New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-06-27
THE DAILY CRESCENT.
Tnoughtless Extravaganza.

This article, which we take from the Hera

This article, which we take from the Herald,
applies to other latitudes besides New York:
We have on several occasions called attention
to the rapid, thoughtless and fearful progress
which the spirit of personal extravaganza is
making in this country--we mean more particu-
larly extravaganza in dress, living and amuse-
ments.
We have confessed our inability to solve the
mystery as to where the funds have been found
by many individuals whom we know to be at
this moment under protest, or recently compro-
missed. A few days ago, happening to visit
fashionable mason des modes up town, the pro-
prietor had occasion to speak of her inability to
furnish ready money sufficient to liquidate the
duties upon her newly arrived goods now in
port We expressed surprise at this, knowing
that she enrolled upon her golden tablet the
names Of the beau monte and the most re-
cherche. She then stated that it was with the
utmost difficulty and sacrifice, both Of time and
personal feeling, that she could collect enough
to pay her workwomen and the duties; that she
was then owing money in Paris which she was
unable to remit; that families, comprising from
two to four grown-up daughters, besides the
mother, were then owing her from twelve to
twenty -four hundred dollars each, and that
every application for aequittance was met by
plump refusal on the part Of the husband and
tears from the wife, until at length she had
positively refused to furnish more dresses until
the existing debts were Cancelled.
This is not an isolated case--it is, we might
almost say, universal in fashionable life
Every evening party at fashionable house
requires from fifty to one hundred new dresses
and at a magnificent ftte chdnp6tye given last
week in New Jersey, there were over two hun
dred new and magnificent dresses, costing from
nifty to one thousand dollars each
These are facts They cannot be denied nor
qualified. The graceful end lovely bellies, so
lnagnifcently attircd at these fashionable re-
unions, are, therefore, dressed not at the ex-
pence Of their wealthy papas, but by the unpaid
labor, the steaming sweat, the hard taxed eve
sight, the midnight toll of the poor and wretched
seamstresses ana milliners; for these hard work
ing and harder fated women are frequently
obliged to 60 unpaid when their employers are
unable to collect their debts Think of this, ye
giddy, frivolous, worthless bellies! At the
bootmaker's, the same story there; and so with
the halter, the tailor, and every other trades
man, the same There is one system of plumber,
an understood thing-fashiona and universal
We do not altogether pity these people-the
evil is universal, and by concerted movement
cash in hand could be required before goods are
delivered or dresses cut. If this were carried
out universally, there would be no fear of losing
customers, for no better terms could be had
elsewhere. In our business we tried it, and
shall revolutionize the entire newspaper business
in this city.
But the reaction is now upon US. Real estate
is descending from its Pegasus, and one by one
the necessarics of life are being reduced in price
Money is becoming daily more dear and more
difficult to obtain. Many merchants and stock
jobbers, living in large houses and driving fine
equpages, are now trembling on the brink of
fearful precipice. Two per cent. a mouth is
readily paid by these doomed men in the hope
that some fortunate card will 'turn up to
relieve them.
Let those to whom these remarks apply take
warning, and, before it is too late retrench their
unjustifable expenditures, place limit to the
excuses of their wives and daughters, and pre-
serve their own reputation, their credit and
their peace of mind.