Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-19
SOCIAL FUNCTION IN QUITO.
Description of Event in Ecuador by a
Participant.


Mr. Archibald ]. Sampson, the minister OF
the United States in Ecuador, with head
quarters at Quito, keeps up a correspond
quently INDUCES his descriptive powers
with the country and its people as his
theme. He writes entertainingly and in a
complimentary way of his environments,
and in general gives valuable information.
In recent letter to Mr.. r. H. McNulty
Of the Treasury Department Mr.. Sampson
described a social function at which he was
a guest. He says:
I'VE have written you so much about the
lower classes and the dark side of life in
this country, separated as 1t is almost from
the entire world, that you may have inn
agined there is nothing enjoyable in the
social world here. If so, let me disabuse
your mind by an account of a party we at
tended last week. 1t was given by the
'Pichincha Club of this city. There were
go invited guests present. The price per
couple was 500. AS a compliment to the
United States, l suppose, we received COM
plimentary invitations and were informed
that our money was worthless on that oc-
casion. Among the invited guests were
President Alfaro and family, the vice presi-
dent and wife and the diplomatic corps.
THE various rooms of the clubs occupied
space of about 1j0X2UG feet, all connected
by full folding doors. They were most beau
paintings. and illuminated with 80 extra
electric lights and several hundred candles
in the light of which the immense cut glass
chandeliers glistened brightly. The supper
was elegant. This tells 1t all without going
into details as to the courses. The music
of course it was enchanting, for this coun-
try can furnish plenty Of good music,
though not many singers.
1.-THE ladies-what shall l say of them
My pen is not trained to this delicate task,
and l shall utterly fail to do them justice.
OF course, they were looking their sweetest,
benignantly smiling upon their admirers,
their dark eyes flashing recognition of at
tentions given by courteous gentlemen. and
they danced with grace and elegance, many
of them richly gowned. Among the dresses
were several lately received direct from
Paris, at great cost. OF course they were
handsome. Pearls, diamonds and costly
jewels of all kinds were in profusion. To
single out one-Mrs. Palacios 1--WE spent last
summer in Palacios' house at Chillo)-will
give you some idea of their appearance.
Beside her elegant solitaire diamonds she
had a 'stomacher, or girdle, which was.
presume, decorated with more than $4,000
worth of genuine diamonds. In dress, in
beauty, in queenly and womanly bearing
she would honor the, most elite circle of
Washington city. In fact, If you had
looked in upon this identical party in
Washington city you would never have de-
tected anything strange in dress or appear
ance to cause you to suspect that you were
looking upon company from one of the
least known quarters of the world.
I'VE left this party at IL o'clock, but
nearly all others stayed and danced until
o'clock in the morning. about the usual
time for such a party to cease its festivi-
ties. OF course, champagne and all other
drinks were as free as water, according to
the custom of this country, yet 1 have the
positive assurance of an American friend
who remained till the last that there was
only one person who showed the least
symptoms of inebriety, and this one came
to the party two-thirds drunk and about
held his own all night
II suppose winter is now on with you
while we are eating fresh ripe apples, pears,
peaches cherries and many kinds of ber-
ries, all kinds of vegetables, roasting ears
and the like. We have no winter or summer
here practically, but perpetual combina-
ton of spring and autumn"