The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-12
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Onice, Nos. rs ana 81 Fourteenth stree
THE rnEslDENu's SOCIAL nUCCI:ss

q lie 80 !. - ~ D,
THE rnEsIDENI's SOCIAL SUCCESS
Tho Same Man Of shc World nv In Fri!
Ul- waite Life. l,Edisy5
New York Letter to San Francisco Aigonunt. "a
Tho first society man OF America Is Pres
ident Arthur. 1t Is The wonder OF tho day
and the topic everywhere. returned 10.
day from Newport, where he was iescd
like prince. It Is not that hc Is hand.
some or agrccablc-ior he WIS both long
ago-but II Is his case, polish, and perfect
manner that make him thcgrcatest society
lion We have had in many years. lie does
not "slop over" but Inns just enough Of the
blase air Of M old society man to render
his presence compliment, md lc isneycr
familiar with any one. Besides, he not
only knows how to drive, but Is IN excel.
lent judge Of wine, and talks 10 women
with the ease Of man Of the world. Above
MI, he knows how to refuse invitations.
We never before had President with
hull the social mplishmenls Of presi.
dent Arthur. Most Of his predecessors
have been remarkable for their failures in
society matters. Gen. Grant had the best
manner; but he could not cat, and was
anything but attractive in person. l re.
member at one Of the Chamber OF Com.
merce dinners, some years ago, his finger
nails were SO utrociously I'll kent and
dingy That 1t excited comment from people
WHO usually let such things pass un.
noticed; and while writing Of it now,
| remember that when | saw him ut Long
Branch lust year his nails were still In
mourning. Whether itlad anything to do
with his disappointed hopes for 80 or not,
| am unablcto say; but certain il was thai
his hands needed attention--..nd pcrhaps
soap and water. President Arthur'shands
are us carefully kept as n woman's. They
are white and dimpled, and the nails are
perfect. What would The vigorous und
sturdy pioneer in the early days OF the re-.
public have said Of u President whose
uails were under the hands OF n manicure
n woman whose profession it is 10 i'm.
prove and beantify the hands? Every
nail on the Presidents hands il trimmed to
a point, and carefully polished. Tho skin
ut the base Of the nails is pulled back lust
far enough 10 show tho little white half
moon OH each finger. l am In the habit OF
observing such little things as the condi.
ton Of Il mans hands. 1t tells more of
character than many more prominent fen.
lures. Again, the President can opcn n
door, restore handkerchief, or hand n
chair toa lady without exhibiting colossal
amount OF clumsy dignity, Us did the emf.
nent Rutherford B. Hayes; nor, on the
other hand, docs he eiIervescc with the
ELUSIVE gallantry OF men OF distinction
from the South. ..,
tits always difficult to write about the
msnners Of man Of refinement, because
there are SO many little things that cannot
be noticed: how easil y lie bows before taking
the hand Of any one in introduction; how
well he gets out Of Il room without turning
his back on it or going backward like Il
crab; how well he moves the spoon from
instead OF toward him in eating soup, and
thousand and one other little things that
are ridiculous on paper, but immensely Of.
fectirc when man is the lion OF fashion
able dinner party. Another amazing
thing is The ease with which tho President
has captured the respect Of tho young So.
ciciy men. OF all critics tllev are the
most severe, because the idol OF their lives
form" II man is 'proper," they are
with him for all they are worth; but il he
IS not their contempt isas insGltingly shown
to President ms to q pauper. Believing
only one thing, they ridicule every.
thing else. They are enthuias,ic admirers
OF the President. 1t was an odd sight to
see them in the Casino few days ago, sur.
rounding and talking to him with lie ut.
most respect. They were in all the agony
OF morning toilet, with the new wasp waist
English Prince Albert coats, and trousers
strapped under their vanished boots,
They sucked the ends OF their sticks and
listened with respect TO the iashionably
dressed President, standing erect among
them with IN expression OF reticent good
fellowship OIL his handsome face, and nm
air OF easy familiarity in his bearing
Among the young society men about him
were August Belmont, jr., Centre Hitch
cook James kernochan, Freddie Gcbhard,
Count Filz james, Jack Rutherford and
John d. Cheever. find it impossible 10
imagine these men talking to any other
President than Chester A. Arthur. m
y was ut Newport during the whole of
the Presidents say, and saw him great
many times. Somehow one constantly
forgot that he was President OF the United
States, and wondered who he was. It was
very touching, however, to notice the Wis.
itors and humber residents OF Newport
when the President was visible. II they
heard that he was to visit any one Of the
cottages, the Ocean House or the Casino,
they would swarm in crowds to get Il look
at him, and carry their little children along
SO that they might say when they grew
up that they bad seen President Arthur.
tlewas always careful to notice this hon.
age to his Office, and raised his Int when
passing the crowds. Ills manner is, rs |
have said, irrcproachable. You may say,
What Of it? Has he not always been d
man OF position and influence in New
York, and was not his position in society In
New York assured long before his election to
the Vice Presidency +? That is lust the
point. l knew him for years before he
became widely known, and it is that &C.
quaintancc with his former life that causes
me to wonder at his sudden and complete
Development Less than torr. years ago it
was Il common sight to see Chester A. Ar.
thur in company with Mike Cregan, BAR.
ney Biglin and Johnny O'Bricn, day after
day and night after night, in The various
political barrooms OF the city. l presume
you have the exact prototypes Of Crcsan,
Biglin and O'l'rien in San Francisco-mel
who are OF extremely low parentage, OF
vulgar habits and common connections,
who WELD considerable power among the
lower voting classes. With thcae three,
and kindred men, was Chester A. Arthura
bosom friend, not only prior to but &c.
tually during the first months OF his Vice
Presidency. When Garfield died he dropped
them like hot shot, and blossomed out into
a refined and elegant society man. ,ilitiF
p A Corn Shuclsins Seen, In Georgia.
FIom tho Century. ,..l -5.'.l. =s'5
i The farmer who proposes to give corn.
shucking selects level spot in his lot, con,
yenicntly near tha crib rnkes ou.n,, al,