The herald., 1897-07-25
OF Reserved and Exclusive
Washington Society
THE PRESIDENTIAL coTERIE
SOME OF THE CHARMING WOMEN
WHO ARE HosTESSES
The Youngest Of the Senatorial Grand
Dames-Senator Quay's Wooing.
"Old Washingtonians'
Special Correspondence to The Herald.

Special Correspondence to The Herald.
WASHINGTON d. c., July 22.-No-
where in the world is there more re-
served, exclusive, toplofty lot than the
presidential coterie of Washington So
ciety. Those whose proud boast it is to
be "old Washingtonians," /. e., whose So
cial position does not depend upon any
accident of political life, but came by
right of wealth and heritage, and Is not
for a term, but a lifetime, look down
from lofty heights upon the transient ell
ement with which the capital is period
ically inundated. One of the most aris-
tocratic of these leaders said to me, with
a slight elevation of her well-bred head:
THE wives of distinguished men are not
always disting uished-are frequently
not even desirable acquaintances.
make it point never to call upon one
who has not something more than .
| husbands position to recommend her."
But the most squeamish of "Old
Washing tonians"-pince nez in hand and
nose in air-can find little fault with the
majority of those whom the last turn
of the political wheel tossed into social
|
ing calls among them Representative
Charles F. Sprague of Boston, who sue
ceeds General Draper in the house of
representative, has leased Governor
Mortons beautiful home for term of
years, and evidently does not intend to
live like a hermit in it. He is not yet 40
years old and his fortune is estimated
at seven millions, while his young wife
was the richest heiress ofthe Hub, her
grandfather, William f. Weld having
willed her sixteen millions of dollars.
Mr.. Sprague is a Harvard graduate and
a club man of great popularity in Bos-
ton; and though not exactly compelled
to toll for his daily bread is lawyer by
profession-and a hard working one.
Mrs. Sprague is an ideal hostess and
both are lavish entertainers, at the head
of the young married set of Boston's
-four hundred" All this genial affabil-
ity Is now transferred to Washington,
and great things are expected Of the
wealthy occupants of the Morton man
sion in the way of elaborate functions
during the coming season. Mrs. Sprague
is barely 3O-a very handsome blonde,
with golden hair, slight, girlish figure
and regal air, her distinguished appear
ance always enhanced by marvellous toll
lettes-tailor made gowns of absolute
perfection in form" and fit for street
wear and gorgeous creations" for the
evening. She has only one child, pretty
little girl named Marian, nearing her
fourth year. In Boston, as in London,
private hansoms are common enough,
but the only one yet seen in Wa hington
belongs to Mrs Sprague. She uses it for
visiting, and its well liveriedi driver ie
to- L, II. II
bel Perkins, the rich heiress who lately
married Mr.. Lars Anderson of this city.
is a cousin of Mrs Sprague and also
came in for some of the Weld millions.
General William Franklin Draper, the
newly, appointed ambassador to- Rome.
whom Mr.. Sprague succeeded in Con-
gress, possesses a wife who will ably
sustain the reputation of Americans
abroad as magnificent entertainers She
is a daughter of General Preston Of
Lexington, KY, and was born and bred
in the social atmosphere of public life,
her father having been a member of con-
gress during her early girlhood, and
afterwards minister to Madrid, where
the family lived for several years. Gen.
Draper was widower with one daugh-
ter and three sons when, he married the
beautiful Miss Preston about nine years
ago. The daughter is now Mrs Mont
gomery Blair, and the youngest son is
yet in college.
Another lady of distinction in official
life is the wife of Edward Douglass
White, associate justice of the United
States supreme court. AS Miss Leita
Montgomery she was a reigning beauty
of New Orleans, and as Mrs. Linden
Kent, during her first brief marriage,
was justly considered one of the most
charming and accomplished women OF
the day. Like the highest type of
southern women wherever met, she is
not only admira BILE in society but lovely
in her home, a devout Catholic and of
highly cultivated literary and musical
taste. Justice White Is much the young
est man in the supreme bench, a typical
southerner, born in Lafourche parish
Louisiana, educated in Jesuit colleges
a boy soldier in the Confederate army,
and three years ago, while midway In
his term as United States senator, he
was appointed to the supreme court
The Justice and his wife are both wealthy
and can afford to live as BELTS their posi-
ton. Mrs Justice Field and Mrs. JUS
tice Harlan are both striking women in
character and person, and both have
. handsome homes that are models OF
modern comfort and luxury-the former
on Capitol Hill, the latter on Four
teenth street just beyond "the boun-
dairy"
Mrs. Matthew S. Quay, wife of the
senate from Pennsylvania, IS descend
ed through her mother, Elizabeth Shan
non from one of the Oldest families in
Philadelphia. Her father, Mr.. John
Barclay, was merchant of Beaver, Pa.
which was also the early home of Sena-
tor Quay and where he first met Miss
Alice Barclay at the village singing
school, of which they were both MEM
bers At the time of their marriage Mr..
Quay was already prominent in the po-
litics of the country, and in his SUISSE
uuent enviable career his wife has
proved an Invaluable helpmeet, adapt
ing herself with admirable tact to the
varying situations in which his posi-
lions have placed her. Their home on
K street, built and furnished by them
selves, is one of the handsomest in the
city and they entertain delightfully."-
Their eldest son has been a member OF
the Pennsylvania state legislature, and