The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-19

THE ExTRAvAoANCE OF FASHIONABLE PEOPLE
IN New YoRK-WHERE THE MONEY COMES
FRoM.-We have on several occasions called at
tention to the rapid, thoughtless and fearful
progress which the spirit of personal extrava-
gance is making in this country-we mean
more particularly extravaganza in dress, living
and amusements.
We have confessed our inability to solve the
mystery as to where the funds have been found
this moment under protest, or recently COM
promised. A few days ago, happening to
visit a fashionable maison DIES modes up
town, the proprietor 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 monde 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 an acquittance 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-itis, we might
almosAnay, universal in fashionable life.
HVay evening party at u fashionable house
requires from fifty to one hundred new dresses,
and at magnificent .fste champetre given last
week in New Jersey, there were over two hun
dred new and magnificent dresses, costing from
fifty to one thousand dollars each.
These are facts. They cannot be denied
nor qualified. The graceful and lovely
bellies, so magnifcently attired ct these
fashionable reunions, are therefore, Dress
ed not at the expense of their wealthy
papas, but by the unpaid labor, the steaming
sweat, the hard-taxed eye-sight, the midnight
milliners, for these hard working and harder
.fated women ere frequently obliged to go un-
paid when their employers are unable TO col
lect their debts. Think of this ye giddy, frivo-
Ions, worthless bellies! At the bootmaker's,
the came story there; and SO with the hat
ter, the tailor, and every other tradesman,
the,same. There is one system Of plumber, an
understood thing-fashionable and universal.
We do not altogether pity these people-the
evil il universal, and by a concerted movement
cash in hand could be Dquired before goods are
delivered or dresses 0t If this were carried
out universally, there would be no fear of
losing customers, tDr no better terms could be
had elsewhere. In our business we tried it,
and shall revs2utionize 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 necessaries Of life are being reduced in price,
Money is becoRing daily more dear and more
difficult to obtain. Many merchants and stock
jobbers, living in large houses and driving fine
eqripages, are now trembling on the brink of a
fearful precipice. Two per cent month is rea-
Oily paid by these doomed men in the hope
that some fortunate card will "turn up" to re-
lieve them.
Let those to whom these remarks apply take
warning and, before it is too late retrench their
expenditures, place limit to the
excuses, Of their wives and daughters and pre-
serve their own reputation, their credit and
their peace of mind