Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-04
MONEY RULES
THOROUGHFARE
DISTRICT WHERE MILLIONS
MELT IN PLEASURE
is HOME OF FAMOUS CLUBS,
HOTELS AND CAFES
Forty-fourth Street, New York, Is
Abode of Spenders, as Wall Street
Is Place of Fortune
Makers


fourth street, the place of spenders.
Just as more money is made in the
former than in any other equal area in
the world, so is more money spent in
the latter-or that part of it, less than
a third of a mile long, which lies be-
tween Broadway and Fifth avenue
than anywhere else in the world. There
money literally is thrown away with
both hands. In the circumscribed area
more than $5,000000 is spent each year
in such incidentals as drink, cigars and
cigarettes.
For if Wall street is the place where
the money princes do their work, this
other street is where they take the
pleasure. Within the narrow area fore
gather men and women whose COM
bined fortunes run far into the billions
and whose total incomes far exceed the
largest fortune of half a century ago.
In this part Of Forty-fourth street
are most of the resorts where wealthy
New York gets rid of its wealth, 1t is
the home of clubdom, Of great hotels
and luxurious restaurants, where dur
ing the season there is a continual
succession of dinners, luncheons sup
pers and balls in the giving Of which
cost is not considered, except to en-
deaver to Guido some previous enter
tainment in lavish extravaganza.
At one extremity of this region stand
y
other the $7,000,000 Hotel Aston, now in
process of enlargement to nearly twice
its former size, occupying the site of
the old LOngacre farm. Between these
are to be found some of the Wealthiest
and most exclusive clubs in the world,
with valuations anywhere between 81
100000 and So 600, 600 each. Here is the
st. Nicholas, which admits no one who
is not the descendant Of a resident New
Yorker prior to 1885. Membership in
this organization is almost the only
thing on FOrty-fourth street which
money cannot buy. Nothing but con-
elusive proof of descent from the old
city fathers will obtain admission, and
names like those of Van Rensselaer,,
Astor, Livingston, DePeyster, Pell and
Stuyvesant are alone to be found upon
its register.
Don't Know Meaning of Economy
Not far away is the Racquet club,
for years the resort of wealthy sport
ing men. Among its 500 members, few
of whom have ever had occasion to
learn the meaning of economy, are the
Vanderbilts, from William X. to Reg
1nald, the youngest scion of the race
John Jacob and William Waldorf AS
tor, Clarence H. Mackay, Payne Whit
ney, James HaZen Hyde, Woodbury.
Kane, the Belmonts and many others
In the same sect, to whom a $1,000 sup
per is a matter of no moment whatever.
The money spent annually on sport bv
the members of this club is estimated
at more than $4,000, 900. Most of these
men also belong to the New York Yacht
CLUB, Which occupies a magnificent
building close by, and counts J. P
Morgan, c. Oliver Iselin, P. A. VaIen-
tine and others among it's members.
No less than 100000 is represented in
the yachts owned by members of this
club.
The Harvard, Yale and Cornell club
houses are to be found in the same
vicinity, together with the building oc-
cupled by the Bar association. Upon
the rolls of this and the college clubs
are to be found the names of some of
the most famous men Of the nation,
such as Theodore Roosevelt. EIfhu
Root, Joseph Choate, Paul Morton and
William Travers Jerome lawyers who
earn fortunes by the practice of their
profession; judges, congressman, diplo-
mats and statesmen who are known
all over the Union.
Here, too, is the home of the Lambs
Some of them are wealthy, but more
are richer in brains than in money. al
though they spend the latter when they
have it with open handedness equal OF
that Of any of the millionaires around
them. The Lambs is one of the jolIiest
clubs in New York and one where the
brities who frequent it furnishes an
attraction not to be offered by the gath
erlngS of the plutOcratS, who are sell
dom distinguished for the breadth or
brilliancy Of their conversation.
Three Great Caterers
In Forty-fourth street are the houses
of three great caterers who have no
occasion to fear comparison with any
rivals in the world. AT the Fifth ave-
nue. corner is DelmonicO's, the Oldest of
all, whose founder was a poor Italian
waiter who started on the road to sue
cess as proprietor of a little eating
house in William street, with sanded
floor and few wooden tables and
benches. 1t would be almost impossi-
bic to reckon the number of social fUnc-
lions which have taken place there.
but many are the bellies of New York
who made their debut and ate their
wedding breakfasts in this famous es-
tabliShment
Across the way is Sherry's, a name
1nseparably connected with the thought
OF splendid entertainments and limit
less expenditure in entertainment One
or the most celebrated of these was
James Hazen Hydes eighteenth cen
tury fete, which cost $50 900 and proved
to be a sort Of Belshazzar's feast. so
far as the insurance magnate was con-
cerned.
AT the western extremity of this
part of Forty-fourth street stands w
A. Muschenheims Hotel Astor. where
the millionaire friends Of millionaire
clubmen live within easy reach of the
other resorts on the street and where
q constant succession of dinners and
other fashionable gatherings add TO the
brilliancy of this famous locality.
In design and appointments these
places are models of gorgeous spIendor.
Money
bullt and equipped, nor is money any
more considered in pleasing their ex-
perienced and exacting patrons. Spa
c1ous corridors, ornamented with gold
lead to rooms where the furnishings
have cost princely sums and the pic
lures are invaluable. The cuisine is
perfect and every appliance of pleasure
or comfort is at hand.
Money Is Keynote
In short, the keynote of this short
street, as celebrated among New York
ers as Wall street itself though less
widely known outside, is money. In
the clubs extravaganza of decoration
indicates the personal extravaganza
which distinguishes large proportion
of the members. Only the very veal
thy can afford to belong to them, for
while the dues are not small, the real
expense comes from the necessity Of
maintaining ones position in them. A
member must give frequent and costly
dinners if he would keep in with the
smart set of clubdom; he must attend