The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-03-09
OUR -FOUR HUNDRED"
What Distinguished Author" Of
Great Britain Says Of Them.

of the visit To New York of the DaN,
of Connaught and his wife and daugh.
ter, and in connection with Il som,
remarkable statements in regard I,
New York and New York society ar,
being printed.
| Nothing appears too tar for tn,
British public. but Of all the extraor-
binary assertions that have been made
those supplied by gentleman who Is
described by the Daily Mirror as "a
distinguished author who has spent
many years of his life In exploring In.
United States and written much con
corning the manners and customs of
the inhabitants are quite the most as
tonishing They were called forth By
an inquiry as to the origin OF the -Four
Hundred" aud the distinguished au-
thor'-who at any rate has the saw
ing grace OF humor-says:
Ward McAllister. one OF the inven-
tors of New York society. brought the
term -Four Hundred into being. In
the states, If you are "in society" YOU
must pose as being more or less Eng
lish. You are really not a bit Eng
fish, but you do and say things which
are not American, and which YOU inn
agine are English. One OF the symp-
toms is TO say, Don't YOU know?"
Ward McAlllster-he died about fif-
teen years ago--we two better and
said: Don't YOU know" Don't YOU
see?' Don't you understand" That
hall-marked him as British Brum-
nell and lifted him into position TO
invent the term "Four Hundred" which
actually followed on statement made
by him. lie used to issue statements.
The pronouncement which brought the
-Four Hundred" into being was issued
by him one day during an interview
on what had become of New York So
clety and who composed II, for some
one had given a party To- which no one
had come.
He said that however many people
YOU invite to New York society fune-
ton, you cannot make II success and
have at the same time moro than 400
people there with clean faces who
don't eat soup with a fork. This state
ment OF his was misunderstood. and
taken TO mean that only 400 people
were so well bred. 1t was forgotten
that on any given day a certain num-
Der were i'll, others were in mourning,
others were attending other functions,
while others were in jail for cmbezz-
ling.
He tried to explain what he had
meant. but no ono paid any attention
TO that because II was not so interest
ing. That is how the New York -Four
Hundred" was created. They are now
simply rich people who have manners
and some social qualities, and they are
much more exclusive than in any 9th
er country. They are always trying
TO insist upon their social position, and
in New York one sign of social position
IN to snub people,. and be loud and
vociferous. That is why they can not
understand the Duke Of Connaught
lie is not always trying to snub peo-
pie to show that lie has good social
position.
1t is the people who inherit money
from self-made fathers who are in the
-Four Hundred" The man who makes
the money CD lacks Ancestry" CD is
too busy.
Before Ward McAllister's dictum the
newspaper classification was as fol-
lows: 4 man who wore a silk hat was
prominent clubman." Ii he wore
gloves. too. he was "a prominent mil
lionaire clubman."
The old Colonial New York society,
the members of which had great deal
OF Dutch blood, was really fine But
their ancestors bought Manhattan ISL
and from the Indians for n key Of
whisky, and then played pitch and toss
with the natives and won the key
back. so getting both island and keg.
They were, You sec, traders. Their
descendants were good people.
Then New York was invaded by mil
lionaires from Kansas and such locali-
ties, who wanted to show Off They
were raw, indeed. They would go in
to restaurant and order $40 worth OF
steak, 10 show how rich they were.
That spirit prevails TO large extent
in America now.-New York Times.