The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-08

| The financier, her husband, liked news
paper influence in his affairs, and so he
bought an interest in paper for the
clever and diplomatic young man. who
now holds the position of assistant edi-
| tor.
Still another young man with no money
and no claim on society came here with
one good letter of introduction. He has
| so worked that letter of introduction that
he could get a hundred good letters now
| if he wished tostry London or Paris So
ciety for change. But he really doesn't
need them any more. He was an orig
! inal chap, and, as soon as he had gained
a foothold in smart houses. he began
doing remarkable and original things TO
amuse society. He got UP unique enter
! tainments and introduced ridiculous fads.
! Society being bored to death with its
/ own dullness, very cordially received this
young man who amused it. and petted
I him until it spared him on to do more
and more remarkable things. He became
almost famous for his genius in inventing
new weys of startling the smart set. Now
he has married a rich and beautiful wild
ow and no longer needs to rack his brains
10 cater to the set of people who made
him. He was perhaps the greatest genius
in his line that New York has ever
known.
Other young men have been clerks in
the Offices of the men whose wives and
daughters invited them at first to "fll
up because they looked we'll in evening
clothes and could lead a german. Others
have gotten in through some special tai
ent or gift for music or literature, which
made them small lions in a way at first,
but which they afterward stopped utiliz-
ing or cultivating because they found
they had a greater talent for social sue
cess.
The doors TO society which the enter
prising young man may enter are many.
and they all lead to success if one knows
how to keep his feet. Some fail even
with the best chances because in their
folly they attempt to initiate the real
thing" or the man born in the. smart set.
They adopt the languid air and stolid
stare of the man who is bored to death,
and they refuse to become strenuous and
handwriting dancers. They forget that
they must earn their places. Then, I'M
less they are very attractive physically or
mentally, they fall out of favor; for what
the society woman wants is somebody
who will help amuse her guests. That is
the duty of the professional society man.
At first the young man who is getting
into society often lives on nothing a year.
1t is very easy, if you only know how. A
man who is dancing every night until 3
o'clock and Who is thinking most of the
day Of what he is going to wear. do, and
say in the evening, does not have much
time to forge ahead in a business way.
So, if he is fifteen-dollar clerk when he
starts in, he often remains a fifteen-dollar
clerk until he marries or gets a pull with
some of his society acuain<anceS. There
are young men here who live in hired
rooms for which they pay from 81 TO IS
per week. cold hall rooms with one gas
jet. tiny shaving mirror and cot for
furniture. Every cent which they earn
they spend on their clothes.
This professional society man gets up in
the morning and orders a cup of coffee
and a roll sent to his room. He would not
dare be seen eating in cheap restaurant.
so all the dreary. weary. wretched part of
his life is shut close in that little room,
which corresponds to the cold. barren re-
gion behind the scenes at the theatre.
He is very much like an actor in that
he knows he is just a figure in a great
drama, where he is playing for plaudits.
Sometimes he gets his best clothes from
a famous tailor for nothing. In return
he sends the tailor customers or gets
his name in the newspapers or writes
ads for him if he has the talent
Often he has the same pull with the
florists. and if he wears an orchid
in his buttonhole and sends some
women roses every day ne pays for them
in the same way. His shirt studs if they
are handsome, and his ring or jeweled
stickpin are generally bought ION time
and the jeweler lets him have them before
they are fully paid for, because he can
give such excellent credentials. A casual
mention of some matron's name or the
fact that he dined with Mrs. So-and-S
last night or sight of him in a great
lady's box at the opera puts the jewelers.
mind at rest regarding him. OF course, he
always pays for the pin or ring in the
end He must be honorable to be a sue
cess.
Beyond his clothes. his room and his
morning coffee the professional society
man need have no expenses. He need not
even pay for his luncheon; for he is due
at tea every afternoon at some fashion
able house and he dimes sumptuously ev-
cry night at somebody else's expense. Not
q dinner does he pay for during the sea-
son. He never pays for theatre tickets.
There are always buds and matrons only
too happy to have him show UP in their
boxes during an evening. If he escorts a
young woman and her mother anywhere.
he. Of course. goes in their carriage. No
body knows or cares where he lives. how
he lives. nor what she lives on, so long
he presents a decent appearance and has
the grand air" If he has no time TO go
to afternoon teas. he learns how 10 live
on two meals day; takes his breakfast
late and dimes heartily at S o'clock on
iced clans. oyster patties. quail and pate
de fol gras-at the expense Of his hostess
At Christmas he grows sentimental and
sends the women to whom he must make
Sresents. violets or books OF verses, with.
perhaps. some. original verses OF his own
to make the gift seem more personal ana
valuable. Occasionally. If he rides well
he Canters in the Park on hired or Dor
rowed horse and sometimes. just TO keep
things going. he does stunts
For instance. one young man create
talk last winter by driving daily FOR
whole week through the park with
handsome woman whom nobody knew
Somebody started the gossip that he was
engaged 70 be married 10 a rich Partisan
widow. and that the trap be drove in was
hers. As a matter Of fact. the trap was
hired. th, widow" was an ARTISTS model
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