The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-09
LUDICROUS SOCIAL WAR
TROUBLE AT PHILADELPHIA OVER
DECOLLETE GOWNS.
Fight Between slow Cuts" and "High
Cats" started by Costumes of
Two Popular Girls.
Philadelphia Special to the St. Louis Post

Philadelphia Special to the St Louis Post
Dispatch
What is the correct cut for a decollete
gown? Is there a proper and improper
manner Of handling a train? What is a
suitable costume for CLUB dance? Phila-
delphia society of the most exclusive sort
is just now engrossed in these three ques-
lions, to the exclusion of every other topic.
The Belmont Cricket Club. fashionable
West Side organization, is the storm CEN
ter Staid and rich heads of growing fam
flies in the Quaker town lose an hour every
day at luncheon. grow heated and red in
the face in a desperate endeavor to settle
the three-sided puzzle. Afternoon teas have
/ resolved themselves into debating societies.
where specialized mothers and their grown
up daughters ask each other: What does
thee think, sister, that we should wear to
our club?"
In short, Philadelphia's 400 is about to
be rent in twain, as the romance writes
say or, in plain terms, it threatens to di
vide into two factions, the Low Cuts" and
the High Cuts" The former favor any
thing decouete that the art Of the dress
maker sets it's stamp upon. The latter adj
vocates bodices up to the chin, with plain
turnover collars.
Philadelphia's social war was brought
about by two invitations to the Belmont
Cricket Club-invitations which were not
issued The whole strategic campaign upon
both sides turns upon the fact that the
! dance committee of the club refused to set
its exclusive seal of approval upon the
two invitations.
"These don't CO." said Secretary J. G.
F. IIibbs, as he drew his blue pencil across
the names of two of the most popular
young women in Philadelphia-Miss Edith
! Chase Lewis and Miss Mary Hollinshead.
"Why don't they go?" demanded two
well-known Philadelphia young clubnen'
who were to escort the young ladies to
club dance. They were Philip Watson,
| grandson of James V. Watson, wealthy
banker, and Frank II. Mcguire, who holds
a position with another Philadelphia bank,
en- Chestnut street.
Mr. Watson and Mr.. Maguire's indignant
query was taken up by the parents and
friends of the young women. In two days
it swelled to a chorus that threatened to
wreck the Belmont Club.
THE MINUTES READ.
The dance committee at this juncture
broke the seals of a big red-backed book
and read the minutes of its previous meet
ings to Mr.. Mcguire and one or two other
interested parties. Duly set forth in the
minutes was statement to the effect that
the dance committee disapproved of the
costumes worn by two OF the prettiest and
most. popular girls in West Philadelphia.
Before the day was over news Of the merry
/ war in the Belmont Cricket Club was
known to everybody in Philadelphia S social
| register.
one of the young women. Miss Lewis. de-
ell ter,- bod
decollete gown to any club function. In
| fact, my youngest daughter is not yet out
| of school, and she never has owned low
| cut party dress" said the father, Mr. Allen
/ raked up a portrait of Miss Lewis taken in
a very slightly decollete gown.
Miss Hollinshead had worn n V-shaped
| bodice one evening, the V, it was explained,
! being slight and filled in with lace
Nevertheless time stood still, as usual. In
Philadelphia while the Quaker folks talked.
| The more they talked the better they liked
it, and now the questions of What IS the
| limit in low-cut gowns?' and What is
| the proper costume for club dancer" have
| grown warm enough to set the town afire.
President Joseph y. Mccall, head of the
| Belmont Cricket Club and the clubs board
| of directors have been asked TO investigate
! the whole matter. Some time within the
/ next two weeks the dignified and elderly
| board Will wrestle with the dance commit
! tee, its minutes. how many times may out
! siderS visit our club and, above all,
| when is a gown decollete?' If so, when
IS it too decollete? Sympathy for the vic
| tins of the clubs censorship of gowns Is
pretty openly expressed. In the first place,
the young women are very popular and I'M
| usually pretty. In the second place, Phila-
| delphia women are beginning to discover
/ that they dOte upon lOw-cut party dresses
| for the particular feminine reason that a
''high-cut" faction is supposed to have
/ arisen.
The Belmont Cricket Club is the most ex-
elusive organization in West Philadelphia.
| The clubhouse with large tennis and crick-
LffnVfNv INT
| and Chester avenue. 1t has been a recog
| nized social institution for about fifteen
years and includes on its roll some of the
| best known and wealthtest people in the
/ city.
GLARED AT EACH OTHER.
Two years ago what one section of the
club terms new blood" and what the
other section calls 'parvenue" and shop
keepers" began to come in. Strangers
! jostled each other at the club dances, and
some of them said, 81 beg your pardon"
i and others said. Excuse me- Then they
| glared at each other. AT about this juncture
! the entertainment committee changed the
/ price of tickets to the fortnightly hop from
| 30 cents to 81. Then stringent rules of one
sort or another looking toward putting the
/ clubs social bar up against Outsiders
] began TO get on the books. Among these,
! so il is said, is a rule requiring the names
/ OF those TO whom club members wish invi-
tatiOnS to dances sent TO be handed TO the
dance committee on Friday before the Sat
! urday on which the hop is held.
! j. q. Hibbs, a chemist, heads this CEN
serial committee, added by seven other
/ well-knOwn younger club members. 1t has
| been jocularly limited that Mr.. Hibbs's
chemical training enables him TO detect the
! most subtle social distinctions ever marked
| out in a Philadelphia crucible. AT all events,
| two weeks ago the committee employed
drastic measures in dealing with the names
on the lists handed in. Among others Miss
/ Lewis and Miss Holinshead were blue
| penciled. The two have attended a number
/ of Belmont Club dances in the past two
years and several this winter with Mr.
! Watson, Mr.. King or Mr.. Mcguire, who
| are all prominent members of the club.
] Mr. Mcguire Immediately demanded an
/ explanatory statement from the head of the
| committee, Mr.. Hibbs The young ladies
| have already attended three dances this
/ winter. Outsiders are not admitted more
/ than three times in succession said Mr..
/ I1ibbs.
'.Nonsensel That rule is a dead letter"
1 protested the young men. If it isn't, apply
il 10 everybody alike
/ Upon this Chairman Hibbs called a meet
! ing of the committee and the offensive min
/ who read them no SPECIFIC mention
made of decollete dressing. There was
/ general protest against the frocSs in Ques-
/ ton Those who are best posted as TO the
I whole affair declare that ii Will sift down
I finally to a quarrel of club factions
Mrs. Lewis, mother of one of the young
women, kindly exhibited the costumes
/ which her daughter has worn to the club
/ dances. They were simply made party
/ gree decollete. and none with a train one
I of them WAS of black creme de chine with