St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-24
TWANGING THE BANJO.
The Highly Edifying Amusement to Which
Washington Society People are
Becoming Addicted.
Riding Becoming a Craze With Ladies
Because it Shows Their Figures
Il to Advantage.
How the Fair Ones Dress for Their
Favor1te Exercise-Measured
i by Ta1Iors.

The Interest Manifested in Japanese
Baby--Socfety ssBetween Hay
and Grass.''
Correspondence of the Globe
| WASHINGTON, May 21.-SOciety is find
ing some very curious methods of amusing
itself just now. 1t is the most difficult
period of the year in which to do this in a
fashionable way. During the winter proper
there are plenty of amusements indoors,
| with parties and calls and social duties of
all sorts, and in the summer proper there
are the watering places, with all that the
phrase implies. But in the period between
| these two, the spring and fall, there is
usually struggle to keep up the fun.
Thus far it is quite successfully carried on.
The alnusements are OF a rather airy ma
ture, but quite agreeable when compared
with the more substantial ones which have
crowded the winter season far into the
spring months. Banjo and violin playing,
| tricycle. and horseback riding, broom drills
and variety of queer antics for charity's
sake are among the features of social life
in Washington life just now. 1t seems
rather curious to think of society young
lady picking banjo, for to the average in
dividual the banjo is SO closely related to
the minstrel and variety stage that 1t seems
altogether out of place in the hands of a
society maiden. But -
THEY ARE AT IT, NEVERTHELESS.
ssThere are large numbers of ladies in the
city who are experts in the use Of the
BANJO" said a dealer in this sort of inStru-
ments. ''Some of them are very fine play
ers. Then there are some excellent players
on the violin. There are several ladies in
this city who draw an exquisite bow and
who are equal to the task of playing DeBer-
tots sonatas with feeling and expression.
1t has only been within the last two or
three years that ladies have taken to play
ing the violin, but it is a notable fact that
those who have undertaken this most diff
cult instrument have been indefatigable in
their practice, and have reached degree of
perfection which makes it pleasant to listen
! to them. [ think the passion for the violin
is increasing, for those who teach it tell me
| that their time was entirely occupied last
| winter, and that they look forward to even
more successful season this year"
''How about the guitar? should think
that an instrument which ladies would
affect"
eyes, one would naturally think so, but
such is not the fact. A guitar is an incom-
plete instrument, and unless You get one
costing great deal of money the tune is
twangy and without any body. While
years ago III
LADIES USED THE GUITAR
to accompany themselves when singing,
there has been decided diminution in the
sale of the instruments Of late The banjo
is the thing that is popular with ladies.
Some Of the toniest girls in the swellest of
society have become infatuated with the
banjo, and have obtained considerable pro-
ficiency in it's use. know a young lady
who. with her mother, has spent the past
two years in Europe, and who was as care
full in carrying her banjo with her as an old
maid would be with a pet parrot.
But how de they get their instructions?n
Sometimes they go to New York and
put themselves under the instruction Of
minstrelS, and then again there are ladies
who are not burdened with plethora of
cash who learn to play on the banjo, and
afterwards derive revenue by teaching.
| Now, that young lady you saw in here
the city, and she numbers among her pupils
ladies and gentlemen in almost every grade
of society. 1 suppose the introduction of
the banjo upon the stage by Lotta, Minnie
Palmer, and
ACTRESSES OF THAT school.
had great deal to do with its becoming
popular among young ladies of society. At
any rate the popularity exists, and the sale
has been increasing year by year."
''How do the prices range?"
ooh, you can get banjo from S5 up to
almost any price-S75 or S1OO, but, of
course, these high prices are simply fancy
valuations and are made so on account of
the neck being inlaid with pearl and fancy
woods"
Riding is also a fashionable amusement
just now. Of course carriage riding is al
ways fashionable, but just now horseback
and tricycle. riding are attracting a good
deal of attention. Miss Bayard's attend
ance at the races on horseback and her trip
over the steeple chase track has stimulated
| the horseback riders to renewed energy
Horseback parties are the thing now. You
see them very frequently galloping over the
hills or along the shady avenues of this the
most beautiful city of the world. There is.
under the present system of dressing for
hOr eback exercise, no better way Of
! SHOWING A GOOD FIGURE
than to ride horseback. And the ladies
know this, bless their innocent hearts,
They have found it out in some unaccount-
| able way. Under the fashions of to-day
your horseback rider omits pretty much
everything but cloth dress. fitting skin
tight, and pair of pants. The statement
that Washington ladies wear pants need
not cause any bushes on the part of the
readers of this correspondence. 1t is a
fact well known in fashionable circles here
and it is, perhaps, this novel experience
that helps some to essay the task of learning
to ride. The best of the riding habits are
made by tailors who make this business
speciality, and have in some of their mystic
rious back parlors wooden horse on which
the ladies sit while their cloth skirts are
draped to hang well over the tight-fitting
pants. ''Of course" said one of these tai
lOrs, 'sof course ladies wear pants with
their riding habits. This has been the Gus
tom for some time. They wear their skirts
shorter than formerly, just SO as to touch
the ground when they stand Then
THEY WEAR PANTS UNDERNEATH,
nothing else; no skirts. Washington is
getting almost like Paris. The ladies have
good tastes. I could name lots of ladies-I
don't know how many-who come in and
have their measures taken, just as graciously
as men would, and they are much easier to
fit and pleasanter to serve than men. And
the trying ON of the garments? We have
parlors and maids in attendance They re-
tire to parlor and put on the garment,
which is basted together, and when they
get it on am sent for and go in and fit it,
taking it in here, marking it for alteration,
and letting it out there. When I have fin