Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-11-29
SOCIETY IN WASHINGTON.
People Who Entertain EIaboratcIy
and Live in Splendid style.

| Special Correspondence of the STADpARD,l
/ The mere display OF wealth is not Il
prevailing character OF the social life
OF Washington. This is not because
people OF ample means do not have
their homes here or that the scale of
living is not so elaborate as is the case
in large money center. 1t is prob
ably due to the fact that at the Ma
tons capital society lines do not fol,
low golden boundary. Official life
largely influences the character of the
society, and as a consequence, men
who occupy public places, whatever
their bank account may be, are recog.
nized as eligible for social functions.
Worth does not determine the matter,
although for once the money is not
paramount question. To consider
able extent, official position takes the
place OF dollars in opening the doors
OF society.
1t is, however, true that there may
witnessed in Washington during the
season display which can only be
kept up by the expenditure OF large
sums OF money. Along the principal
streets and avenues are found fine res
licences which are furnished with ele-
gance and which require a large corps
of servants to keep in order. Some of
these establishments have been built
by the occupants, and are used by
them as their winter homes. Others
are merely leased, and the tenants are
people of means who have concluded
to spend a winter at the Nations cap
ital. 1t is evident that this latter class
OF residents will receive large num-
Der OF accessions this year, a. the num-
Der of houses already leased indicates.
One of the notable houses in the
city stands fronting Dupont Circle,
and was erected some years ago by the
late James G. Blaine He occupied it
for winter or two and then leased it
to the Chicago millionaire, Il. l.. Letter,
who lived there until his own palace
on the other side of the circle was
completed. Mrs. Blaine made her
home there last winter, and for the
present season it has been leased by
Mrs. Westinghouse, the wife of the in
yentor OF the air-brakes.
1t is probable that Mrs. Westing-
house, pays for this house which
is furnished, monthly rental of
about $1,000, which is possibly
not as much as she paid last win
ter when she occupied an extensive
suite of rooms at one OF the hotels
here. Mrs. Westinghouse had the rep
utation last year of being the most
lavish entertainer in the city.
She seemed to be especially fond OF
flowers, and at each of her weekly re-
cept:ons flowers we're used extensively
in the decorations. Most expensive
roses we're employed with a lavishness
that excited surprise and wonder, and
while everything else was in keeping,
yet not an elaborate refreshment table
caused people to forget the wonderful
floral display.
Mrs. Westinghouse is q woman of
kindly nature and likes to have her
friends about her, and she wants them
to enjoy themselves, and SO she is
indefatisable in keeping up the round
of social duties. 1t is probable that
she will entertain this winter on the
same scale as she did last winter and
it is not likely that their entertain
ments will be exceeded in point OF
lavishness and display.
Not even the Brices spend more
money than Mrs. Westinghouse, al
though they perhaps entertain more |
generally than any one else in the
city. 1t is not unusual for dinner
party of two hundred guests to be en-
tertained at the Brices, and while it
would be impossible within the space
of an ordinary house to find room for
one table where such number of
guests could be seated, a large number
of small tables are distributed through
the parlors and drawing-rooms, and an
army of walters serve an elaborate
dinner in courses. An entertainment
of this sort is given not only once in a
season, but is repeated several times.
In the meanwhile other forms of social
are carried out in the
same elaborate style. NORA,