Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-21

tune or decayed in morality - is
looked upon as social triumph.
A title is so attractive that'society can be
as easily gulled as when, in Buchanan day,
a romantic young Frenchman, who was
made pet by the set which most prided it
self upon blue blood and exclusiveness, and
whose opinions upon etiquette were re-
garded as laws. turned out to be a cook in
restaurant. Liveries are growing common.
Chaperones for girls old enough to be grand
mothers are deemed as essential, as though
they were 16. Foreign fashions are the
rule. Drawing rooms conducted after the
exclusive style oS the English Queen are
held to be the proper thing to keep out all
save the higher classes.
Such views, however firmly they may be
held, can never find very firm footing in
Washington. Society changes in the Gov
ernment city with every administration and
election. The great and. growing West
sends here as representatives men of force
and enterprise. Their wives. as rule, are
bright, clever and intelligent. Only the
few manifest such longing for hotoriety as to
desire to have even their underwear written
up for the newspapers. Only a few show
ignorance of the history of their country. A
Senator's wife said the other day that she
"did not know who the Governor of her
State was," but it is likely that few in her
position show such indifference.
Reception at Wanamaker's.
Mrs Grundy, of Philadelphia, has lately
given it out that ''the Wanamakers are not
in society" in the Quaker City; that Mr..
Wanamaker is only a she keeper and can
lay no claim to blue bloGu and aristocratic
lineage, and is withal a party who runs
Sunday school All of which may be true.
Nevertheless Mr.. Wanamaker has brains
and culture, as visit to his home in Wash
ington very we'll shows Moreover, he has
handsome daughter who did the honors in
her mother's absence at the reception given
last week as charmingly as any of those who
pride themselves on ancient lineage and
noble birth.
They live in the house occupied during
abe last administration by Mr.. and Mrs. w.
G. Whitney. The beautiful Whitney ball.
room is now picture gallery filled with
gems of art and the masterpieces of great
painters Schreyer, Corot, Bougereau
Munkaczky and others are represented. The
Corot, we are told, cost $4,000. 1t is rather
a small picture, and where that amount of
money comes in is a mystery of high art.
The subject is a tree, and what in the poor
light appeared to be one of the homemade
chicken coops improvised BY farmers wives
for the fluffy little chicks week or two old.
But the famous name of Corot is sufficient
to make any picture dear enough to rave
over. Shakespeare asks:
What's in a manner That which we call
rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
But there is good deal in name when
it comes to pictures. A tree and chicken
coop by Corot is held to be worth $40, 900,
whereas the same by some unknown John
Smith would scarcely bring So
Bible Leading in the Gallery.
Some very fine and noble pictures there
are in Mr.. Wanamaker's collection. One
of the most striking and pleasing is that of
q beggar girl by Bougereau. In this hand
some room, we were told, Bible class
meets every Sunday afternoon, and this
lovely Bougereau as lady observed, fur
nishes inspiration. Mr.. Wanamaker was
present at the reception to make up for the
absence of Mrs. Wanamaker, who was too
i'll to appear. He gave all a most cordial
welcome and made most agreeable i'm
preston. In the dining room the table wa,
decorated with magnificent roses and loaded
with good things
One of the most hospitable homes in
Washington is that of Senator and Mrs.
Stanford, who hold areception every Thurs
day. Mrs. Stanford with all her wealth
puts on no airs. She we'll remembers, and
scruples not to talk of the days when she
lived in little wooden house and kept but
one girl. Mrs. Stanford is cordial and SYM
pathetic in manner, and As one of her
friends says, 'it is her happiness to make
others happy" An immense new dining
Poom, done up in white and gold, has been
recently added to the Stanford house. The
beautiful china and silver and pictures e1-
cite much admiration. In the drawing
rooms are many magnificent works of art by
masterhands that of themselves are great
attraction and entertainment. Mrs STAN
ford's courtesy is based on good feeling and
kindly spirit, and the true ring goes home
to her company. She shows not q trace of
that disease-common among those who at
tain to great wealth-and known in slang
as the "big head"
Consolation for Boss Shepherd.
It will be recollected that years ago no
one was more vilifed and abused than
'eBoss Shepherd" who had charge of the
street improvements in Washington, but
now it will be admitted that he deserves to
be canonized. He transformed the muddy
country town into the handsomest city on
the continent. Up to the time of Grants
administration its streets were mud roads
even worse than those of Allegheny county
deep with dust in the summer and of un
known depths of mud in the winter. Gen
eral Grant, with the war off his hands, SET
to work to improve the capital city. "Boss
Shepherd was put in charge, and his work
talks for itself
Beautiful parks have taken the place of
the commons once given over to weeds and
used as dumping grounds. Trees, fount-
aims, statues, flowers now adorn what once
were waste places. Modern Improvements
which were carried out with q
hiph hand despite the strongest op-
position, have made Washington healthy
andA handsome-a city of delight. How
some people do hate and resist innovationsl
How 10th to surrender old ways and take to
new. ''Boss Shepherd" was as maliciously
maligned and as roundly abused by the
opposition as was ever General Washington
by his political opponents, but now the
beautiful city is his memorial and the proof
of his energy and ambition.
Crisp's Place in History.
The new Speaker of the House, Mr. Crisp,
receives great attention. His manner is
firm and his temper seems even. He is
plainly man of ability who commands re-
spect He has neither the ponderosity or
aggressiveness OF Speaker Reed, but so far
has won golden opinions for fairness, quick |
Judgment and capacity to rule. He was
one of the stars upon the floor of the House !
before his election as Speaker. In manner |
he recalls Carlisle, who was o prince IN |
courtesy and model of fairness.
So tar as we have heard, there are few not |
able orators in the House. After the hot |
work of the session begins there may be
some naturalization of Henry Clay elo-
quence and Daniel Webster genius Pitts
burg has reason to be proud of her represen-
tative, whose speeches have made great
nf