The morning times., 1897-02-17
VANDERBILT'S HALF PEW
1t Caused Comment at AriSt0cratic
st. Johns Church.
Rented From Mrs. Warder-The
Gossip Alleged That 1t Was
special Privilege.

There is gentle wave of diScontent, if
not OF open protest, among some Of the
members of the always sedate and emf
nently proper and aristoCratic congrega-
ton of st. Johns Episcopal Church. The
wave, however gentle, is mountain high
by reason OF the circumstance that it has
been raised unwittingly by Mr.. and Mrs.
Cornelius Vanderbilt
1t is very likely from the nature Of the
gossip that the first news the Vanderbilts
will receive of il viii be in The Times
this morning
when IL was reported that the Wander
bilts We're actually to come to Washing
ton there was only two grave subjects of
| discussion over the teaCups for several
weeks. one was, to what church would
they repair on sabbath mornings and
evenings, aud the other, was Mr.. VanCer-
bilt 5 coming to urge certain politicians
| chances fol the court of ST. James with
! the incoming administration, to wit: Dr.
| De Peach, of New York city and of the
! Vanderbilt system of railroads.
Society was Interested most largely in
| the location of the EanderbiIts, although
it was rather a foregone conclusion that
this interesting family would settle down
/ at st John s, the congregation OF which
! Is, in fact, famous for its good works
III charity and for its cNo!usiveness III
! society.
There is some difficulty in getting pew
! al ST John 5, and it is said that a great
many Washingtonans have been waiting
| for years for the privilege of being recog-
nizcd. Pew rents are high, but there are
| very many people who would be per
| fcctly willing To pay even more than tue
| Vandcrbits If there were spare pews.
! 1t was. tbcrcfore, with some surprise
| that it was announced here and there
among the congregation on the Sunday he
! fore last that the yandcIblts had been
comfortably disposed Of. The gossip was
! that there had been some undue Gavorit-
ism For instance, a minister OF the Cos
pei at one of the Episcopal missions, who
attended DR.. Mackay-Smith' lecture last
night on Bible history al the st. Johns
Parish Hall, said that while he did not be
| lievC that any such favoritism existed or
was shown. yet the fact OF the elevation
| OF the VandcrbiHs had been the cause of
some talk and especially 10y those who
have been waiting i'll vain for years for
seat in this most desirable places of wor-
seen about it, but all of them said that they
| had pcv's and were not interested at all in
the gossip.
| Dr Mackay- Smith was asked what there
| was in the story He said that the facts
about the Vanderbilts and their taking a
| pew were simply these: They are now
occupying for three months half of the
pew of Mrs Warder This arrangement
| does not Inconvenience Mrs. Warder, be
cause her daughter and other members
OF her family are absent. Mr. Vanderbilt
| and his family have rented this privilege
| from Mrs. Warder. and as TO the rest Of
the story il was simply malicious piece
OF invention by people who possibly had
| nothing else to talk about. II was simply
a courtesy extended to these visitors to
, the city by Mrs. Warder, and further, there
| was nothing singular in the arrangement or
that could in any way warrant criticism or
| intrusive comment. DR.. Maekay Smith.
while disposed to resent the circulation OF
| what he characterized as a silly rumor,
| was very courteous all the time and at
| other tunes decidedly amused.
| 1t is quite evident, however, that the
| goSsips have been gossiping, as they al
| ways do and that there are possibly a
| good many people who do not like that
| the Vanderbiits should have been thus Gle
| waited, although, as a meter of fact, such
courtesics are occasionally extended to dis;
| tinguishcd visitors.
DIR. Mackay- Smith said that he under
stood that Mrs. Warder had rented the
half OF her pew to the VaRderbilts for three
| months From the statement Of the rector
| it is apparent that the yestry had nothing
| to do with the act which has so gently
| stirred the scented atmosphere of this
| congregation, and least OF all was the rector
conscious Of the interesting little storm.