Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-24
LIFE AT THE SPRINGS.
4 arrrpsr AT TIE WHITE SULPHUR
In TIE HEIGHT or THE sEAsoN.
A Scene Of Gayety and Fine Entertain
msnts- How tho Tide Of
Fashion Moves, 90.

WHITE SULPHUH ofhiNoSs
August Is, 1886. !
During sll the season the Dispdfeh
has been we'll represented here by one
learned in all the ways Of society, whose
domain shall not venture to enter;
but the reporting spirit will not wholly
down where there is such wealth OF
material for observation and comment.
True, in years gone these blue skies,
this velyety lawn, these majestic noun
tsins--if remember aright-hAve been
remarked upon; likewise the glories
OF sulphur.water have been sung in
many numbers (of newspapers), and
the history Of Ksts's mountain has
been told with surprising variations
from the truth, but tho people who
come and 20 and the fashions are
mostly new, and such subject is never
hackneyed, though the writer may be.
MINGLING.
1t is an era Of rapid travel, and the
man from Indiana, or from Texas, or
from Louisiana or New York, steps 10
quietly from the train and ia soon
mipglipg with the virginians, hearing
their venerable yarns and retailing his,
which, | doubt not, are Of equal anti
guilty in his own land, though fresh and
rscy in this. Virginisns and Rich
monders now, as ever, constitute large
fraction of the Springs population.
Many familiar faces I see, but more OF
strange ones. Much that interests Rich
mond hear talked of, but the CONVEX
sation Of the groups, gsyly idling away
their time on the lawn, covers this con-
tinent and ranges to others. Ii seems
here that nearly everybody has been
abroad, and those who haven't are
soon to buy steamship tickets.
Many people Of great wealth from
the North and West have been
here, and their money has been plente-
ously showered upon their friends.
Hence never has the White seen so
many brilliant observation-disclosures
mans, suppers, luncheons, &c.,-never
has there been such display in dressing.
1t makes me doubt the reports OF e" hard
times "; or else hard times" are
wonderfully prolific Of diamonds and
silks and laces.
HOW THE SwALLOW.TAILS FLY.
Despite the objurgstions Of At
torney-General Garland on the subject
of swallow-tailed coats, and his endsa-
yor to commit the Administration to the
double-breasted Prince Albert policy,
that shspely article Of vestment is worn
now by tho ballroom gentlemen with .
unanimity never before equalled. In
fact, the growth in the popularity of
the swallo w-tailed coat, and tho Amazing
size of the bouquets carried by the
ladies, are the two things that strike
my ancient eye with most wonder
coming back to these Springs after an
absence from them since 1884.
In the days Of Colonel Peyton swal-
low-tailed coats were, Of certainty,
known and worn, but they had not OBJ
tanned that universally with which
they now reign. But they are for the
evening, "you know" For the Ia
borious work Of lawn-tennis, or for
riding, or for cycling, or for pedestrian
ism, the object is to get the plainest aud
stoutest-but not the cheapest-mate-
rial possible.
So it comes about that with lady in
elegant dress you may see walking q
beau dressed apparently in the rough
est possible manner. Later on in tho day
the beau comes out in 8 whise-fannel
suit. Later yet he takes down his
dress-suit. Some Of the young men,
| know, dress regularly three or four
times a day, aud nothing but the bodily
health born Of this age of exercise car
ries them through it all.
THE WHITE A WARD OF CHANCERY.
For years almost unnumbsred, with
here and there & brief period Of actual
proprietorship, the White Sulphur
Springs property has been ward OF
chancery. So it is now. Judge
Hughes's court has the control Of it,
pending the adjudication of liens and
claims of various priorities, and Mr..
A. L. Boulware is the receiver. Year
by year the property is leased out by
auction, and Mr. W. A. Stuart, OF Salt
vile, is the lessee, generally paying
about $40, 900 per snnum. IL what l
hear be true, DO is the holder OF the
bulk Of the mortgsge-bonds Of the COM
paDy, and being 8 man OF business en-
terprise, and sagacious enough withal,
may choose some day to buy the whole
thing in.
Last year was ga fair season "; this
is q better one, though the tide of arri-
walls was slow in rising on account OF
the supernumerous rains, which made
most people content to stay at their
homes in July.
Major Eakle, the general superintend-
ent, is always apleassntly-appearingg gen.
tleman, and there is no record Of his ever
having been seen hereabouts, at least,
with a much.saddened visage, but /
Judge by the more-than-usual smiling
ness of his countsnance this year that
the receipts keep in brisk advance Of
the expenditures the which is we'll
calculated to inspire the human breast
with amiabls emotions and generous in
clinings.
WHERE GATHER THE DINERS.
The crowd in the dining-rooms very
nearly fills to the full that ample hall.
At dinner-time-st Sunday dinner-time
especially--the visitors appear there in
the most imposing numbers, while at
breakfast they stragglc in, SO that you
can rarely see one fourth Of tho COM
psny present at time /; and well il is
that it is so, for if they all came in as
near together as at dinner it would
cause a deadlock in the kitchen; for
many Of the breakfast dishes are fries,
cooked to order, therefore begetting
delay.
1t begins to be to me matter Of Gu
riosity that some of the folks get to
breakfast at all, for such is the number
and luxury of entertainments that they
are prolonged past the evenings-past
midnight, and far into the gray Of the