The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
ONE OF McALLIsTERs AIDES.
johnson, Who Took the Tickets mt
AristOcracy's Door.

Aristocracy's Door.
Kate Fields Paper.
Brown of Grace Church. was notable
character in his day-one of the big figures,
in every sense. in the New York social
background When he died. everybody said
"How we replace Browns His sue
cessor, johnson, proved to be as great as
he in all respects except avoirdupois, but he
dl a not a live long g enough to become equally h
duties were as arduous and as cleverly per-
formed as Browns, New York had grown
era preceding the fall of the Tweed
gime to the huge cosmopolis of to-day, with
its army OF newly rich its panorama I'm OF
Allister. Where Brown stood guard at the
outer gates Of five vast functions. Johnson
Somebody asked him once whether it was
not true that men. and women had knelt to
peep into the diamond-studded ballroom of
a multimillionaire, as fine ladies are said
now and then to .grovel before Worth. of
Paris for one Of his new dreams of millin-
mot quite that he answered; "but
have had some funny times at the en-
frances to the Patriarchs and Assemblies,
and even more at church weddings and big
receptions. such as Mrs. Aston sometimes
gives, at the Claremont teas. Well
dressed women and men have often tried
to slip in with some such excuse as oh!
women s1i rarely try bluff. The most frequent
instances have been those of dressmakers,
who are persistent in trying to get in-not,
harder to deal with Their faces, owing to ea
to remember than women's But + rarely
make a mistake. 1t is very hard to discrim-
mate where there are 50 many foreigners
in town as there has been for the past year.
OF course can't keep other people waiting
while look up the invitation list. so
/ know those to the manner born so well
that it is not once year that an intruder
''You don't carry the names and faces of
all society. big as it is now. In your men,
II do; and not only that, but l. know all
the marriages and 1ntermarriages Of society
and their collateral relations and all sorts
OF private er , Information aiIs that have picked
Yours is sort of social detective work?'
"Oh: no. My duties are not to pry into.
but simply to advance the interests of So
ciety by being prompt and oblging in all
my work-principally in getting people off
promptly in their carriages after the ball
IS over. For instance, old Mr. Blank comes
down stairs at Delmonicos a cold will
ter's. night and says: johnson, I want my
swear a little until Mr.. Blanks carriage is
hs Carriage ne aop e 'n Ma sfar he
meantime some other people have come
But Mr.. Blanks daughters have fallen int,
an animated conversation with some young
dude, and their father can't. make them
| their carriage away. It may be half an
! hour before I can get it in line again. Then
| I'm sure to receive pretty bit of abuse
| Who are the worst offenders in this re-
speet?'
| pie who have come to New York to spend
money; I get the worst slanging always
little. revenge. though, If want 1T, by
| or snow Storm
Whom shall we have in your place
when drafts a .,i and 1' rheumatism have got the
"Oh! I have brought up my son to ster
| into my Shoes He already knows people
nearly as well as I do and has as, acted fol
| are thoroughly. conversant with all the
names of people and ...rect all invitations
for. me-see for yourself how well they Dc
it." And he handed out some beautiful,
directed cards, written in a very legible ant
| fashionably Correct" writing. But If so
ciety keeps on increasing as 1t has during
| the past ten years it will be simply i'm
| possibly for one man or one man and hi:
family to look after it as Brown and
der to look after a reception for, say Mrs
Cooper on Washington Square, and tn,
same evening be compelled to handle tn
CARRIAGES for a dance, at Mrs Milrs a
| /Sixty-seventh street and Fifth avenue. Yol
see. the distances so great nowaday
and the entertainments so numerous tina
! expect to find dozen other Johnsons il
the field before long"
but don't the police help you a goo,
deal in handling your big crowds of car
by no means. don't expect it or asl
it. never have more than one policeman
to help me il case any of the drivers &c
myself. The drivers know me and knoy
my voice and obey implicitly. They ar
just as anxious to get home as l am afte
! methods are best
This winter New York is finding out HOY
we'll Johnson's successors do his work.