Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-20
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-Calling cards |
are among the most expensive of society
necessities Tens of thousands of dollars
are spent here each year on pasteboard,
and ladies think nothing of ordering cards |
by the box. A Washington society belle |
spends from $50 to 800 for her outfit of
3hls Kind for the season, and n family
often needs several kinds of cards for
each member.
Only the backwoods congressman and
their wives now have their names printed
npon cartes de visite, and the engraved
plate is used by all of any pretensions.
There is an etiquette in cards, and their
style has as much to do with fixing the
standing of the caller as has dress or so
eoial accomplishment
The gentlemen of today are quite as par
ocular as the ladies in regard this matter.
They have their names engraved on their
cards in fine letters, and it is now the
custom for "Mr." to be put before the
mans name. At Washington the title is
given with the name, and the residence
finds it's place on the corner of the card
The regulation visiting card for gentle
men now is about one-third the size of u
.ady's 1t is not much longer than the
width of this newspaper column and it is
about half as wide as its length. Senator
Evarts' card is one of this kind. 1t is
olain "Mr Evarts," with his residence,
1,601 K street, at the left hand corner.
"Mr. Justice Bradley is another, and a
third style is that of Horace Hillyer, one
If the fancy young men of the British le-
CATION He puts his title in French,
which, though the language of courts,
seems affectation in a representative of
Victoria.
Some Of our great men think this style
of Mr." an affectation, and they use
simply their names, Among these are
Justice Harlan, of the supreme court,
who has heavily engraved card, bearing
simply the name Charles r. Harlan,
Senator Sahin is another, and his card is
quite II pretty one. 1t is regularly en-
graved, and he has written the whole of
his first name, which is Dwight.
Leland Stanford, rich as he is, is salts
led with n card without Mr., " and the
plain mourning lined pasteboard which
ne uses in his calling is more simple than
hat Of many penniless adventurer.
Stin, he is the richest man in the senate,
and one of the richest men In the world.
lie has made a great fortune out of his
own efforts, and there are few rich men
who have been less affected by the pos
session of wealth. He is as simple as a
..ssliid 10 his manners, and he has as much
common sense as he has gold. He gives
gorgeous receptions, but he does not plate
MS dishes with silver, nor do anything
ior pure ostentation. His card is much
nlore simple than that of Rear Admiral
Taylor Naval officers, as rule, are up
20 the latest in pasteboartis. They are
lass of men who do not think of dining
except in full dress, and society seems to
DC their business, rather than fighting.
1T is SO now, when there is no war to
bother u.s. and in these "piping times
of peace the naval official trips the toe
fantastic with rs much vigor as he yields
She saber in the times Of bloody war.
The legations, as a rule, have fancy
ards. A card before me is that of Mr..
Montufar, a representative from South
America, and it is three times as big rs
That of the minister Of Portugal which
Lies beside it. Both are in French, and
Ghey are finely engraved. The card of
Nine, Kuki, the wife of the japanese
minister, is prettily printed, and is simple
and modest like its owner, one of the
most attractive women of Washington.
The Vicomtesse de Sibourg has card as
big as the joker of a eucher deck, and it
IS bOrdered with black; and that Of Do
ninguez, of the Argentine legation looks
little beside it. ! have also the card of
the captain of the japanese navy, who
visited Washington not long ago. He
SIoes not put Mr." before his name, and
be appears to be like all the Japanese-a
gentleman.
The use of cards among ladies is much
onore general and fixed than among gen
Jlemen, and the fashionable women here
would as soon think Of using an old dress
as an old card. She would receive much
less attention in the old dress than she
would with the old card, and it is from
he bushels of cards that the calling lists
Of Washington society are made up. No
ladies' of prominence use anything but en-
graved cards, and the simpler the card, as
n rule, the more elegant the lady. Few
written cards are used, and autograph
cards are, as a rule, used only between
friends. The etiquette of our high society
crows more stately year after year, and it
may be that in the future we shall have
the thee and "thou,n as the German
families have now. We will use the
YOU only in speaking to chance acquaint-
snces, and we will reserve the familiar
thee" for our dearest friends.
The lady's name is always put in the
center Of the card, and at Washington il
- usual for her to have her residence en-
graved in much smaller letters on the
lower right hand corner. The day on
which she receives is put on the lower
left hand corner, and it is II necessity in
Washington for "A society woman to have
ner day" Wednesday is the cabinet
day, when all the cabinet ladies receive
callers. Monday the ladies Of the supreme
court are expected to be at home Or
Tuesday you find the representatives
wives receiving calls, and on Thursday
YOU may call on the ladies of the senate
Friday is the day for calling on ladies ou
NJ official life, and Saturday is set aside
for the reception Of Mrs. Cleveland. Al
so Sunday night there is no rule but tn,
custom is that most people receive calls
and there is as much counting as churcl
going
AS to ladies' cards, one Of the pretties
have seen is that o. Mrs. Mclean, wifi
Of The proprietor Of The Cincinnati En-
,quirer. 1t is about three inches long b,
Two wide and is beautifully engraved
,. The card of Mrs. and Miss Dahlgren