The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-03-31
How worth's Bills Were Paid.
Philadelphia 1'eieQraph.

The Empress was dressed for time by
Madame Vignoni, but finding that each of
her dresses were copied and reproduced
some hundreds of times over, she resolved
to try new artistic. Hence she went to
Worth, and was so pleased with his skill and
taste that she speedily contracted a bill of
some $4,000. This bill when sent In was
submitted to the Emperor. Now Napoleon
Ill, with all his generosity, could do mean
thing on occasion, SO he drew his pen across
the bill, wrote check for Just half the
amount, and instructed his chamberlain TO
demand receipt In full.
Warned by this experience Worth sent In
his accounts to the leading ladies of the
court, and found that, although exceedingly
ready to run up bills, they were by no means
ready to pay them. In fact, q asort OF CON-
bination was formed whose watchword was,
"No settlement with Worth" What was
the unfortunate dressmaker to do? lie
could not very we'll sue these recalcitrant
princesses and duchesscs, some of whom
we're the wives Of ambassadors, and so be-
yond the reach of the law; while If he COM
menced legal proceedings against the rest,
he would infallibly lose the custom of the
court, and ruin himself In the process. Yet
the sums owing to him were by no means
tri1ing. One lady's bill amounted to s16,-
600, another to 1000, and there was scarce
ly one of the court bellies that owed less
than $4,000.
In this dilemma he hit upon an expedient
worthy Of cown-east Yankee or Phila-
delphia lawyer. One morning the news
papers Of Paris announced that owing to
financial complications, Messrs. Worth q
R0bergh (there were two of them In those
days) had disposed of their business to NJ.
X---, Of Vienna. M. x made his APP
pearance, took charge Of the establishment,
and At once set himself TO the task Of coll
lecting oil outstanding bills, a matter which
he achieved without much difficulty. This
weighty financial operation once completed,
. second paragraph appeared In the news
papers, TO the effect that the negotiations
with M. X---, Of Vienna, having failed TO
reach q satisfactory conclusion, Messrs.
Worth b Robergh would be forced to con-
tinue to carry on their business themselves.
do not think that M. Worth ever found so
much difficulty in collecting his bills again,
though there Is q legend current of how q
certain eccentric lady Of rank who owed
him far more than she could pay, compound
cd matters with him by taking him to tho
opera with her.
A the lady In question then sccupied one
Of the moot prominent boxes In the house.
the talk excited by this action on her part
was something tremendous. Even In these
latter days / have heard OF one Of his FORE
women being present q . state ball at the
Palace Of Elysee, given under the Presidency
Of Marshal dc MacMahon, her Invitation
ticket having been procured In the same
manner and for the Same reasons a. was the
seat In the opera box for the head Of the
house. Verify II Il not bad thing 10 bc
leading Parisian milliner.
There are not - many as one would
think. Worth keeps bis olden supremacy
after ail these years by dint of his exquisite
eye for color and his marvellous fertility or
invention. The great trouble OF other
houses Is thst they stereotype their styles.
Yea ses Mrs. BIS blue dress repeated In
green for Mrs. A., and lii garnet red fur Asrs.
C., aud In che1tnnt-brown for Mrs, D., and
- on through Ill the letters Of the alphabet
and the hues of the rainbow.