Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-25
NOTHING BUT MONEY.
Untold Wealth at Mrs. vanderbt's Newport
 Ball-None of the Guests Worth Less ..s " Than Half Million.

There was dance at the new cottage, "The Breakers" which Cornelius Van derbilt has erected here, says a Newport
 dispatch to the New York Advertiser. It was given for his daughter Miss Ger .trude. On the cards of invitation it was called small dance" All this is very well and everything seems simple enough, except in Vanderbilt sense. Tn the first place 1S0 people, none of whom were worth less than $500000 were in- vited to this small dance,' and the 'cot- tage," "The Breakers" is an enormous stone structure, with magnificent grounds, which has been built at an out lay of over S500000 The Hungarian band of thirty pieces performed The Newport florists were given unlimited sway to decorate the different rooms, and they did it as only Newport florists can, and at the prices which only New port florists ask. The supper was served by the Casino caterer and consisted of the usual elaborate refreshments-that is, of bouillon cold and hot entrees, birds, chicken and lobster salads, ices and fruits. There were three kinds of wines --chablis, claret and champagne-of ex- pensive brands, besides punches in great silver bowls served all during the even- ing.
 The cetillion, which was danced after supper, was the occasion of the giving to the guests of beautiful and valuable gewgaws. It was royal welcome given by MT. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the enormous house was thrown open and lighted brilliantly from cellar to roof. The gorgeous furniture, which has recently arrived from Europe, the hang ings, the tapestries and the marvellous fittings of each of the magnificent suites of drawing rooms were shown to their best advantage. The great hall was. ra- diant with lights and beautiful with flowers. A dinner. to some thirty-fve chosen guests preceded the ball.
 Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, arrayed in a gorgeous silk gown and with all her diamonds on, received the guests at the entrance to the first drawing room. Her daughter, Miss Gertrude is a sweet-look- ing, refined girl, not especially pretty, but very attractive and bright. She is always very simply dressed and her gown. of white this evening was tasteful and in keeping with the ensemble of debutante.
 But the interest in this ball is not so much in itself, because the 400 are con stantly giving such entertainments, but on account of it's being a representative assemblage of wealth. There was not lit orally a poor person in the rooms. At Newport there are gathered this summer the wealth of four great cities-New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago --QnQ they all Ildu u SilOWlIS. luutCh, had a census been taken the wealth rep resented tonight would have rolled up into the billions. In the first place, there was the entire Vanderbilt family-Cor- nelius, William, Frederick and George, and old Mrs. w. H. Vanderbilt The ag- gregate amount of their fortunes must be about $200,000,00 GOO. Mrs. Astor gleamed with Jewels, representing $50,000,000, with her son and daughter-in-law, MT. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Jr.; MT. and Mrs, w. D. Sloane and MT. and Mrs. Mex. Twombley can come in for $4O, 000,000. MT. and Mrs. Orme Wilson represented at least S2,OOO, ,OO0 more. Miss Mabel Gerry is Miss Vanderbilt's guest and stands for her family at figure of $10,000O00. Miss Virginia Fair has, without counting the millions involved in the Fair contest, at least $5, ,OO0 O00 The Brice girls have been rated at $10, ,000. .000, and there seems to be no bottom yet discovered to their fathers Calvin Brice) money barrel. MT and Mrs Ogden Goelet represented $1O, 900, and Mir. and Mrs. Theodore Havemeyer might well be put down at $50. 900, ,0O0 MT. Joel Wolfe and his sister Mrs. N. D. Clapp, whose daughter was one of the debutantes of the ball, has been rated at $5, ,000,000 and Miss Gertrude Georgette Kidd, the daughter of MT. and Mrs George Kidd. at $2,000,000.
 MT. and. Mrs. J. J. Wysong are million aires five times over, and Col. and Mrs.
 
 Miss Pauline Whitney, who was radiant and who received numerous congratula- tions on her recent engagement to MT. Paget, is also a $3,000000 heiress. An other very rich girl at the dance was Miss Evelyn Burden, who can safely be put down at $50 ,000 Miss Elsie Clews, 1 tall and stately, was one of the young heiresses who were much admired, and she is supposed to be worth considerable money. Miss Wilson can be put down at | $50, 000, GOO. R. T. Wilson, her father, being | worth every cent of that sum, if not more. Miss Tooker is worth at least $1 .000, 900. Mrs Victor Sorchon has $3,000,000. She was one of the most admired of the young l rnatrons present. MT. and Mrs. Willie Burden, who have just opened a magnifi-> | cent house, are credited with $20, 1000, 900. | Of the men it is still harder to estimate. | There was Eugene Higgins, who is said | to be worth all of S20, ,000, ,0O0; James Van | Alen, about s3.000, 900; the Cutting boys | at the same figure; Perry Belmont at | &, ,000. GOO, and Tom Gushing at g, 900. l In fact, the whole invitation list showed l not one person who could not add to his l name at least $500,000. They were the l small fry in the great sea of money And | yet these people danced and passed the | dressed. But then you must remember | that 1t was small dance at the Wander | bilt cottage! When MT. and Mrs. Van | derbilt undertake to give a large affair | and show what they can really do--well | then, the figures for expenditures. as |