Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-05-19
DAME SQUIRES
TAKE 'EM ABOUT
LII OIL N. Y.
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

New York City. May 1S.-Among
the many curious entertainment
feat which New York has to
offer is the professional escort. No
woman has to be a wallflower as
long as she can afford the price of
one. Be she ever so lacking in
masculine admirers, and ever so
unlikely to acquire any. she may
nevertheless enjoy her share OF
the brilliant, entertaining night
life of New York by the simple ex-
pedient Of hiring one OF the pro-
fessional Squires Of Danes.
Some earnest student of human
itarian problems has said that New
York provides the noblest form of
social service Of any city in the
world. He was not referring to
the Squire of Danes. Yet the
unique nobility of this calling is
self-evident. Consider its require
ments: from early afternoon I'M
til past midnight, the squire must
devote all of his talents and ener-
gy to the entertainment of lonely
unattached ladies. He must escort
them hither and thither, in defer
ence to their commands. to thea
tiers cabarets, hotels, dances and
| chop suey joints, to famous down
town restaurants and famous up
town roof gardens-anywhere they
want to go in pursuit of a good
time. They may be homely ana
badly dressed; he must pay them
delicate compliments. They may
! be clumsy and awkward: he must
guide them safely and deity about
a ballroom floor. They may be
dull and slightly deaf; he must
keep up a stimulating converse
ton. or they may be beautiful,
gracious and rich; he must keep
| his distance and never presume
upon his acquaintance.
Under the circumstances, 1t is
not surprising to learn from one
who has studied the species that
the professional Squire of Danes is
born--not made. There are only
a few of them in New York-never
enough to supply the demand
and even these are always threat
ening to quit their calling for n
less exaoting trade. They are not
to be confused with the smooth
voiced lounge lizards who haunt
| the cabarets and dance halls at
night in an unofficial capacity. nor
with the flashily-dressed hangers
on in some Of the so-called dancing
academies on Broadway. Women
sometimes employ these types as
escorts, it is true. but they do so
with great risk to their diamonds,
~ pnnntia h1 n
securities.
The Squire OF DANES, on the
other hand, is reliable, discreet,
and we'll versed in social etiquette.
His dress and conduct are strictly
conservative, so that, if suddenly
confronted by a friend or relative,
q woman can easily introduce him
as a perfectly proper social ac-
quaintance. His services are not
in demand by flappers or women
who are permanently addicted to
jazz, but by the many lone women,
young and middle-aged, who come
to New York from far-off parts of
the country, lured by the widely
| heralded attractions of metropoli-
tan life.
Customers Are WclI-to Do.
Some of these women, especially
those who are here only for a brief
visit, stop at the best hotels, are
literally supplied with pocket
money and have q secure social po-
sition at home. During the first
week or two. they are content to
shop and attend the movies and a
few matinees, but after that they
begin to feel lonely. They realize
that, without neutrality-suspicious.
masculine friends-they are miss
ing the most interesting features
of the city. To the out of-town
woman, the fierce. magnificent
glare of Broadway is very enticing
and it is intolerable not to be able
to explore it. But unfortunately
that sort of thing is not yet done
by the lone, respectable woman.
THE professional escort just
about solves the problem for these
lonely danes" said hotel man re-
Gently, land | wonder that the no.
tells themselves don't supply such
a service. We have a dancing hos
tess here, of course"-and he way
ed a hand toward the large ball
room-"but what woman wants to
learn the latest dance from a wom-
an if she can get a man to teach
her? Besides, it's only natural
that they should want to dance
with a man on the Great White
Way and feel that they are part
of it for the time being. Then
they'll have something really big
to discuss when they get home"
These so-called squires of DANES
don't advertise; they aren't listed
at the hotel information desk, and
it is doubtful If they have a private
office among them. Their head
quarters are at the big public dance
halls, where they act as dancing in
structors. In these places you can
dance all evening at small cost.
II you know how, and if you don't
know how there are these instruc-
tors to teach you at whatever price
you care to pay. No set charge at
all, you understand, but If q lady
fails to pay at least a dollar for her
lesson, she Is not encouraged to
apply for another.
The squires are all canny bust
ness men. They are constantly on
thO ioohoul loa ~ OSpcl OuS-dBptdl
ing women in the crowd. AS soon
as one enters the hall, she is apt
to receive cordial welcome from
one of the instructors who, ap-
preaching her with just the right
degree of admiration and respect,
inquiries If she desires instruction.
Generally she does. If her reward
is liberal the lessons usually con-
tinue and eventually end in the
acquisition of an escort.
1t is not at all a bad arrange
ment from the woman's point Of