The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-05-24
pEIMoNiCO'S BLACK LIST.
Ono OF the Causes of the High Respeota
btlity of That Restaurant.

An undertaking rule of Delmonlcos
restaurant is that no refreshment VIII
be furnished in private room TO
man and woman, no matter VINO they
are In the lifetime of the late Charles
Delmonico, August Belmont ana MS
wife went there to dine.
Can we have a private room!
asked Mr.. Belmont.
"Will there be any others?' inquired
Mr.. Delmonico.
NO" said Mr.. Belmont.
Then YOU cannot have the private
ROOM" was the reply
Mr.. Delmonico had known Mr. Bel
mont forty years, and Mrs. Belmont
was equally we'll known to him. But
there was the rule. He would break
it for no one.
Another Delmonico rule forbids loud
talking or profanity not only in the
dining-room but anywhere. No mat
ter how noisy or tipsy man may be,
he dare make no noise in Delmonlcos.
1t is very seldom that row occurs,
and when it does it is "squelched" so
quickly and speedily that no annoy
ance 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-the 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 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 served. no
matter who gives the orders.
This is very easily done. At Del
mouico's every New Yorker belonging
to a certain set is presumed to be q
gentleman. Should one of these make
a bill which after reasonable time he
would not pav-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 duel with James Cor
don Bennett, received notice that he
was on the Delmonico black list for
throwing a decanter through a great
mirror he at first laughed scOrntully.
When he experienced its effects he
talked largely about 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-
coded IN his behalf.
The methods of the black list are
cruelty simple but mighty effective.
The offender receives polite note
from Mr. Delmonico, generally in his
own handwriting, informing him that
thenceforth the services of the Del
monico establishment are not at his
disposal. But it is public house, and
any well-behaved person has right to
enter. So one might think. Suppose
you try it, just to see how the black
list scheme works. Invite man thus
tabooed into DelmonicO's. He mas re-
ceived his notice. but you, of course.
cannot know it. for II is not thing 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-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 "ze othair
gentleman did not drink" Just look
at your companion. His face is per-
fectly white with shame and anger.
He says quickly: Yes, dear boy, |
don't drink now, you know. Swore off
lately. you know" He dare not say
he 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 acquaintance from another
city, for instance, to Delmonico's means
downfall. and if he is 4 society man
the result is Il very serious matter.