Evening star., 1896-04-06
THE LATE sEATON MUNROE.
"Reminiscences Of Him as n Society
Leadcr-His LOvnble Qualities.

"reminiscences OF Him as n society
Lender-His LOvnble Qualities.
To tine Editor of The Evening Star:
1t is doubtful If there was a spot on the
entire globe where at least one person did
not experience keen sorrow when learning
of the sudden and untime!y death of Mr..
Seaton Munroe. To what eminence Mr..
Munroe might have risen had he continued
in the profession for wh.c.' he was so well
fitted at the Harvard Law School must re-
main in the fancy of his countless friends.
But 1t seems safe to say that with his
withdrawal the legal fraternity lost one of
its most promising luminaries.
But his taste. his genius for social cere-
monies, augmented by = modest compe-
tence, prompted him at an early date to
abandon the field which was his first
choice, and for quarter of century he
was the Ward McAlliSter of Washington,
with none of the latter's vanity, and not
one particle of the latter's love of publicity
and notoriety. In social circles of Boston,
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore he
was as well known and liked as In his ma
tive city. There are few women of the
smarter set who during the past twenty
five years made their debut in Washington
that cannot recall giving Mr.. Munroe at
least one dance on their first night. And
no social event of prominence has occurred
within this period with which he was not
closely associated.
He was one of the earliest members of
the Metropolitan Club when this coterie
was domiciled in the old Morris house on
H street. Later on, wilen the Graham resi-
dence on 18th and H streets vas occupied
by the club. Munroe was one Of Its most
popular and prominent members; and with
the completion of the clubs present impos-
ing quarters, he was made one of the gov
ernorS. He became an officer of the Bach
elors' Cotillion Club soon after it's orsani-
ID lo1>1 -;rl,
jr., John Davis and Hamilton Perkins. and
continued in this capacity until the belief
that he was growing old prompted him to
give way to later generation. And it is
sailed with this feeling. for by far the
larger number of his old associates have
long since passed away. Ross Ray, Capt.
Fillebrown, Bob Morrow, Capt. easy
Brown, Gen. Crane, Twining, Lyford and
Albert Ray, who for years met at the lat
ter's charming home-lately occupied by
the University Club-have long gone be-
fore, and the death of Munroe makes the
breaking of this golden bowl complete.
But in spite of his years and his exper-
tence, Munroe was not old. To the end he
was the same boon companion, the same
faithful friend.
In 1873, when he was secretary for Ad-
miral Case in the Mediterranean, it was
my fate to be lieutenant of cavalry, sta
toned at Camp Apache, Ariz. His letters
to me from his pleasant environment made
life in that barren wilderness almost en-
joyable. If Munroe had an enemy, it was
not my bad fortune to have -.iet with such
a one In throwing this poor stone upon
the cairn Of one 1 Loved, / take this senti-
ment from an old letter Of Col. Sanford c.
Kellosg's, now attache of the United States
embassy at Paris: 81 do not believe the
nan lives who has done more for the hap
piness and welfare Of others than Seaton
Munroe."
, What nobler epitaph could be desired?
E. L. K