Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-07-23
Society's Sweet "SVell."
A WORD TO BE DETEsTED, YET IT
HAS ITS PLACE IN THE FASH
IONABLE WORLD.
Editor White Cannot Figure Out What
Swell Means, Notwithstanding
He Has Been at Newport,
Long Branch, Etc.-No
Genuine "SwelIs"
IN Mexico.

SOUTHAMPTON, Long Island, N. Y,
July 13.-'SweIl" is an adjective Cor
intended to be- and is used a great
deal by writer's for the effete society
papers. 1t is q miserable word. /
can't just get at what it means from
the dictionary 1 have at hand. Does
it NEAR swelled head?
l see from Thursday LEDGER that
you have had a ''swell" party, and
that two "swell" young men from
Columbia have been to Mexico, and
all on the same day. What was there
about the party that was like the men?
What was really the trouble with the
men? How are they different from
any other men? When l left Mexico
ten days ago there were no ''swelp'
men or women, young or old, in Mex
leo. The Mexico folks, as I knew
them, were just good, plain, sensible
American people. Have the "swells"
been born or have they moved in
since l left? The Lord never made
any people better than those who
live in Audrain County. There are
no "swells" among them. There
never will be. The Lord may affiict
us with army worms and chinch bugs,
but deliver US from ''swells," what
ever they may be.
The summer girl grows more num-
erous and more "summery' at the
seaside each year and the following,
written by one OF them, is supposed
to be ''swelr' and is published by re-
quest:
The summer girl, all fancy free,
In charm will ne'er grow less;
She is a dream, a melody
Of airy loneliness;
And, like the dainty rose petite
That blooms through all the years,
She'll make the blue-eyed summer
sweet
Whenever she appears.
Her presence giides the summer time
And makes it fly apace;
Our thoughts flow tenderly as rhyme
Held captive by her grace.
She makes our fancies madly whiz
Till of her charms we rave
Who in the purple cea is
The music of the wave.
What would the golden summer be
Without the summer girl?
'Twould be cen as the sapphire sea
Without q shining pearl;
'Twould be cen as a garden way
Without a butterfly,
Or even as a norm in May
Without a rosy sky.
The summer girl can never change;
She is the child of fame
In beauty's wide and subtitle range
She'll ever be the same.
Though summer comes and fits away,
In times relentless whirl,
She comes forevermore to stay
The lovely summer girl.
l asked this summer girl what |
''swell" meant and she said: "Some
folks consider me SWELL" She was
dressed in a smile and a bathing suit |
made of less than a yard of X ray
stuff. l consid cred it something, and
it may be she calls it s'swell."
New York is erecting a s"swelP'
building. 1t will be twenty eight
high and is intended to "hold
over'' Chicago. Well, Chicago held
New York in several places at
the ''swell" convention last week and
revenge is sweet.
There should be a law against erect
ing such tall buildings. Why, my
neck is sore yet from "craning" it as
1 walked down Broadway trying to
see everything and not get run over.
A man can't gaze at the top of al
twenty eight story building and keep
out of the way of the cable cars and
''gold bugs" on Broadway at the same
time without danger. At least l can't.
| saved my life, but have a "sweIl"
neck.
Has Mexico's ''swell' passenger
been repaired yet? The LED
GER has it from good authority that
Mexico would have a new station if
the railroads had not been repeatedly
annoyed about nothing. GAN things
come to him who waits" Is that
correct? Well, the people of Mexico
have been, are now, and I am afraid
will have to continue to wait for a new
brick passenger station trimmed with
rock.
Then we want the streets around
The square and to the depot paved
brick; but we do not have to
wait for the new depot to do the paw
ng. We can jump on to the railroads
'or not building a new depot, but it is
our own fault that the streets are not
paved. Mexico needs the streets
around the public square paved with
Prick more than we need a new de-
pot or any other Improvement. Wei
must have 'swell'' streets before we
an have a "swell" city. K
r. M. WHITE.