The San Francisco call., 1896-07-26

The sixth congress of me American Whist
League has passed into history, with it the
crowning event in the life of many lover of
this noble game. For the first time in the his
tory of whist, dating back hundred years and
more, has there been such gathering of noted
experts and writers. From nearly every State
in the Union they came to do honor to the
worthy gentlemen who founded the grand and
noble institution and do battle for whist su-
premacy. For many months we anticipated
the great pleasure we would enjoy when we
could take the Master "Cayendish' by one hand
and our patron saint, n. B. Trist, by the other,
and pay our respects to our little whist queen,
Miss Kate Wheelock, known and loved from
the Atlantic to the Pacific; then in turn to
receive q warm grasp OF the hand from Whit
field (who came to America with Cavendish
to attend the congress) from Hamilton from
Briggs. from Bum, from Fisher Ames, Paine,
weems, Work, Barnes Schwarz and score of
others, all there, like myself, to enjoy the
sweets of g glorious reunion of whist
giants. If the marriage feast of Cana at
Galilee furnished more real enjoyment to the
guests than did this whist feast what a grand
and glorious time they must have had. Every
body bid US welcome; even the fine uniformed
sentTies that guard every entrance to the
great Oriental Hotel smiled welcome smile
as we passed them at all hours of the day, and
the waves, aS lncy IOlleQ III from the DrOaQ
Atlantic, sang welcome lullaby all through
the night Everything was done that money
and warm hearts could suggest to make each
one feel as though he were the special guest
of honor. Brooklyn outdid itself, and Robert
H. Weems should receive great credit for his
untiring energy, zeal and pluck for carrying
TO such a successful ending such q great and
glorious undertaking. The game of whist is
not for the gentlemen alone. The struggle we
have made to make whist popular among the
women of the country we are proud to say has
begun to bear fruit
The Philadelphia Item of June 81 saws:
1t is really remarkable to see what a hold
the game of whist has on the affections of our
fashionable people. Never has the game hen
more popular, society having taken il up with
q vim, which may cause the unknowing TO
class whist-playing among the fads of dav.
which society takes up hurriedly and then
throws away again without q sigh This is
distinctly not the case, and, while our whist
luncheons and whist breakfasts, whist din
ners, whist suppers, whist musicales and
what not may be abandoned in time Tor
something newer, whist-paying, clever,
brilliant and scientific, a game for the
battle Of intellects, not merely TO fill out anv
empty hour, is so securely rooted in tne 81
feetlons of its thousands OF followers as to be
safe from caprice or fashionable whim The
following weil-known ladies will attend the
annual whist congress this week which will
convene at the Manhattan Beach Hotel, Coney
lSldlQ. MISS NnttiOCE, the whist queen will
be hostess of the occasion and receive and en-
terrain: Mrs. Milton G. Work, Mrs. T. Hol-
Ingsworth Andrews, Mrs. William H. New
bold, Mrs. r. +. Hastings Mrs Charles viii
liams, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. H. l. Keen, Mrs. Z. /.
Hall, Mrs. Charles Potts, Mrs. Moulton.
1t was happy thought on the part OF the
president of the American Whist Club. also
recording secretary of the American Whist
League-Robert II. Weems-to bring the con-
gress down to Manhattan Beach, and the So
lection of the hotel that was made famous bv
the gatherings that took place there in times
past One OF the .'Whisters'' that we had NOT
seen for ~ ny years recalled the night that we
sat together in the same chairs, out on the
broad piazza Il borders the hotel. Iisten-
ing 10 the roar OF waves as they dashed unon
the beach, not many years before, when the
bells commenced to toll the desthknell of
President Garfield.
Near US sat group, never to be forgotten
Vice President Arthur, Roscoe Conkling. Don
Cameron, John H. Smyth, Austin Corbin ana
four or five other great notables. To see them
all stand up and separate, not word spoKen
quietly walk away, take out their handker-
chiefs, wipe away the tears that would come.
and to think that nearly every one of them
has been called to render an account of his
stewsrdship-it was 9 sad few moments at