News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-07-10
PRINCELY ECCENTRIClTIES
THE WAY THE GUESTS WERE RE-
CEIVED.
How n Noted New Yorker Dispensed His
Hospitality.
TFrom the New York Times. ]


Mr.. Henry HavemeyerL whose sanity
is to be inquired into by d commission,
has long been known to wide circle of
friends and acquaintance as alolly good
fellow and a princely host, and to this
circle the announcement of his unfor
tunate mental condition, if it does not
come wholly as a surprise, will at least
be received with unfeigned regret. MIR.
Havemeyer entertained freely at his
house in New York city, but it is chiefly
on his entertainments at his country
seat that his fame for hospitality rests.
His country seat is on an islet known
as Havemeyer's Island, in the Great
South Bay, on the Atlantic shore of
Long Island. Upon this property,
which Mr.. Havemeyer obtained by pur-
chase number of years ago, he set up
amodel country establishment and insti-
tuted a princely and in many respects
unique system of entertainment. Com
munication with New York is hg1 chiefly
by way of Babylon and the Long Island
Railroad, and for the conveyance of his
guests between the island and Babylon
Mr.. Havemeyer provided himself with
a fine steam launch. He frequently en-
tertained parties of ladies and gentlemen,
but "stag parties" were his particular
delight. When stag party app cached
the island in the steam launch its mem
bers were astonished, not to say startled,
by salvo of artillery from masked
battery near the landing. The surprise
of the guests was increased on landing
to find corps of tormenters attired as
United States Custom House officers,
rushing for their baggage, and insisting
on the formality of q rigid examination
of portmanteaux and bandboxes. Be
ing finally, and after all the delay ordi-
narily experienced by New Workers re-
turned from European trip, acquitted
of attempted smuggling, the guests pro-
ceeded to Mr.. Havemeyer's residence,
and were struck speechless at the sight
of uniformed and armed sentries pacing
before the entrance.
If the arrival did not take place near
his dinner hour, the party was beguiled,
as it elected, during the intervening
time, with sailing or fishing excursion,
or some other outdoor amusement. 1t
was at the dinner hour, however, that
the farcial climax was reached. The
guests were ushered into the dining hall
with great formality by Mr.. Havemeyer
himself. When all were seated the host
placed himself at the head of the table
and tapped silver bell. Instantly doors
flew open on different sides of the room,
and in filed what seemed to be an i'm
posing visitation of military command
ers, but really walters bedecked in the
grudy uniforms of Austrian and Prusian
Generals, French Marshals, ana-oificers
of other effete European monarchies.
The semblance was complete down to
the smallest particulars. The mimic
officers were helmeted and plumed,
spurred, besworded, and epauIeted.
But TO heighten the caricature each gen.
eralissimo bore aloft upon his gloved and
uplifted hands a dish of sumptuous and
savory viands.
But there the farce ended. There was
no caricature about the cuisine. Those
who have had the good fortune to sit at
Mr.. Havemeyer's hospitable board would
have to go far to find a more sumptuous
table. The peculiar features with which
he encompassed his hospitality were re-
garded at the time as the enactment of
a clever satire on foreign pomposity and
certain existing domestic customs.