Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-23
THE rRAsrrs OF sooIErr.
EAowling sweiis who Live ON Thoir
Rich Acquaintance.

philosopher mas warned Us That the rich
are growing richer and poor poorer and
that the day is not far distant when there
will be but two classes-the very rich and
the very poor. curiously enough this
classification can, from the standpoint OF
a person moving in what is called swell
society, be already applied TO the society
people of New York and London. For it
is speaking well within bounds to say
that the society people of New York and
London can be classified as the very rich l
and the very poor. The former give the
swell balls and dinners of the season. the
latter partake of the pleasures they offer.
The former are the entertainers, the latter |
the entertained. Howling sweils in New |
York society, who apparently are sons Of |
millionaires and men of leisure, are really |
cierking in some Wall street banking |
house on small salary, which is all they |
huve to depend on. In London many a |
bowling swell is only a'''younger som |
with nothing back of him but dim |
possibility OF succeeding to the title and |
estate and depending tor his money upon |
the bounty OF some rich relation.
As RUE these young English swells |
are even more limited in means than the
corresponding clnss in New York. Yet
the EnglishitAln finds IL much easier to
live comfortably. For the system of en-
tnilment OF estates in England, while de-
priving younger sons of immediate inter
est, nevertheless gives them contingent
interest upon which they can bank Hence
tradesmen know that when they deal with
mn Englishman of good connections there
| is always remote possibility of collect
| ing whit is due them. As a result they
have two sets of charges, one for cash.
the other an interest charge. II may be
| that only one younger son out of twenty
five to whom they have given unlimited
credit succeeds to the title and estate, but
out of him they get with their high
charges and interest enough to make up
for what they have lost on the other
twenty-four, and a good profit besides.
1t is in fact simple matter for young
Englishman of good connections to live
well without doing stroke of work-and
this is especially true il he be good look
| ing and well hammered. Moreover, ridicu-
lous as it may seem to us, the English
still grovel abiectly before their peers and
anyone connected with them, and don't
think am putting II too strongly when l
| say that there are some tradesmen in |
England who esteem it nm honor to be |
cheated by a person of good family, |
4
their faults they dearly love their peers" |
But, even if poor young Englishnan |
| is not we'll connected, II is easier for him |
to move i'll swell society and pay his way |
fairly well, than il is for an American (; |
and this because, by joining swell club, |
ne IS able 10 make fairly good income at |
| the card table. Such men do not play |
| very high and are in no sense of the word |
card sharpers, but they have made pro-
| found study of the favorite club game
| USUALLY whist and are always able to |
| worst less experienced adYersaries. This |
mode of making an income is much |
| facilitated by the supervision which the |
best English clubs keep over gambling
| which goes on within their walls, for in |
England the club constitutes itself a
| clearing house for the adjustment of the |
| gambling debts of its members Every |
member who loses at cards to q fellow |
member writes his name and the amount |
of his loss and to whom on ticket, which |
he deposits in box. AT the end of each |
week accounts are adjusted. The losers |
must pay or clear out, in which case the |
club is clearing house ina double sense.
But in America living on your trades |
man is more difficult matter An |
American tradesman doesn't take his GUS |
TONER'S ancestors in consideration. He |
does not consider it an honor to be |
swindled because one of his customers |
forefnthers came over in the Mayfiower. |
For all the tradesman knows, the May
mower carried steerage passengers. At
all events the tradesman considers him |
self and rightly enough) his customers
equal and demands his due. Hence Il
young American in dealing with II trades
man here cannot fall back on his ancestry
nor, as there is no entailment OF estates
here, bank on remote prospects. And vet
there are any number Of young fellows
who live apparently like the sons of
milliunCres ON the small salaries they get
tor clrrldns If in some Wall street bank
ing huusc. They are bowling swolls-
ana yet don't make enough money lu pay
Tor the clothes they wear. How do they
DO 1t You ask. They sponge ON society.
lou can count almost on your fingers tile
people in New York who are wealthy
enough TO entertain iuaguifieently
the rest are the entertained. 10 the latter
class belong all the bowling swells tautl
their number is ynst) who live on nm in
come almost nominal compared 60 the
show they make. How can they afford
it You ask. How eau they 90 into So
ciety and belong To n swell club on nit
tance Because they actually cconomize
by going into society and belonging 10 4
swell club. Society feeds them Gratis,
. the club enables them to clotLe Them.
selves almost gratis They nre inyit",l tn
dinner parties in season ON an average of
five times week. Therefore tbcy live
most of the time ON the fat Of tLe land
, for nothing All the entertainers demand
! from such man in return is tLnt vLa,
e he comes 10 them to be fed he will bebovc
himself By the awbo food lin hc
5 is also invited to the opera and theatre
| From his box seat be can look down uno,,
Y people fur Weather than he nrrL,,s
e upon one of the partners of the bomSn
+ which pays him his pittnncc of a snl,ry
+ Ills holiday in summer he diy;1,s
S between his friends Yachts and counir,
4 places cruise costs Lin rn,li,,,
i month mt NcWpnrt only Ill trovnl;,,',h -, !"
# pcnses there and reulnI, If ba 2os :,
g small income and does not bnvn n cio,i,
e it, So uuch the better. for in tbot c,sa h."
n can sponge on his rich society erioyJs al
Il summer. 90
e The club cnuuectirn, of =, swell will, .
&c limited income ms ill., nsofnlnoss W -, "
If abling linn To get credit He am ,,a q, =
e fashionable tailor and dress for 5ov :"
Il his means and vol Keen IA dnns a. Inv Inv
II by small payments on account Tbo sa any
n | Int, - I - I''' NV SUM"
i ,"..',' 49, - 'hll'ioScu WIN otller trades
II rs, ,,a,;,,r, s,r ",i KY "ohS SWiihlnlhgly
: M ,,,,raIEo7 ~ PER e'ht OF what
I, ~