Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-18
DEMoCRACY,s ARIsroCRATs.
High Standing of the Bayard and Pen
dIetOn Families-The Late Mrs. Gaines

DEMOCRACY'S ARISTOCRATS.
High Standing of the Bayard and Pen
dleton Families-The Late Mrs. Gaines.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-Mvra Clark
Gaines, the great claimant, who died in
New Orleans Jan. 9, has been one Of the
figures Of Washington for the last fifty
years. Her appearance during the last
twenty-five years of her life has changed
very little. She was quite small and be-
low medium height. She stood about 3
feet 4 inches. She did not weigh over rs
pounds. She was invariably dressed in
black, with the exception of her bonnets.
She was very fond Of lavender bonnets.
She always wore a dark auburn wig.
This, Tor convenience, was sewed into the
top Of her bonnet. The bonnet, therefore.
was never removed during the day time.
The oldest inhabitant of Washington has
never seen Mrs. Gaines without a bonnet.
A lady who once went to call upon her
found her in bed with this bonnet on.
Mrs Gaines features were small. Her
nose was slight hook. Her ewes were
dark velYety brown. Her complex
ion was always very delicate. In early
life she must have been very cookbook
ing. 1t is said that the reason why she
adopted auburn color for her wig was that
that was the color of her own hair in her
youth. Towards the latter part of her life
this flamiDg-cOlOred wig made the pallOr
OF the determined old lady's face positive
ly CHASTITY. To hide this she used to wear
small black-dOtted veil, which came
down to the end of her nose. She had
great determination. but | doubt very
much If she would have enjoyed the re-
suits of her success if she had accom-
plished the object of her entire litigation.
The whole thing had become to her such
an occupation that it is doubtful if she
could have lived cOntented without it.
Washington to-day is full of claimants
who apparently possess the faculty of
living upon what they hope to get. The
occupation of a claimant appears to be a
growing one. 1t may be yet entitled to
rank as profession.
THE BAYARDS.
The disposition to talk of the Bayards
and the Pendletons as the gentry OF the
Democratic party and the accident of
either family being that of the Secretary
OF State under Mr.. Cleveland will increase
as the time draws nigh. AS a rule, the
Bayards, unless an occasional wedding
ilestlyity, have rarely thrown open their
house, which Is pleasant one, on Massa-
chusetts avenue, and the family is not as
well known as others, though the Sena-
TORS daughters move in society with some
STIR Certainly they have never encour-
aged the thrOngs that fill every space
and corner in other Senatorial homes
on reception days. The same is
true Of the PendletOns. The Senator
built himself a quaint house of
the queen Anne order a few years
ago, just adjoining Senator CamerOn's on
Sixteenth street, and the interior is per-
feet. His wife and daughters are active
IN fashionable society, going out a great
deal and entertaining most elab0ratelv
in return. However, their visiting list is
restricted to a circle in which. first of all.
extreme gentilty is a prime necessity;
after that wealth and pOsitiOn-and il
does not make much difference what the
political faith may be. People change a
good deal when they get all they want in
the line OF their mbitiOn. and possibly were
either OF these dignitied families IN such
. position they might unbend sufficiently
to charm the masses as the FrelinghuY-
sens DO.
LETTER, THE RICH DRY GOODS MAN.
a man who never attracted any special
nOtOriety anywhere else save in accumu-
latlng money, and who comes here to
spend it is MIR. Z. L. Letter, the rich dry
goods man from Chicago, who rented the
now historical Blaine house. People who
always see the motive underlying the or
binary things think that all this outlay of
money last winter was 10 help along LO-
CAMS chances for the nomination, and
now failing, that Mr.. Letter wants a
foreign mission. He caught on to society
at once after coming here. gave a few
nice little dinners, subscribed largely to
all the fashionable charities. and enter
talned the literary people and high cleTics
OF the Episcopal Church in a modest but
thoroughly swell way. Somebody has
discovered now that the reason for Mr..
Letters uncommon style of dress is that
he affects European methods in antici-
patton OF getting what he wants. Now
the only thing really remarkable in his
attire other than that Of a Well-dressed 1
man are MS reckties. His broad. low
cut, tunad-OYer collars are ALWAYS encir-
cicd by loose scarf. generally Cf a brii-
liau- sea Lee, knOJted in q careless, but
what q woman would call stylisn. pref
ty bow. For evening dress the vivid hues
cave - aJ 70 spCtieSS White, arranged i'll
the same style. His house, at a rental far
beyond the first cost Of many good houses /
mere, IS Kept up in gorgeous style, and his
stables are the envy OF the town. Never
tSeless, they make no vulgar display in any
way, Mrs. Letter dressing With quiet good
taste, and wearing the same dresses over
and over again. Mr.. Letter has probably
as many qualifications for foreign post
as MI. Heury Sanford possessed. and
yet, though they have lad their day
abroad, some happy allotment leaves
them with US yet to dazzle us kelly. He
is in New York.
EX-MINISTER SANFORD.
Mr.. Sanford divided up his guests. so
they say, oy q ribbon, keeping the real
upper ten together, and the goats, so to