St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-01
GAITIES AT The CAPITAL.
What the Society People of Washing
ton are Doing in the Way
Of Making Merry.
Drunkenness at Evening Gatherings
and the Limit to Which it May
be Carried.
The Ease With Which Man Who Possesses a
Swallow-tail G In G It Into the Gidiy
Whirl.
Skating the Diversion Of the Moment for the
Old and Young Miscellaneous Capital
Gossip.
Ispeci 81 Correspondence Of the Globe.l

Especial Correspondence Of the Globe.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.--Washiugton So
ciety has been son ice' this week. Some of
II has needed to be there in the most COM
mon acceptance of the term since the Holman
disgrace at Stewart Castle last week, but the
| sentence above relates 10 the use of skates.
Washington society is a remarkably elastic
substance. Its members may be one week
| masquerading in the costume of peasants
and gypsies and flower girls and even dyna-
miters, the next week clad in satins and vel
vets at the White house, week later kicking
up their heels with blackened faces on the
stage for sweet charity's sake, then holding
levee or ball or a reception while one of their
number lies dying within the very sound of
the revelry, then disporting themselves upon
| the ice in the shadow of the Washin gtou
monument, or strutting upon the stage in
all the toggery or scarcity of costume that the
opera of to-day requires. This week it has been
the opera and the ice. Washington seldom
has much good skating. The weather is not
of character to insure ice for any con slider
able period, and so there are usually
no preparations for this feature of
winter sports. A few years ago
there were better facilities than now.
At one time there was skating rink, with
| skates to hire and system of checks for
wraps and that sort of thing that made The
sport attractive when the weather WAS propi-
tious. 1t may be, too, that the weather was
better for skating then, for Miss Myers, the
daughter of Old Probabilities Myers, was one
of the finest skaters in Washington, and of
course her papa would be expected to order
weather TO suit. Things are different now.
There is no skating rink, and the hand at
the weather gauge is unskilled. Yet, when
there is Ice there are skaters upon it. And
as the weather for the past week has been of
the icy sort, the little fish propagating lakes
at the foot of Washington Monument have
been crowded with skaters. Every afternoon
you could see steady stream of young men
and young women with skates in hand flow
ing to and then from the skating grounds
II was no uncommon sight to see several
hundred people, many OF whom had engage
ments at bail or reception an hour later,
gliding over the ice in merry parties, under
the
SHADOW OF THE GREAT MONUMENT,
which doomed hundred times
their own height above their heads.
Aud there are some good skaters among
Washington people of prominence. Il Is no
uncommon thing TO see grave diplomats or the
attaches of the foreign legations gliding over
the ice upon the polished steel, or 10 meet
sons and daughters Of members of congress
and others equally prominent in social life,
at The skating grounds. Sir. Edward Thorn
ton. the late British ininia.er iyas whep here,
one OF the most ardent lovers of this sport.
II was no uncommon thing To see him, with
Lady Thornton and their lovely daughters,
upon the ice fields. Aud they were good
skaters, too One Of the most prominent and
enthusiastic lovers OF this sort of sport
among the legations here at present, is Mr.
Alexandra Greger, second secretary of the
Russian legation. Coming from Russia.
where ice and cold are the rule, he naturally
welcomes anything that reminds him of his
home, and he exercises with much grace
here, in the few days permitted, the art
which he learned In the many long winter
months at home. Another prominent figure
on the lakes this winter is Mr.. Goode, son of
Congressman Goode of Virginia, who is an
enthusiastic lover OF the sport, and is usually
| accompanied BY some lady friend. Miss
Gihon, daughter Of Medical Inspector Gihon,
is one OF the most prominent and graceful of
the many lady skaters who crowd the lakes
in the pleasant afternoons. Another excel
lent skater is Miss Porter, tie daughter of
| Admiral Porter, as arc also the Misses Up
shur, daughters Of Commodore Upshur.
Among the army and navy officers who are
TO be seen gliding amid tie throng of gay
pleasure seekers, one OF the most prominent
is Lieut.. Rodgers, son Of Rear Admiral
Rodgers.
ANOTHER PROMINENT FIGURE
after banking hours is Mr.. c. J. Bell, the
banker son.iu-law Of Gardiner G. Hubbard.
Indeed this seems favorite pastime AID ex-
ercise among the banking people, not only
Mr.. Bell but Mr.. Paris, of the ban king firm
Of Paris & Crane; Mr. Riggs, OF Riggs q
Co.; Mr.. Swain, cashier at another OF the
prominent banks here, aud others In that
line being among the frequent visitors at
the lakes.
As intimated above, society in Washing
ton Is very lenient; It permits almost any
thing, especially Of an zone who wears pants.
But II has got to draw the line
somewhere, and so It has concluded
to draw it at young Holman. A may
90 from his $500 desk in the department TO
the drawing rooms and parlors Of polite So
ciety, provided be slips into a swallow tail
and opera hat eDrOute, aud be may even get
pretty drunk on the punch which his hostess
furnishes, but when he kicks up row and
free fight In the ball room it is one degree
too much. So the ladies this week have cut
MIR. Paul Holman's name from their list,
those who had invitations out have written
bin frigidly polite notes, asking him to favor
them with his absence, nd those where be was
in the habit OF calling have sent him word
that be would confe. favor by discontinu-
ing his visits. Good enough for him. is
the general verdict 10 and out Of society.
But who says anything about the
WOMAN VINO MADE THE PUNCH,
and set II before him and scores Of others
like himl Hs was not the only case Of
drunkenness. and there are many young
men in Washington to-day who SILVER to
think Of the narrow esclp. they had from
the same sort .; experience. Il is related
that that very evening, at the same place, a
father walked quietly upon the dancing floor
and taking his daughter by the hand. led her
away from a young man, remsrkiDg TO
him that ''rny daughter will not dance just
now" "Whv." said the young woman,
talking about It afterward, " papa says was
about 70 dance with a drunken man. How
dreadful - And go IL Was. But the rPspoD-
sibility does not seem to te altogether with
the young man Of twenty who is invited to
come and drink 70 bis pAlate's content OF the
most seductive and yet dangerous Of bever-
ages. ''Tbe sorf VI mixtures that are set be-
fore Washington society in the name Of