The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-26

New York, June 25.-The newspapers
of New York are constantly printing
figures to show how enormously ex-
travagant are the fashionable women
of this country in the matter of dress.
1t is not often, however, that the lime
light of type is turned upon the ex-
travagances of the men, but there is
reason to believe that were this to be
done the figures would be interesting,
even startling.
For instance, it has come to the
knowledge of the writer recently that
a certain New Yorker will not deign
to encase his feet in hosiery costing
less than $50 dozen-$5 the pair, or
$3.50 for each individual stocking This
man wears long hose that come above
the knee, and his taste in perfumes,
which he uses lavishly, is quite as ex-
travagant as that of any opulent belle
or matron now figuring in the society
columns of the New York papers.
Moreover, this man is not an iiler or
the son of rich man, or in any way
a namby-p amby. He was born to very
moderate circums tances, had to go to
work Immediately after leaving COL
lege, where he had been a prize-win-
ming athlete and has made practically
all his own money. He is ''in society"
of a certain grade, but only occasion
ally even touches elbows with the
400" He is luxurious in his dress and
tastes simply because he has become
intoxicated with the atmosphere of
wealth and lavish expenditure that ex-
lists here
His wife is a woman of some social
ambitions, and is generally considered
extravaganza by the women of her own
set, but she doesn't spend more than
three-quarters as much on dress and
kindred things as he does. One of
his mtfn1ates who often rallies him
on the way he burns money in the sort
ofepersonal expenditures indicated, de-
clares that they are not a cent less
than $4,000 year. His shoes cost from
S12 to SIS the pair; nothing less ex-
pensive than silk ever finds 1t way into
his chest of undergarments; his hand
kerchiefs alone cost enough to pay the
wages of an ordinary domestic servant,
and so on.
If Jim were a rich man." said his
friend, lit wouldn't matter so much,
but he isn't. His income isn't more
than $4,000 a year, and he is often
pinched for money.
"On that income, when you remem-
Der the frugality Of his ancestors, for
he is New Englander of Colonial
stock, he ought to put away very
comfortable roll every year, but he
doesn't, and when there comes a
pinch of hard times he is pretty sure
to feel it seriously Even his wife pro-
tests against the way be burns his
money!"
The writer is not one of those who
see nothing but extravaganza among
the people of this town, bat it is a
fact that year by year the percentage
of its inhabitants who have become in
toxicated by its growth, its prosperity,
and the lavish expenditures of those
about them, is increasing in marked
degree.
This is as true of the moderate
wage Garner and salaried man as of
the well-to-do Oike the man above de-
scribed, with the $40, coo income) or the
really rich. And of late years nothing
has given a greater. impetus to the
growth of thoughtless extravaganza
among "the masses than the much
heralded regeneration of Coney Island,
of old justly considered a veritable
sinkhole among amusement places.
To begin with, it is fact that Co.
ney Island has been rejuvenated. Near
ly all the dives of other days have been
wiped off the map, and in their stead
have been set up amusement plants
that only the most puritanical sur