The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-04
PASSING OF The SWELL.
The Old Guard Of High Rollers a
Thing Of the Past.
Some Died; Others Quit Lively Times
When Young George Law Used to
Buy Wine in the Tenderloin for Ali.


nigh rolling swelIs are gone, and they are
now RAISING one bv one Even those few
who pretend to still be in the ring are
tame, very tame. Time was when the
garb as well as the most commonplace
6oings Of May or Goddard or Wall or any
ather member of the set was considered
fit subject for the pens Of the most emf
nent Jenkineses in the city. But now
that these somewhat. noted dandies are
passing to other things no one cares TO do
them honor.
There are popiu'ays a plenty who are
fairly itching 10 be written about and
talked about. but as they are either brew
erS' sons iucTusted with precious stones,
who can't talk q all, they are not likely
TO replace the Old set of eXtravagant eX-
quisities. But the real OLD bucks, about
whom so much was said and written,
what of them Two of them are under
going a sort Of moral publication in an
ticipation of marriage with wealthy
women. A third is legally forced to live,
IN hotel SO common that he has to use
paper for napkins Another is busy chas-
ing the green widow" in Paris while
greeu-eyed Fay IS chasing him. One is
guessed to have gone 10 a Styglan grill
room. ano, her has gone into bankruptcy
of the -Four Hundred. The next is SICK
almost to death, and still another, who is
transforming, actually appears in public
IN trousers that bag 30 the hnees
So it is small wonder that all clubdom
is gossiping about the passing of this
group Of sWells A member of the Union
club suggests that some public benefactor
should come forward with means to pre-
serve, in wax or stone, lifesize and lifelike
images OF these daudies in full bloom, so
that future generations Of dudes may see
what manner of men OF fashion adorned
Manhattan Island in the last quarter of
the nineteenth century.
For there are no angel men
Surely the writer of this refrain to a
popular song Of the day never heard of
George Law, or he would have known
that whenever Mr.. Law spread his pin
ions he was one Of the swift and most
benehcieDt angels that ever visited this
latitude But George doesn't fly any
more. He was a patron OF pugilists and
sporting men. IL used TO be a common
thing to see him in one or other of the
sporting resorts in the Tenderl0iu pre-
cinct. His favOrite res orts in those days
were Billy Traceys in Twentyninth
street, Dick Dariing's on Broadway aud
Jimmy lrviGg's old Empire Concert hall
on Sixth avenue No matter how large
the crowd vas he would buy champagne
for every one.
Every sport in the Tenderloin got UP
thirst when he heard George Law was at
il again. Crowds followed him from
place to place. To spend 81 600 a NIGHT
for wine was not an uncommon thing for
him to do. He is a tall, portly good look
ing man, with rudy complexion aud
well filled purse When playing angel he
fan led he could fight In Tracey's one
night he bantered Patsy Sheppard to pat
on the gloves with him.
mo, no, Mr. Law" said the crafty
Patsy; Il know wot stiff punch you
its "
I'm be light on YOU old man, " replied
Law, rather tickled. Come, l need a
little exercise 90
We'll, sir, really couldn't refuse you
II you WuZ ter knock me Dleedin' block
hof."
sHEPPABD's BROKEN JAW.
The gloves We're pulled on, and at it
they went Presently Patsy fairly ran
his Jaw into Laws right and down he
went, lying stiu and playing 'possum.
Law, who really believed that he had
knocked ont his man. tried to bring him
10. After bit Patsy opened his ewes
and moaned, "Oh me Jaws broke.
Emo, IL isn't said Law "5ut I'm sorry
] let drive SO hard" Then Sheppard got
what he played for, a 500 note from
Law
Law was always ready to put up a
purse for prize fight. When he forsook
Jimmy Irving nlacc for Dick Darling's
Irving went around and cracked Darling
on the head with the butt of revolver
For this assault Irving served two years.
Three or four years ago Law took large
party OF pugilsts and sports TO Saratoga
and gave them a great spree Others
came from Baltimore Philadelphia and
Boston to get some of the spoils He
s5aked them all to play faro, and wound
up by presenting Jewels to many of them
some OF them came back with diamonds
or rubies as large as hazel nuts Among
those whom Law rewarded in this lavish
way for the questionable pleasure of
their society were Col. Thomas r. Ochil-
tree, Pat SheedY, Jere Dunn, Joe COburu
Frank Moran and Capt. Jim McCue.
This spree cost him $4,000, but as he
owns nearly ali the Eighth avenue surface
road ne could stand it,
He has scratched all that sort of fun and
preparing TO marry Miss Josephine Mack.
T.. Berry Wall, who was for time pro
claimed king of Dudes and who was
until recently one Of the best known men
about town, Is no longer in the hunt. In
his sunHower days Berry had greater
variety of snowy clothing than any man
in the states, excepting ex-Mayor Filter.
of Philadelphia, whose proud boast was
II have four hundred pair of pants, think
OF that. Filter may have more trousers
than Berry, but Berry beat him out of
sight on the number Of complete outfits.
ia his prime MIR. Wall could and did
make four complete changes of costume
every day and kept it up year in and
out without ever wearing the same out
fit twice. Berry's trousers were the
envy of the town and his scarfs were
simply unmatchable
Poor fellow, ne has gone bit to seed
now. He was an epicure, too, and would
have nothing but dainties. cigars two for
a dollar and the rarest wines obtaiQable
He tried selling wine for a time. and is
now dealing in stocks in quiet way. He
has become martyr to dyspepsia, and it
is no uncommon thing to see this de-
throned king OF the dandies making a
meal of mush and milk in Delmonico's.
Though he has aged some Berry is still
handsome. He has retired because he
can no longer stand the pace.
Fred MAY has "cut IL, 80 too He was a
high roller of the first order, a club man.
an athlete and an eXtravagaut spender
When he started out to incarnadine the
TenderlOin pretty nearly every one in
that part of town soon learned of his
presence. He was lavish with his money
and when it came TO iisticuffs he could
hold his own with almost one He was
so handsome, dressy, liberal, and of
course popular, that he could have done
/. Il.