The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-24
rect of Spenders";;
 NelD York's ExtraUagance

equal to that of any of the miiJionaires around them. The Lambs Is one of the jolliest clubs In New York and one where the talk of the theatrical and literary celebrities who frequent 1t furnishes an attraction not to be offered by the gatherings of the pluto crats. who are seldom distinguished for the beardth or brilliancy of their conversation.
 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 Avenue corner is Delmonico's, the old est of ell. whose founder was poor Italian waiter who started on the road to success as proprietor of little eating~house in William Street, wiIh sanded floor and few wooden tables and benches. It would be almost im- possible to reckon the number of social functions which have taken place there; but many are the beIies of New York who made their debut and ate their wedding breakfasts in this fam ous establishment Across the way is Cherry's, a name inseparably connect ed with the thought of splendid enter tainments and IImitless expenditure In entertainment. One of the most cele- brated of these are James Hazen ydG CfbhtECAtH century AGhCr WAAtAA cost $50,000 and proved to be sort of Belshazzar's feast. so far as the insur- ance magnate was concerned At the western extremity of this part or Forty-fourth Street stands W. A. Mus chenheim's Hotel Astor. where the mii- lionaire friends of millionaire clubnlen live within easy reach of the other re- Isorts on the street and where con stant succession of dinners and other e. t,l k arfx cd ff IA hrfl- liancy of this famous locality.
 In design and appointments these places are models of gorgeous splen- dor. Money was no object when they were built and equipped, nor is money any more considered in pleasing their experienced and exacting patrons Spacious corridors. ornamented with gold. lead to rooms where the fur nishings have cost princeiy sums and the pictures are invaluable. The cuisine is perfect and every appliance of pleasure or comfort is at hand.
 In short, the keynote of this short street, as celebrated among New York CTS as Wall Street itself though less widely known outside. is money. In the clubs extravagance of decoration indicates the personal extravagance which distinguishes a large proportion of the members. Only the very wealthy can afford to belong to them, for while the dues are not small. the of maintaining ones position in them, A member must give frequent and costly dinners if he would keen in with the smart set Of clubdon1 he must attend the opera, eptertainat sup per afterward. own horses, automobiles and a yacht; he must dress well and join in every sort of expensive amuse- ment which may be proposed. He must, in short, throw away his dollars with both hands--and he does 1t.
 It is said that the club dues bare amount to over s750.G0o a year. J. F. Morgan, who is a member of nearly all the most expensive clubs, pays S7,- coo ina dues annually. w. Gould Brokaw@sis a member of twenty five. Foxhal Keane of twenty, James Hazen Hyde formerly belonged to thirty. three, August Belmont to thirty-two, and so on. each man paying from s5,- 900 to $i0,000 a year merely to belong to the clubs, some of which he may hardly visit. And, with all. the money they spend upon themselves, they do not by any means stint their wives and daughters, inasmHch as & rough esti- mate of the value of the dresses and, diamonds worn by the women who frequent the Hotel Astor, Sherry's and Delmonico's any evening during the season. gives a result of between y8,- 100000 and $Io,000,O0
 Figurative1y speaking, Forty fourth Street Is paved with gold. Years ago 1t was only occupied by stables, sheds and ramshackle buildings. whereas now 1t is an ultra-fashionabIe thorough fare lined with palatiai buildings worth tens of millions, standing upon lots which range in value from 3I25,0oO