The record-union., 1894-07-28
AMERICAN DUDES.
They are Not Always as Useless as
They SEEM
Careful Study of the Character OF One
of These Young Men of
Leisure.

Irregular Correspondence Of RECORD UNION ]
NEW YORK, July 7.-Despise the dude,
as busy men must, there is yet some
thing about him that makes his acquaint-
ance worth while, especially if the par
ticular idler be a genuine article-a typi-
cal dude, such as one I know. The ac-
quaintanee was accidental, but once
made, 1t was followed up for the specific
end apologetic purpose of finding out
about his daily life; how, being intelli-
gent, he could stand doing nothing for
ever. For it seemed that a dudes day
would make an amusing, If not an inter
esting, subject to write about IN summer.
My dude turned out to be not an idle
fellow and, while he may not be entitled
to the credit of usefulness, there is room
for hesitation before condemning him as
utterly useless. Indeed, there were in
his life so many little surprises to my
prejudice that I doubted sometimes
whether the man were really a typical
case. But recoilected being told, after
meeting him the first time. that he was
"a damned New York dude" The critic
was a capable and experienced judge, SO
his words gave reinsurance.
Some ten thousand dollars a year was
the allowance Gouverneur Mann Hatten
las / shall call HIM got along on. He
has well-founded expectations of much
more later on, but he succeeds at present
as a single man in supporting himself
without friendly aid on his allowance,
which is small one for men of his class
On it he maintains much good-nature.
lie affects TO be cynical and rather likes
60 be thought proud, even conceited as
he looks. He knows pretty well how
men of his class in England live. If one
should tell him that he failed TO initiate
his chosen prototypes, he would be Of
tended. Yet he does not do it well. He
1s quite healthy man, mentally, morally
and physically; very much of an Amerl-
can at heart, though he would not be
pleased to discover any of these qualities
IN himself unless it were "just before the
com bat"
EsNot over 26 years of age. he has that
sort OF an education which develops the
mind, not knowledge or cbaracter-good
schools, good teachers, places and men,
who do not teach so much as they 'learn
you" His head had some facts and meth
ods thrust upon 1t, and he was put into
Harvard College, where his native indo-
leDce saved him from the fast sef' into
which his family connections would have
carried him; from the athletes, among
whom his sound, strong physique would
have made him welcome, and from the
thorough intellectual training which his
mind could have profited by. He en-
joyed his four years IN Cambridge In the
company Of easy-going fellows, who rode,
Towed and sought some of the pleasures,
but who picked UP enough from the
class-rooms TO speculate about interesting
questions Of art, science and literature.
IL. = IL l. =
with the halfway profit Of q developed
inquisitiveness that made them read a
little, see some things with interest, and
like subjects worth serious study. That,
however, Gouyerneur never devoted to
anything. Two years Of sauntering in
Europe gave polish where there was no
finish. What are the net results?
He is a young New Yorker. club man.
with some Bohemian habits and acq uaint-
ances. You hear OF him at social events;
you see him at first nights" He attends
private views, and is a spectator at anna
teur games. These things he does with
thousands.
But the dude does them inteiligentIy
and to some end. After the reception he
pretends to have been bored. Make re-
mark to ask an intelligent question, how
ever, and he will forget his pretense and
viii describe some scene, analyZe some
character or suggest some generalization,
that proves he has observed what was
about him with interest. But if you crit
ieise the play or the cast he will lose his
own part and assert his own judgment IN
q way that shows he has spent an even
ing alive. A good play at football or
around the bases, or hard pull in race
of shells, will carry him away from his
cane and make 2 howIihg madman of
him.
In the art exhibition he gapes and
EneeTs, only to stand up for picture if he
had painted 1t, il it is lightly condemned.
lie knows good picture when he sees it,
and is able TO tell why, though it is
mystery how he could have fallen into
his taste. His liking for art, or perhaps
il Is his enjoyment of good company of
careless temperament, invites him into
the studios IN town, and he dimes fre-
Guently in "Parisu (off Washington
Squarel, or Little VIENNA dover Sec
ond avenue), or in the Teuderloin Gust
west OF Broadway, between. Twentieth
and Thirty Streets. At such
places he meets men of his years in all
The professions, and makes aequaintances
which render his life partially eXcusable.
Ia the first place the talk of artists
keeps up his interest in art, and in a way
adds to his appreciation OF what is good
work, the personal element. He learns
much Of the technical difficulties, and of
This makes him enjoy youthful work,
and the effect is that he is picture-buyer
and picture-seller. He attends the auc-
ton sales, and is frequent bidder. His
selections are not always the best on the
face but that is because he is apt to take
into consideration the character OF the
PAINTER If he believes in him he knows
the mans work will have a future value,
quite aside from its present merits, OF
which il must have some. He doesn't do
so much good in this way, however, as he
does through his influence among older
persons OF more ready money than he
commands. These people know he is in-
formed, a connoisseur i'll a modest way,
and quite disinterested. A word from
him at moment OF hesitation often
causes the little pastel board label 'soldn
TO be opposite to a deserving picture. It
is said that he has helped artists TO meet
the expenses of study, but of this know
nothing positively. The other functions
are enough for one line of activity.
In charity his work is said 10 be eX-
tensive, tut while it is personal and at
first hand, it is secret and not purely be-
nevolent. He does it, as he does most
things, because of an interest he has
picked UP somewhere in sociological
problems. Not that he would solve them.
but simply because the facts that bear on
the solution are recognized by him in
their possible connections. So he does a
great deal of good, without much self
saerlhce, and with keen satisfaction to a
respectable but not virtuous curiosity.
such as it is, his cultivation makes OF
him patron Of literature, music and the
drama. whose discrimination tends, so far
as the individuals influence can do, TO
prefer the good before the bad. His Idle
chat OF the latest novel helps an able
experiment in literature on and retards
is men and women like himself who
make it possible TO have grand opera,