Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-21
LONDON LADIES GAMBLE.


FrOcks Due to Luck i'm the City.
From the London Express
The woman of 1900. to meet the exigen-
cies of modern expenditure. has trained her
self in the mysteries Of finance. This is no
new departure, for records Of the past tell
us that in the PARKWAY days of the South
Sea bubble the fine ladies Of the period
gambled desperately in stocks and shares;
and more recently. when Disraeli wrote
his now rarely read novels, he painted in
"Tancred'' the portrait of certain Lady
BERTHE and Bellair, whom he describes as
1.-The most inyeterate. female gambler in
Europe" During the sixties and seventies
the spirit of adventure seemed to desert the
typical British matron, and there was
pause in her speculative career.
The year 1895 and its autumnal boom in
and it has continued more or less ever
since. receiving an additional impetus from
the copper deals of 1899. Smart women
seem as much at home In the city as in the
West End. In -Throgmorton street as in
Grosvenor square. Their C-spring hrough-
ans and Paris victorias familiar a
sight in the neighborhood of the house"
as at Hyde Park corner or in PiccadiIIy;
and to meet pretty, perfectly dressed wo-
men on the steep stairways Of brokers' Of
fees is now the rule and not the excep-
ton.
The women of today talk in a matter-of-
fact manner about bulls and bears. booms
and slumps. carrying-over and special set
Elements. And their knowledge is at first
hand, for they have probably experienced
the pleasure of profits and know to their
cost what is implied by the fatal term
differences
Telephones have certainly played an i'm
portant part in the life of the feminine
Spectator. 1t is so convenient to be in
touch with ones broker, to ring him up,
give orders, or ask his advice at ones own
sweet will and pleasure. Many women
spend hours at their telephones, when there
is crisis in city affairs, and operators at
the different exchanges could If they would
make strange and startling revelations
Topics of conversation are test of the
times, and women when they are alone to-
gether no longer discuss servants and chill
dren to the exclusion of all other affairs.
They speak of stocks and shares, compare
the merits of rival brokers, and hold forth
on the personality and prospects of the
latest company promoter. Certainly events
have justified their interest in city bust
ness, for 1t Is an established fact that the
specufations of society women have been,
In many cases. eminently successful. In
1888 some substantial fortunes were made,
and countless smart frocks many tiaras,
and several town houses owed their exist
ence to the boom in South African mines
Last years rise in copper was responsible
for big profits to London and Paris dress
makers. and for the satisfactory condition
of more than one banking account A we'll
known and popular lady Isl credited with
having made 100000 in Utaf1s. and several
important counteSSeS also benefited large
~ from me same SOurSe. one pretty
man had a pair of priceless black pearl
solitaire earrings which she named re-
spectively Utah and Boston"
But against successes SO signal and SO
salient must be set a record of misfortune
and run Of i'll luck. The war cloud
brought troublous times to the money mar
ket. Disaster attended the speculations of
more than one woman Of position thou
sands of pounds were lost, differences
could not be met, and several too-confiding
brokers were "hammered' as conse-
quence of these reckless nsactions The
lesson has been severe one and all par
ties have most likely profited by it,
Society women who speculate have eff
fectively bridged the gulf between the CITY
and West End. Many an aspiring ffnancier
Or neWly-hedged stock broker owes his
social position, dinner invitations and
week ends at country houses to the
lucky tips and timely advice he has
bestowed on popular or powerful women
South African millionaires. American COP
are nowadays among the most honored
guests at our smartest dinners and best
country house parties.
Moreover, the city has shown signs Of
entertaining as well as the West End For
many years past the heads of one world
famous firm have given q daily luncheon
at their palatial Offices; among their guests
being some of the most important women
IN London. notably a distinguished duchess
who gladly ate her midday meal in plea
society and the possibly profitable pre-
cinctS OF the house And of late more
than one enterprising broker has started
afternoon tea at his Office for the rest and
refreshment of Mayfair and Belgravia.