The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-12
CAN SIGN GIANT CHECKS.
WOMEN MILLIONAIREs WHO MAN
AGE THEIR OWN PROPERTY.

White satin Toilets Appear at All
Kinds of Luncheons and Morning
PartIes-The Old Tea Has Passed
Away and the New Reception Is
Always with "a View 10 Presenting
Literary or Titled Lion, of whom
Society Grows Ponder Every Year.
New York. Feb. 10.-Nobody in New
York any longer gives teas. That one
word brands you as a country pumpkin II
YOU use IL in the intent to describe what
is now called a reception. or stnl more
graphically denoted as an I'm and Out"
A tea used to be a function without spe-
cial form or meaning. Any hostess at
any time could commit a tea, so to speak,
for no reason or any reason.
This season the number of reception teas
have been cut down about one half and
those that are held have their guests care
fully selected and invariably denote the
exploiting of a lion. Mrs. Astor or Mrs.
Belmont, for instance, never announce
themselves as merely at home, they spe-
cifically invite you to meet between the
hours of and some interesting specimen
from the ever replenished menagerie OF
celebrities. The celebrities include every
variety of human curiosity, from a cuff
fiess, red-bearded Russian anarchist to the
very latest thing in dukes. All this gives
a zest and piquancy 20 receptions, and
the willy hostesses no longer have the least
difficulty in securing plenty of men.
Every hostess, by the way, has her spe-
cialty in lions. One woman, as Mrs
Charles Worthington for example. Mrs
Levi Morton and Mrs. Hewitt care only
for the literary fellows. When well-known
authors, like Zangweil and Kiplng, both
OF whom at present are in New York
reach the city, they are as diligently hunt
ed, and first possession of them as seri-
ously struggled for, as if they were spe-
cial reductions at a bargain counter Hol-
ger Drachman, the Danish poet is another
reception feature of vast importance, but
beside the women who give receptions
around writer's, is a coterie headed by Miss
De Forrest Mrs r. T. Wilson and Miss
Breese. who snap up the musical gent
uses as soon as they get foot on Americas
shores; third set wrangle and maneuver
nightly to feature their receptions with
artists. while the greatest number natu-
rally fight to secure the foreigners with
handles to their names
When the Grand Duke Vladimir of Rus
STA was in New York, two months ago.
he found on his arrival at the hotel more
invitations to the houses of rich and fash
ionable women than he could have ac-
cepted in month Not one of the women
did he know, but every one had sought
and cultivated the acquaintance of the
Russian consul to New York weeks in ad-
vance, and all with a view of laying pipes
for the possession of the grand duke. who
only spent one day and a half in this town
The British consul is assiduously petted
and dined because of his facilities for in
Producing members of his own arstocracy
who drift to New York but often enough
the women sleuths secure the coveted
honor with no other aid than their own
daring and wit.
There is a tale going the rounds of
prince and princess of pure royal pedi-
gree who a few weeks ago stopped incog
at a New York hotel A lady of great
social position bodily called upon the
princess and, introducing herself, offered
her hospitality. The princess seemed
about to yield when her would-be hostess
ruined her opportunity of bagging this
big game by begging that her royal high
ness, when she came, would wear her
coronet and orders. 1t is needles to say,
her royal highness reconsldered her own
amiabilty, and the lady lost the chance
of exploiting one of the largest lions that
has been in America this year. II is a
pity that New York city can no longer
boast the production of the most aristo-
cratic women in America. Some years ago
the best dressed, best bred women I'M
doubtedly did hail from this metropolis,
Dut laIteriy dlslntegrauon mas set IN,
and for tasteless over-dressing and insult
ferably bad department the daughter of
Manhattan wins hands down.
If anybody doubts the charge Of over
dressing, let her betake herself to one Of
the smart morning functions at the Wal
dorf-Astoria. 1t may be a dramatic
breakfast, or a musical luncheon for New
York women love anything in the form of
a matinee, and as they crowd in the big
ball room, just take stock, II you please, of
the jewels alone that she adorns herself
with before IL a. m. Acclaim of diamonds
and turquoise dropping TO her knees, a
watch and watch pin of star sapphlres and
diamonds at her belt. a string of pearls
with diamond lncrusted locket close
about the throat a huge pearl and dia-
mond brooch in her neck stock, three dia-
mond and turquoise hat pins, a gold
trimmed card case studded with Jewels a
gold net purse with bedianlonded clasp
and couple of gemmed bangles. Is a We
racjous statement of the articles itemized
|
position who swept into a dramatic break
fast the other morning in a huge public
hotel.
Shades of good taste! You may well ex-
claim, but she was not alone In her vul-
gar. inappropriate glory Those who went
before and came behind her had also emp
tied their Jewel boxes over themselves, and
all wore white glace gloves, tossing white
plumes and embroidered velvet gowns. At
The opera and thester matinees they
fiaunt their sartorial spiendors with even
greater recklessness. You will see amy
Saturday slim beauties. such as,Mrsy Pa
get. Mrs. Whitney and Mre. Mackey in
snow-white cloth and cream satin gowns
sparkling with damante trimming and
coats of white velvet, while carriage wo-
men go shopping in black satin slippers
and open worked silk hosiery after break
fast
Butiif our New York women have lost ali
equilibrium In dress. they are trying very
hard TO make up for 1t in manner. The
manner that marks an influential Fifth
avenueite would do credit to bronze stat
80 L., re ,,p handing hautpur with should