The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-07
M|LL|ONA|RES ARE
 NEW YORK MAD
Pittsburg's Men of Wealth All
 Like Gotham
EVERYTHING IS BETTER
They Pour $2o,ooo,ooo a Year Into the Lap of the etropolis-Pittsburg Merchants Left Out in
 the Cold.
From the New York World.

From the New York World
 Pittsburg.-What would New York do if Pittsburg were suddenly wiped off the
 map? The Pittsburg chamber of com
 meree has just completed a statistical statement which shows that the people
 of the Steel City spend $S,240000 annually in New York for the necessities of life,
 to say nothing of the vast sum which
 they spend for luxuries. The latter ex- penditure is estimated to be s12O00, 900, which brings the total up to s20, ,000, 900.
 The chamber of commerce is trying to
 devise ways and means whereby some of
 this money, at least for the necessities. | may be kept in Pittsburg. But so long
 as there are Pittsburg millions, they
 haven't much hope. The magic name
 New York fairly dazzles Pittsburgers, especially those whose riches have coma
 quick. Everything that comes from New
 York is just little better" and they
 are willing to pay for it. And they pay
 for it dearly, for New York has learned
 that the word Pittsburg is synonomous
 with wealth.
 Many thousands of dollars go to New
 York which are not included in ''necessi- ties" For instance social function was given last spring by a Pittsburg million aire who would not be content with a Pittsburg caterer. but engaged a New York caterer to serve the dinner. The New York caterer chartered a special train, brought all of his foodstuffs with him as well as his special brands of wines, and all his own help and the Pitts
 burg millionaire paid s10,000 for the dinner Any Pittsburg caterer could have served just as good dinner, perhaps, but the
 name was what the Pittsburg millionaire was paying for.
 There is another item which was over looked by the chamber of commerce.
 Many Pttsburgers ina zine that there arc
 no laundries In Pittsburg capable of prop erly washing their fine linen so they send it to New York by express, have 1t washed and sent back to Pittsburg by eX-
 press For this luxury they pay $20,000 | annually e44 Buys Motor Cars There. | It would seem that an automobile pur- chased in Pttsburg or any other city would be just as good as one purchased | in New York, but the Pittsburg million
 
 piles owned in Pittsburg are purchased | in New York.
 Then there Is the matter of groceries | Most of the Pittsburg mlllionalres pur- chase all their supplies from the. big exclusive grocery stores in New York In many instances the very groceries | they send to the metropolis for are made here in Pittsburg.
 | Pittsburg Is New York mad. That Is Iat ri-,4o !, Metropolitan Opera company, with all of the stars who appeared in New York, came to Pittsburg for a weeks engage ment To the surprise of everybody tho wealthy people of the city did not patron- | ize it, and the engagement was a bitter disappointment Only the music lovers at- | tended; the wealthy had gone to New York and attended the performances there. Then they smiled in a supercillious way upon the poor unfortunates who had not
 heard the operas in New York and had to wait until they were sung in Pitts burg.
 The Pittsburg merchants have tried
 every way to get a share of the busi- ness that is going to New York. They have hired clerks from big establish.
 ments in New York from which Pitts burgers purchased their goods, bringing them here at fancy salaries. They have sent out letters announcing, for instance, that MT. Smith, formerly of certain New
 York firm, is now with their house. But it doesn't do a particle of good. MT. Smith is dropped like a hot coal. and the Pittsburgers rush off to New York and
 pick up another clerk in the same estab- lishment.
 There are over one hundred business
 houses in New York, representing almost
 every branch of trade, who send special representatives to Pittsburg four times
 year to visit their patrons. These ara not "drummers' but usually a member
 of the firm, who finds it profitable to como here and look after this Plttsburg busi- ness.
 Station From New York For such trifling things as stationery, visiting cards, cigars and cigarettes the wealthy Pttsburger must go to New York. There is a Pittsburg firm that | manufactures letter paper, and New York house takes large part of the product, while the rest is sold in Pitts
 burg But Pittsburgers couldn't think
 of buying it at home They go to New York for it, for no other apparent req son than to have the label of the New York house on the box and show 1t to their friends.
 But it is the luxuries that cut deep into the bank account of the Pittsburger. Let a man go to hotel in New York and register from Pittsburg, and he is marked man. No matter how little money he may have, he is supposed to be wealthy. and he is charged probably ac- cordingly. He pays two prices for every thing he gets. So serious has this mat ter become that many Pittsburg people
 when they go to New York regiDter from
 some other city. It's just the same as an
 American travelling in Europe.
 Each year Pittsburg is becoming more