The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-14
NO LONGER -FOUR HUNDRED"
New York's Select Society Has Been
Out to $50, and Ward McAllister
Makes an 2 EXPLANATION.

New York's Select Society Has Been
Out to $50, and Ward McAllister
Makes an Explanation.
From the NetU York Herald
YES" said Ward McAllister to me yes
terday morning. sit is a fact that the official
number of society swells has been cut from
400 to $780, but it won't last long, don't you
seer
''Why" asked.
"Woman. lovely woman" replied the
social autocrat, airily. Jealousy, narrow
mindedness, don't you understand and all
that sort of thing. Man is different. don't
you know! Looks at another fellow from
all sidesh--
but howr I interrupted
'Ah, yes. Well, you see, this shy at ex-
clusiveness has grown out of the idea of the
dinner dance, of which l am the ORIGINATOR
in this country. In society, whenever you
attend dinner you must give one in re-
turn. Now, you understand tho correct
dinner is for thirty people. You get table
of that size and you can't ask more than
enough people TO fill it. don't you see? Now,
you know, five ladies of wealth and family,
with the idea of exclusiveness that this COM
blnation RICH fully brings, don't you under
stand, get together and say: Let's each
give a little dinner some night to our
incest acquaintance and join, later, for
dance at some one OF our houses And
there you e!' said Mr.. McAllister, glee-
fully. You can invite only thirty people
TO dinner, don't you knows The people in
general society cannot grumble at being left
out of a small dinner, doa'I you understand?
And you get cotllon with only the $50
choicest spirits in the fashionable world
present, don't you see? Clever idea, isn't
itl
IT'S AN IMPORTED IDEA.
SIT is really the same idea followed out
in Paris by the Princess Metternich and her
friends and in London by Almack's. The
cleverest and most noted people of the time
were collected in these gatherings, just as
all that is brightest and best in American
society to-day is included in our recent
dinner dances.''
But you say they cannot last"
Nor can they" said Mr.. McAllister
Those brilliant and world noted functions
at the Princess Metternich's and at Almack's
lasted for but few seasons. AS soon as
they were heralded as the SWEETEST events in
society the women began to fight for promi-
nent places and the inevitable crash fol-
lowed. 1t will be the same way here, don't
you know. The fighting is beginning al
ready, in fact, and the desire to be seen at
the two final dances of the season, that of
Mrs. Lloyd Bryce on Feb. II and that of
Mrs. Ogden Mills week later, is something
wonderful. Let me tell you. young man it
is a difficult thing to pick out $50 people in
city of 100000 Inhabitants"
SOCIETY LEADERS.
"Who are the leaders in this ultra-ex-
elusive dinner dance set, Mr.. McAIlister?n
well, first comes Mrs. Cornelius Van
derbilt She knows how to give an excel
lent dinner don't you see. and she has the
finest wines in New York, don't you knows
Mrs w. c. Whitney and Mrs Ogden Mills
come next, and, l think, Mrs. William
Astor should come in fourth place, because
her dinners are satisfying in every way.
Mrs. Bradley Martin and Mrs. George
Bowdoin about complete the list.n
"Who are their $50 regular guests?n
"Ah, mol" said Mr. McAllister. "No, no,
indeed II would not be right in me to give
out such list. 1t would mean invidious
comparisons and all that sort Of thing, don't
you know? But then you can get it. Get
at the buffers OF these leaders and get the
names of all the guests. Got to be clever,
YOU know Now, when ! met Queen Vic
toria's cook, as you may read in my book,
Society as | Have Found IT. -
Here Mr.. McAllister's spec acles clouded
and while he was engaged IN polishing them
l asked him how it was that Mrs William
Astor had $50 people at her last ball.
annual affair, young man; and then. the
Astors have always been extremely polite
Mrs. Astor would not take an active part in
these dinner dances, but she takes pleasure
in attending them"
as her daughter-in-law included In the
1907
Certainly, certainly. She has manners,
beauty and wealth. and will always be a So
ciety star She will never take Mrs. Astor's
place IN social matters, though, for that DO
sition requires woman of extraordinary
administrative ability"
MRS. CLEVELAND IS OUT.
SHOW about Mrs. Clevelandp
"She is hardly society woman. Cleve-
land didn't care for the expense, ] fancy.
To keep up the position she had as FIRST
lady" she would have had to dress, don't
you see7"
"And Mrs. Psrar StevensP