Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27
THE SWELL sKr IN GOTHAM


How Social Leaders Are Made I'm N.v york.
Prom the New york Msrcury
When Ward MeAllister came 20 New Yorh
from Newport twenty years ago or more New
York was very modest aud hardworlins town
compared with what II is today. There Vas
not man in town who was spending hundred
thousand dollars year on his current living
expenses August Belmont was probably the
only man who was doing much as that
There were no great modern palaces as there
are today. Everybody was living in q way that
would be now regarded as economical. ONLY
once in great while would some man or
woman of great wealth become anan-
cially reckless and give 10 their social
acqaaintances q ball or n sumptuous
en- rtainment that represented any consider
able expen diture Of money. Thus condition Of
affairs afforded Mr.. McAllister an opportunity
TO pr oppose that = number of society peopls
should club together and give entertainments.
mean by that that the society people should
subscribe TO common fund and that this fund
SHOULD be used for the purpose OF giving Ger
tain number Of balls during the winter time
IL was on this basis that the famous Patriarch
balls we're started Fifty prominent men IN
New York who had dubbed themselves the
Patrisrchs subscribed SEQ n season, or 5000
in all. and Ward McAllister undertook 20 con-
duct the balls that were TO be given with tho
money.
From the very start McAuister. who Is him
self man OF moderate fortune. had the conf
riete c.ntrol and arrangement OF these bali.
Any one who will consider the position thus
secured by him. and which he still holds will
readily understand the secret Of his social
power, and the fact that his power In society
must last just as long as these Patriarch balls
are given. The Patriarch balls put McAlllstcr
IN a position 20 favor any family IN New York
that were struggling for social recognition. t
gave HIM the power To compliment distln-
guished strangers in the city and TO extend has
kindness even far Washington. IL is true
that by the terms of the subscription each one
OF the nifty subscribers was entitled 20 nine
invitations 70 the ball for their personal
distribution But in a great many oases
the subscribers did not remain in New York
during the whole winter. and for other rea-
sons these invitations would in many cases
| revert to Mr.. McAllister. and II was for him TO
say where the invitations should be placed. He
| could bring handsome young girl forward, 40
| IN fact he did bring forward Miss Mabel Wright
who afterward married Ferdinapd Yznaga, and
he could take a comparatively obscure young
man and put him IN the midst of society. In
| fact, he could place him a leader of the ger
man If he so desired. IL would be impossible
within any reasonable limits TO indicate fully
| the number Of WAYS in which the conduct of
the Patriarch balls put social power into the
hands OF Mr.. McAllister. and it must be said
entirely to his credit in passing, that he has al
WAYS welded that power in the most discreet
and conservative fashion
No greater illustration could be given OF the
power thus placed IN his hands than the un-
questioned iact-although L suppose IL viii he
questioned-that Mrs. William Astor's reputa-
ton IN New York today the leader OF New
York society was positively and directly manu-
featured by Mr.. McAllister Just much .
piece OF furniture is manufactured by the cab
met maker Ii is true probably that Mr.. Nc
Allister in Mira Astor. with her gracious
and dignited manners and her immense wealth.
all the possibilities Of n society leader, but.
after all, II was he who took her by the hand
and gave her prominence at the Patriarch balls
when these balls were synonymous with
! ciety, and it was he who spoke to foreigners
coming to these shores and 20 society people IN
other cities and who influenced members OF
| the press and insisted that Mrs William Astor
was the leader of New York society. He re-
peated this often that people not only began
TO believe il, but a result of il Mrs. William
Aston was accepted in the position where she
| was thus placed.
1 do not know whether or not Mrs William
Aston recognizes this fact today. but she has
recognized II, and in return fcr what MIR. MEAL
lister did on her behalf certainly did a great
deal to strengthen his hands. For years Mrs.
William Astor was Ward McAllister's unfiinch-
| ing ally and champion. 4 have no doubt that
4 when she began TO give great entertainments
| he was consulted on nearly every occa-
| sion. 1 have no doubt that she conferred
with him as to her list Of guests, and as
| to the prominence that she should accord 20
Unknown people, and discussed with him
f! other matters q a similar character. And be-
| cause the position thus given him by Mrs
| Astor supplemented in so direct and important
a way the position secured by him as the origi-
| nator and conductor of the Patriarch balls Mr.
| McAllister welded in New York society for
| years apower such previous to his entrance
| had never had any existence and will probably
never be secured by any other man.
The truth of the matter is that the conditions
governing New York society have changed
wholly within the last ten years. And the
change has weakened. although il has not de-
| stroyed Mr.. McAllisters prominent position.
| AZ have said before, 80 long the Patriarch
| balls exist ana run under the present
| rangement Mr.. McAllisters power cannot be
| destroyed. The importance of the Patriarch
balls has. however, diminished, because q great
| many more splendid entertainments now
given by single individuals at the present time
| than were given when New York society people
| felt very much poorer than they do now, and
| when millionaires we're very scarce articles.
| This is the only thing that has affected Mr..
McAllister's position, and no single quarrels
| with women like Mrs. William h Vanderbilt or
Mrs. Ogden Mills can have any lasting or i'm
portant effect on II.