Chapter 1173 - 401: The Old Guard of the West
The elite club Walker spoke of can actually be called the 400 Elite Club!
This is a top-tier club that existed in the previous century, founded by Walker’s grandmother.
At the time, the Astor Family was still the most elite family in the United States, and the 400 Elite Club founded by Walker’s grandmother naturally became the top social circle in America at the time.
Later generations even compiled such a story that the Astor Family looked down on the newly risen Vanderbilt Family and refused to allow the Vanderbilt Family to join their 400 Elite Club.
So, to counter the Astor Family’s 400 Elite Club, the Vanderbilt Family organized a ball, a luxurious ball, inviting all the noble families in New York City, and the Vanderbilt Family’s princess invited the Astor Family’s princess, who was Walker’s aunt.
But before the ball officially began, the Vanderbilt Family stood up Walker’s aunt, saying that the parents of both sides did not know each other yet, and thus they were unable to invite Walker’s aunt.
According to the social etiquette of that era, the Vanderbilt couple should have known the Astor couple, only then could Walker’s aunt attend the Vanderbilt Family’s ball.
This situation made Walker’s aunt heartbroken, and Walker’s grandmother, unable to bear her daughter’s sadness, opened up the 400 Elite Club to the Vanderbilt Family.
Later generations of TV series "The Gilded Age" even recreated this scene.
This is why later generations said such a thing had happened, but in reality, it never occurred; it was just because "The Gilded Age" had such a plot that led future generations to imagine this story.