St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-14
A Large Part Of the Attention Of Wash
ington Society Turned to the
Stately Potomac,
On the Smooth Surface Of Which Society
Young Men Soul Their
Light Shells.
Scenes of M1rth and Beauty at the
Elegant Club Houses on
the Bank.
Many Society People Off for the Sea-
shore--Al Anxious to Leave
Washington.
Aqueous Attractions.

correspondence OF the Globe.
WASHINGTON, June 11.-Water has been
the principal topic in society this week. 1t
is rather an unusual one for Washington
society, too. In the social season water
cuts pretty small figure in society matters.
1t is almost an unknown quantity. That
seductive compound known as punch takes
its place in the winter gatherings, and
though there is not quite as much of it as
there is of the article under consideration,
there is quite enough to make some young
men, and some young women, too, wish
they had never heard of it. But the sub
ject this week is water. There are several
reasons for it. The weather has been ex-
tremely hot; the young men who row on
the Potomac have been extremely fas-
cinating; the breezes along the banks of the
river and on its surface have been very
agreeable, and the summer resorts along
the sea coast have been both alluring and
fashionable. So there is no good reason,
provided the society maiden or matrOn has
her wardrobe made up, that her attention
should not be turned to the water.
The week has, withal, been a pretty
busy one with the various attractions
offered. There have been
EACURSlONS DOWN THE RIVER,
excursions up the river, high teas on the
Potomac, boat races, hops and receptions at
the best houses, barge parties, trips to
Fortress Monroe and departures for the sea
coast. 1t is quite astonishing how many
attractions the water can furnish when
there are few young gentlemen sand
wiched with it. One interesting feature of
the week was "high tea" for the benefit
of the Garfield hospital. 1t was given on
board OF one of the popular steamboats,
gliding over the Potomac and at one of the
numerous resorts below the city, where the
tables were spread. Teas and high teas
are quite the rage now, and when you
couple them with steamboat excursion
and the smile of pretty woman and the
presence of society young man, you are
pretty sure to make it a success. The high
tea has not been the only feature of interest,
however. Perhaps the most interesting
feature of the week has been the chops" at
the boat houses scattered along the river
above the city. There are in Washington
several boat clubs, made up of prominent
young men, some of them prominent in
social life, some holding prominent official
positions. They have, each of them,
ELEGANTLY FITTED CLUB-HOUSEs
on the river banks above the city, with fine
balconies from which visitors may get ex-
cellent views of the river and its throng of
pleasure seekers, charming parlors, cool and
capacious dancing floors, excellent suppers,
mixed drinks that are beyond description.
These vie with each other to catch the best
features of society. They ''study to please"
They give numerous entertainments of nu-
merous sorts, they bait their hooks for the
1or 4e,h in o1 o%oI
them. The scenes at these boat club houses
this week have been very interesting. The
weather has been such as to make the river
very attractive and it's cool breezes very
grateful, and with the attractions in and
out of the boat club houses their chops"
and private entertainments have been very
welcome to society. The scenes on these
occasions are very brilliant and attractive.
The club houses oyerhang the rivers edge.
At their foot the ''shelIs" belonging to the
clubs find mooring place during the day,
and when the evening comes they
dart in and out, propelled by
young men well known in society,
speed up or down the river, singly or in
pairs mingling with the small boats and
steamers and barges, making
A PLEASING PICTURE,
especially to those who have personal in
terest in it by reason of an acquaintance
with some of its component parts. On the
river are all sorts of crafts, pleasure boats
laden with their precious burden of men
and women and often children, racing shells
propelled by arms that are quite as familiar
with feminine waists as with the use of the
oars, gaily decorated barges carrying merry
parties made up OF people OF prominence in
I'll cfn of oil
sorts and sizes, pretty sail boats, water craft
ocean vessels which have sailed or been
towed up the Potomac with loads of freight
for local dealers here. At the club houses
there is fun and fashion, pretty groups of
pretty girls ogling some OarSman in meager
garments, to the annoyance of well-dressed
beaux who have horror of the water in
any form, brilliantly-lightle parlors, taste
fully-dressed grounds well lighted as the
evening advances, music, laughter, dancing,
and no end Of fun, which lasts well into the
cool night.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS.
The Potomac has not been the only at
traction this week, for the hot weather has
driven good many people of prominence
and leisure to thinking of the SeaShore, and
ers are busy preparing to bid adieu to Wash
ington for the summer months. The hot
pavements of Washington are all terrors
You could stand the heat pretty well but
for them, but they make it almost unen-
durable. They do not only reflect good
deal of it and add to your discomfort, but
they absorb large quantity and radiate it
at time when you might otherwise be en-
Toying the evenings GOODNESS. So now, that
June has come, everybody is ready and anx-
ious to get out of town. And they have
been going at pretty lively gait.
Mrs. Bayard and her family have re-
moved to Wilmington for the summer. Miss
Abigail Dodge has gone to her home in
Hamilton, Mass. Justice and Mrs. Field
will 90 to California soon. Justice and
Mrs. Blatchford have gone to their cottage
at Newport. The family of the
late Montgomery Blair will soon
leave for their country place near
Silver Spring, Md. Senator Allison
has sailed for Europe, to be absent until
autumn. Mr.. and Mrs. Franklin Steele
and daughters sail for Europe on the 18th
inst Judge and Mrs. Hillyer, with their
two daughters, have sailed for tour of
several months on the continent. Justice
Miller and family will spend the summer
at Rock Island. Ex-Attorney General
Brewster and family will spend the sum-
mer in Europe. Mr.. Pembroke Jones and
his wife have taken cottage on. the sea
shore not far from Wilmington, N. c.,
where they will spend the summer. Mr..
Enoch Totten and family are passing the
summer in Montgomery county, Md. Mrs.
H. X. Davenport has gone to Winchester,
Va, for the summer. Mr.. Gomez, of the
Brazilian legation, and his young wife, will
spend the warm months at Seabright, Nj,
and Rock Island. Representative Ran
dali and family, who have been delayed
here by Mr.. Randal's govt, leave soon for
their home in Pennsylvania. Miss Eustis.