Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-10-17
FUN THAT COMES HIGH.
What Owners Of Private Yachts Pay
for the Pleasure.

he possesses certain advantages over
the cheaper millionaires which 1t Is
difficult for the latter to overcome.
Then, again, he keeps his yacht, the
Valiant, in commission almost the en-
tire year. and as she carries crew
of fifty-two men and consumes large
quantities of coal, this adds consid-
erably to the total
The salary list of the Valiant per
month amounts to S2.100. she burns
about thirty tons Of coal day of
twenty -four hours, but does not aver
age more than $50 tons per month.
This means another $1,000. The great
est expense is that manipulated by
the chef. To feed the crew alone
costs 81 200 a month. But while the
guests are fewer In number than the
crew, not averaging more than five
or six at a time they require some
thing more fascinating than beef stew
and plum duff for dessert.
Mr.. Vanderbilt is something of an
epicure, and when only he and his
secretary are on the boat an efabor-
ate menu is prepared by the chef
three times a day, to say nothing of
a late supper and sundry lunches and
delicious connections of an anti-pro-
hibition flavor. one hundred and
fifty dollars day scarcely covers the
cost of the rare foods and fruits con-
sumed, the wines and liquors drunk,
the 60-cent cigars smoked by the
quarterback contingent of the Val
liant When there are many guests
aboard, the expense Of entertaining
then runs ur to $500 or $1,000 day,
But $3.50 day is a fair average for
the month.
The incidentals also come high. The
Valiant and her furnishings represent
an outlay of 100000, and the insur
ance premium on this sum would
make the average man faint if he had
to meet it. The breakage on the Val
liant is also something terrific. Al
though she is the biggest American
yacht in commission, she rolls consld-
erably when caught in half gale
china suffer. The laundry bills of the
crew and the ships linen and the in
cidental repairs necessary to keep
the yacht at the highest pitch of per-
lection amount to $7a a day, or about
1925 a month. The total expense of
running the valiant per month aver
ages between $4,000 and $4,000. or
about 100000 a year.
Commodore Elbrldge T. Gerry Is an
other past master in the art of spend
ing money on yachting. His boat, the
Electra, while not as large or as
speedy as the Valiant, Is one of the
most luxurious crafts atioat. C)mmo-
dore Gerry Keeps the Electra in COM
mission only four months in the year
June, July, August, and September.
She carries a crew of twenty-eight
men all told, and the salary list
amounts to $1,000 a month. Much of
the time the crew wear white suits,
and in consequence the laundry bill
is big item. The Electra's coal costs
$500 month. Feeding the crew costs
another $500 The commodore. when
on his yacht, is great entertainer.
The fashionable world of Newport
have been entertained on the Electra
at some time or another. And Mr..
Gerry entertains Ike prince.
The monthly cost of running the
Electra is $4,000 and threa-fourths
Of this sum is spent on the cuisine
of the yacht. have been a guest on
the boat when 100 others were invited
at Newport for days sail. At 10
O'Clock champagne cocktails We're
served to all hands, and at / o'clock
luncheon was Sc ed In the dining
saloon. which was fitted with all the
Injuries of Fifth avenue palace.
There were dukes and lords on board
that day, but 1t is doubtful II they
had ever attended a grander feast.
Every imaginable delicacy within the
power Of a S7,500-a-year chef was to
be had, to say nothing Of dollhouse
fruit costing $40 a pound.
Ordinary drinking water Is a luxury
on the Electra. 1t cannot be had UNI
less a member Of the crew be bribed
to dive into the mysteries OF the fore
castle and get some. Claret cup and
champagne are the standard drinks
on the yacht Beer Is not 70 be had,
for the reason that it has a tendency
to inflict terror upon all who are SEN
sitiye to the undulations Of the sea.
The commodore tried having beer on
board once, when he took number
of Albany statesmen out for sail
Details Of the result had better be lett
unwritten.
Oliver Iselin is different style o.
yachtsman from Mr.. Gerry and Mr..
vanderbilt He goes into 1t solely as
sport. He will spend in the neigh
borhood OF 100000 this season as his
share If tha expense In defending the
American cup. Mr. lselin cares very
little for steam yachting. He likes
the pleasure and excitement OF hand
ling a small sailing craft, and doesn
bother about magnifcence in It's
equipments.
George Gould is still another type
of vachtsman. He goes in Tor the
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