Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-16
RICH CROWD
SARATOGA SPAS
Cheapest Thing at the Most "a.
nous Of American Resorts
, Is Money.
SOCIAL BARRIERS LOWERED
NeWly-madc MiIIionaires Strut About
the Place to Display the Wealth
They Acquired During the War
Gambling Is Heavy.

SHTHtoRh, n. 1.-The cheapest thing
In Saratoga IS money. Everybody has
~ la abundance off and on ana spends
II with the abandon of the drunken
sailor In the old song.
Clerks bet 81 900 on a horse ot the
race tracks. Newly made rich pile up
checks and counters on cards and the
elusive roulette bah. Men throw dol
lars around as they used to toss dimes.
Women accustomed TO glnghaius
ana rhinestones gladden. the eye and
stimulate the sense of humor in their
efforts to carry with grace silks and
diamonds. The most suitable IL dis
carded for the most expensive.
Extravngancc ana Il contempt for
money values intrudes Itself at every
turn on the picturesque streets of the
most famous of American resorts. and
oldest Of the cures, in the corridors of
the great b0rn-Iikc hotels, at the race
track, In the dining places and In the
lake sections ana fits by In the bcwll-
derlng parade of hnShy motorcars.
Natives Rcaping Harvest
And anybody who knows the ruling
passion Of Saratoga doesn't need to
be told that the prudent native is get
ting his.
What escapes him falls to the no.
tel Keepers the hoOkmakcrs, the sleek
and rat-faccd gentry that cap for So
Questered resorts of chance where the
green cloth, the dealing box and the
other implements of their craft are 10
be found without much difficulty.
The crowds that flock to the race
courses are greater by thousands than
ever before.
All the old social BARRIERS have been
broken down and trampled under foot
by the crowd that comes from the
financial marts of Wall street, the re-
sorts of upper broadway, the bench
and forge, and forest and mine and
farm. upon which the fortunes Of war
have smiled.
The number of resorts where worn-
en- are admitted TO the gaming tables
Is probably less than four In the
other small places where the wagcrs
range from 81 10 $50 at roulette, haz-
ard and one or two other contr vanccS
for getting The me ney women are nct
admitted II is not considered clubh2
TO advertise the location or names of
the owners of the gaming establish
ment because 1t might stir the local
officials to interpret too literally the
legal inhibition against such enter
prises.
There has already been more or less
trouble-for the gaming purveyors--
as It IS. During the first week Of the
racing season all games were closed
up for three days due to misundcr-
standing as to the number that were
to be privileged the failure of
certain other negotiations that are of
interest to politicians.
Display Of Gowns and Gems.
The greater part of the women are
IF the middle class type. The dis
play of gowns and gems is if any.
thing, more striking than in the other
days when Saratoga had "atmoSphcrc."
Almost every woman thar passes IN re-
view seems TO have nrospercd from the
wal. If diamonds be accepted as con.
vinclng evidence.
One woman was nj the Union whose
mad-she had one--had displayed
great ingenuity in finding vacant
spaces on her mistrpsses' frOck on
which to pin u stupcndous assortment /
of hrilliants, Her husband made q
fortune out of scrap iron in Chicago.
Another woman, whose costume no
sand man would attempt to describe,
seemed to run TO pearls She wore
more than any two women has any
right to possess. The combination of
dazzling colors and gems provoked one
of the new voters to comment, Dress .
Ing that woman up Is like putting gold
harness on a mule
But fOr all the vanitios and Jealous
les the women seen to be having as
gooG a time us the men and to be as /
well supplied as they with all the /
money necessary to pay for it. Be-
cause the statement made at the be. 1
ginning of this chronicle holds good
to the end. The cheapest thing in
Saratoga is money.