The sun., 1906-02-18
MOST EXTRAVACANT WOMEN
NEW iORk THE PItCE WHERE
THEi MAKE THE MONEY FLl

Gust OniS Here ~ ckast T"cnt> Years.
The increasing HpIcndpr of New Works.
wealthy reOpic in their clothes, their hou"oS
their pl.ayDrcs, Their entertain 'neits ana
the cost of maintaining this splendor are
popular tories Just now with persons hoth
In and out of Fashionable society. hoth IN
this and in other countries, for the ialne
of New York = prodigal expenditure crossed
the ocean long a@..
A discussion OF ,NNe topics always de-
velops a big difference Of opinion. O!d
World fashionables, for INSTANCE lean to
the opinion that take them all mall. wealthy
Americans are the most reckless!y eXtrava-
giant people on earth, and Americans who
Rave lived for months at a time in Enropean
capitals and are quite at home in fash
ionable society ol other countries agree
with this opinion. Said one of the latter
the other day
The expenditures or New York = wealthy
women indicate an appalling eXtrara gance
not eo,aled in any other country
Descendants Of the Knickcrbockers
who helped to shape New FORK early
history sometimes shake their heads warn
inglv and hint that the same fate when
overlook other high living, reckIe-sly eN.
travaglnt countries in the long ago VIII
eventually overtakc New York. To their
minds the emulation among Ne" YORK
fashionabes who wear costly clothes ana
exhibit them by CostIier mediums proves
that sooner or later they will tie up every
dollar Of surplus capital in iinery ana inr-
ni.hings in Iaces, furs, bric-a-brac ana
racing machines.
For the most part II is the Older, more
conservative element III fashionable society
the comparatively small section pest
with more family tree than dollars, that
entertain, this view. Younger and richer
md perhaps less pedigrecd generations
are not worried on that score. The fate
Of elrete monarchiHs OF centuries ago Is
left out of their calculations,
"Pshaw," they say, what parallel do
those old countries offer for America
America is lnilue. Never before was
there democracy which multiplied over
and over again its millionaire class in less
than a quarter Of a century Never before
was there city like New York which in
cludes miliionare- by the dozen in
its population. Wealthy New Workers are
lavish, but not eXtravaSant spentlers, ana
their lavsmess is justified.
wealthy or we'll to do. prefers the latter
view. Talk with any woman of the fash
ionable elias. and she scouts the idea that
she herself is eNtravagant. even while
admitting that some Of her friends may
be- Most Of these woman laugh at com
parison Of past and present spendor in
New York's clothes and style of living
Said one, whose clothes are the despair of
her enemies
CHANGED SOCIAL STANDARDS.
"Compaled with her great grandmother
the up to date woman does seem to be
spendthrift. But think of how differently
she lives.
IL remember being taken when a small
child to call at the house of Commodore
Vanderbilt in Washington place, considered
a handsome dwelling in those days and
there we're horsehar chairs and sofas n
the drawing room. which was heated With
a big stove ! presume that three orserH
servants we're ample to look after the entire
establishment.
Before the late William II, Vanderbilt
moved into his new house at fifty-tirst
street and Fifth avenue his m6nage was OF
the most modest description and even after
taking possession of his new home cant
remember that the family gave even one
entertainment which would be called smart
in these days.
THE late Cornelius Vanderbilt and his
wife. both before and after moving into the
palace they built at Fiftyseventh street
and Fifth avenue lived unostentatiously.
II was not till the eldest daughter, now
Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney, was almost
grown up that they did more than give
family dinners and days at home, and
Mrs. Vanderbilt despite her wealth, cared
not at a for fine clothes.
mistress of one of the handsomest
houses in New York she continued to dress
plainly rather than richly and the sum
the family spent in entertaining wouldn't
make much Of a hole in even very small
fortune. This circumstance is often quoted
to her credit when comparing the mode Of
life of the older and the younger genera
tions Of Vanderhilt+. although some of us
think the younger considering the size of
their fortunes, are far more consistent in
their spending for no one can accuse Mrs.
Vandcrbilt's sons, Cornelius Alfred and
REGINALD Vanderbilt, or their wives of being
parsimonious. or OF showing any dstaste
for fine clothes.
By many Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt is
considered the best dressed woman in New
York. She spends fabulous sums on her
clothes and gets the worth OF her money, too,
ever time, As a result, when Prince Henry
visited New York he openly expressed his
admiration for her costumes, ana German
royalty, with which Mrs, Cornelius has
since hobnohhed, shares Prince Henry &
opinion-and justly