Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-11-26

Grand total O2O 900
This is an approximate estimate of tho
cost of Vanity Fair in New York-more
than 81, 900, 900.
Society places itself on show in Madison
Square Garden and expends a kings ran
som in doing it. This takes no account
either of the immense amount of money
that is spent on the horses that arc gath
cred from all parts Of tho country for the
annual horse show competition, no modest
figure in itself
The Duchess of Marlborough on her first
appearance at the show wore costume
that had been made specially for the occa-
sion. The proprietress of a fashionable
dressmaling establishment in Fifth av
enue who saw it said that it could not
have cost less than $500.
Her mother, Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt,
who was present on the opening night,
wore a gown of old rose velvet and satin,
trimmed with lace, and with bonnet to
match. Like that Of her daughter, it was u
creation for horse show purposes only, and
was one of several which she had made,
for although she appeared on several occa
sions subsequently she was always in a
different costume. Five hundred dollars
is low estimate for such garments in
these end of the century days of dressmak-
ing.
In the table above, which was prepared
by well known modesto recognized
authority on such matters, the figures are
most conservative. When it is estimated
that ten women expended $4,000 each in
their special preparations for the show, it
is probable that there were really double
that number, and that some of them, seek
ing exceptional brilliancy in Vanity Fair,
were not content with the expenditure Of
less than twice that amount.
Less than 5000 women are included in
the table, no account being taken Of the
other thousands whose expenditures for
the horse show, though specific, were COM
paratively trivial With these taken in
also the total might have been increased
by from $50, 900 to $50, 900.
Masculine frills are of course not so ex-
pensive as those Of the women, but their
cost forms no unimportant part in the ex-
pense of Vanity Fair. Tho tailor and the
halter would have good cause for regret if
| the annual horse show were to be disCOn-
tinuod. While the women spent upward
of $500, 900 in preparations for the show
the men were content with a quarter of
that expenditure.
Charlie Bates, best known as "Fatty, "
wore an average of three suits day, and
there were many more like him. Willie
| Doerr imported whole trunkfuls of clothes
especially made for the occasion.
Horse show trousers are different in
many respects from those of ordinary life
and have to be provided. Horse show hats
IL 81
are the tiles of our granddaddies Bates
hats were made from a special block, and
after the first day there was a rush of the
| knowing ones to get something as near
like them as possible.
The Broadway florists estimate that they
sold flowers for the horse show alone to
the amount of more than 100000. The
women of Vanity Fair will use only those
that are the most expensive, and dollars do
not go very far in purchasing rare blooms.
Ten Thousand dollars for special cab and
carriage hire is said by the man in charge
at the Garden to be a moderate estimate.
Visitors came from all parts of the coun-
try, and as they had to vie with New
York's wealthiest set the cost of their
transportation and their maintenance at
the most expensive hotels cannot be esti-
mated at less than $50, 900 for the week.
Five thousand of those that attended the
horse show, it is said, came from out of
town, some from nearby places, Others
from Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Washington and as far west as Chicago.
The box office receipts are estimated at
| $3.50, 900, Of which upward of 500, 900 will
be clear profit.
For dinners and luncheons the hotels
and restaurants received not less than
500, 600 during the six days of the show,
and $50, 600 is thought to be a modest es-
innate for incidentals. AS a sample OF
this 1t is known that the cigar stand at
the Hotel Waldorf took in 5000 in n single
evening during the week.-New York
| World.