The morning call., 1892-12-25
MARTIN JOHNSON,
Dealer in eeatlemsn,s Discarded Clothing.

Dealer in Gentlemen's Discarded Clothing
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Il asked him how might serve him, and,
drawing me apart from the crowd, he said:
" L see YOU have discharged your valet
Il intimated that | failed to connect him
with the matter. and he FASTENED to ex-
plain. My valet had, as he understood with
my full consent and approval, been ia the
habit Of selling him all my 'cast-offs' He
in turn had a customer who had given him
a standing order Tor all the clothes my man
should bring. TIE customer, however, did
not know whence they came. Now, the
sudden cessation of supply had occasioned
Johnson the loss of considerable prospective
profit. 1t occurred TO me that might as
we'll benefit by the same method hitherto
pursued by my man.
L saw by signs that johnson made that
be was man TO be trusted and | at once
entered into negotiations with him. At
regular intervals he was to call at my house
for diseards, for which he was to pay me
third of the original cost. These he turned
over at once at a profit Of 80 per cent which
would place them IN the hands OF the last
purchaser al one-haf what l had first paid
for them. You can readily see how this
method reduced the price Of all suits pur-
chased subsequently by just one-third, and
that third was just what saved me.
Il found that this business was having a
dem0ralizing effect upon me-and | kept it
up no longer than absolute necessity com
PEELED me TO.
Il was rather curious to know who my
ambitious double was-but Johnson would
not betray his identity. / discovered ii,
however IN rather odd way.
81 had light suit One night in hanging
Ii up / accidentally pressed the lighted end
of nay cigar against the inner side Of one of
the lapels, burning hole through one thick
ness oil the cloth. This did not disigure the
coat at all. as when the lapel was in repOse
the scar was hidden.
81 was walking down Broadway, and had
stepped under an awning to escape slight
shower that had suddenly arisen, when nv
attention was attracted by fellow-refugee
His stature was my own. AS noticed
the superb fit of his coat its marked re-
semblance to the one l had sold flashed
UPON me. and as he stepped out into the
shower he turned his coat-coliar up and
revealed that Identical cigar burn. / after
ward learned that he was a notorious con-
fdence man. / never sold another suit"
Fashionable men complain that il is ex-
tFemely difficult to secure the services of
efficient and at the same time thoroughly
honest Wallets.
The English valet is the most proficient,
so some say, but he is disgustingly seryiie,
and is, as rule, a great g0ssip-monger.
The American boy is bright and dutiful
for time, but is easily spoiled. and is apt
to become impudent.
Germans are dull, but reticeut and honest
The Frenchman too often seeks to
emulate his masters swell appearance by
DOMINIC his best clothes and parading the
!: avenue. On such occasion he invariably
affects the prince and not unireouently
succeeds IN ensnaring the rich American
sH0b.
The Italian Is too fond of adventure.
The wefl-trained negro makes an excellent
valet. He loves display. His honesty is
not unquesh0nable, but 1t has the superior
merit of limiting his depredations to small
and comparatively unimportant articles.
" nirH his faile ~
missed.
Creighton Webb, brother TO Or. Seward
Webb, who married William IL Wander
bits daughter. is a great swell but poor
dresser. His great fault in winter is wear
Ing shabby oyercOat. In summer he has
passion for straw hats with Scotch plaid
bands At the watering places they say he
makes good all his city delinquencies and
struts forth Respondent In garments Of all
eol0rs and cuts. He lives in bachelor apart
ments and keeps a valet-a gentleman OF
" color, believe. whom Mr.Webb's garments
suit to perfection.
The young turfman-Foxhall Keene-son
OF James X. Keene. formerly OF San Fran.
: cisco, as a dresser is simply immaculate.
aIn told he has suit for every day in the
month. His riding and racquet suits pre-
dominate, for when he's not at the track
or IN the stable he's at the racquet club
and in both of these sports he's one of the
most expert amateurs in the world.
'ANA man OCAilAiiS QEcc5cc Cibk AMY tHOuRl
Quietly. his clothes are kept In order by
f: tailor who calls at his residence every day
taxes them away and brushes and presses
them. Dir. Oelrich's tastes run rather to
athletics. than to society. While at his
q summer-house at Seabright, near the JERSEY
coast. it is common thing for him to swim
Ten miles out to sea and back unaceom-
p panied by boat or even by companion.
James Gordon Bennett used TO have a
DANISH count for valet Mr.. Bennett,
IN nrrfE ~ e.
valet used to be his secretary as we'll
While at Newport In 1876 this man would
open all kilograms and letters, OF which
there was host, and read and Gull them
before handing them to his employer. Mr.
Bennett so rarely visits New York that
little is known of his personal habits.
General Lloyd 5. Bryce, the editor of the
North American Review, is as much a dudf
In his personal attire as was his eccentric
predecessor, Allen Thorndyke Rice. The
general is great society and club man
The only trouble with the general is he viii
occasionally wear a diiap.dated high hat
which, compared with the faultlessness Of
the remainder Of his dress, looks, to say tht
least, grotesque.
II may be affectation or it may be the ex
centricity of genius. There are man
swells in New York who attend the affair:
OF the -Four Hundred who press their owl
pantaioons and iron their own stoyepipes
The former is done by carefully folding the
trousers, placing them between the mat
tresses and sleeping upon them; the latter
by means OF an iron heated over gas je
in some obscure ball bedroom. Such mel
ARE always on the lookout for a rich wife
and when they succeed in getting her--il
they ever dO--they settle down and beeD me
excellent, henpecked husbands, ever eating
humble pie without complaining. They
generally bring to their wives the inherit
ance of great name, considerable intelli
genee, Inexhanstible affability and large
capacity for idleness.
HENRY IRVING DODGE