The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1902-11-28

THOMAS F. wALsH's NEW RESIDENCE.
ony of fashionable folk will be great,
increased. Many rich New Yorker
are coming here, and the seat of fash
ion is likely to be transferred from
Fifth avenue to Dupont circle, for thu
season at least. Whether the "smar
set will make its permanent winter
home here remains to be seen, but it il
not unlikely. The wave of wealth anC
fashion which for some years has beer
landing in the metropolis multimillion
aires from all over the country seems
to be receding, and the tendency Is
now to seek other habitation. 1t is
therefore, not unnatural that Washing
ton, the most beautiful and artistic
city on this continent, should become
society's winter capital, as Newport is
it's summer seat.
A notable group of newcomers likely
to take front rank in Washington So
ciety the coming season are the three
Wilson sisters, Mrs. Ogden Goelet and
Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., of New
York, and Mrs. Michael Herbert, wife
of the new British ambassador to the
United States. They form social COM
bination that can hardly be equaled.
Mrs. Herbert is known as woman
of great tact and many accomplish
ments. Her husband, who comes of a
lineage among the best in England, be-
came British charge d'affaires at Wash
ington through Lord Sackville Vests
terrible blunder and has since adj
vanced steadily in the diplomatic field,
while his wife has kept even pace with
him in social distinction.
Mrs. Goelet is the widow of Ogden
Goelet, who, as favorite heir of Peter
Goelet, came in for large share of a
$25, 100000 estate shortly after his mar
riage.
The union of the younger sister and
Cornelius Vanderbilt, despite his ia
TIERS opposition, is still fresh in the
public mind. Her social triumphs are
so recent and have been so widely
heralded as not to require enumeration,
Among the most notable of these was
her entertainment of Prince Henry of
Prussia
Another New York woman of social
prominence who has lately come to
Washington to make her home is Mrs.
Van Rensselaer, Cruger, known to the
literary world as Julien Gordon and
to her neighbors as the Princess.
She would not be Julien Gordon did
she not surround herself with roman-
tic atmosphere, so that when Mrs. Cru
ger came to Washington last fall in
stead of selecting a house in the fash
ionable portion of the city she chose a
shabby old mansion on the corner of .
Twenty fifth and X streets. 1t was
weather beaten and worn and quite for
lorn in it's aspect, but it had a history. |
The house and its garden belong to
the old Peters estate, and this old man.
sion was the first British legation in
the capital 1t is over 100 years old, .
and within its walls many a scene of |
diplomatic and social interest has been
enacted, for in it's day it had no supe-
rior in the splendOr and elegance of the .
entertainments which went on under
seems to cling to it still.
Prominent among those not in Wash .
ington official life who have established .
homes here is Thomas f. Walsh, the .
Colorado mining king, who is worth at .
least $5O,000,000 Besides being the.
possessor of these millions Mr. Walsh
has become a famous man of the
world and is known on two continents
as the most hospitable and lavish of
entertainers. 1t began this way: Mr..
Walsh was appointed commissioner
from Colorado to the Paris exposition
in 1889 and while in the French capital
gave a series of entertainments that
were the talk of Europe. He chartered
a steamboat on the river Seine, turned
it into a floating palace and gave a
$4,000 dinner, with distinguished men
as his guests. His wine could not be
surpassed. The music was furnished
by artists from the grand opera. After
this extraordinary feast, Mr.. Walsh
with his family and friends chartered a
train of five palace cars, luxuriously
fitted up with the silks and decorations
used ON the steamer for the BANQUET.
and began a tour of France and Bel
GUM.
1t was while on this tour that King
Leopold OF Belgium met Mr.. Marsh at
Ostend, and they had grand dinner
at Hotel Ritz. at which the cars band
played and the great singers of Paris
were heard In the course of this en-. 4
tertainment the conversation naturally
turned to finance.
The king said he was making only
about 3 per cent on his investments
Mr.. Walsh, in an easy. graceful man.
ner, said he was always sure of 10 per
cent on his investments. From 100 to
200 per cent would have been more ae-
curate; he probably did not want TO I
paralyze the king at one sitting. and SO !
put his profits at 10 per cent.
The king referred to his mines I'm the
kongo country, from which he was get !
ing little revenue, and suggested that !
Mr.. Walsh go down there and inyesti. '
gate and develop the property in good