Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-11
DENBERG 1.-THE Dependable Store" SEVENTH AND STREETS

other SO rapidly and are so numerous this
year that they are taxing to ones strength.
For fashionable man about town to attend
over score of receptions day is ordinary.
This social phase I-advert to thus briefly
merely to substantiate my initial remark
anent Washington becoming the fashion
able center Of the. United States, claim to
which New York iitenaciously adheres.
Washington will rank with the capitals OF
Europe, the fashionable centers Of their
respective counties. AS democratic as we
may wish to consider ourselves. we never
theless cannot Shut our eyes to our own
aristocracy. and Washington is destined to
become the center during the winter season
Of fashionable IA: life are to vie with the high
The seat of government is here. and It
is here where the diplomatic corps are as
down into local history as a great one as
regards entertaining on the part Of the
diplomatic corps. Next year 1t will be still
greater. With three diplomatic mansions
American wives of the ambassadors, among
the very highest in rank, 1t cannot be
doubted what the future Of social life In
Washington is to be. Washington will rank
with Paris, Berlin and Vienna. and, in time,
with London itself as diplomatic post-it
is bound to as sure as fate.
Fashionable Life in Our Hotels.
But there is another side to the question
which must not be overlooked. and that is
fashionable life in our hotels. We now
have hostelries outranking those Of much
larger cities; we will soon largely increase
these accommodations for our wealthy Wis
itors by additions, while even other big
hotels are planned. This winter has been
lively one with US: short and spirited. as
1t is short session year. Among our large
fon oil, AZ 80
guests we must not omit the big apartment
houses completed and those which will be
ready for occupancy for next winters sea-
son. and among these are the largest build
ings yet to go up in the city, Secretary
Hays mammoth apartment palace at Con-
necticut avenue and l. street serving for an
illustration.
Another point about WASHINGTON as a
winter resort Is this: Three palatial trains
pull out of New York every day for Flor
ida. These trains are through trains, and
pass through the capital with their passen-
gers. In one sense, now that the time from
New York to Palm Beach and other Florida
resorts has been shortened so materially,
We do not get so many stop-overs as form
erly when the trip took two or three days.
Yet, in spite Of this fact, the winter colony
here has grown with great strides, and It
brings us back once more to the fact that
our wealthy winter visitors become our per-
manent residents, as 1t were, rather than
the transients Of few days, or for fort
night as Of old, lingering en- route both
ways north and south. OF course, we get
thousands and thousands Of these transient
guests as formerly. but, where they were
once so marked feature in our life. they
are now lost. swallowed up by the influx
of those who stop with US for a season,
and they have passed to secondary place.
THE lavish entertainments by President
and Mrs Roosevelt, and their great hospi-
tally as hosts, has much to do with the
social condition in the capital as I am dis
cussin9 It. AS hostess Mrs. Roosevelt Ia
most charming, and her presence in the
White House means much. Were the first
lady in the land during this administration
one who did not entertain except at strictly
official functions, the gayety of the capital
would be much circumecribed. Entertaining
is an art and the Roosevelt administration
will go down intoztha country's social his
tory like that Of President Arthur's, as one
of the most brilliant we have witnessed"