The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-08-07
Antics of Our"Y elbow Rich"
BY the Editor of The Argonaut.

| "A well KNOWN writer mas been traV-
ing on the steamship Amerika, which
may be said to be the last word in
| naval architecture and ocean splen-
| dor He finds plenty to admire in a
floating hotel that can accommodate
| about 1000 people, and that is fitted
up with the same magnificence as
! may be found in the most luxurious
hotel. But even magnificence is open
to criticism and the appointments of
the Amerika are the subject of caus-
tic comment-directed against those
vulgar ones who are irresistibly at
tracted, not so much by comfort and
luxury as by the simple opportunity
to spend money lavishly and to sum-
mon all the world and his wife as
witnesses thereto.
The special occasion for animad-
version is the Ritz-Carleton restau-
rant, which is to be found on the
Amerika. There is no objection to
the gymnasium, the children's nurs-
cry, the conservatory, the brass band.
the two string orchestras, or the half
dozen pianos. All these things can
be defended on the ground of sub
stantial comfort, but there can be no
palliation for the restaurant, which
is simply tawdry excuse for spend
ing money. This is what he says:
This wonderful cafe, which in SER
vice is equal to anything on either
side of the Atlantic, is ostensibly for
the purpose of supplying a la carte
meals to passengers who do not find
it convenient to eat at regular meals.
In reality it is remunerative conces-
sion to that class of Americans
termed by Owen Wister the yellow
Rich, who wander up and down the
earth consumed with a burning de-
sire to exhibit to the public tangible
evidence of their riches. All of the
big modern flyers that preceded the
Amerika in the past ten years were
amply provided with private dining
price, he could have meals served at
most any hour in the twenty-four,
but as these private dining rooms Of
fered no opportunity for public dis
play of wealth the Ritz-Carleton res
taurant became in a degree a neces-
sity. Within its elegant glass walls
the yellow rich not only enjoy the
privileges of paying four prices for a
meal, but they are also permitted to
show the common herd, which, for
npnnnpnioa1 nfh
must worry along on eight and ten
course meals in the main dining sa-
loon, that they actually have the price
and glory in the opportunity for
spending it. The cafe is, of course,
convenience for others who desire to
sleep late or retire late and who drop
in occasionally and order a meal to
vary the regular saloon fare, but this
class of patronage would be INSULT
cient to remunerate the orchestra,
through the heavy expenditure of
the yellow rich that the Ritz-Carle-
ton pays even"
The trouble of this sort of thing is
that it gives foreigners false idea of
Americans. We are told that on this
particular voyage there was baron,
a count and some minor sprigs of
royalty" but they had not a valet be-
tween them. Tue Americans, on the
other hand, had retinues of Wallets,
maid-servants and all the other rep
resentatives of the parasite tribe.
There is certainly room for the NOR
alfzings that follow:
There may appear in these notes
evidence of a personal grievance and,
to a degree, plead guilty. But the
grievance is not specific, and it did
not have its origin on the Amerika.
Neither is it altogether my grievance,
for it is one that is murmured by
annually, on business or pleasure,
visit the Old World. Our yellow
rich have set pace afoat and ashore
that it is very difficult for the plain.
everyday Americans to maintain.
Some of the eX-puddlers in the Penn
sylvania Steel Works never seem to
have anything smaller than a sover-
eign for a tip, and the ostentatious
manner i'll which they bestow it daz.
zles the eyes of the cringing minions
to such an extent that the shilling of
the American American is over.
looked or treated with naughty dis.
dain. 1t is the effect of this osten-
tatious distribution of wealth of
which we of the ranks complain, as
it renders it very difficult for us to
secure what is coming to u.s."
1t would seem that smart society
afloat is somewhat worse than smart
society ashore.