Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-09
LETTER FROM SARATOGA SPRINGS
The Season EuII-Rare Hons and Rich
TOiletS-Mrs. Hendricks, ADpearance
-Hendricks ON Cleveland As a Bach.
elOr-PersOnal MentiOn-A Fox Hunt
Odds and Ends OF Saratoga Life,
Etc.

eiOr-PersOnal MentiOn-A Fox Hunt
Odds and Ends Of SaratOxa Life.
Etc.
| Correspondents of TIE EVENING srxp
SARATOGA. August Sth, 1884.
With the first days OF August the arrivals have
greatly increased, and no place looks empty
now; but those engaged in all lines Of business
freely admit that the season thus far has been
unprecedentedly poor. Those who have shops
here complain the most of this The amuse-
ments go on all the same, despite continued
rainy proclvities on the part of the weather.
The temperature fortunately has been neither
too hot or too cold; but days without a shower
are rare. Ladies are frequently caught in the
rain quite unprepared for it during an afternoon
drive, for driving is usual one of the fayorite
pastimes here.
The races especially on the regular mot extra)
days, have been uncOmmonly fine when the rain
has held up. Col. Thomas Ochiltree (whose
Judgment about such matters no one has ever
questioned) says he has meyer seen better ones
and he specially mentioned those of August I'd,
| and said that the attendance that day was unu-
sually large, and included a number of ladies'
1t has always been fashionable for many ladies'
to GO regularly to the Saratoga races and in
GUIDED among them are some of the incest that
come here, for no arrangements for their COM
fort and pleasure at any course excel those at
Saratoga.
FOX HUNT.
had the honor of assisting" In the French
sense on Monday afternoon at the fox hunt in
which the Elk Ridge Hunting Club, Of Balti-
more, engaged. The members of the club have
had their horses and an unusually ''flne pack of
hounds OF the very best strains of blood" at
Glen Mitchell for some time The hunt of Mon
day was the first that has occurred here. and
another is expected this afternoon so it NAV be
that they will become as fashionable here as at
Newport, though, Judging from my own eXperi-
ence Monday and that Of most of those who
tried to see 1t, l can not think the sport a very
eXhilarating one for spectators. My escort, who
has often ''assisted' In like manner at such af-
fairs at Newport, on Monday said this one
equaled those which take place there In every
respect. We spent two hours in hunt of our
own Tor good post Of observation to see the
chase and were rewarded by seeing q red coat
great way off in the distance now and then
and by reaching the spot where the fox was
Killed Just as the hounds were smacking their
said was also Just like Newport" so it
must have been the "swell" thing all the
way through. Most of the fashionable
equpages (Over three hundred in all, 1t
is sald,) now at Saratoga were there, and
great many questionable ones also, and most
OF them drove about as aimlessly searching for
good place to see something as we did, and
again my friend endorsed this phrase of the
affair as Just the way they do at Newport"
Mr.. AleXr. Brown, of Baltimore whose wife
MISS Montague. was belle here before her mar
rage. Two or three years ago, was the master
OF the hounds" and when he rode out at the
mead OF the procession before the hunt began
with the whole pack of hounds following close
10 MS horses heels the perfect training the
dogs showed was universally commended, and
1t was well worth ones while to be on hand
then. as we fortunately were. just to see how
Obedient they were.
Nh,h ,,,t
near the Geyser spring and the death scene was
IN an open space on rising ground short dis
lance from the spring. quite long detour
having been made in following the scent by the
dogs and the riders. The latter, however. were
few. They were Messrs. Alexr. Brown. T. Swan
Latrobe. l.. Stewart, W. c. Wetherbee. E. Berry
Wall. Martin O'Brien, John Clarity and Major
Hatton. They wore red coats, brass buttons
white caps and trousers. Mr.. Wetherbee cap
tured the brush"
RARE HOPS.
So far as the numbers of those who Actually
dance 90 to make hops success those given at
Saratoga this year, rare as they are in COMPARE
son with the summers when two or more hons
occurred on six nights per week, cannot be
called brilliant. There are always great num-
Der of spectators, however. who sit in rows
around the ball rooms, looking at the emptv
moor before them and wondering why some one
does not dance to such enticing music II is as
nara TO get people to dance at Saratoga as to
get members OF the national House of Renre-
sentatives to vote when part Of them desire
TO break quorum. The master of ceremonies
at these hops has quite as hard time as the
chair in the House does on such occasions
When the ball rooms are so beautiful. their floors
absolutely perfect for dancing. and the music so
entlclng. 1t does seem shame that so few dance.
But dancing has been growing less and less
fashionable at Saratoga for several seasons. and
now those who desire to do so appear afraid to
how no
slang has it, ''in very bad form" There are
however. as is usual here, very few men who
dance at Saratoga; so 1t is not wholly on ac-
count OF Its being questionable that the young
ladies' resist the ailurements of the music.
1.-THE TOILETS"
The order 'full dress Indispensable IA sill
rgidly enforced at hops at the Grand Union
MOTEL, consequently whenever its ball room is
open there are many handsome toilets seen. as
their Wearers enter and leave, but as most
of those wearing them do not dance, these
dresses are little seen while in the room as they
are tucked away In one of the three rows of
seats, which all hasten to secure when they
enter and are afraid to leave for moment. lest
they could not get chairs again.
Ex-senator David Davis appeared in a fnI1
dress suit at a recent hop at the Union and his
attractive young wife wore dainty toilet of
white silk combined with white creme de chine
embroidered in white. Ex-Governor and Mrs
Hendricks have been kept too busy talking with
visitors to go to any of the hops yet. but She
sometimes wears on warm evenings a charming
toilet of fine white dotted muslin trimmed
with very fine embroidery. which is exceed |
ingly becoming to her. while dress simple in
material as well as in style of making. She
always dresses in good taste, but never extrava-
gantly. One of Mrs MacArthur's toilets is
very fine nuns yelling" deliberately embroid-
cred in white silk and stylishly made.
Some of the readers of The STAR doubtless
remember meeting in Washington hotel few |
years ago, and since then at Saratoga. Mrs. VIM
Cook, of Philadelphia, and will be interested to
know that. although for the past three wears |
she has been unable to walk, and has to use |
rolling clair and have maid constantly by her |
side, that she is surpassed by no one at Saratoga
in the number and elegance of her toilets Every
evening, attired in full ball Dress she is wheeled
into the parlor OF the Grand Union hotel by the |
maid who is arrayed only less richly than her
self. and, after being assisted into an easy chair
passes the evening there with a group of ladies |
and gentlemen One Of her dresses. worn this week
has atrained skirt and high waist, the latter cut
V shape in front. 1t is Of white gauze, with |
broad satin stripe, combined with plain satin. |
very deliberately trimmed with white jet passe, |