Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-01-20
DELMONlCO'S BLACK LIST.
One of the Causes of the High Rcsprc'a-
bility of That Restaurant

One of the Causes of the High Rcsprc'a-
bilIty of That Restaurant
An undertaking rule of Dclmonicu'S
restaurant is that no refreshments will
be furnished in Il private room to Il
man and woman. no matter who they
are. In the lifetime of the late Charles
Dclmonico, August Belmont and his
wife went there to dine
Can we have IL private room:" asked
Mr.. Belmont.
will there be any others" inquired
Mr.. Dclmonico.
NO" said Mr.. Belmont
Then you cannot have the private
room," was the reply.
Mr.. DclmonicO had known Mr.. Bel.
mont forty years, and Mrs. Brlmon,
was equally we'll known to him. But
there was the rule. He would break
it for no one.
Another Dclmonico rule forbids loud
talking or profanity not only in the
dining room but anywhere No matter
how noisy or tipsy Il man may be. he
dare make no noise in Dclmonco'S. II
is very seldom that Il row occurs. and
when it does it is "SQuclchcd' 50 quick
ly and speedily that no annoyance is
caused.
But to New Workers there is one ter
rOr above all others which Mr. Del
mOnico holds over the men about town.
1t is his black list-thc list of men
who, having violated some of the rules.
are in utter darkness so far as this
place is concerned. The result is that.
though the place may be full of New
Iork's noisiest youths. they don't do
any yelling there The reason is this:
70 be on the black list means. to the
heavy swell, that he cannot meet his
friends there or be served, no matter
who gives the orders.
This is very easily done. At Del
monico'S every New Yorker belonging
to Il certain set is presumed to be :,
Il bill which after Il reasonable time he
would not pay-mind, the words used
were would not'-hc is put on the
black list. This means absolute oStrH-
ciSm from the one place every New
York swell and about every gentlemen
visitor wants to enter almost every
evening. When Fred May who went
once to fight Il duel with James Gor,lan
Bennett. received notice that he WAS
on the Dclmonico black list for throw
ing decanter through Il great mirror
he at first laughed scornfully When
he experienced its effects he talked
largely about Il fight. Yet his name
remained among those shut out for
nine months. and he was not again
admitted among the elite until his sis
ter came home from Europe and inter-
cedcd in his behalf
The methods of the black list arc
cruelty simple, but mighty effective
The offender receives Il polite not"
from Mr.. Delmonico. generally i'm his
IN n1xx,it int, !;
thcnccforth the services of the Del
monico establishment are not ut his
disposal. But it is public house. and
any wcll-bchavcd person has Il right
to enter. So one might think. suppose
you try it, just to see how the black
list scheme works. Invite Il man thus
taboocd into DclmOnico'S. He has rc-
ceived his notice. but you. of course.
cannot know it. for it is not Il thin" a
man is proud of. You two seat your
selves at a table. A waiter comes for
ward and you order, say, two glasses
of sherry.
The man returns with glass and
one portion of the topaz-h hucl fluid.
which he places before YOU but non"
for the other man. Ask him what it
means. He. with seeming Innocence"
will reply that he thought ne otlair
gentleman did not drink" Just look
at your companion. His face is per
fcctly white with shame and anger.
He says quickly: Yes. dear boy.
don't drink now, You know. Sworr of
lately, YOU know" He dare not say
he is blacklistcd.
But there are other places opcn Ia
him. you may think. True. hut if he
is a man about town to be unable tn
invite an acquaintance from another
city for instance, to Dclmonico'S means
downfall, and if he is Il society man
the result Is II very serious natter.
New York Letter to the Washington
Post.