The morning call., 1894-03-25
AN IDOL SMASHED.
Festina Lente Club Has
Killed Greenway.
SOCIETY WAS HIS OYSTER.
Opened 1t With More Than
PiStoIian Skill.
SOCIETY WAS HIS OYSTER.
PERoUlslTEs OF AN AUTOcRAT.
How He GratuitousIy Snubbed Peo-
pie and Killed Parties When
Inclined So TO Do.

One thing has been accomplished by the
FestiDa Lente Skating Club for which
large number of suffering society folks
will thank James Brett Stokes. II is the
shattering of the Greenway idol which
differs from that of Nebuchadnezzar's
dream only in that while it has feet of elav
il has face of BRASS
The success of the Festina Len:e Club has
demonstrated the fact that society event
can be arranged and carried out without
the help Of Mr. Greenway. He is no longer
indispensable. His glory Is diminished and
indications are will shortly be extinguished
altogether, which many think is "a con-
SUNNI alton devOutly TO be wished" MIR,
Greenway has been in daZe ever since the
thing happened. He cannot realize that
the biggest function" of the season, an
entirely novel and original society idea,
has been accomplished without him. 1t is
currently reported that after the club meet
~as over he went to his friend, John n.
Featherston, and said:
Society is ungIateful. l have given IL
The best years of my young life. have
worn my head into bald spots thinking oil
IFS pleasures, and now am flung aside for
another. Oh. society, thou jade. where
unto have l labored for naughti Like
Othello, my occupations gone."
FeatherstOn listened and wept silently,
and then his friend. Crockett. came in, and
both tried to comfort the fallen hero, but
lie could not be comforted.
Aud no wonder.
With loss of prestige in society goes loss
OF money to Mr.. GreenwaY Society has
been his oyster. and the skill with which
he has opened II would have made ancient
Pistol green with envy. 1t is something to
be leader in society when sUcietv there
fore uses your special brand Of wine
Then Mr. Brown gives "a commission for the
privilege of having his flowers used at
Mrs. Mob Hill's wedding. So does the
Caterer, so does the hackman aud last but
not least SO do the parents of the eager
debutante for the privilege of seeing their
daughters name on the cOtilion list
There is no end in this way TO the per-
the Greenway stripe.
why man, you are all mistaken" said
man-abOui-town yesterday, "about
Greenway not having spirit. Why, his
very existence depended on his belonging
TO the Festina Lente Club. He makes his
living on society. and it's a matter of
dollars and cents to him to be into eyery-
thing. He has been the arbiter of society,
and let 1t once be known that his influ-
ence Is on the wane and ambitious pspas
who DO not care about expense when they
ish their offspring piloted into upper
where. But this Festina Lente business
has settled Greenway. His perQuisites
will not be SO liberal hereafter, and will
grow small by degrees AMI beautifully
less" as time grows. The fact Of the
matter Is that Greenway has been a per-
feet Iyrant. His word has been law. He
has kept most estimable people out of his
cotillOns and snubbed every one who was
not in his set. You could hardly Imagine
how heartily be is detested in some quar-
ters and how pleased many are to hear of
his collapse"
This is the opinion echoed on all sides.
not only by men but by society women as
well. One thing that hurt Greenway with
the women more than anything else he has
done recently was his course at the Del
Monte New Years affair. Greenway was
there and In the evening, despite the fact
that the dance was for the guests of the
hotel. wanted In have his exclusive CO.
tlllon. The management objected on the
ground that every one else would be left
out In the cold. On this Mr.. Greenway
and his set refused to join in the dance
that evening. but retired to a hall by
themselves. The result was, as they ex-
pected, that the affair was killed. No one
danced, and as MIR. Greenway would not
say beforehand what he intended to do
many of the ladies did not know for what
kind of an evening they were to dress.
When the Gar of the cotillon was asked
evaded the question and said he was tired
of society; that he would be glad tn get
out of II and that was the last affair he
should go 10. This action made more
enemies for Mr.. Greenway than he thought
for. and those ladies who suffered by his
arbitrary methods on that occasion are not
a little pleased al his downfall.
This Is only one instance of the tyran-
nical disposition of Mr.. Greenway to make
other people uncomfortable. Men who
were In every way his superiors have been
kept out Of the cotilIoD. and il was a case
of this kind that made bad feelings be-
tween james Brett Stokes and Mr.. Green
way. Now the handsome university man
is having a full revenge and will be in the
next cotillon, whatever Mr.. Greenway
may say to the contrary.
A sure sign of Mr.. Greenway's falling
authority is the active way in which be is
spreading the report that he is eager 10
get out of society, but that society will not
let him 60. He is thus laying good soft
mat on which TO fall when the slump
comes. 1t will not avail him much, how
ever. The Festina Lente Club has killed
him.