Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-17
CAPITAL CHATTER.
A Ohatty Letter Of News and
Gossip from Washington.
How Society is Emplo ying
Iteelf.
st. Louis Gl be. Democrat.

st. Louis Gl be. Democrat.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., January IL. -
The season has begun so brilliantly
that all prophecies seem about to be
realizsd, and this short winter is des-
tined To be one to which people will
long sfterward refer as the great social
era. Between this and the 9TH of
February, when Lent comes in, enough
OF gayety will be compressed to have
enlivened q whole twelve-mOnth, and
1t begins to be q question now whether
the dames of high society will be equal
to the contest. Entertainments Two
and three deep are announced for near.
ly every available night of this month,
and the round Of afternoon receptions
grows more formidable as the city in.
cresses in size. The days of the
week are regularly divided up be-
tween the different classes of Off oials,
and by ancient right the wives OF the
Justices of the Supreme Court
hold their receptions on Monday Of.
ternoons, the wives of Cabinet officers
on Wednesdays, the wives of senator's
on Thursdays, while Tuesdays and
Fridays are apportioned to the wives
of representatives, and Saturday to
the wife of the president, when he
has one. Upon this original arrange
ment various changes and modt6ca.
tions have been made, and o partial
attempt has been made to district the
city on some plan that should concen.
trate the calling within certain limits
on these afternoons, and simplify the
hard work of society. This plan has
never been successfully maintained,
as the regular official days of some
ladies would interfere, and the occu.
pants of houses and neighborhoods
are liable to change every one, two or
four years, according to the v~icissi-
tudes OF public life. On Monday
afternoons there are receptions all
the way from the navy yardto Dupont
Circle. three miles away. The ladies
of Capitol Hill adopted this
day for their receptions at
the time when all their
supreme justices residing in the
shadow of the capitol, and have held
to it ever since. The wives of sena.
tors and representatives give up their
regular days when they live on the
hill, and observe the customary Mon.
days. The house ef Senator Jones, of
Nevada, is the great center Of social
lie In that quarter this winter, after
being closed to the gay world for sew.
eral seasons For three winters Mrs.
Jones renamed at her home in Gold
Hill, New, and o bachelors hall was
maintained by the 'Silver Senator"
Last winter she returned and assem-
bled q house full of guests around her,
preparing to entertain on a large scale
during the sessop, when her first
Monday reception was cut short by
the sad news Of the death of Senator
Jones brother. The imposing man.
sion on the hill was after that only en-.
livened by occasional auiet dinners
aud lunch parties. This year the
"Gray House," as 1t was called In dis
tinction from the White House for the
few months that President Arthur co.
oupied it as Senator Jones' guest,
Is to renew its traditions Of
social sple { and be the scene of a
series Of ailments. The Gray
house 10 SNpf the three gran.
LA ho--5f w, ~ General, OF rather
U3ysrnor ETtlsr, of Massachusetts.
Wary old Ben lived In one of the
houses himself for the while that he
was in congress, but the double house
on the corner was furnished through.
out magnifcsntly and rented to Sens.
tor Jones when he first game to Wash.
ington. The modest sum which Gov.
Butler gets for this granite mansion ID
=. $50, 900 q year, but for that rent
every luxury and comfort Is provided
! for In the richly furnished interior.
=. The floors throughout are of hard
wood inlsid, polished and covered
|. with the choicest rugs. The drapery
and upholstery in the large parlor II
! of q silver gray satin, and from bot
, tom to top the mansion Is exquisitely
furnished. The windows on the from
and west eide command Q superl
y view of the city, the river and tel
miles of country back of 1t.
2 Weddings and rumors Of wedding
!. are rife Just now, and another on
{ gagemenr is announced each week
0 Last winter was q dull season matri
Q monially, In spite OF the avalanche o
t widowers and damsels that came dow
upon the capital in view of the wild
overs administration. Not a singh
one of those great prizes has BEEF
d captured yet, and the president, tw'
cabinet officers, a supreme Judge
eight foreign ministers, and as man,
" more senators and representative
u tempt the match makers to continue
Q maneuvers, The tide has turned tn
N other way, and out of Its supera6und
ance Washington lie furnishing bride
instead of pridegrooms. The fire
great wedding is that of Senator Do
Cameron's daughter on Thursday c
this week. Senator Cameron's oldes
daughter married a son Of Justic
Bradley, of the supreme court, All
II resides at Newark, N. j. The secon'
daughter, Miss Virginia Cam
erop, is betrothed to Lieu
tenant Alexander RodRers, c
n the army, son of Admiral Raymon
Rodgers, of the navy. The groom
a tall and handsome young soldier VIII
graduated with credit from We,
a Point, and has a fine popularity anon
his bro her officers. Miss Cameron !
10 as pretty and piquant a little bride q
a could be wished for, with dark. brow
p hair, dark.blue gray eyes, finely CT
features and a perfect complexion