The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-12
Or. Lehr's is in

be bought or acquired Mr.. Lehr's is in
born, inimitable
But he has other personal distinctions.
There is handshake, for example For
you realize why this petted young man is
called Listless Harry Lehr' if you are
called upon to shake hands with him.
The other person has to do all the shak
Ing. Lehr simply raises his hand a few
inches with languid grace, accepts the Of
fered grasp and YEARLY permits his hand
to fall again to his side He has ANNA
ton enough to command, however. as GER
tain of the more famous incidents in his
biography go to show.
Some time before Mrs. William Astor
swung open to him the modern gates of
pearl Mr. Lehr won a pretty little repu-
tation In Baltimore. Penniless young men
who vainly wonder how society may be
stormed are advised to study the follow
ing incident:
at o'clock in the morning in the COM
pany of Mrs. Frederic Gerhard, formerly
Miss Lulu Morris, and number of 9TH
ers. AS the carriage drove by a public
fountain Mr.. Lehr, who was in a merry
mood, 'stumped' Mrs. Gerhard to wade
in the water.
Mrs. Gerhard took the dare, laid aside
her shoes and stockings, and, hand In
hand, she and Mr.. Lehr promenaded
around the fountain. to the cheers of the
others in the party.
Ihe social and commercial value of this
incident to Mr.. Lahr cannot be oVeresti-
mated, for not long after he became
recognized member Of New York society,
and 1t is an open secret that his patrtcian
patroness, Mrs. Astor, it is said, was ac-
tually considering with favor a marriage
between Mr.. Lehr and her Oldest grand
daughter, Miss Van Allen. But the mar
riage never came off.
And Mr.. Lehr's name has never since
been connected with anything in the ma
ture of romance. To girlish charm, even
with a heavy background of paternal
pocketbook, he seems singularly unsus-
cepdble. 1t is rather to matrons that he
persistently devotes himself. It Is with
the married women of the smart set for
instance, that Mr.. Lehr flies kites in the
surf at Newport and plays tennis on tho
sand in bathing costume And it was in
the company Of Mrs. Oelrichs and Mrs.
Fish that the famous rag doll incident
occurred.
Everybody remembers how, last sum-
mer, these three started out one day
TO astonish Newport. 1t was Mr. Lehr's
ready wit that suggested visit to An
ME McCarthy's shop, in Bellevue avenue.
In an inspired mood Mr. Lehr then
bought the biggest and most beautiful
doll the shop contained, and announced
that 1t was to be added to the party
Afterward they all walked down the ave-
nue., Mr.. Lehr holding one of the dolls
limp hands, Mrs. Oelrichs the other and
Mrs Fish walking by Mrs. Oelrichs.
But the real sensation came when the
trio began to talk baby talk to the doll
Does 90 look like 90 papa?" asked
Lehr, bending over 1t tenderly
is little tootsie's footsies like papa so"
further inquired Mrs Oelrichs anxiousIy
scrutinizing the rag feet.
Today, with no ancestry or escutcheon
that man may boast of Harry Lehr Is
welcomed in the most aristocratic homes
in America.
With no family traditions or prestige
TO support him, his opinions are sought
and quoted, his whims encouraged, ap-
plauded.
He Is with reason called 1.-THE court
Jester of the four hundred" for he is so
practically by royal appointment No
che can rival or displace him. And no
one tries.
Mr. Lehr's position is practically i'm
pregnable.
Experts asseTA> that there IS some evil
dence that Mrs. Willie K. was not OPP
posed to the Goulds on their own ac-
count, but because her sister is oppcSRd
to Mrs. Fish. Mrs. Fish is chaperoning
the Goulds. The reason given for Mrs.
Oelrich's opposition to Mrs. Fish was
that Mrs. Fish disliked Mr.. Oelrichs OF
course under these circumstances the en-
trance of the Gouds into Newport soci-
ETY. was rendered difficult in the extreme.
George Gould did not look very much
worried over the situation. Neither did
bis handsome wife. In fact, 1t Is as
serted by some of those who study So
cial questions in their inner aspect that
Mr.. Gould did not realize the Importance
of society as compared with that of rail-