Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-05-04

Copyright. 1895. by the Ryman In
terview Syndicate)
"Who will be the leader of New
York society i'm place of the leaders
who have gone
This is q question which I hear ask
ed as frequently as the income tax
queries, and. IKE it, it is about as
much Of q puzzle.
With Ward McAlisteG and Mrs
Paran Stevens gone there must be
leaders. But who will they be?
At least this is the attitude taken by
people out of society, and even by
many who are in it, But the truth is,
and those who hold fingers upon So
ciety's pulse know it, that there will
never be another society leader, and
there will never be another Mrs. SJey-
ems.
New York society. it must De under
stood has now fully reached The stage
arrived at i'm the old world centuries
ago. 1t is settled. It is prescribed and
it is moving along i'm its proper chan
nels What need, then, is there of a
leader2
When Ward McAllister blossomod
ont as q leader of New York society
there was ned of them. Society in
those DAYS was more compact and less
scattered than 10 lis now. The great
railroads uniting our vast Western cit
les with those OF the East have brought
an our great cities and towns close to-
geJher. There was formerly almost no
social intercOUres between society peo-
pie OF the two sl0p ., the Pacific and
the Eastern. Now there is cOnsidera-
BILE, and this also applies 20 all other
important sections OF the country.
McAllister knew society people of
California as well as he did of New
York; and it is i'm the memory of al
most every man well posted on New
York social events that Californiaus
Of good birth, coming 10 New York for
q season. depended upon McAllister al
most exclusively ito introduce them
into the circles which would make
their stay enjoyable. He had a broth
en- too, iu the South. and Tor a time
made it his pleasure 70 unite society
of all parts of the country ut his din
ners and receptions.
Now. of course. there are others with
this same wide acquaintance and many
with even better connections and more
friends than me. but he was the only
one who probablywould 80 to the uou-
bic In such matters. Ward MCAllister
loved society; he enjoyed nothing so
much as getting up the menu for "a din
ner. And 90 look around his table and
see men from every part of the cOun-
try. and beautiful women from New
Orleans, San Francisco. Maine and
Georgia gave him rare delight. No one
else would give the time and De at the
worry TO do this Systematically except
himself.
But Ward NcAlliSter is gone and
with him goes the necessity for a lea
der New York society is TODAY pre-
cisely like the society of London and
Paris society. like the society of Ber-
lin and ST. Petersburg. like the society
OF Vienna and Stockholm la an these
cities thera are sets, and these have
their own leaders. and 90 name one
person as the leader of the whole
would be as false and impossible as TO
name Grover Cleveland the leader of
American society.
Society In Rome i'm Nice. in Florence
American society located there. that
is may still have leaders. because it
is new and neither large nor classified
just as New York society once was.
but not az all as New York society is
to-day.
New York society is fast driving it.
self into cliQueS. These are perfectly
TO come close together in many in
stances itvould be hard 20 seethe divid-
ing line, Just rs islands appear TO be
friendly with one another and were they
all together I'm the sea. But there is a
space between.
As everyone knows. New York has
large hunting set This is sometimes
called the "OUt-of-town set" and the
members OF this prefer 90 remain
nearly all the year even during the
New York season. nc their country
homes They shoot until snow comes.
ride as long ass there are roads firm
enough 10 bear them after The hounds.
and they have great and hospltable
home parties 10 an up the interim UNI
III II is the season for fishing and OUT
of-dOOr games. Then they 90 TO some
.rN'l AalllN Nt.t LNL Ct mon.
and back again, TO repeat the old pro-
sraume
RICH POLITICAL SET.
These people are among the most de-
lghy,U, of amy I'm the world. They
have that proyerbial hospitality which
Keeps the lamp sat lighted iu the Win
dow all uisht loUg for belared guests.
and they are strong and wen past all
the disagreeable comploinings of over
worked city society people. Perhaps
they are less cup" upon the topics of
the day and the opera than town dwell
ers. but 10 Is because they elect 20 be
SO. for, as everyone knows. 10 De On
"out-Of-t0wucr means 90 spend q deal
of money entertaining and keeping M
the vast house which tbe term implies
Now picture this set of people i'm
mind and then see the folly Of compar-
ing them and chasing them with the
strictly society set the SCI that open
the town house for the opera society
people, and who plan TO leave MT an