Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-30
NEW YORK'S BEST SOCIETY.
The SHARES AND ANXIETIEs BEsET.
TING RICH PEOPLE.
and New Ones Made-The
Ancien Noblesse.

Regular Correspondence of thesUNDAY UNION.
New YORK, June "A, 1889,
When million and half people be-
heve it the correct thing TO go, going be-
comes the order of the day. Flat and
Improbable however is the going OF
l,499, 600, not few of whom don't go. 1t
is the sacred 400 who chiefly interest the
profane multitude. Many are gone to
the Exposition, Tuxedo Park incloses
some, Lenox and Newport come in for a
share and Saratoga awaits the remainder.
Behold them judiciously distributed and
then
Now comes the second, or as l would
say, the first strata of New \ York Society
the ancien noblesse of the metropolis, who
calmly survey or perhaps remain sub
timely unconscious of social antics.
Wrapped in the mantle Of genuine gem
tility, they form their own court circle
living most of them on comparatively
modest incomes OF from ten to fifteen
thousand a year. Fifth Avenue man.
siOns are too fine for them and they set
tie on quieter side streets, even here n
rental of two or three thousand dollars
drawing little heavily upon their re-
sources, since one may readily divine that
house rent Is only basis upon which to
lay fabric Of furniture, servants wages.
children's schooling, boys college expenses,
girls dresses, ,somejewelry and paterfamilias
only knows what. Things must be done
modestly and nothing is left for carriages
and horses. Secure of their own standing.
the noblesse suit themselves as to going"
Some elderly members prefer their own
large, cool homes with home comforts. to
the restraint of hotels and boarding houses
and wives or daughters remain with them.
But if convenient and desirable, they dis
perse themselves along the shores of Long
Island or frequent mountainous regions
unknown to garsh crowds, where. Joined
by refined parties from Philadelphia, they
pay without effort board of from SIS TO
S2l per week.
1t is precisely this absence of effort that
constitutes the charm of this really charm
ing society. The ladies would feel greatly
offended to see their names in print, and
bold would be the editor who would send
reporters to write up their toilettes. Edi-
tors know their calling better however,
and letting them alone, the gabbling world
forgets they live. OF course the newly
risen hate them and like to vent their gall
by patronlZlng speeches as when one said
the other day, Il believe there are people
who live on ten thousand year, but |
can't think how they do it."
Yet peaceful is the lot of the ten or fif-
teen thousand-dollar man compared with
that of the potentate of millions. He of
one million has but planted his foot on
the first ascent of the Hill of Difficulty.
In the first place, there are his old ac-
quaintances to be gotten rid of and new
ones made. Yet is easier to lose than
make. One can readily enough, in gen
eral, get rid of one set, but how about get
ting into another? An invaluable Brown
of Grace Church has passed into history as
turnlsher of names, but now that the
Shades inclose him, they are gotten all
the same. Then comes the sending out OF
thousand invitations, the supper, mas
and the girls dresses, the flowers, the
dreadful moments of expectancy as to who
will come. Some always do, however, and
if the cards are deity handled the some
bring others. Schools, churches and chari-
ties are sleeping stones. 4 notable pre-
liminary to social advent is the sending of
the family Aramintas to fashionable
school. The instincts of successful New
York school mistresses become indeed
phenomenally sharpened, and the good
danes have reduced to science Just who
may be admitted and who repulsed. 1t is
the main part Of their duty, and she who
fails rightly to discern the present or an
ticipate the future will be found wanting
when rent day comes. Again, what rector.
wishing TO build up his congregation. y
would Stub the pa who can put down
handsomely for any sort of thing, or the
ma who can do the same? Mas are like
wise godsends TO Presidents of charitable
societies who want to put on airs to other
charitable Presidents, and an outside and
selfish world little dreams what rivalries
there may be between a home patronized
by Mrs. \. and an asylum under the aus
pices of Mrs B.
Then VINO knows what business projects
may not be furthered by convenient loan
of thousands at the right moment. A man
who can loan Is not unsought by business
men. \ man who owns a yacht new
social comers run to yachts) can take the
right people on excursions or lend the
yacht when he is too much of a social be-
ginner to 90 himself. At all events the
scraping in process can be accomplished
unless some positively huge and unswal-
lowable difficulty be in the way
Yet, once in, the trouble has only be-
gun. There are others to be kept out. In
view of continual pressure, this requires
perpetual exercise of nerve tension
sod k.rf
within which nobody who does not show
the records are blotted at this point and
can't be quite made out, so | will change
the topic-adducing only one notable in
stance, that of kyrle Bellew, whose intro
duction to Tuxedo caused a summary ex-
pulsion and almost blood shedding.
Now and then may come a battle OF
the giants--a contest to which continent
stops to listen-as when the Astors made q
huge effort to keep out the Nanderbilts
Backed by the Pennsylvania Central Rail
road, they built the West Shore in order
to break down the New York Central. Ii
cost sixty millions of money, William II
Nanderbilts life and Robert CARROTS
brains, the only parties advantaged being
the public, who rode for a cent mile and
kept the remainder in their pockets.
OF course we have some families both
wealthy and refined, but what | do wish tc
say is that the enormous outside pressure
on the barriers wherewith they would
fence themselves in, is too strong for resist,
ance. They must give way and one by
one new forms and faces fit even in their
august presence, and by invitation so bold
ly up their front stoops. A woman whose
name constantly appears in the records OF
society feasts is so vulgar as TO be markedly
profane-at least when at her ease, while
the ignorance Of more than one New York
millionaire is absolutely dense, except sc
far as money-making and spending goes
could name a financial hero who believe;
in the identity of Sir John and Benjamin
Franklin and who, when Chaucer was
was mentioned, in his presence, asked
naively, "What is Chaucer?' Doubles.
he thought the poet some new kind o.
saucer which he might buy to put on his
parlor table. What do these people tall
about; what can they talk about? Money
or what money will bring, or if ladies ar,
present, such delightfully."- refined questions
perhaps, as whats the matter with get
ting married?' are in order. 1t is small
wonder then, that lady in arranging :
dinner gave speciaI orders that toast