Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-27
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
KlPLlNG'S PRECAUTIONS FOR THE
PREVENTION OF PUBLICITY.

The Promise lie Extracted From N
We'll known IlIustrntor-rhc Late
spring and Its Eject on the Tni- /
Iors.
NEW YORK, April % = Special The
papers have said good deal from time to
time recently about Rudyard Kipling's cx-
IRENE dislike of the interviewer To this
young Anplo-Indian writer the publca-
ton of the smallest paragraph concerning
his life or his personality is exceedingly
distasteful, and so far as the public has
been allowed to read he has submitted on
two occasions only to the questions of "a
writer DESTROYS of producing "Kipling
special.
One OF these was a serious minded leu
ton, who went all the way from German
city to the British capital to make a char
actcr study of the strongest young British
writer The other was a flippant western
reporter, who caught the author of "The
Days Work" off his guard at n hotel.
Each interviewer succeeded in producing
All interesting and valuable contribution.
KipIinE md the Artist.
Notwithstanding kiping' 5 excessive pre-
cautions against being personally exploit
ed in type there is almost as much gossip
floating around in print about him as
about any other contemporary writer.
The public has been told how he composes,
and information as to the mechanical pro-
duction of his manuscript has been spread
broadcast. Paragraphs apparently truth
full, detailing his ways Of amusing himself,
other paragraphs relating the most init
mate particulars of his early journalistic
life in India, still others indicating his
personal likes and dislikes Of the most
trivial sort, and again others rccitng Kip
ling anecdotes of great variety are to be
met in nearly every issue of every news
paper turned ont from the press on either
side of She water
heard story this morning which
shows better than anything have seen in
print to what lengths he is willing to go
in keeping his personality secluded from
the public. A year or two ago, just after
he had completed one of his most famous
productions, arrangements were made for
the artist who was to illustrate the work
to travel over the territory in which the
characters of the book had lived. Before
the artist reached this territory, however,
he received n telegram asking him to go
to kipling's Vermont home. This sum
mons was obcyrd, and the artist arrived
there on the following day. He was met
at the railroad station by a Kipling en-
ploycc and driven to the Kipling house.
Its master greeted the artist outside, with
the door closed behind him.
Now, - said Kipling with serious face
and finger warningly uplftcd, before
you go into my house / want you to prom
Use on your honor as u gentleman that you
will reveal nothing whatever either for
publication or to your personal friends,
concerning what you see while you arc
here. l want no description of my homo
and no gossip about myself to be given to
the public or to your acquaintance.
To say that the artist was tlabbcrgasted
by this singular condition to his entrance
of the house is putting it mildly. He
almost gasped with amazcment and stood
mute for nearly minute before he could
find words to give his assent. OF course
he agreed and the moment he had done
SO was allowed to pass tho swinging por-
tails Naturally this story could not have
been made public had not the artist told
some of his friends about it, but nothing
whatever has transpired through the To-
quacity of the illustrator concerning the
home life of the kiplings or his personal
ity.
Damaged TailOrs.
The long cold spring of this year has
filled tho taiors of New York with moth
ing less than dismay, since it has material
ly shortened the season in which spring
clothing and especially spring overcoats
are in demand. To some of them the pres
ent year, because of this, will be much less
profitable than it would have been had the
month Of March been balmy instead of
raw and cold.
list of those who will suffer in this
manner would not include the swell tailors
of Fifth avenue, however Their custom
crs. being almost all men Of virtually UNI
limited means and unusual devotion To
sartorial matters, buy about as many gar
monts one year as another regardless of
weather or anything else. The prices
these men pay for their apparel are very
large This WAS discovered last year by Il
titled Englshman who found after arrival
here that he needed a pair of duck trousers,
and, ordering them at one of the best Fifth
avenue establishments without stipulating
the price, was Mortified when a cash pay
mcnt of $lS was demanded before the
trousers would be delivered. In spite OF
his title and his wcalth-the latter is real
ly grcat--the Englishman demurrcd scri
ously and used excessively strong Ian
guage in demurring. 1t was no use,
though. The tailor said that was his regu
lar charge and proved it by his books. II
didn't matter to him whether the customer
took the garment or not, but if he took il
he must pay the same price exactcd OF
swell Americans.
Big Bills For Clothes.
Basing the estimate of the smart New
Workers. annual expenditures for dres:
upon II charge of SIS for a pair OF duck
trousers, it is easy to figure out that nc
first chop swell can attire himself here iol
thou sands. The best Fifth avenue tailor:
rharge from $50 to $50 apiece for fancy
waistcoats and from $40 to 1928 for sucl
u frock or evening suit ~ could be had fol
So from good tailors in any city but New
York and from many tailors in this town
There is one Fifth avenue tailor who ha
made himself n millionaire, building gar
ments for swells, and who is now suilicien
of IA swell himself To belong to the boart
of governors of one of the smartest coun
try clubs in this vicinity. This man =:
lowest price for u pair of trousers is S22
Not long ago one of his customers took {
trousers pattern to this tailor and had il
made up. The bill was s22 just the same
But" said the customer, Il furnished
the goods, and the bill ought to be less.
THAT makes no difference said thu