Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-31
NEWPORT. R. 1.-This sea city is a

perfect whirlpool of gossip. Throw |
a stone into its center, and every
wave vibration will bring to your
attention topic worthy of dis
cussion. Each balcony may be lik-
ened to the eddying waters. Most
times the doings of men and wo-
men are the fertile field of talk sug-
gested. If, however you wot of the
newcomers and stroll within their cir
Gle, you'll find the clothes question
lightly ripping over the surface; and,
strange to relate, men are among the
most attentive listeners. This isn't
marvellous, though, for, as matter of
fact, the Newport mans personality is
as distinct as that of the Turkish min
lister with his Washington household
and his Fourth of July baby. He Dress
es better than any man in the world;
his Irritation formula is surprisingly
excellent; his the most correct form
of loafing in the wide world, and his
capacity for lovemaking "a hours of
each day, a record breaker. His life is
one of idlest idleness, and he dotes on
clothes as women do.
One of these lackadaisical apologies
for mankind bestirred himself a bit
the other morning at the Casino, when
he thought his utterances were to be
overheard by a scribbler. I am indeht-
| ed to him for some Impressions, and be-
cause of this I hesitate to name the
dude, who positively wore pink socks
a pink silk shirt and white flannel suit
with pink line stripes. / was Disguised
with the Newport man." for this kind
of garb is that adopted by many Do
you blame me?
With war and rumors of war in the
| air, it is astonishing how lightly some
| folks treat the subject For instance,
! 'khakitis" has now reached the stand
| ing of a fashionable disease. London
leads, and the rest of the world will
soon follow. Each week develops some
| freakish adaptation of the name. Last
| ly it was welcomed in book cover form.
Now it has invaded the waters, and
| households are christened "Lyddite,"
"Pompom," Powerful" etc. And some
one has said "P. P c." stands for
| Pour Prendre Cronje." The fad has in
fected the colony here, as might be ex-
pected Auto vehicles of the fashion
| able set are now being named. The
fastest one on record, I understand, is
called "Mafeking."
Before this budget sees the light of
|
Jerome that was, will probably be the
bride of her youthful lover, Lieutenant
West. hear her gowns are marvels of
beauty-this Notwithstanding the boy
ish officers return to field duty, will
| prevent his admiring her in them
American women are speaking harshly
| of those who enforce Vests absence,
even though 1t be a wedding of May
| and September. Houses are divided
! against themselves, and the gay set,
both here and abroad, have taken up
| the cudgels in defense or condemnation.
The lovers appear determined. and why
not permit them to go their way in
peace, Mr.. Prince of Wales, and with
your blessing?
| Mrs Mackay's concert at Carlton
House Terrace was a great success and
| eclipsed in point of elegance and stu
pendous extravaganza the one given by
Willie Waldorf Aston. Lady Randolph
was one of the shining lights present.
| Her handsome young lover was most
attentive. She wore superb string of
pearls around her waist in girdle fash
ion, with the lieutenant's miniature
on porcelain dangling from an end
which fell below her knees. The New
port girls have a craze on now for eX-
hibiting their lovers faces in like man
ner. 1t will not be difficult to determine
who belongs to whom if this labelling
! process becomes vogue.
Almost before the Fourth of July fire.
| cracker has ceased to smoke, and while
the temperature still makes the mer-
maids lot seem the only happy one,
prudent woman is seriously considering
her winter frocks While clad in gauze
she gasps for breath: still she is pom
dering the merits of cheviot and weigh
ing the possibilities of corduroy. While
she aims for a cool appearance in
seashell pink and silvery blues she is
debating the advantage of cherry color
and the charms of plum in bleak De-
cember.
One of the facts which she knows al
ready is that the fall will usher in a
velvet season. Velvet frocks, velvet
coats and velvet skirts will be worn by
all who can possibly afford them. Those
/ who cannot will wear velveteen, and in
these days of admirably piled" vel
! veteen the substitute is not a bad one.
Along with these fabrics, corduroy will
enjoy favor as material for ordinary
gowns. While the velvets and vel
veteens will be used for frocks of cere-
mony-calling, driving, dinner and the
like corduroy will be the material for
i the commonplace costumes in which
milady shops, markets, visits the poor
and performs the other duties of state
to which it has pleased heaven to call
j her.
\ Alpaca is to be restored to such favor