THE COURIER
THE GHAPERON ISSUE.
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Lincoln society, content to bear tho taint of provincialism, lias
not been atTccted by tho cbapcron question, tho ilinerent phases of
Wwhich have of recent years, occasioned considerable discussion in
tho larger American cities, and in some instances caused a modilica
tiou of time honored usage. Tho following is an amusing comment
on tho subject, being a western view from tho Kansas City Star:
"The chaperon agitation is breaking out again in tho west. Just
as peoplo had begun to believe that society had resigned itself to
the blessings or tho evils of tho chaperon the whole question bobs
up again and the old battle must be fought over. Of course tho
trouble is in Chicago. That is where all western outbreaks begin.
And the pity is that this is not a matter where the Federal author
ities can interfore, so it may bo expected to iun a long and weari
some course. Tho truth is that tho chaperon system had a hard
time gaining a foothold in tho west. Tho girls were gay and compe
tent to protect themselves, and the young men were gallant and
generous and not averse to paying all reasonable expenses. But
along came fashion, that arbitrary and domineering old lady, and
Baid that chaperons were the proper things; so the girls told the
boys that hereafter they would not be expected to put up for auy
mare polite recreations, and tho boys very reluctantly assented. Of
course this could not last. 'Die chaperon principlo was all right,
but tho chaperon as a purveyor of recreation did not materialize.and
the young women found to their horror that their amusements were
cut down to the least common denominator. Then they began to
revolt, and to hint to the young men that after all there was no way
like tho old way, and that they were perfectly willing to overlook tho
extreme and silly demands of fashion and return to tho good old
custom that has aided so materially in building up the west. But
tho young men were not so sure that tho point was well taken. They
had tried the chaperon system, and had found to their surprise that
it possessed manifold advantages.
They had discovered that dropping in at a party when one pleased
dancing with whom one pleased, and going homo or to tho club
when one pleased formed a combination of charms that could not be
overlooked. They had learned that a cigar, a cab and ticket for one
were much cheaper than tlowcrs, a carriage and theatre tickets for
two, and they had admitted that as far as they were concerned they
were persuaded that the chaperon system had been much maligned
and that it represented in good faith the bubvark of society. They
would be very sorry to seo society revert to tho dark and heathenish
customs of the past, and were resolved to throw their intlucnco in
favor of the continuation of a scheme of such manifest benefit to a
.veil ordered community.
Of course this was tantamount to a declaration of war, for no
western girl of spirit is going to submit to any masculine interpreta
tation of tho proper or fashionable thing. It was all very well to
run tho chaperon fad while they, the girls, proposed and favored it,
but to continue it because it pleased the men--s'death, that was
quite another proposition. But the young meu wero inexorable.
And what was worse, they had all the argument on their side that
same miserable, unhappy argument which a short timo ago the
young women used so effectively. So there is war between the
sexes, and the matrimonial industry is much depressed in conse
quence. Nobody will pretend to foresee the end of this confict. It
may be confined to Chicago, or a general strike may bo ordered in
volving tho entire west.
As far as Kansas City is concerned the chaperon idea has not
taken a firm hold, but each year marks its insidious growth. When
parents are young and frisky they aro not averso to giving to their
daughters the attention which juvenile blood requires, but as ago
and rheumatism steal on apace this enthusiasm vanishes and home
begins to present more endearing charms. In tho meantime the
young men are growing up in selfishness and avarice, and another
decade will witness tbo disappearance of the gallantry of a past
generation. This is the problem which is confronting society of to
day. This is the mementous issue of the chaperon."
CHOLERA INFANUM
That most dreaded tsummer complaint occurring mostly among
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AMUSEMENT NOTES.
Very generous encouragement has leon given to tho popular en
tertainment course of lectures and concerts, which Mr. Zehrung will
inaugurate at the Funko opera house noxt month. Tho subscrip
tion lists have been vepy generally signed, and thero is every assur
ance that thero will bo a largo attendance at all of theso entertain
ments. The best peoplo in tho city havo taken a lively interest in
this course, and tbo universities and schools will contribute largely
to their support. The course will include lectures by John J.
Ingalls, John Tomple Graves, wno is known as the successor of
Henry V. Grady, Eugene Field, tho poet-journalist, and Rev. Rob
ert Mclntyre, tho eminent divino; and concerts by tho Mozart Smy
phony club of Now York, one of the leading conce.'t organizations of
tho country, and the now University conservatory of music.
Nat Goodwin is among tho coming attractions at the Funke.
Pauline Hall in "Dorcas,"' who was to havo appoared at tho Funke
opera house Tuesday evening, November G, the night of election,
has changed her date a couple of weeks later, at tho instance of
Manager Zehrung.
It is stated freely by the oflicials of the Columbia College that the
abolition of skirt dancing is duo entirely to the press uro brought to
bear upon tho students by Professor Low. Newspaper comment
has been very severe upon tho students for several years, but no at
tention was paid to it until this year, when the students themselves
announced that they had abolished skirt dancing at their entertain
ments. The general public, which does not attend college enter
tainments, has little notion of the extent to which the mimicry of
feminine skirt dancers was followed by Columbia College students.
A little group, composed of six notable members of tho college, not
only became expert dancers, but mimicked the action and voices
and manners of women so thoroughly that it was difficult to tell to
which sex they belonged behind the footlights. Tho climax was
reached two years ago, when the son of a prominent New York
banker, who was a Columbia Collego student, gave an order for a
a costume which was absolutely feminine in all its details, from the
hose to the dresa The finest linen was employed, and the student's
monogram and crest wero worked upon every single article of at
tire. Theso garments were on exhibition in a dressmaker's room on
Fifth avenuo for several weeks before the youth, in full regalia and
paint and powder, gave his dance in public. It was this performance
which resulted in a sharp reversal of public opinion upon the mat
ter, and it had the effect of crushing out the skirt-dancing craze
among the students.
One night last season Delia Fox said she would be willing to pay
$50 for the first pair of tights she ever wore. She had no idea what
became of tho tights, but remarked that the offer would stand good
until she recovered them. Tho news of the reward spread like wild
fire, and within a week Miss Fox had received three pairs of tights
from three different parties, each claiming that the "inclosed tights'
were the original and giving the reasons. Since then Miss Fox has
received G3 pairs of tights and C3 requests for the 8o0 rewards, the
tights are varyining in size from a pair which might fit little La
Regaloncita to a set which would bo too large for Georgo K. Fortes
cue. Ever theatrical manager at one timo or another has been taught
the perilousncss of small type in announcing an artiste. October
will see tho trial of an action in Liverpool wherein Lady Manseil
will seek from the lesseo of the Park Palace Music Hall substantial
damages for putting her name on the bill in small type, says the
Philadelphia Press. Eminent London counsel has been briefed for
the plaintiff, and presumably the clain will rest upon the fact that
anything under "ten-line pica" was an insult to the lady's reputa
tion. If Lady Manseil succeeds she will have added a new terror to
the many which beset the path of a theatrical manager.
Nat C. Goodwin played to more than 310,000 at Hooley's theatre,
Chicago, last week. He appeared in Henry Guy Carleton's "The
Gilded Fool."