Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-07-01


her own defence he had 10 take The con-
sequence
AGROWING TASTE FOR LUXURY.
Even the most careless observer must
have been struck with the increasing taste
for luxury among all classes. Within
the last three or four years especially,
expensive habits,not TO say extravaganza,
have advanced with rapid strides. But
when retrospective glance, instead Of
being carried back only few years, is ex
tended 10 half generation. the disparity
between past economy and present luxury
becomes still more striking.
We are not now aluding to exaggera-
ted and rare examples, but TO families
generally, and all conduons of life
Within few years each grade of expen-
dture has assumed the habits of that i'm.
mediately above it. Thus the Journey,
man mechanic furnishes his house as
wei! as the small trader did, the snail ira.
der as well as the capitalists, the ordinary
capitalists as well us the millionaire
Where once ingram carpets were used,
tapestry is now employed; where tapes.
try was considered good enough, only vel.
vet will DO. In the same way walnut
has taken the place of rosev ood, and hair
seating to brocaelle. Cur tains Of lace
have supplanted Venetian blinds, as We
netian blinds have succeeded paper shedes
This growing extravaganza runs thro'
the entire family expenditure. Some dis.
tain to live in houses which their fathers
occupied; daughters scorn to have their
+ parlors furnished as plainly as those of
their mothers; and young married people
generally,in their houshold appointments,
are not conten; unless they begin where
their parents left off. The taste f2r spIen.
did attire. and for costly entertainments,
is particularly striking. In illustration of
this, we may notice that the imports of
French silks and wines, for several years
past, have steadily increased In 1852
the wines brought into the country were
valued in round numbers. at five hall
millions of dollars in 1853 the value Of
, wines imported was more than seven mil.
i lions and three quarters. This was an
increase. it will be seen, of nearly fifty
per cent. ..r.
The whole value of silks and liquors
| imported for 1858 was forty millions Of
dollars. In that year the Parlsian goods
bought by Americans were not less THAI
twenty-five millions or more than the rail.
road iron fol the same year, heavy as that
item was. Silks andlqnors are pre.emi.
, nenty, however, articles Of luxury. The
expensive habits ofthis nations have, there.
fore, reached nigh pitch, when popu.
| lation of 25,O00,000 spends forty millions
; of dollars on articles of foreign luxury
e alone.
: The question is whether the country
s can ford this or not. If the latter, then
0 the expenditure is extravaganza if the
e former, it is only LIBERAL, and not an in
r furious outla.;, Undoubtedly, the nation
has been steadily increasing in wealth ev
er since the dark days of 1910; and has
} especially thriven since the discovery o
California, and the influx Of the conse
quent harvest OF gold. Most varieties ol
t manufactured fabrics, meantime, have de.
$ creased in value AS compared with the
: past year, we grant. many descriptions OF
v goods are higher; but if comparison o
d, few years is made. they are cheaper
t still. In nearly every business the aggre
gate profits have exhibited an increase.
: The very fact that people spend money
t freely enlarges the demand for every
thing; and this gives additional vitality
: to all sorts Of trades, and all varieties o
! manufactures. |, is dif1icrlt to draw Q
9 line, under such circumstances, and say
l where extravaganza begins. What woulc
S have been wasteful expenditure ten years
: ago, is such no longer. 1t is possible, IN
3 deed, that luxury has increased faster
. than wealth. But we do not think thai
, the excess. if any, isas great as super.
f fetal observers suppose. :
-~~~~~~~~>---~~~ , .
A large elephant attached to Meua.
gerie. while on the way, 10 Fall River R,
l.. got beyond the control of his keepers
and killed three horses on the road
SIN .shed the wagons, and seriousl, injured
two men, who were in the wagons. The
elephant was finally captured near SHADES
Ferry and taken to Fall River. tTt.
-~~~>~~-~~~---->----~>~~->-~ j.,
A FArHRR's ADvIcE.--Jeems. my son.
Keep away from the gals. Ven you see
one comm, dodge. Jist sich critter as
that young 'un cleanin' the door on the
other side of the street, fooled your poo
old daddy. JemmY. f ithad,nt haan for