The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1905-06-02
SOME MODERN FEASTS.
They Cast Into the Shade the Lavish
Affairs of NerO's Time.

| Affairs OF NerO's 11me.
It is worthy of note that we are APP
preaching the Romans not only in the
! lavishness and abundance of food, but
in various attendant eccentricities. Pc
tronius tells us In "Trimalchio's Din
ner" that a boiled calf is brought in
followed by an actor dressed as Ajax.
Stimulating madness, he suddenly rush
es at the calf with drawn sword, slash
es it into slices and then presents a
piece to each one of the astonished
guests. But this is not more absurd
than the dinner Of steamed rhinoceros
recently served at the Hotel Astor,
not more absurd than the various
monkey dinners" horseback din
ners," "jungle dinners" etc, of which
we hear from time to time, nor should
we omit the recent "picnic dinner" at
New York hotel, where the guests We're
seated on banks of imitation grass, with
the result that sundry handsome gowns
were ruined by green paint!
Despite the fact that many of our
rich families would be incapable of
such vulgar ostentation, it cannot be
denied that love of show and notoriety
is a common motive for numbers of
these costly banquets. This is one of
the signs of a luxurious period, and
New York sees a constant succession of
lavish dinners where the desire is not
to get the most possible for the money
but to spend as much money as posi-
BILE, so long as the amount spent be
known. For example, the very best
champagne costs $40 quart, but most
people are quite content with ordinary
brands at half as much, and many peo-
pie would be at loss to distinguish
the one from the other by the taste
alone Yet ten dollar champagne is in
demand not because it is better, but be-
cause the guests know that it costs
$40 And a thousand bottles have been
provided for a single nights entertain
ment!
On the same principle other wines,
still more costly, are offered, say a
red Bordeaux, at $25 quart or a fine
Rhine wine at $50. Then there are
old French brandies that go up to any
price and cigars at 50 apiece; also
cigarettes for the ladies that come
in glass tubes and cost 81 a dozen.
Were it not for these expensive ac-
cessories it would be difficult to get
the cost of a dinner up to as high a
figure as would be thought sufficient
ly spectacular. Even with caviare
brought from Russia at So pound
and birds nests from China for the
soup, and sole and quail from France,
and diamond back tarrapin at 500 a
dozen, and canvasback ducks at 81
pair, and fat hens from lie Mans at
So each, and Rouen ducks at 81, and
truflled pheasants at So and Belgian
asparagus at IS bunch, and Florida
strawberries (the first that come I'M
at $4 for a cup of twenty berries, and
Hamburg grapes at SO a pound, and
Normandy apples 81 apiece-with all
this and the best intentions in the
world the caterer cannot raise the
price of food alone beyond SIS head
which for dinner of forty makes
only 5000! However, with rare wines
and cigars, with an extra charge for
the most costly plates, perhaps the ia
nous gold service, and with various
fncidentals, it is possible to improve ON
this considerably and bring the cost !
per head up to, say, $50 at the outside. |
This does not include flowers, decora-
tons, hand painted menu cards and |
other Notwithstanding Moffett in
Success.