The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-05-28
SUCCESSOR TO BERRY WALL
j. WaIdere Kirk Takes a Drive and
Shocks New York Dudes.

New York. May 2S-J. Waldere Kirk
has seen many phases of New York life
since his advent Saturday, and he has
formed his own opinions.
Mr.. Kirk who all the east must
know, is regarded in the west as the
best dressed man in America, shocked
the gold plated youth of the town by
discarding his frock coat at 2 o'clock
in the afternoon for simple serge suit
for his drive.
Horrible" murmured the horde of
fancy drcssers, who thrOnged the cor
ridors of the Hotel Imperial in order
to catch glimpse of his loneliness.
But Mr.. Kirk has his own ideas about
such things.
why should I wear a frock coat of
imported cheviot,'' he inquiries, with
some asperity, for dusty drive? II
would be most inappropriate. Serge is
the material. It was l who induced the
men of Butte to refrain from wearing
silk hats with seersucker coats, and I
believe that I can teach the men of
New York the incongruity Of imported
cheviot for a drive in the dust"
After a repast Mr.. Kirk dressed him
self for a short stroll. His costume was
striking and well worthy of his repu-
tation. 1t can be asserted on the au-
thority of Mr.. Kirk himself that his
underwear was of pale pink silk, and
that his stockings were of Nile green
silk This information is vouchsafed
for the benefit of such persons as mere
" saw him on the promenade.
When he left the Thirty-second street
entrance of the hotel he wore his much
proclaimed frock coat of imported chew
lot 1t is of a buff color and has a
pronounced blue stripe running dag
onauy through it. Coat, waistcoat
and trousers were of the same material.
The straight collar which he wore at
tanned an altitude of 31s inches The
shirt was of a pale lilac, with small i'm
pressiOnist daubs of pink anime Inc
cuffs were of the same material. Inc
cravat was an imperial of white SILK,
with ultramarine blue rOSeS-a TINT Ut
terIv unknown to f1oriculturiSts, but
highly artistic embroidered in the fore
ground This was fastened with
huge pigeon blood ruby PIN.
The shoes were of patent leather,
with rounded toes; the gloves dark
tan. with black stitching, and the cane
a light Malacca, crooked, with a gold
tip. -4
striking feature of the garments, next
the material itself. Its tails reached
within only three inches of the trousers
knees but they were belled greatly IN
the back Had another inch been
taken from the skirts the garment
would have been a splendid counterfeit
for pea jacket
Mr. Kirk was unfortunate in not see
ing MANY of New York'S real SWagger
dressers. In vain he looked for Berry
SOh. for one glimpse of Wall" he
sighed, but no Wall appeared. But by
a great piece of good luck, he saw L.
Suffern Taller and Elisha Dyer, Jr.
The former made the greater Impress
ion on the mind of Mr. Kirk T. Suf-
fern Taller was Immediately attlred,
as is his wont His puff scarf protrud-
ed some three and half inches beyond
the plumb line of his frock coat, but
the tails of his coat were a trifie too
long 10 suit the ideas of the Beau
Rr1nmeu of the Golden Gate.
Too long, too long" he murmured
refectively Hes all right in every
other respect, but I can't go those