damaged package. The
superintendent of an express company,
whom chanced to know, came to me and
said that in carrying q package of manu-
script downtown in one of their small de-
livery wagons the contents of q marking
pot had been spilled over it and the address
was obscured. He had torn the parcel open
to see if he could get clew, had discovered
the name of an editor, and then had called
to me to see if 1 knew what paper the editor
was connected with. told him that the
man was coming to eat luncheon with me
within a half hour, and that he could wait
and see him personally.
A TRIUMPH OF SNoBBERY.
The package was delivered when nv
friend called. He showed it to me. It was
a list of the names of the four hundred So
ciety people of New York. There was also
a letter signed by the two Jenkinses who
furnished the society gossip for his paper.
''The fact il" the editor said, ''the list
may almost be said to have been revised by
to the last degree"
1t struck me as being a triumph Of snob-
berry and 1 said as much.
Possibly it is, said the editor carelessly,
"but this is what people want, and as long
as they want it we are willing to dish it out
to them, since it puts money in our pockets.
The list would be worth 81, 900 or more to
any daily paper"
Then we went to luncheon and heard So
ciety discussed trontward, backward and in !
every possible direction for nearly two |
hours. The old position of amiable indiffer-
ence which the press formerly maintained |
toward society people and social events has
given way almost entirely to slayish and |
eulogistic attitude that is similar to the at
titude of the minor English papers toward |
royalty. The effect Of all this adulation and |
attention is easily seen in the growing ex-
clusiveness of the four hundred. Once the |
revised and carefully selected list of names |
is published it will be on file in every news
paper Office in the country, and the four
hundred will have an additional glamour
thrown over their names They are the
names, by the way, that were worn in most
instances few generations ago by black
guards, pork butchers, grocers, ragmen, hat
ers and outcasts, but to-day they are the
little tin idols of the town.
CALLING AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Mr.. Cleveland, was informed by go
,iety man short time ago, was never recog-
,ized by the four hundred. And yet he
lad an admirable manner at times in the
White House. 1 remember the first day I
vent in to see him, he succeeded in calming
he excitement of five young women from
he West by the exercise of tact and thought
illness. Meeting the President is fraught
hat fba ir1i | I
erent of visitors is apt to be impressed be-
ore he actually gets into the presence of the
President himself. On this particular oc-
aston I had been in Colonel Lamont's !
nner of1ce for an hour when the President |
ent word that he was ready to receive the
alters of the day. The Secretary notified
ne of his assistants and then turned to me
nd asked me if would not like to go in
nth the crowd and see how it was done.
nodded, and he opened side door
Thich admitted me into large reception :
Dom. I had got through by short cut,
ut there was q small crowd ahead of
lie. Among others were several Congress
len, an ex-general of thei army, and a lot
f ladies very showily dressed and chatter !
ng in excited whispers. One of the secre- Z
aries was wandering around the room shak-
,g hands with the Congressman he hap Z
ened to know, and he was Just about to
sher a section of visitors into the Presi- t
ents private room when Postmaster Cen l
raj Dickinson came In, bowed to the two or r
lree people and staggered into the Presi- Z
ent's room. This was bitter disappoint- y
tent to us all, for it meant long delay, but
fter all a Cabinet Minister has the call over r
utsiders. Meanwhile the whispers resolved S
into an everyday tone of voice,
nd the excitement dropped into a subdued t
After a long wait the Post a
aster General left the President, and then v
ght or ten of us moved into the Presidents i
,om, and arranged ourselves more or less
the order Of precedence in chairs that b
ere in an irregular semi-circle. All we a
eeded was an end man to make the illusion b
,mplete. r
HOW GROVER IS BORED.
The President was standing at the win r
w as we entered, intently reading letter. q
e paid no attention whatever to the crowd :,
ntil everybody was seated, and then look =
g up he dropped the letter on o desk and !,
epped forward toward the right end of the ;;
,rseshoe. His manner was dignifed and n
lemn. The General, who was one of the !,
st to rise, stepped forward and the Presi- h
mt took his hand warmly and talked about y
e weather, the adjournment of Congress n
i'd the condition of the roads about Wash r
gton. Then he put out his hand again !,
st as the General had started in on a long :,
Dry, shook it warmly and passed the old :, y
ldier cheerfully out into the ante-room. /
ne Western Congressman came forward at 6.
is moment with tine five young ladies clus- VT
ring around him. y
"Mr. President" he said in an oracular
ne, these ladies are from my State. This
my niece. This is my daughter, and =
ese," he added, pointing them out with U
. long forehnger, care personal friends of ~
9 girls" ii
The young women had been waiting for hi
arly an hour and a hall, and they had high Il
preciation of the importance of the Presi- e
mt of the United States; they had proba- ri
y looked forward to the event all the way TT