The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-10

citizens had taken the matter in hand in
earnest. And it prepared the legislature
~ act promptly upon the recommendation
tne new governor will certainly make that
s sne state shall appropriate sufficient sum
LOT It's proper representation in Chicago.
Last winter $3.50, 900 was deemed sufficient,
now $4,000 is the least sum talked of,
ana IL may go up to 81 COS, 900. This city
mas Deen long time In finding out that
us trade, theaters, hotels, restaurants and
business generally will be Immediately
and immensely benefited by the hundreds
OF thousands of people who will come to
Chicago.
Private Entertainments.
From public to what are called private
dinners is but step-but what are private
dinners? Certainly they are not those
given by the Astors, Observation-Disclosures
Ing with the Vanderbilts what in railway
pariance would be called ''collate -als."
such as the Shepards, Sloans, McTwom-
bleys, Webbs and so on--the 20 berts Ste
vens and the rest. These are anything but
private" They are widely advertised
weeks beforehand. When they occur the
names OF the guests are given and the
dresses worn by the women are infinitely
described, sometimes with the cost of the
bill added, and possibly gratuitous ad-
always, too, there is another advertise
ment OF the caterer who furnishes the
dinner. What? We hear a great deal of
the distinguished Chefs imported at great
expense expressly for these great houses;
but when dinner is given in one of them
all the food comes from Delmonico,
Sherry, Pinard Pursell, Clark or some
other professional caterer. And it is the
same old dinner, sent around in tin cans,
buckets and baskets, and put on the table
In sloppy, sodden, lukewarm condition.
But that makes no difference to the givers
of the so-called dinners" or to their
guests. Very few of these pretentious
high living" know what even good liv-
ing is. They dine on the menu, not the
meal; on the printed names of the dishes,
not on the actual dishes. Not long ago
Mrs. Paran Stevens, the real leader
in the smart set in which Mrs.
Astor is nominally the principal per-
sonage, had one of her by no means in
frequent difficulties" with one of her
household servants. which, as usual, came
into court. This time it was her chef, i'm
ported from Pans. The chef testified that
the kitchen to which he was introduced as
the scene of his labors and expected tri-
umphs was ''little, dark, damp cubby-
hole under the sidewalk" and that there
was not proper cooking utensil to be
found in the house" Nor, the chef COM
planned. could he get them, though he
fairly howled for means and appliances to
cook with. No wonder these people are
forced to fall back upon the secondhand
suppers and so-called dinners the caterer
chooses to send them from his shop or
kitchen.
The Recent Holidays.
The beginning of our holidays was like
that of the first of the Christmases de-
scribed in "In Memoriam":
A rainy cloud possessed the earth,
And sadly fell on Christmas eve.
Possessed" the earth? Indeed it did,
and it rained all day literally like call pos
sessed," as the vernacular has it. This is
noteworthy, for this reason. None but
those Immediately interested would think
of it, but on Christmas morning one of
the largest retail dealers in really desira-
BILE holiday gifts said to me: "Do you
know that the rain yesterday was posi-
tive loss to me of thousands OF dollars ?"
and he went on: People generally have
very little idea what the complete collapse
of one days shopping and present-buying
nj this season, and particularly when 1t
happens to be on thevery last day before
Christmas. costs us who have the
goods to sell. Why, l reckon the
loss right around here mean
ing in the neighborhood of Union
square, including Tiffany's and Brentano's,
and running down Fourteenth street to
Macy's-amounts to more than 81, coo. 000."
Then think of all the splendid shops along
Broadway, from Fourteenth to Twenty
third streets, and then down that street,
both sides, to Sixth avenue. Bear in mind,
too, that many present-buyers, not alone
women uptown, but the busy bankers,
brokers and merchants downtown, put off
this present-buying till the last moment,
''and the rainy, muddy, and altogether
disagreeable day" was the excuse for put
ting il off "till New Years." or more
likely till next Christmas. Ii is true that for
ten days or so the shops and stores did an
abnormally large business; but this holiday
trade does not compensate for the loss oc-
casoned by the unusually warm Decem-
Der. The immense stocks of thick CLOTH
ing so literally laid in. and upon which so
much money was laid out, have been I'M
saleable. Nobody wanted sealskin sacks
and other furs. The persistent prevalence
of muggy. foggy and rainy weather
knocked even the holiday hat business end
wise. The hotels, too, were great sufferers
houses that receive 100 guests day
opened their best rooms TO ten or, at the
most. twenty customers. But this is usual
every year at this season. People stay ut
home for the holidays. For the same rea-
son, the theater audiences were thinner.
But hotel men and theater managers all
say that after New Years things gener-
ally will boom again. Christmas day in
the city was like any other Sunday, only,
if possible. duller. All places of business
closed, downtown car travel dull, though
late in the day and evening diners-out
and theater-goers uptown crowded every
means of conveyance. Saturday was, of
course, a supplementary holiday, so, busi-
nesswise another dull day. Political econo-
mists are figuring up how much loss of
business and wages amount TO, and are
asking if, after all, these holidays pay"
A $4,000. 900 Bridge.
Between the plans for bridge between
New York ard Jersey City, TO cost $780,
600, 600, and the building of the bridge it.
self, there may be many q slip. Still the
prospects are that actual work on the
bridge will be begun before great while.
The corporation which is 10 undertake the
gigantic enterprise is moving along in
a business-like way. The large capital
necessary to build the bridge does not APP
parently to troubleit. Even should the cost
of the structure exceed the estimate until
il reaches Si00 o00, 000 as il no doubt will,
the money would still not be an object of
great concern The business of the pres
ent Brooklyn bridge is so enor-
nous that capital will be ready
enough TO go into II. When the
bridge over the North river comes to be
built il will make the East river bridge
look like a foot-log over mill stream.
The latest plan proposed. and the one
which the company Will seriously CONSIDER
if not adopt, is that submitted by J. w.
Baiet. IL contemplates four spans of /, 200,
l.I5O and two of 900 feet each. The East
river bridge has but one span Of 1895 feet,
rb;eb will e,iva an idea of the relative size