Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-15
RXTRAYAGANT YOUNG MEN.

What it costs a fashionable young
man to live is a grave question. We
mean ever and above the reasonable
demands for clothing and bOard-the
extra amount of dress which signifies
display, and the extravaganza of liv-
ing which does not come under the
head of dissipation, not to say protii-
gacy. 1t will hardly do to leave out
dress suit, for that is an expendi-
ture on the score of society, which in
the ordinary business of life can be
dispensed with. Beginning, then,
with a dress suit, including gloves
and the details of a faultless toilet, a
presentable full dress suit of broad
cloth costs from seventy-five to one
hundred dollars. A dress shirt, as it
is called, five dollars; if embroidered,
a dollar and half or two dollars eX-
ira. Fancy collars and require an
additional sum. The extravaganza
in neck-ties runs to q high rate
Gloves cannot be procured for less
than two dollars and quarter, and
boots are at any figure from twelve to
twenty-five dollars Some OF our
young exquisite sport hem stitched
end embroidered initial on monogram
linen camb-ic pOcket-handkerchiefs,
which are very expensive. The cost
of a complete dress suit will thus be
seen to run up to one hundred odd
dollars, and in the creDl Ia de q crenld
of Indianapolis society is considered
almost Indispensable. Il Is not the
case in Chicago, where a man can
feel at his ease at a party or the opera
hnx 41nftGu if hn haz q mind rn
them, nor is it insisted upon in choice
circles elsewhere.
This regulation suit, in which the
margin for fashionable jewelry has
not been considered, is only the be-
ginning of embarrassment to lash
ionable young sprig. SuppOsing he
intends to escort a lady to party, lie
must hire carriage at an expense of
five or ten dollars, besides feeling the
driver for waiting two or three hours
later than the hour set for returning
home. If the opera is in order, there
are the tickets of admission for one or
two nights, varying from ten to thirty
dollars, including carriage hire and
such delicate attentions ss bouquets,
bOn-bons, and ices.
Wines and games, running into
not counted, the single
item of cigars is heavy tax. Taking
into consideration the fact that the
average salary of young men is eight
dollars, how they will de-
fray the expense of sOciety becomes n |
very serious question. They must be
either bankrupt in the necessary ex- |
pense of living orin its eXtravaganees. |
In plain words, they cannot very well |
be honest. They must either defraud !
their landlords and washerwOmen OF
their tailors. Once in a while the evil /
crops out in the police court in the |
shape of embeZzlement, but it oftener /
shows itself in prematurely old, care
worn, brokendOwn young men with |
Dut position or credit, and cut off from /
all chances of future usefulness.-I
Without going into the causes of this
fatal habit of extravaganza in young /
men, we are satisfied it exercises as
Daneful an effect upon good morals as
The extravaganza commonly ascribed
10 women. Our sex is quite as much
10 blame as the other, and it is one of
he first causes of degeneracy and de-
,ay. The aim of it all is to set up
barrier between the poor and the rich
TO have, in short, and aristOcracy of
wealth, and were it not for the for
unes constantly changing bands
rom the rich and eXtTavagant to the
and prudent, the stability
# republican instit ltiOns would be
Indianapolis Journal