Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-01
Correspondence of The EVENING STAR.

Correspondence of The EVENING STAR
New YORK. May 81.
have been finding out this week some of the
fashions in other things besides clothes, as
fashions are followed in the city of New York
have watched the succeeding fads like Budd-
hism, the Browning mania, the mind-cure
craze and Russomania, and have discovered
that they are all consigned to the past and obi-
won. Russomania had a strong hold upon
fashionable people here when Verestchagin's
smart press agent worked his many little booms
for that artist, and it lasted after Verestchagin
had gone until some body showed letter from
that smart press agent dated from Chicago, in
which the puff-writer ridiculed the Stiffness of
New Workers in being led into Russ-worship,
and took all the credit for introducing the
fashion upon his own plebeian self. in the paid
interest of the artist-exhibitor. Then society
dropped the Russian business, retcltkds were
rolled into the remote Businesses of Fifth
avenue stables, and sdmordrs were consigned
to the darkest corner of the pewter-closet.
NOW ALL IS HUNGARIAN.
The. Hungarian craze has succeeded Russo
mania, and don't believe it is the result of
press agents puffery either although l am at
a loss to account for its real raison detre. Per-
haps its the Hungarian orchestras at some of
our places of amusement. and perhaps its the
pronunciation of the dreadful names with
which the Hungarian is afflicted. At the Eden
Musee there has been Hungarian orchestra
for several years. 1t is composed of swarthy
bewhlskered, herce-looklng fellows, who can
neither read nor write, and who play ofcourse.
entirely by ear, but with such beautiful
rhythm and perfect harmony that their music,
while uncanny and weird is often sympathetic
and always stirring. They became the fashion
at swell receptions and little dances at home,
and nearly every night in the week after the
Musee had closed they found extra employ-
ment. Now Manager Aronson has engaged a
Hungarian band for the Casino roof garden:
and people have gone wild over the curious eff
fects OF the stringed instruments played by
these musicians. Besides, there are bands of
Hungarian students and Hungarian gypsies
scattered all over town at beer gardens and
concert halls, and one place of amusement has
now troupe of Hungarian dancers. The
Hungarians, with their fantastic native cos
tunes, make pretty display in a society draw
lng-room, and their music and dancing do not
seem to bore the swell folk much as ordi-
nary cut-and-dried entertainments have bored
the blase bachelors and maidens for some years
before. We hear nowadays of Hungarian
teas" Hungarian afternoons" and the like,
and the two or three Hungarian restaurants in
town have enjoyed such an increase of patron
age as will make their proprietors rich, if the
craze Only lasts long enough.
FASHIONS IN RELIGION.
There are fashions in religion as well as in
more worldly things, and just now hear that
everybody has taken up spiritualism. / don't
know as this can be fifty termed religion
however. as its devotees seem to worship most
enthusiastically Its table-tipping part and they
have leanings toward astrology and fortune
telling. The present is the greatest season of
financial success that spiritualis tic mediums
astrologers and fortune-tellers have ever known
in New York. 1t is astonishing to find how
many cultivated and Intellectual men and
women dabble in the dark waters of these
mysteries. hear of men well known in Wall
street who never undertake a venture of i'm
portance until they have consulted medium
i even know OF reputable physician who
takes lock of hair from his sick patients head
to fortune-telling medium to have the sub
jects horoscope cast. The physician says he
has done this in his most serious cases for a
year, and that the recovery or death of his
patient have always been correctly foretold by
the medium. There Is a wonderfully clever
medium a woman, whose Offices on 9Th avenue
are always crowded, because she has succeeded
in hitting the truth 30 many times for her
patrons. We have a very wise society for psy-
chichal research here. and the society investi-
gated this woman, with the effect that she COM
pletely puzzled the most astute and most skep-
teal of its members. When the weak-minded
and the vicious are affected by the abracadabra
of fortune-tellers and soothsayers it is no
wonder to anybody, but it gives one a sort of
York are really interested in such cattle.
FROM JAIL TO PRESIDE.
Little has been seen Of James d. Fish,
wrecker Of the Marine bank, since he finished
his term in the Auburn state prison week or
two ago. 1t is said Of him that he is as yet
living quietly alone with his grown daughter
and with the child which poor Sallie Reber bore
him, and that he prefers to live secluded for
the present, although his old friends Of both
sexes have invited him to partake of their hos
pltality. Indeed, great many families of po-
sition are ready and willing to receive James
ID. Fish upon the same terms as before he was
sentenced as q dangerous criminal. Among |
women and some men Fish Ii regarded as a |
martyr, although the former bank president |
never posed as a martyr during his imprison- |
ment, but bore his punishment with dignity
and manliness. His position is now regarded
as il he had never been behind the bars. |
Society is content that he has made to it the |
recompense for his misdeeds That society de- |
mands, and society is consequently ready to
receiya hin, again into ita yptdat~ NJ co,,r~a