AT MR VANDERBILT'S

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2221, 2 October 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

AT MR VANDERB ILT'S

A. few* years ago (says a writer in St. James's Gazette) —I think it was in the winter of 1882—1 dined with the late Mr W. H. Vanderbilt at his house in New York. The entertainment was, I believe, devised mainly with the object of delicately hinting to certain anxious speculators that the great railroad king was still as prosperous as he had ever been. There were but half-a-dozen outsiders present. The remainder of the gupsta were millionaires, their wives and daughters, and literary men. A wellinformed New York journalist, with whom I had a subsequent chat in the smoking-room, assured me that the gross capital possessed by the men in whose society I sat ou that eventful «vening could not amount to luss. than £1.000 003.009 dollars, or £200.000.000 sterling. I do not know whether the display dazzled all the oth^r guests as it dazzled me ; but it certainly seemed to exercise an extraordinary effect upon the editors who had been invited, and who, next morning, contrived to give a 'ninute account in their paper's of the host's house, his generosity, his pictures, his dinner and his wines. Some of these accounts must have been partially written beforehand, for one of them occupied nine, and a second almost filled seven, long columns of small type. There was scarcely room for exaggeration. The dinner was only comparable to one of the magical banquets described in the Arabian Nights. Most rich people are content with a fine damask tablecloth ; but Mr Vanderbilt's cloth was of old lace laid over pale blue satin. All the tureens, dishes, plates, knives, forks and spoons were of gold or of silver gilt ; and at each end of the table was a golden trophy in the style of the Renaissance, standing about 5 feet high, set with large moonstones, and piled with the finest fruits that I have ever seen. There were flowers everywhere. Instead of table napkins, there were large Irish lace handkerchiefs embroidered with the initials of the guests ; and the minus were illuminated on gold tablets, which bore exquisitely enamelled scenes after Watteau. I heard next day that in each of the napkins intended for the editors a 1000 dollar bill was concealed. The scribes, who were probably expecting a windfall of the kind, managed, however, to put away the spoils withqut exciting remark. The dinner itself was a very good one, but no better than can be had at a first-rate Paris restaurant for about 50 francs. The host had at the time a French cook, to whom he paid 7000 dollars a year, but he afterwards engaged an even more expensive chef, who had been in the service of Prince Demidoff. A few, weeks later I was present at a ball in the same house. The ball was more effective, though possibly not more costly, than the diuner had been. The New York Herald next day devoted uo less than twenty-nine columns of space to describing the magnificence of the entertainment, and to giving a list of the guests ; and the other papers were proportionately full of the affair. Mr Vanderbilt's large rooms were crowded to the utmost limits of their capacity, and " every one " in New York was to be seen there. We were invited for nine o'clock. When I departed at half-past four people were still ariving. On this occasion the gold plate reappeared ; but it was only used for the purposes of display. There was not, of course, enough of it to go half round. lam indebted to the Herald for some statistics of the entertainment, which is said to have cost 100,000 dollars. Twelve barrels of flour were used in the preparation of cakes and pastry ; and among the other materials that were needed by the cooks were 12,000 eggs, llOOlbs of meat, 300 quarts of jelly, 400 chickens, and 12 gallons of port, Madeira, and claret. In the course of the night the amount of wine drunk — or made away with— was : — Champagne, 1750 bottles ; sheny, 90 bottles; Rhine wines, 1225 bottles ; claret, 1300 bottles, and other wines, 670 bottles. The flowers for the decoration of the ball room and supper tables cost £4000 ; and £1500 was paid for the damask table napkins, which had been specialy manufactured for the occasion. The women's dresses were magnificent ; but many of them were spoilt by the bad taste of their wearers, several of whom were simply overweighted with miscellaneous jewellery. Among the men huge diamond studs were the mle rather than the exception, and few of the older men seemed to be at home in their clothes. The most quietly dressed man in the house was the host, who was übiquitous. He displayed no diamoud*. ; and early in the evening a great deal of amusement was occasioned by a guest, who, mistaking the millionaire for a

servant, turned his back upon him in one of the cloak rooms and asked to be relieved of his coat.