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New York Extravagance

New York Extravagance image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
February
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

-A Nw York correspondent of the Kochester Chronioh writes : The style of life generally in vogue 8 beginning to startle sensible people, tvho are compelled to nquire, "What are we ooming to ?" It is the fashion of everybody to live beyond his means, and it is to thia false state of sooiety that 80 miich crime is due. Our bank caehiers and other men in moneyed positions are led into defaloation in order to suetain their position, aud it is beyond doubt that a large part of the fashionable world is on the rerge of bankruptoy. Here are mothors wbo, after they have exhausted tbmr husbiind's resources, are mortgaging their furuiture to keep up appearances, while the business man wbo beads the rotten household is driven to bis wits' end to meet his paper, uittil finallj he wiuds up in bankiuptoy. Tbere havo been no great fortunes made in tbia way einoe the ncw style of lite was begun. Old fortunes have increused, but no new ones bave been made. Our ehoddy aristooraoy is dow returned to rags, and the ephemeral wealth of luoky oil blowers is now a proverb. All the great oapitalists of this city laid the foundation of their 8U0C0BS in the old-fashioned state of things. It was thus that the late Stephen Whitney aocumulated 810,000,000, and Moses Taylor, who is still living, made $5,000,000. The Coelets, the Vanderbilts, the Rbinelandera and tbe Leñosos oommenced ' sinall. Stewart lived in a plain nianner until witbin a few years. It is astonishing to eee how little money is cleared in New York, even by the immense trade driven here. The common remark of business men ie, "I am siok of trade - thero's no money in roy line of business," and this goes round tbe entire oircle of commeroe. - An indebted oustomer enters provisión store, remarking, "I'll take a leg of mutton, and I want to pay for it." - "All right, ' replies the dealer, handing bim tbe meat, wbioh the oustomer taken aud starts to "Look 'er here," cries the dealer, "I thoughtyou saidyou wauted to pay for it." "So I do," was the reply, "but I can't." The dealer looked a little sbeepisb at being so!d himself and not selliog the hindquarter for Cash in hand. An old womau driviug a four-footed troop was aouosted by a youog man witb, "Good worning, mother of donkeys." The dame meekly replied, 'fGobd raorniug to you, iny son."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus