The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-09
COST OF LIVING IN NEW YORK.
Greater Than in Any City in the
World-Society Sets the Pace.

Greater Than I'm Any City in the
World-Society Sets the Pace.
New York, June Livery time that
anything is said about the great expense
of living in New York, there is always
some one at hand who proves at once that
everything from rent to shoe strings can
be bought more cheaply here than any
where else After they had fought over
the shield the knights found out that 1t
had two sides. In any place where there
is as much and as keen competition as
here in New York, a great many things
are offered for sale and bought at very
small prices. But not only are a great
many things offered at very high prices
in New York. but more buyers are there
at those prices than anywhere else in the
world, and this last it is which makes
New York SO expensive a place to live in.
Europe in her heart may think us vul-
gar for our lavish outlay, but, while her
aristocracy is anxious to get hold of so
much of it, she ought to be patient with
US. Meantime people in New York who
formerly lived in palaces on lower Fifth
avenue for ten months in the year, and
occupy other palaces and castles away
from New York for the rest of the time
The people who, a few years ago paid
of a fat when the rent is high-are
moving this year into one which rents
UNFINISHED, for $4,000.
One prerogative of social prestige is ex-
clusiveness. In shopping this is especially
taken to heart in New York city now,
and the small shop where goods are so
very high priced that bargain hunters do
not even venture into the neighborhood
is being greatly affected A funny result
All l. 4l,,4 - 4 .oafA ar
10 the crowd take no manner of interest
in their customers. They expect that peo-
pie who come to their 14-cent sale to-day
will go to somebody elses 13-cent sale
tomorrow The person in search OF the
best grades of goods, and willing to pay
their market value, but not fictitious
price set upon them by shops which have
only a dozen customers in a day, has a
hard time of it. The white gloved but
tons at the door of the small and fash
ionable shop can hardly find the door
knob if you arrive on foot; even the girl
who sticks pins in the filters cushion at
the dressmakers averts her eyes If you
venture to suggest that a black lining is
likely to be more economical than a white
one in the skirt of a dark cloth street
dress. Economy, forsooth! What are you
doing east of Sixth avenue or west of
Madison avenue in New York if you have
any interest in economy? If you pay for
things when you buy them you are an
object of suspicion Even in the large
shops it is only the customer that has
her purchase Charged who is treated
with consideration.
The action and reaction of money upon
New Workers affects even the grocer and
the butcher So many New York people
are out of town from May till November
it is difficult and often impossible, though
within ferryboat ride of Long Islands
great garden truck region, for any one
in town, in the late spring, or early fall,
and especially summer, to get the best
fruits and vegetables even by paying the
highest price for them. The dealers SUI
previously take it for granted that if
you are in the city instead of in a coun-
try house you cannot know the difference
between good and poor things.
1t is the fashion in New York to live
extensively. Even window curtains show
IT, The French glass curtain that catches
so much dust in one short season that
even dry cleaning returns it a thing of
shreds and patches, are becoming absurd
ly fine. Machine made curtains in a New
York window in fashionable locality be-
speak one of two things. profound moral
courage or tight money market. We
are living not only in just as much lux
ury as we can muster, but we are revel-
ing in letting other people see us do it,
Even visitors from other cities are caught
up in the whirl of the town They do
not care nearly so much for a delicious
pre-opera dinner or post-theater supper
at a private table as they do for one or
the other at some of the show restaurants
where everybody is something superative,
the richest railroad president, the most
talked of beauty, the most popular leader
of germans, the noted after-dinner story
teller.
There are cities where anything ordered
from bill of fare set before a guest of
the place will be served with as good SER
vice as the place affords. But in a New
Yrok restaurant where walters are in the
habit of receiving orders for SIS dinner,
and a 81 tip, for two people who are in
the least hungry. they do not take re-
spectfully to serving a SO or "a dinner and
getting 80 cents for their Indifference. Pos
tive strength of character is required to
order low-priced viands in a high-priced
place. If you go to a cheap place the
viands are low as the prices.
At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel a por-