The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-21
And Is the Most Attractive Female Person in
that Great City Something as to Her Won
derful Clothes and Bushels of Jewelry.
A Young Woman Who Is Expected 10 DO
Wonderful Things with Her Money.
An Exqusitely Fashionable Charity whose
Benefcences Only Ladies" Are Permitted
to Share-MethOd of Drawing the Line.
spec,al to the Indianapolis journal.

x,
sweeping and conclusive assertion, but I am
conscientiously going TO make it. The most
beautiful woman In New York fashionable socie-
ty is the widow Hammersley. All the other
bellies commonly mentioned as beauties are
merely pretty, and their physical equals could
be casually encountered in a half mile stroll in
Broadway But Mrs. Louis G. Hammersley has
come forth at the opening OF the present season
Sc a specimen of perfect loneliness. 1t is true
that she is the possessor of more than two
millions of dollars in her clear right but
try to prevent that from prejudicing me against
her Nor do ] preceive that on grand opera
nights the beaux admire her less, or the ether
women hate her more, account of her i'm
mense wealth. She is practically debutante.
Sor FIVE years she was the wife of highly &C.
centric young Cresus, who married her
1or her loneliness, adored her desper-
ately, wrote verses necessarily in her
praise, and willed to her ali his property. She
was horn at Troy, N. Y, twenty-six years ago.
Her father was Commodore Price, of the United
States navy, and, although her family had only
his pay to live on, they did so in marked refine
ment, and were figures in the pretentous circles
q beauty of the queenly type. She was tall,
erect with regular features, sweet facial express
sion, and positively regal manners Of urbane but
dignifed courtesy. She disregarded the wooing
of Troians, and it came to be understood among
her acquaintance that nothing short of million
aireism would recommend any man to her favor
able consideration as husband. In the odd
Louis G. Hammersley she found this qualifca
tion He was a singular character-an object at
once of respect and ridicue. His appearance
was naturally singular, and he heightened it by
quaint costuming. He was all the while doing
queer things. But his behavior was over polite.
his morals excellent and his disposition kind
Did his bride love himl Nobody knows She
vas modest, faithful wife, at ali events.
The Widow Hammersley's period of conven-
tional mourning has now expired, and she has
appeared at the opera as the acknowledged Queen
Of Beauty. Even the most envious do not think
of questioning her supremacy. But she does not
let the general admiration depend alone on her
perfection of face and form. Her costumes are
wonders of artistic construction, and she has rot
set worn one of them twice. Her jewels, too,
have thus far been changed every night | do
not recall an instance of costlier or more elab-
crate toilet preparation for a social season in
New York by any belle, and if she carries
through the winters succession of balls, recep-
tons and dinners the policy which she has
thus far pursued at the opera, she will by spring
become the most celebrated woman in America.
She has evidently gone in for a great triumph.
She is the owner of box, and its tiny parlor at
the rear is superbly furnished. The walls are
freshly hung with rare flowers. and an elabo-
rately carved combination of sideboard and ice-
box yields wines to her guests between acts.
That she is courted and adulated needs not to be
said. She is the most interesting parsonage in
the house, not excepting the foremost singer on
the stage.
~.
The opera audiences are curious subjects for
study What struck me, while sketching the
Widow Hammersley on the sly. was that some
of the daughters of wealth, denied beauty,
were seeking TO earn by exertion the distinction
which she got without effort. That is to say,
they endeavored, by irregularity of costume,
Or idiosyncrasy of demeanor, to FIX masculine
attention Often they succeeded. In one in
stance it was done by an odd arrangement of
the bair, after the manner of the scare-wigs of
the minstrels; in another, the theatric poses Of
! Juliet looping over her balcony rail were
Dracticed over the box's front; in numerous
cases audaciously vivacious conversation served
The purpose. Mr.. August Belmont is a shrewd
observer and humorous commentator on these
scenes
THAT young lady, he remarked, meaning q
girl who was holding group of fellows in her
box-parlor-the door Of which gave an open view
to all passers-by mixing drinks for them in
pretty travesty of barkeeping reminds me of
female gymnast whom once knew Of Both
won by strangely doing common acts This one
piques curiosity by presenting barkeeper in
tho form of dainty belle. The other was a
young circus performer. She threw fip-faps in
the sawdust ring, and didn't command much no
sice Then she transferred herself to theatre
cal stage, as figure in q pantomimic spectacle
There, in the long-skirted costume OF fashion
able belle, she turned the same old fp-faps, but
to tremendous applause and admiration. For a
fact there was less improperly in it, for she was
fully enveloped, while before she had worn pro-
fessional sklrtlessness-but the oddity won. In
society, too, the flip fappers sometimes succeed"
~
In the way OF homogeneous social hgures:
remarkably pretty young woman was consider
ably admired at the charity ball of 1881. She
vas graceful brunette with a good air. and
she had quiet department. This ball, as you
doubtless know, has long been distinctly mod
ish affair, with much ado as to its exclusive
character Therefore when the admiration of
the stranger led to inquiries, and the dandies
from the avenue learned that she kent a hoard
ing-house they no longer sought her hand in
the waltz. Before the night was over detective
identified her as the wife of Charles Billiard,
alias Piano Charley, a professional thief, and
she was requested to GO out She has now come
into notoriety as the heress Of seven millions
from Juan Petro Terry, Cuban planter-and
nm not going to rehearse the facts, for you have
already had them in print-but what wonder