Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
MATRIMONIAL MART
Washington is the Greatest
in the Country.
FINE FIELD FOR CHOICE
BACHELORS AND WIDoWERS ARE
IN ABUNDANCE.
Many Notably Rich Men in the Group
Who Are Otherwise
Interesting.
FINE FIELD FOR CHOICE

Copyright, 1908. by John Elfreth Watkins. jr)
Written for The Evening Star.
It has been said that Washington is the
chief matrimonial mart of the land. which
is undoubtedly true and writer's have
lately treated at length Of the capitals
supply of eligible spinsters and feminine
relicts; but the stock of published infor-
nation concerning the matrimonial catches
of the sterner sex congregated here is nil.
The ambitious mother who has studied
her little book diligently appreciates the
great matrimonial possibilities of the city
of magnificent distances. Consequently the
west end of the town is dotted with young
ladies' seminaries guaranteeing an entree
Of some kind into official society. The fed
eral city is also becoming SO thoroughly
Parisianized that one cannot look out of his
window in any direction without imping-
ing his sight against the gray walls of
apartment houses rapidly climbing to the
sky This architectural transition has this
meaning: That the transient population of
the city-always GREATS rapidly growing
The social climbers from everywhere with
in our bounds are focking here for the
season" in greater numbers each year.
Where do they all come from?' asked
well-known beau of. the streets day or
two ago. Every winter the promenades
sons wave seems to bring pretter faces.
costlier gowns and more feminine clever
ness. AS soon as one gets to know them
by name they are vanished-the good part
like breath in the wind
1t seems to be natural law that each
sex seeks matrimonial fortune away from
home, and just as the feminine social
climbers make pilgrimages to the capital
matrimonial mart in search Of lords and
masters the wealthy sons of Washington
go out beyond their city walls to look for
yoke-mates. But more than compromising
for this male exodus is a powerful counter
abroad. Of statesmen, legislators jurists,
savants, literateurs and their army Of
camp followers from our four cardinal
points.
Bachelor Senator's.
The Senate has lately achieved a record
as market place for husbands. Stewart
the two Platts and Depew are some of its
solons to have lately taken to themselves
new spouses. All OF these wise lawmakers
were widowers before they made their last
alliances.
There are three eligible bachelors in this
dignified body, and naturally they are much
sought after by ambitious mammas.
The wealthiest of these is John Kean,
who represents the sovereign state of New
Jersey. He Is millionaire, lawyer, bank
president and an officer in many great cor
porations of New York and New Jersey.
He celebrated his f1fty-frst birthday last
week, but looks fully fifteen years his own
junior. He wears his brown hair parted
in the middle, Is smooth shaved. save for q
mustache, and is one Of the best-groomed
men of the upper legislative chamber. To
discover this distinguished bachelor from
the galleries matrimonially ambitious Ia
dies need but look for the most amiable
face among the coterie of younger law
makers. In fact, he is always beaming,
and some have been cynical enough to
suggest that his chronic state of happiness
is due to his single blessedness. Besides
maintaining a handsome home at Ursino
near Elizabeth, N. j., Senator Kean leases
a pretentiOus Washington mansion on the
corner of 18th and l streets, where he lives
with his sisters. He is an alumnus Of both
Yale and Columbia. but, although admitted
to the bar in early manhood, has never
practiced law. He was elected to the House
of Representatives when but thrty-one
was reelected four years later and was the
republican nominee for governor of New
Jersey in 1892 Some politicians attributed
the defeat of Mr.. Kean that year to the
effect Of his dapper appearance upon the
farmer vote, but, as a matter of fact, he
led a lorlorn hope, New Jersey not having
been carried by the republicans, in a presi-
Dental year, for two decades.
Apollo Of the Senate.
Senator Penrose of PENNSYLVANIA Is a
bachelor, just passed forty-three. AL
lAouSi IiOt oO wealthy dS senator hGdn, ne
possesses more than comfortable fortune
and just such social attributes as an am
bilious American girl demands. He Is an
Apollo in physique. standing about six feet
four, and has as broad shoulders as ever a
maidens head rested upon He has black
curly hair, black eyes and black mustache
high-bridged nose and dimpled chin In
fact. 1t might be said that he hath
''Hyperion's eurls; the, front of Jove himself;
An eye like s., Mars to threaten and command;
He was gradua ted from Harvard at the
very head of his class. He Is an accom-
plished equestrian popular club man.
known as a good fellow socially. but
perhaps-toward those who do not count
| themselves among his innermost friends.
Moreover, he Is scion of the Oldest and
most exclusive of Philadelphia families,
and the Drexels of wealth. He has hunted
big game, Is also an author-which latter
| fact will, of the two, be of less import to
| the socially ambitious Observation-Disclosures
| The youngest bachelor senator is Alfred
B. Kittredge of South Dakota He is only
forty-two years old, and. what is still more
| exciting, is celebrated lawyer of Sioux
| Falls, the western city which has come
| to fame for its numerous and ready dis
| espousals. In spite Of the fact that the
matrimonial yoke Is less binding in Mr.
kittredge's sovereign state than elsewhere
| in the nation he continues to be skittish
about risking his neck hereunder: but he
| has not shown symptoms of as confirmed
| msogamy as that displayed by Senator
| Kean, who has had nine years start in the
| fight from Hymen. Senator Kittredge is a
New Hampshire Yankee by birth and a
graduate of Yale, where he took a course in
| law after finishing the university curricu-
| lum. He is attorney for two powerful rail-
roads of the west-the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul. and the Great Northern
Richest Catch in America.
By far the greatest catch in Washington-