, 1884-02-12
Il DELMoNIoos
Physical Inertia the Bane of the
FamtIy---How Charles Gave Way
to LazIness.

New York Cor. Washington Star.l
The trouble with the famous restaurateur
has been an unconquerabls aversion to exer-
else. The same inertia has been the bano Of
III the Delmonicos. Siro, who died a year or
20 ago, was for a long while a curiosity. Men
ised TO look at him with positive amazement.
he had a room on tho top floor OF the
Twenty-sixth street house, but spent most of
his time in the restaurant. He was known
as the man who never slept but always
smoked. He took breakfast in the restaurant
about o o'clock. Then he sat down and read
the papers and smoked until lunch time. He
was occasionally interrupted by minor
affairs connected with the business, but
seldom left his seat. After lunch he
would sit and smoke until 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, when he would leisurely climb
into n hack and visit the down town Del
monico places. By half past 5 he would DO
back in the restaurant again and sit and talk
TO his cronies until 8 o'clock. Then he ate a
very heavy dinner. From that time until
half-past he scarcely moved from his chair.
At half-past l he would go down and look
about the kitchen, go up to his room on the
top floor, and sleep for an hour. He was
called again. Half-past 3 found him in the
markets along the river-front buying food
for the daily consumption Of his numerous
restaurants. This task generally took him
two or three hours 1t was usually 8 o'clock
before he came back to tho restaurant again.
and after another short nap and a bath, he
was ready for his breakfast as usual ut 9
o'clock.
This was his daily programme, Sunday In
cluded. He smoked very strong cigars, and
had ono in his mouth as long as he was
awake, unless he was eating. During tho
day he was usually sleepy and stupid, and
lounged lazily in his chair with his head on
his breast This was natural considering the
small amount Of sleep no had. When he
died, nicotine was said to be the most potent
cause of his death. Charles Delmonico in
herited the vast business. The immense for
tune which came to him was the immediate
cause OF his ruin. He conceived the idea Of
being a great millionaire. He had q fortune
Of several millions to start with, and no was
thoroughly conversant with Wall street af-
fairs He was jolly, wide awake, and enter
prising Mt first, but he gave way TO the beset-
ting sin OF the Delmonico family, and before
long became as Emphatic and lazy as any
OF his famous uncles. He sat with a stupid
and loggy expression in his restaurant for
hours and hours at a time. He grew cross.
morose and sullen. Men who had known him
for years, and known him intimately, were
rebuffed when they approached his chair. and
he was a terror to everybody whom he en-
ployed.
But it is a singular fact that through all
his illness and subsequent dementia he never
relaxed his vigilant caro- Of his restaurant
Delmouico's to-day is even a more perfect es-
tablishmont than 1t was Eve years ago. When
Charlie Delmonico became n pronounced
lunatic about n year ago., people who had
formerly made 1t a point to go and speak to
him every day and try and keep up their So
cinl relations with aim looked nskance and
gave him n wide berth. He sat staring mood
lily at the floor for hours at a time. He grew
very stout, and, like Siro, his chin wns de-
pressed. His eyes grew heavy and loggy,
and without the faintest spark Of animation.
He is the last OF the Delmonicos. The bust
ness will probably 60 to his nephew. whose
mime IL Crist.