The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-24
WICHITA SOCIETY.
An Interesting Communication From Hen
rieite on the -Four Hundred Of
the Peerless Princess.

four years: that record surprising that of
any other individual Of our charming city.
| have always been a close student of
Wichita society, both as TO its inherent
| capacity for pure entertainment and the
| betterment OF companionship and hospit-
able warmth. and also into its sociological
being and outward ate Of organization.
appreciate and think all close readers
Of the EAGLE do, that Wichita is growing
old; the state OF society settled, forms
fixed; old families n precedence and the
conditions peculiar 10 "A mature commu:
| niry becoming more apparent each year
| IL you visit an eastern city, large or small
! you, being westerner. will pe a: once i'm
( pressed with The se!f-suffic:ent exclusive
state Of social c.iq2es. obtaining every
where
Four years ago it was different here
! in our own city. People were
in the main had 10 be formed and
/ true to the processes of all things
that nature in vegetable and civic matters.
/ takes hand in, it was first in chrysallis
! Society was for every body. a big ball was
attended by everybody with social pro-
| clivities. Nobody, or scarcely any body,
/ to modify the declaration little, was
barred. There were no young sets or old
sets, or this crowd" or that crowd. "
At an entertainment everybody old and
! young, were present.
| know this because ] was personally
victim to this state of affairs | desired
/ to give a luncheon, which were all the
rage at that time and | discovered that
would have 10 invite nearly two hundred
! ladies' My house is not small (the re-
porters have called it ''pa ial') but its
capacity was not sufficiently great TO &C
commodate that number. My husband
and | puzzled our heads about it, but to
no purpose. had finally to divide my
guests into sets, one set to come between
two and our,another between four and six
and third for the remainder OF the even
ing. But they came regardless of the
| hours and my plan was OF no avail. 1t
was so crowded that | am sure that none
Of the ladies enjoyed themselves, As At
other ladies' houses in similar brushes. |
myself surely did not. How much better
1t would have been if society had not
been in such a tumble, but divided decent
ly into sets? l might then have entertain
ed with some anticipation and some reali-
cation of my guests pleasure.
Wichita society was then il chrysallis,
but I have watched it gradually evolve
from that embryonic state, and | think to-
day | see "a light in the east" 1t is no
longer necessary to Invite in the whole
town" Society is subdivided into differ
ent sets, or, rather, is becoming divided.
We should be thankful. My social axiom
is the successful party is the small par
7 Il g., 10
said he had only three chairs in his cot
tage: one for solitude, two for friendship,
and three for company. l mean that
party OF fifteen or twenty congenial per-
sons is the most enjoyable.
a close study of Wichita society does
not warrant me in saying that our society
is completely formed. I believe it is still
in process of development. But l have
observed the sets gradually forming and l
am prepared today to submit list in
rough of the nuclei of the various ciiques.
Mind, I do not name everybody-that
would be impossible and ridiculous in a
communication like this | realize, as
well as anybody, that 1 have omitted
many prominent people. | have essayed
only few representatives.. Peruse this
list, as number one:
Mr. and Mrs. j. p. Allen, Mr.. and Mrs. |
J. A Holluger Mr.. and Mrs. j. Cole Mr. !
and Mrs. G. NJ. Jones' Mr.. and Mrs. j. H. |
Ally, Mr.. and Mrs George Whitney, Mr.. /
and Mrs. John w. Powers. Mr.. and Mrs. |
r p Murdock, Mr. and Mrs |. Imboden. !
Mr.. and Mrs, a. W. Oliver, Mr.. and Mrs. !
Frank Oliver Mr. and Mrs. NJ. j. Oliver. |
Mr. and Mrs f. Smythe, Mr.. and Mrs. G. |
Smythe, Mr. and Mrs. 4. w Biting, Mr. /
and Mrs G. W. Biting, Mr.. and Mrs. c. |
A. Van Ness, Mr. and Mrs. L. d. Skinner, |
Mr. and Mrs j. c. Jennings, Mr. and Mrs |
T. Coen, Mr. and Mrs. L. j. Brooks, Mr.. /
and Mrs. o. II. Bentley, Mr., and Mrs. Kos |
Harris, Mr. and Mrs o. Il. Smith, Mr.. |
and Mrs Charles Mossbacher, Mr.. and |
Mrs. NJ. NJ Murdoch, Mr.. and Mrs AL. |
Thomas Mr.. and Mrs. George Clement, |.
Mr. and Mrs. II. w. Lewis.
These are the older people, great many |
old settlers. Their entertainments are al |
ways enjoyable. They know one another /
perfectly, and their sociability is all the /
more perfect. Although | am young |
woman, have been permitted at times to 4
enter this circle, and have never enjoyed /
myself more. They do not give as many /
parties as the younger people and are con- !
There is also an absence OF quarreling and |
the sin of small talk and malicious gossip, |
that some of the other sets cannot be said !
to be entirely free from.
Here is set number TWO:
Messrs. and Mesdames r. Harding c. !
!. Fletcher, A S. Munson, w. W. Johu- |
son, s T. Jocelyn, II. L. Kramer, f. T. |
Logan, 4. J. Parks, T. W. Waller, c. ". |
Carey, Ed Vail. George L. Pratt, w. :. |!
Cor5ett, H. W. Lyle, l.. w. Miner, II. Z. !
Farnum, Z. L. Mckenzie, |. S. Hoaglaud, /
w Frazier.
This set IS distinguished from the pre-
ceding one By being composed Of Younger .
married people, As a rule. ! belong /
to this set myself. and anything .
I might say in laudation of il might be /
construed as egotism. IN perusing these .
lists I Wish the reader TO keep IN mind /
that these sets are not entirely separate, !
but in many instance mix up generally. /
couples Of one crowd attending the same /
party As those OF al entirely different
clique.
Here IS set number three. Misses Meade.
Chapman, Thomas, Jocelyn. Ryder and /
Auayalt: Messrs = Pr.ddy. Y Hoffman.
E Hoffman, G. Neider.1a3er and G. Chap
man. This : gay set, which gives a .
great many parties. and whose mem bers {
are frequently invited 20 the parties Of T.
the other sets and are everywhere popular. .
Tus Is set number four: Misses Dell 7
Bavmun. leila Tu-ch. Aaude Strable.
Meva wainwright. Matte Fabrique nc
sadie York. NeSsrs- 4. B. Seeker. Cap
isin Osbaurue. ". \ Smith. Willard .