The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-20
Social War
In New York
SENATOR cLaRk AND cHes. ~
sc4vyAB WILL no BATTLE
ON TOUR f. tJEspRE


NEW YoRK,. mis- winter
vii see the grea test social lew
Yofk has ever known The whole
complexion 81 the fifth avenue ban
quet tables may be cham ed and New:
port next season may have an influx
OF new fnhabitants It issnot So much
a battle Of Wonenss wits rs ~ - OF
millions, and either the -Four Hun;
!dredt' win have to cap tniates Or those
who would invade e viii have to put
aside their social ambitions for some
time at least. #
The real battle IS betWeen Senator
Nv. IA. Clark and Charles ~. schwatt
and their wives ON the one hand, and
| a large part Of the 1907 on the 9th.
er.
And arrayed behind Clark and
schWab are dozens Of others Of great
wealth who for several years have
saarted under the suaye insoIences Of
the set that 50 satisfied to set along
without them. 6
When the opera season opens y. r.
Morgan win Sit In the Metropo litan
in the center parterre box hanked by
J. j. Aston, Perry Belmont. Mrs. Cor.
.nedius vanderbilt. Adrian Iselin and
all the other old.1ine social powers.
At about the same time, when the
Manhattan opens, and in the very CEN
ter OF the grand tier that corresponds
with the Metropolitan's parterre
boxes win be W. a. Clark and Charles
NJ. schwab and their wives
1t is these men who are said. be-
cause of pfque to have made it posi-.
bic for Oscar Hammerstein to be-
come, at one stride, the head Of the
new opera house that is designed to
rival the Metropolitan.
with parterre box one always had
a chance of being invited to join in
hoxto.box visiting. Knowing this
fully, the directors always have exer-
cised the greatest vigilance, and q
hint from the ox-holders always has
been suffctent to prevent an invasion.
Both Senator Clarke and Mr.. schwab
wanted parterre box but they could
not get IT, schwab smiled and wait
ed.
It was about this time that Herr
Conried began to get the artistic end
OF the great musical venture down to
what he termed a "business basis
The De Reszkes, Media and tneir coll
leagues had given place to new sing
ers, good, It is true, but not equal to
those that had gone. And then the
Metropolitan was not what it had
been.
The willy Hammerstetn conceived
the idea of building his Manhattan
opera house. After several months
Mr.. Hammersteln decided that he
could not get quite enough money
out Of the house at popular prices and
he. determined to enlist the sympathy
of some wealthy men who would sub.
scribe for boxes at such large prices
that he still could sell most q the
seats at popular prices.
Clark and Schwab seized their op!
portunity. They told Hammerstein
they. would back him to the limit
When his first curtain goes up the
Hammerstein Opera House will rep
resent cash expenditure of $4,000
900, and with the millions of schwab
and Clark behind him It is hard to see
how he can fail
But it remains to be seen what will
happen to schwab and Clark. They
and the others who stand behind Ham
merstein purpose to exercise the same
care over the list of box-holders that
the Metropolitan directors have done.
II they succeed in getting a list of
names in some measure equaltng that
of the metropolitan, minus, OF course,
Morgan, Mrs. Goelet and Mrs. Van
derbilt, they viii be in a position the
following season to stampede the Met
ropolitan parterre box=holders.
This is regarded as Indicating that
Clark and schwab, unless accepted
by the inner circle Of the 400; with
their wives, intend to build up another
exclusive set.