The Colfax chronicle. (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-02-17
Our New York Letter,
NEw York, Jan. 80, ~

NEW YoRK, Jan. 80, &c.
Editor CHRONICLE
Now York always has a good
many queer things and queer peo-
pie in it. The flash days of the
war had their characteristics of
Shoddy and general extravaganza
which were the themes Of endless
comment and fun, and now in CIR
cumstances the very reverse of
those, the city comes up smiling
with its quota of Incidents and
characters suited to the hard times.
The very rich class are always
Sch and keep up their show thro'
thick and thin; 80 one would hard
ly think of looking among them
for signs Of the times. But it is
a somewhat singular fact that
while this upper crust goes into as
much expense for itself and its
pleasures as ever, just at the mo-
ment its members are dunned for
The cash they are apt to fall back
on The universal stringency." /
nave the authority of one of our
sunday papers for some striking
examples. A case was recently
known where, in the same day a
Young Croesus gave the order for
n supper rarty which would cost
one thousand dollars, and yet dis
puted household account of six
months standing, amounting to
only twenty-five dollars, and finally
forced the poor creditor to take
about two-thirds of the bill, on
the ground of the hardness of
the times" One bachelor, on Fifth
avenue, whose income is about
five hundred thousand dollars a
year, and whose yearly expenses
does not exceed one-half that sum,
is said not to have paid u bill in
three months, unblushingIy plead
ing the condition of the country"
as an excuse. Aud this is carried
on into the very last details of
domestic economy. One butcher
in a fashionable neighborhood has
eight customers, all apparently
well-to-do, who owe him over $500
apiece. One housekeeping Fifth
Avenoodle, who drives his hand
some team and wears a crest ON
his carriage door, pleads poverty
each time that this butcher pre-
sents a bill of nearly 500.
There is one phase of human
nature which these days bring
into clear relief aud that is the
tenacity with which social stand
ing is chung to and appearances
kept up until the last possible mo-
ment. This class of the erich in
pride and poor in pocket" is
large tne though l don't imagine
that all its members will be willing
to go to the lengths occasionally
reported. At least two instances
are known where ladies who have
seen better days, but are now left
to depend upon themselves with
only the very scantiest resources,
rather than descend from their
social plane devote the last attain
able cent to the payment of rent
and servant, and then, under
cover III disguise, and On an as
su-ned naine, go around among
reiiei societies aud beg provisions
and coal.
Then the makeshifts and extre-
mities to which thousands are re-
duced who are not absolutely de-
pendent Oh charity, would of
themselves make a long aud inter
esting chapter i'll social history
OF the present crisis. A reporter
tells Of Il respectable ahd Veil
connected family now living Oh one
OF the More modest avenues, the
head OF winch supports his de-
pendents OH ali ihc0ine ot twelve
dollars u week, earned b. driving
a truck al day tor seven dollars a
week and at night translating
French novels tor . weekly paper