Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-19
pEIMoNlco's BLACK list.


One Of the Causes Of the High Rsspscts-
bility Of That Restaurant.
An undertaking rule Of Delmonico's res
taurant Is that no refreshment will be fur
nished in . private room to man and wo-
man, no matter who they are. In the life
time Of the late Charles Delmonico August
Belmont and his wife went there to dine.
ssCan we have q private room!" asked
Mr.. Belmont
''will there be any othersf" inquired Mr..
Delmonico.
mo-" said Mr. Belmont.
"Thcn you cannot have the private
ROOM" was the reply.
Mr. Delmonico had known Mr.. Belmont
10 years. and Mrs, Belmont was equally
well known to him. But there was the
rule. He would break it for no one.
Another Delmonico rule forbids loud talk
ing or profanity not only in the dining
room, but anywhere. No matter how noisy
or tipsy a man be, he dare make no noise in
Delmonico's. 1t is very seldom that row
sccurs, and when it does it is ''sQuelched''
20 quickly and speedily that no annoyxnca
Is caused.
But to New Workers there is one terror
above all others which Mr.. Delmonico holds
over the men about town. It is his black
list-the list of men who, having violated
some of the rules, are in utter darkness 50
far as this place is concerned. The result is
that, though the place may be full of New
York's noisiest youths, they don't do any
yelling there. The reason is this, to be on
the black list means, to the heavy swell.
that he cannot meet his friends there or be
H. 4 he
This is very easily done. At Delmonico's
every New Yorker belonging to certain
set is presumed to be gentleman. Should
one of these make a bill which after req
sonable time he would not pay-mind the
words used were would not"-he is put on
the black list. This means absolute ostra-
cism from the one place every New York
swell and about every gentleman visitor
wants to enter almost every evening.
When Fred May, who went once to fight a
duel with James Gordon Bennett, received
notice that he was OH the Delponico black
list for throwing adecanter through great
mirror, he at first laughed scornfully
When he experienced its effects, he talked
largely about fight. Yet his name re
manned among those shut out for nine
months, and he was not again admitted
among the elite until his sister came home
from Europe and interceded in his behalf.
The methods of the black list arc cruelty
simple, but mighty effective. The offender
receives polite note from Mr. Delmonico,
generally in his own handwriting, inform
ing him that thenceforth the services of the
Delmonico establishment are not ut his
disposal. But it is public house, and any
well behaved person hes right to enter.
So one might think. Suppose you try 1t
lust to see how the black list scheme works.
Invite q man thus tabooed into Delmon-
ico's. He has received his notice, but you
of course cannot know it, for it is not u
thing a man is proud of. You two seat
yourselves ut table. A waiter comes for
ward, and you order, say, two glasses of
sherry.
The man returns with the glass and one
portion of the topaz hued fluid, which he
places before you, but none for the other
man. Ask him what it means He, with
seeming innocence, will reply that he
thought ''zc othair gentleman did not
drink" Just look at your companion. His
face is perfectly white with shame and TN
ger. He says quickly: "Yes, dear boy,
don't drink now, you know. Swore off
lately, you know" He dare not say be Is
blacklisted.
But there are other places open to him,
you may think. True, but if he is man
about town to be unable to invite an nc
quaintance from another city, for instance,
to Delmonico's means downfall, and il he
is q society man the result is a very serious
matter.-New York Letter in Washington
Post