, 1877-07-22
NEWPORT.
The Inso]ence Of Wealth as Exem-
plihed at Newport,
Mrs. Dives and Little Pruneila
Lazarus.
"A Sermon for Rich and
Poor Alike.
In the Heart Of an Organ.

From Our 07rn Correspondent.
NEWPORT, T. l., July l9.-Scyeral years ago
ore Of the wealthy residents here. in speaking
of the projected lotse-car plan which the Lcgis-
lature defeated, DECLARED that Newport was not
place for poor people who needed horse-cars,
but for rich people: ''lct the poor people 90
somewhere clsc,' was the summing up of this
conversation on the part Of Mrs. Crt.sus. Yet,
harsh Us this sounds, Mrs. CrtHsus WIS not an
unieefng person. l. was the imperative rs
sumption OF wealth,-s'hat has been called tho
insoIenee Of wcalth,-vhich takes upon itself
the Judgment Of ornnipotent authority not sci
dom. Well, there is a certain amount OF truth
il Mrs. Crnsus' assertion after all; and this
amount is the sclf-erilept fact to every thinking
person that Newport now, at this tlay, is not
place 1or the poor so much as for
the ricll- And by the poor, I
mean precisely the class that Mrs. Crpsas
mcans,-persous Of limited means OF any posi-
ton whatever, and riot the laboring class. am
perfectly well aware that 2 few years ago made
something OF a acounter-deelaration, to the effect
that persons OF limited means could make them
selves quite as happy and comfortable here as
their richer. brethren, and that scores Of them
did make themselves thus happy and comforta-
bic.
ITAKE IT ALL BACK,
Or, rather, maize 4 counter~dccl claration that
only those OF these 'tpoor people' who have
an unlimited amount OF health and strength can
make themselves happy and comfortable sum-
mer residents, soiourners. boarders, or what
ever 'sperpatetic'' one may choose to tall tue
bird Of passage, in this bounteous,
beautiful, "blissful Newport, :" in this year Of
our Lord 1871. s'But what means this broad
side at this late day?'' shreks the invader whose
heart yearns for this city Of delights, and whose
heart reyo1ts in consequence at this onslaught
s'Are not prices down9 Did not read in all
the newspapers that cottages rented for one
third less than three years ago? that the board
ins-houses had dropped their pricesa that the
liyery-stables -r
There, there, that Will do, most crcdulous ard
most amiable Of newspaper readers! One
swallow does not make 4 summer; neither does
one fact In great ocean OF facts overthrow the
whole It Is fact that several Of the houses
have rented at good deal lower figure than
they rented even last year. For instance the es-
tate known as the Nathan Matthews estate,
which rented last year
FOR S4,5W 70 MR. JOHN JACOB AsToR,
rents this year to MIR. Pierre Lo1illar for 81 Coo
Two years ago Mrs. Paran Sterens' residence on
Bellevue avenue was rented to the Austrian
Consul General, Mr. Havenleyer, for sc, coo, and
this year Col Lawrence kiDp rents it for S5,000>
But as for the boarding g-houses and hotels, I
have yet to hear OF any positive reduction in
their lofty prices. Every season the rates OF
charge in May and June, and sometimes through
September and October, are moderate, but once
launched into the summer scason,-July and
Aucust,-and the prices 1y up like q rocket. But
ali this and the matter Of lower rents has moth
ing to do Or proves nothing against my state
mcnt that Newport is now as bad, if not worse
than ever as = residence for the people OF liul-
tied means. And the explanation Of this is just
here The summer residents Of great wealth
have Is it we're
TAKEN POSSESSION OF NEWPORT.
In the words OF 1 disguised old Newporter,
"They run Newport But they have made
the old town the thing Of beauty that it is, SO
far as cultivation goes. And when VIC consider
tAat the real estate owned by New York people
simply is computed at seyen millions, VIC shall
scarcely criticise the action that desires to man.
age SO much property in its Owl way, and with
view to its own interest and pleasure. But
the management which defeats horse railroads,
and by its ways Of luxury brings all the prices
up into the highest regions, makes Newport
difficult place for the summer sojourner OF slcn-
der means. For as it stands now, it is getting
to be place Of magnificent distances, only
trayersable By carriage people. To be sure
there are pretty beach wagons, but
they only run at stated times to
the beach and Ocean avenue Outside OF those
hours or those limits you are at the mercy OF
your feet or, If health will not permit that, Of
the stab1e-kecpcr. The beach wagon, TOO, has
not the cheapness OF The accommodating 1orse-
car, and the slender purse will find the 3o-cent
ride when taken frequently rather depicting in
the long run. Then, ( challenge ans soon,dn,
except
sEcH INDEPENDENT SOULS AS DR. NARY
WALLER.
to walk or drive amidst all this wonderful
purple and fine linen and not find herself innu-
enced by it, il she has shred Of taste; for II is
artistic purple and fine linen. lf,ols at that
Algerian stuff with its cream tnts and its tncy-
fa1ing fabric, and all the rest OF that charming
foreign material that seems I" WoTcn Of MOON
beams and tinted with sunshine" Is any
woman, after her eye has BECOME accustomed tn
this, going to be entirely satisfied with
bunting aud Madras gingham,-so satisfied
chase that she makes! And take all the rest Of
the fine things; insensiblY the taste Of one who
lives amongst such things becomes educated
spoiled, if you will for the cheaper possibilities
Everything in this world is matter Of compari-
son. and life becomes sort Of tight Tor The
proper adjustment Of ones individuality to cir
cutnstances. Mrs Dives, no doubt, in her cream
tinted Algerian gown and her cardinal laees, is
fighting for her proper adjustment, and IS as
unhappy ut the losses and disappo'ntncnts that
meet her as little PruncIla LAZARUS, who stands |
At her gate, is unhappy at the fate which shuts |
her out from Mrs. Dives delights. And SO the |
whole grand show here gets to be tue grand ex-
ternal comparison, and the temptation which |
beckons to destruction. ..Thc summer |
residents hare H.ade Newport IS
the exultant CIV Of many. l
don't deny it, nor does anybody. Nor can any
body deny that the summer residents nave also |
made
NEWPORT A BEAUTIFUL VANITY FAIR
for the native Newportcrs, which they have not |
been able to resist and which has denoFallzcd |
them not little from the o1d-timc honor and I
honesty. There is SCARCELY q tra'iesman here or |
laborlnG man or woman but what IS more or |
less Affected by this influx Of luxury and its lu-
peratiyc demands. :
Don't Think said the manager Of one OF
the fine houses here the other day, TO one OF !
these tradcs1ncn who had been engaged to lur-
nish certain necessares, ''that because is tine
house that Wa arc going to submit to any ol
these exo1bitant prces.'' -
Tie tradesr1,a1l's rctort was this, Ibat Inc
owners Of the iue houses we're responsible lot
the exorbi,ant prices, as they had set thc oall