The Washington herald., 1911-03-26
STREET OF THE SPENDERS
IN LITTLE OLD NEW YORK.

devoted to public entertainment. At
the broadway corner is the Hotel Astor,
with its multitude OF restaurants and
private dining-rooms, including the larg-
est hotel room in the world, in which
| the greatest public dinners held in the
city take place. Here, from beginning
to end of the winter season, occurs a
long succession of dinners in which the
| most prominent men in the country par
dcipate as guests and speakers. FIRE.
quently dozen of these dinners are
going on at the same time under one
| roof.
Nations Leaders as Guests.
During the present season President
Taft, ex-President Roosevelt, three of
the justices of the Supreme Court, and
scores of other national leaders of
thought and action have delivered i'm
portant addresses here at banquets, the
| combined cost of which during a season
mounts we'll up toward the million mark,
! a single dinner representing frequently
an expenditure of tens Of thousands of
| dollars.
AL the other boundary of the short
stretch or pavement, constituting what
may appropriately be termed the street
OF the spenders,' two restaurants of an
international Observation-Disclosures and
Sherry's-face each other. Both are CEN
ters Of lavish entertainment, of costly
dinners, and of other social affairs, in
which the members of the 400 vie with
one another.
In fact, the keynote of this street is
money. In every club elaborate decora-
tlons and luxurious appointments indicate
the personal extravaganza which dis
tinguishes large proportion of the men,
bers. Only a wealthy man can afford
10 belong to the more expensive ones
for, in order to keep I'D his end" a.
member must throw away his dollars
with both hands-and he does 1t. More
than sl,OO00O0 is annually spent upon
wines and cigars alone in Forty-fourth
street.
1t is said that the club dues here
amount to over $4,000 a year. ]. P.
Morgan, who belongs to fewer clubs
than many other prominent New York
ars, pays 1900 in dues annually. W.
Gould Brokaw is a member of twenty
five clubs, Foxhall Keene of twenty.
August Belmont of thirty-two, and so
on, each man paying from s, 900 to $40. 900
year merely to belong to the clubs some
or which he may hardly visit. And with
all the money they spend upon them
selves, they do not by any means stint
their wives and daughters, inasmuch as
a rough estimate of the value of the
uieSScs anu uidfnonus worn Dy the women
who frequent the Hotel Astor, Sherry's.
and Delmonico's any evening during the
season gives a result of between S. .oOO.-
900 and 100000.
A Street of Gold.
Figuratively speaking, Forty-fourth
street is paved with gold. Years ago 1t
was occupied by stables, sheds, and
raInshackle buildings. but these have
given place to palatial structures. In
twenty-five years land here has appre-
ciated In value nearly tenfold, and a
still goes on increasing year by year.
From Broadway to Fifth avenue the
distance is but a third of a mile, but
the person on foot has difficulty making
way along the awning-covered sidewalks.
through crowds of dfhers-out, theater.
goers. and their attendants, while the
electric cabs. automobiles, and carriages
forTR double lines along this narrow
way through a wonderland of luxury. II
is estimated that 1920 vehicles pass
through this street each day, and 10. 600
OF this number apparently are there be-.
tween the hours of and II at night
when the clubs, the dining palaces. the
bathrooms. and the Astor combination OF
all are in full swing. No one walks here
but those who serve. as those who are
but passing through. Those for whom
this street exists as II is. touch foot to
ground only where the latter is paved
with velvet, and. although many Of the
feet that only touch the velvet are large
and many more unbeautfful, all are sho1
In aiming leather.