Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-08-11
BLUSHING BEAUTY
sEBN IN ABBREVIATED SKIRTS AND SILK
TIGHTS.
The Startling Costume in Which Mrs. Secretary
Bslknap Baihsd - Why the Old Bald
Headed Men RgOcsd and
Were Glad.

CoNEY ISLAND, August 1O.-Mrs. Bel
khan. while her husband was Secretary OF
War, was tall, striking brunette, with q
superb presence, a handsome face, and a
dashipg manner. 1t is said that her ball
dresses were startiDgly decollete, and some
of the ladies Of the Capital who did not
possess Mrs. Belknap's special charms OF
figure talked so much about her gowns that
the Washington correspondents took the
matter up, and the Secretary's wife found
herself a much-talked-of woman.
On the 18th of July the sleepy clerk at
the Oriental Hotel, Coney Island, was
shaken out of the dreamy contemplation
of his two.carat diamond shirt pin by the
news that upon that evenings train from
New York Mrs. VIM. Belknap, daughter
and maid would arrive, and that the best
rooms in the house we're to be placed at
their disposal. From that day to this
Mrs. Belknap has been summering at the
Oriental, and has held her own as one Of
the leading features of the place. No
sooner does she leave her room for the big
bathing pavilion between the Oriental
and Manhattan Beach Hotels than Is
culver of excitement about the place. The
male guests at both hotels betake them
selves in a body to the beach, and even
the ladies, although they will not own 1t,
are interested. II is not so much the way
Mrs. Bslknap battles that interests the
idlers of a Summers day, but it Is the
clothes, or rather the lack of clothes, that
she bathes in.
Until Saturday last the wife of the ex-
Secretary has worn at the bath startling
costume Of white and red. 1t was
striped affair showing her perfect form in
all its graceful curves-a little low-necked
sleeveless hOdice, and very short skirt
were all that it consisted of. The lady g
lower limbs were incased in silk tights.
The effect was startling as she dashed
through the waves, throwing herself upon
their crests with all the wild abandon OF
water nymph. The bald-headed old
gentleman in the surf almost chuckled
with delight, and the tough, weather
beaten John Keegan, who has acted as
Waterman at the Manhattan Bathing
Pavilion for several years, could hardly
believe his eyes. He took off his glasses.
rubbed the sea fog off them, looked at the
fair bather again, and then acknowledged
that he had never seen anything to equal
her before.
To reporter Mr.. Keegan said You
may talk about your Far Rockaway or
Cape May bathing costumes, but will bet
that there is not one in the country that
can match the one worn by Mrs. Belknap'
1t would not take more than one and one
quarter of yard of goods to make the whole
affair"
The ladies who saw Mrs. B lknap dis
porting herself in the waves did net, how
ever, seem to admire her costume as much
as the men. The latter said that the
women were jealous of her. However this
may be, the talk about the Oriental Hotel
was tarted, and it has been getting more
and more critical. The male visitors all
took the part of Mrs. Belknap; the women
were all against her. Being a woman Of
energy and great courage, Mrs. Belknsp
has continued to battle in her wonderful
striped costume with the abbreviated
sleeves and the still more abbreviated
skirt.
She made up her mind that she would
not let the gossips gain victory over her,
aud she almost won the fight, but Mrs.
Bslknap's daughter, who is very beauti
ful and accomplished girl, did not relish
the notoriety which her mother was attain
ing, and persuaded her to throw aside the
Objectionable bathing suit and wear one
less conspicuous. The naughty Blue Grass
beauty did not like to give in, but she at
last consented to yield to her daughters
wish, and this morning the bald-headed
old men who paid ten cents each for the
privilege of seeing Mrs. Belknap battle
we're reduced almost to a state Of despera-
ton.
She appeared on the beach in dark
blue costume of the usual seaside style.
The women who found fault with Mrs
Belknsp's suit we're smiling and happy
when reporter visited the bathing pavil-
ion OF Manhattan Beach. This morning
one slight and delicately built girl of about
forty summers, and heaven knows how
many hard winters, said to companion
in the hearing of the scribe:
'Oh, you Just ought to have seen her
other dress; it was too horrid for any
thing"