The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-21
THOSE CHEAP SMELLS.
EUlSkNcES AND DEAD BEATS WHO
MASQUERADE AS MEN,

they almost approach the gruteSque 1et
as the years roll by they continue to float
about upon the surface Of life, arc always
to be found in public places, are on hand
at all state occasions, and at every notable
theatrical or public eyont, and apparently
enjoy most of the privileges Of the elect of
the earth. After a timo the feeling Of curl
osity about them dies away and that of
evaporation takes its place, They pose as
men about town, "rounders," gentlemen Of
leisure and the like Everybody knows that
they arc pennIlcsS, yet they live on luxu-
rieS. Ii 10 tho cheap swell who stareS wom-
en- out of countenance at the theatres, who
infests the shopping streets in the early
part of the day, and gives his more sub
stantial and hard working fellow citizen
an immense amount Of annoyance by his
arrogance and assumption ep general.
There are two general clHs,,cs of the cheap
Iwcl in New York One is composed of
lhc silly and pretentious young men who
pose to crafty an intense ambition and
who fancy that they deceive the world by
their society airs; tho other is the type
of gaudy swell who uses his EaShy attire and
assurance as the means Of making living.
The source of the incomes cf many of these
men Of sham and imitation is often com
mented upon. The majority Of them have
no incomes at all, and they do not need
them, for they do not spend any money.
They keep up the semblance of a life Of
leisure ahd extravaganza without carrying
it ont in the slightest degree
ONE OF THE MILD TYPE.
A typical case OF this sort comes to the
Mud E,r rnarlvv ~,
was constantly running across tall and
sallow young man, who always betrayed
an air Of intense hauteur, and exhibited
all the signs of the world Of cheap swell
dom His manner was supercilliOus and
austere. He WAS always 10 be foUnd in
Delmonico's just before and Just after din
ner, and he was q prominent figure in the
theatre lObbies. Whenever women of par
ticular attractiyeneSS came along he stared
at them with an air of advanced imperti-
neuce. Occasionally he could be seen stand
ing up at the rear of theatre, and between
the acts he was invariably to Ge found
stalking gloomily up Gud down in the most
prcteutious Of the neighboriny cafes smoll-
ing cigarette, but never buying anything
to drink. After the opera he was always
W LC ADAALA Al SAAl A-At LlAA4eAA SNAEtk NNk
ridor, still smoking u cigarette and GD-
parently waiting for his carriage He
moved about among people Of wealth and
high social standing, staring at tho ladies
and arousing q universal feeling Of indig-
nation among the men He was always in
evening dress, and his attire was distinctly
fashionable in cut, though there was some
thing in his appearance which caused OBJ
serving men Instantly 20 set him down rs
an outsider. he aroused q vague and ua-
Gefnable but pronounced feeling of e1-
asperation in every decent man whom he
met. and yet he never did anything which
would warrant an observer in thrashiag
him For two years the writer encountered
this particular parsonage everywhere he
went 10 Sew York, until one day ne saw
him in earnest conversation with a well
known halter on Broadway.
WHAT THE UNCLE SAID.
Inquiry from the halter revealed the
fact that the pseudo swell was his nephew,
and not a particularly popular nephew at
that.
He has occupied hall room in q Lex
ington avenue boarding house, the halter
said as he took up the case Of the young
man, for nearly three years, and, though
tde cost Of the room with board is only s.
week, he has managed to run in debt 10
the landlady to the extent Of over 500.
She is a silly old fool Of Q woman who
thinks the cub has rich relatives and
big expectations, and who actually goes
down into the kitchen after she has fin
ished her work at II O'Clock at night and
- ol,.r,, 80 D.
benzine for the following day S parade He
poses in the boarding house as a society
man, always eats the regular dinner there
in evening dress, and then hurries out un-
der the pretense that he is going out to
party, n reception or something Of that
sort at the house Of some well known New
Yorker For the rest Of the night be
spends his time loafng Gboat. He's we'll
dressed loafeT and nothing else. Occasion
ally he runs errands or makes himself use
full to a theatrical manager, and in that
way secures RdmisSiOn to the theatre
Then again he will manage TO worm him
self into the good graces Of some young
man about town who Is careless and amia-
bic when he has been drinking little, and
out Of this acquaintance he always man
ages to extract something substantial
either credit aS tailOr's or loan Of one
sort OF another. OF course he never thinks
of doing any work"
This is q fair type Of the cheap swell who
is not vicious. OF course there are many
grades Of the species, but they have all
managed in one way or another TO adopt
such peculiar look and manner that their
presence acts as an affront to men.
THE VICIOUS SWELL.
The vicious type Of the cheap swell is
moro interesting because he not infrc-
quently drifts from careless into criminal
relations with tradesmen, and occasionally
slips into schemes Of trickery and fraud
Every attentive reader of the newspapers
has from time to time run across the names
of men who have been sentenced TO prison,
but had posed and been accepted by certain
people as men Of leisure and social promi-
nence. There Is no denying the universal
gullibility Of mankind. A large, breezy
and genial man, clad in the most advanced
style Of Taiment, can go down to Wall
street and into the Offices Of the most con
servatiye merchants and secure cagh sub.
scriptions for any kind Of wildcat cent
ure. A modestly clad but thoroughly tub-
stantial and reputable citizen could not
raise $50 in this fashion. A few days ago
two suits were brought and won against .
New Yorker who was always prominent in
club windows, who boasted not long ago
that he had thirty-iour complete suits Of
clothes made this year. Judgment was
secured by ono of his creditors for 5000
and by another for $4,000 Every man who
knew anything about New Workers was
aware that this particular "swcll" had
been without my legitimate income for
years, and that he owed $4,000 or 100000
in New York. Yet he succeeded in getting
credit in the course Of two months for
$4,000. Many other men in New York
could do the same, probably, II they had
thirty-four suits Of clothes The nttirc of
tnen 5seems to exercise an extraordinary
and occult influence upon mankind.-Ncw
York Sun