A FAMOUS BONIFACE.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 337, 23 May 1885, Page 6

A FAMOUS BONIFACE.

A man has lately died in America whose name is almost as well known as those of contemporary statesmen and poets ; whose praise and whose good works have been in the mouth of everybody that ever ate or drank at his establishments. This man is the famous Delmonico, who, fiftyyears ago, went from Switzerland to his uncle L,-.-.? then established as confectioners in New Yo^|.' and during that time has been proprietor in that city of six or eight restaurants bearing- his name. He was generally conceded to be at the very head of his profession, and gourmets and bon-vivants, of world-wide experience have confessed that there was not his equal anywhere. Not to speak of private dinners, some of the most distinguished people in the United States, as well as the most eminent foreign visitors, have dined at his establishments. Dickens and the Duke of Alexis, Tyndall and Prince Arthur ; all the Presidents of the United States from the days of Jackson ; Longfellow, Emerson, Bryant, Bayard Taylor ; the great journalists, Greeley, Bennett, and Raymond ; Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, have been ! entertained there ; and many a name high up in the record of military and political achievements has been registered there. During his American days Louis Napoleon was often a guest at one of these establishments. Delmonico's costly dinner was provided at the expense of the famous railway confidence man, Sir Morton Peto, who expended at the rate of £50 a head. The saloon was smothered in. flowers, the wine cost £5 a bottle, while Clara Louise Kellog received £250 and a diamond bracelet for singing two songs. At another dinner a number of snow-white swans swam to and fro in the centre of the table. He imported his own wines and cigars, generally having £400,000 worth of them in stock. His expenditures were over £200,000 a year, more than £20,000 of which were for wages alone, his chief cooks getting from LBOO to LI2OO, his head waiters L2OO a year. At two hours' notice he served a lunch for 150 persons, at an expense of £30g, to James Fisk, jun. ; and. Tweed ordered a supper for 500 persons at the wedding of his daughter two months in advance, without stipulating the price, but paying the bill the next day after it was served. The general popularity of Dolmonico's was so great that when, several yearn ago, ho offered the restaurant at auction, in order to cover his losses in an oil speculation, hi* creditors refused the sacrifice.