The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-25
DINNERS THAT COST MUCH.
Larry Jerome Paid $4,000 for
Twenty Coyers-Other Fe%stfvftIes.

4 tScEEty SOteBS-OtkAcE FcSLtEEEISSs
The most expensive Inner ever given
in New York, so 1 IN told by men who
are versed in such matters, was given by
Larry jerome to twentyof his friends
at Delmonico's old restaurant at Four
tenth street and Fifth avenue many
years ago.
The guests included a number of ladies,
for whom valuable gifts were provided.
These consisted of diamond pins, ear
Jewels and either dear to the
feminine heart, which were distributed at
the close of the dinner as souvenirs of the
occasion This banquet cost $500 a plate.
The viands were the most expensive that
could be procured, but the great cost. of
course, was for the jeWelry.
The largest dinner, in point of the num-
Der of guests in attendance, was the Co
lumbar celebration banquet given by the
city of New York, in the Lenox Lyceum,
October 10. 1892, in honor of the dis
tinguished Representatives Of foreign
who came to this city to attend the fes-
tiyities of that memorable occasion.
The dinner was furnished by Ernest
Dorval, of the ST James, who was com
PEELED to organize for the occasion four
distinct corps of chefs, assistants and
walters in as many kitchens in the base
nlent of the big building. The services of
300 persons We're required in serving this
monster dinner, which was as complete
in every detail as if it had been given in
the st. James itself.
Eight hundred and twenty-five guests
We're seated at the tables on the floor of
the Lyceum at one time. The city paid
or a total of about $12,0 900. The amount
of wine drunk on the occasion is said
to have been sufficient to float a good
sized steam launch.
Three notable dinners at the Brunswick
are worth recalling. The first was given
by the Grand Duke Alexis during his visit
to this country in the early seventies.
pletely hidden by the costly flowers, and
the tables We're laden with the most ex-
pensive dishes. There were seventy-five
guests, and Alexis paid $4,000, or $40 a COW
er for their entertainment When the din
ner was, being served in the hall. the
Dukes dog, a noble animal of which he
was very proud, sat at a table in an ad-
Joining room, enjoying the same dishes
as his master, n served by a special
waiter.
usual degree while in America, some ten
or twelve years ago, in return for the
favors he had received, invited fifty of his
professional friends to line with him at
was very elaborate, had been served, all
of the guests added their share to the en-
tertainment which followed. Tragedians,
comedians, dancers, and operate stars,
theatrical managers and leaders of or
chestras contributed to the pleasure of
the evening. The dinner cost Offenbach
2 1000.
The third of these ~bancuets was ten
dered by Henry Irving to sixty guests
during his visit to the United States six
years ago.. The table was oval in shape,
the centre being filed with a miniature
lake, the banks of which were covered
with ferns and Towering plants. Cold
fish swan about in the water as uncon-
cernedly as if in their native haunts,
AT one end of the table stood a pyramid
of game that excited the admiration of
all who beheld it. It was composed Ct
every kind of edible bird or FOWL that
could be obtained. There were pheasants
quails, cartridges, redhead and canvas-
back ducks, golden plovers, reed birds.
woodcock and meadow larks, all cooked,
but covered with feathers and grouped
as though ready to fly at the first crack
of the rifle. The speechmaking which
followed the dinner. was continued to
such a late hour that the birds were strip
ped of their plumage and eaten as a part
of the late supper which followed. This
dinner is said to have cost Mr., irving
So, 000.-Chicago Times.