The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19

orabe Croesus Christmas gathering
divided:
Cornelius Vanderbilt ~ $125. 900, 900
Mrs w H Vanderbilt. 49,. so 900 900
William II. Vanderbilt. S0000,O00
Frederick w. Vanderbilt. 25.000.000
The w ID. Sloanes. ........... 40 900 900
The Mex. Twombeys. 20000,000
The Seward Webbs. ......... 10000, 900
kissams, Vanderbilt young
folks" and others. ......,... 40000,000
Total. .......... ...... $500 000. 600
1t is exceedingly doubtful whether
there has ever been Christmas din
ner party before or since whose MEM
bers represented any such almost un-
thinkable mass of money. 1t is true
that they We're guests at a house that
cost $4,000 but i fancy the reader
will agree with me when he comes TO
think it over that the party was a good
deal more interesting than the house.
Had the widow and children of the
late Colonel Elliott f. Shepard, the
James A. Burdens and the charming
young Duchess of Marlborough been
present. the total wealth of the party
would easily have been equal to half
thousand millions.
HOLIDAY ADJUSTMENTS OF CROE-
SUSES.
How did this unprecedented family
party pass away the time on that
never-to- be- forgotten Christmas and
the succeeding days? Well for one
thing, they devoted a lot of attention
to the enjoyment of their servants.
Biltmore. as such a vast home must
necessarily be. is we'll equipped with
servants, and the guests took so
more of their own along with them;
and for the delectation of this hundred
| or more. a servants ball. far outshin-
/ ing in splendor any other function for
\ fiunkeys ever given was held on the
night after Christmas. This big dance
/ was furnished with the best music
I money could hire, and the multi-mil-
lionaire host and his guests took an ac-
! tive part in the waltzing, the two-steps.
! the quadrilleS. and the sehottisches as
the servants themselves. And although
| Il was given in the great barn which
shelters the George Vanderbilt domes-
Tic animals the ballroom was finer as
to floor and decoration than many a
smart function to which no servant is
admitted.
The big dinner was eaten on Christ
mas day, of course, and the dishes in
Guided the head Of a wild boar, killed
on the estate. and the strictly local
delicacies, 'possum and yellow yams,
besides such a toothsome variety of
Siands from the uttermost parts Of the
earth as could be gathered only by a
host as rich as the owner of Biltmore.
| The decorations Of the vast dining
room in which the party sat at meal
included holly and mistetoe gathered
on the estate and the great backlog
in the cavernous fireplace was of yule
also grown there.
The festivities following Christmas
lasted till after New Years day, many
friends besides the members of the
family party being present as guests
before the week was over. OF course,
their amusements were varied. some
thing being provided to please every
T..suN ,l. t..,.
hunt. gold tournament. tennis
match and Ghymkana races. whatever
they may be. And of course there was
Christmas tree on the big day, load
ed with gifts the like of which could
not be bought for hundreds of thous-
ands nywhere-perhaps millions
1t was all fine and brave and snowy.
the company was merry from the first
to the last. there was the perfume of
flowers. the sheen of silks. the luster
of satins. the biting sparkle of dia-
monds. the neighing of horses was
heard. and the baying of hounds; fair
women looked upon stalwart men. and
through it all the prattle of children,
nurtured in luxury and hardly knowing
that the world held aught of want or
misery, fell on the ear.
And those who would condemn the
lavish expenditure of such Christmas
festivities should stop and think before
they speak their minds too bitterly
FOR whatever money is poured out free
~ for the pleasure of one set of human
beings always falls into the hands of
another set, whose members need it
far more than those who spend it. But
While the richest bachelor in the
| world was entertaining his family. his
| friends and his servants with all the
| elaboration that hospitality could sug-
| gest. ingenuity devise and money af-
| ford there were entertainments Of
them-to whom the days following We're
| anything but festal.
And some there We're, less in number
/ but still so many that IL would appal
| one could he see them ALL whose Christ
mas was misery and a burden-who
! had neither money nor friends nor hope
nor cause for hope.
Much further north than beautiful
| Biltmore, one such God-forsaken crea-
ture crawled out from under a hay
stack on the rolling prairie soon after
| dawn on Christmas morning. 1896. He
| was ragged, unkempt, unshaven. His
eyes We're bleared, his gait was sham
bling, his nerves We're tremulous both
from excessive drinking of the Vlest OF
liquors in the past and from an imme-
date lack Of nourishing food. When
he crawled under the stack on Christ
mas eve he meant to lie there all
through the day sacred 10 the Savior's
birth. But the morning had brought
hunger. ii was showing as he emerged
/ from his shelter and Boreas blew fu-
rious blast. 4 blizzard had begun. and
hungry though the poor wretch was he
might better have remained where he
was.
But his hunger carried stupor with IT,.