The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-12-20
SOuIECY IN WASHINGTON.
The Ambition or a Society Leader
Has Been Nipped IN the bud.

The Ambition or u Society Leader
Has Been hipped IN ,l,e Bud.
The Washington correspondent OF
the News and Courier relates the fol-
lowing story OF tho reckless extrava.
gance and inordinate ambition of Mrs.
Cusham K. Davis, whose husband died
recently;
By the death OF her distinguished
husband one ambitious woman is out of
the race Tor social advancement. This
Is Mrs. Cusham K. Davis, wife of the
statesman Who has laborcd so untirinP-
~ IN his Senatorial work, and whose
last utterance was that he regretted to
ole while there was still work to be
done for his country.
Rarely has there been a woman
more talked about, more purposely
conspicuous, more ambitious in official
circles than Mrs. Davis. Through her
husbands position she was entitled to
much social consideration, but aside
from That she .ound many obstacles in
ner path toward leadership when she
hrst camo TO Washingt ton, and IL she
surmounted some Of them 1t Was due
solely to her untiring effJrts and not
by reason OF encouragement received
from the wives Of Senator Davis's
irlends and associates In the Senate.
p, Mrs. Davis is of tie type Junoe soue.
her massive beauty delighted to show
itself Ia the most startling OF costumes,
and IN giving entertainments this wo.
pIan's alm was TO achieve something
out OF the ordinary. Ou her reception
oay Mrs. Davis has been known to
wear Grecian costume complete, and
Win one rounded arm exposed she
would entertain her guests with selec.
tions On the harp.
Last winter she made her first really
start!lng bid for popularity when she
LOOK Tor the season d large mansion on
farragut square and entertained in
cessantly fot one month. Every night
there was dinner, card party or in
formal dance, by day there were lunch
cons and breakfasts galore, and the
climax was reached when five thousand
invitations were sent out for an even
Ing reception. It proved to be the
crush OF the season and substantiated
the statement that WASHINGTON crush
can oe thing to marvel at and dread.
went to this reception at / | 80 O'clock
"heh hundreds had already left and
we're departing In throngs, but at oven
this late hour 1t took exactly twenty
minutes TO reach q dressing room.
Many arriving guests turned from the
entrance In despair unwilling to pene-
trate SO dense crowd, and others ar
rived at the scene of gayety, but did
not attempt to greet the hostess of the
even Ing. The house was cleared Of
furniture and the confusion in the
dressing room WAS well-nigh pitiable,
80 great was the devastation Of costly
wraps and gowns. Delicate opera cloaks
were tossed seven rows deep upon the
moor, their owners wadlng through
the billows OF hnery in vain attempt
to Ind what belonged to thom. Several
women tainted and dozens OF them
carried Hounces, ruflss and even
ganZ5 sleeves home in their arms,
thelr costumes having been lite rally
torn to pieces in the crowd. Those
VINO reached the neighborhood OF the
supper table were deluged with salads
and wine, ana heard on all sides that
conditions had been infinitely worse an
hour earlier.
The Davises engaged an equally
roOmy house this season on II street,
opposite the French embassy and close
to the Metropolitan Club. Mrs. Dayis's
plans and thoughts for the future
covered wide area. 1t was her dream
TO attain to first place in the official
'et, and had not death interviewed IL is
not Improbable that Senator Davis
would have become Secretary of State
n the event OF John Hays resipninp.
To-day all these aspiring dresma
're shattered, and II Mrs. Davis re.
'urhs ~ 10 washington she viii! find that
me Positlon OF wife to statesman de-
'eased 10 far from the pleasant one OF
WIG OF living, active politician"