The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-11
Ew YORK, January 1O.-In these

N pintocratio days when the la
 v boring classes of twenty years ago have become the wells of today few families exist of sufficient fortune who can give to the drawing rooms of l the present time the prestige of social distinction with the flavor of old New York One of these, however, is represent ed by Mrs. William Astor. Each and ev- cry year this estimable lady gives a grand ball and those who are invited to 1t feel their position is assured. The ball set for this week, the ball at which many debutantes had intended to make their first bow at the drawingroom of the rec ognized queen of society. has been put off in consequence of Mrs. Astors broth CT, William c. Schermernorn. am sorry for it. Mrs Astor is one of the few hostess who does not value her guests by the size of their bank accounts. She remembers the old New Workers, who fifty years ago. had just pretentionssto to a fashionable position and to their children she sends her invitations And she does it knowing how valuable her invitations are to these young people. Mrs. Astor represents the old regime
 
 Other balls will be given by Mrs. Com modore Gerry, Mrs. R. Fulton Cutting and others Mrs. Jacob Astor has not yet decided on the date of her annual ball. and those which have been given past winters in regular rotation. by Mrs. Og- den Mills, Mrs Whitelaw Reid and Mrs. Heber R. Bishop will be missing this 1 year In consequence of the recent death l nf Mr RiCh ic tnn arlU gg Vpf | know how much entertaining will tbe done by the members of the Vanderbilt family connection and also by Mrs. Ogden Goelet All plans for such entertaining on the part of Mrs. Alfred Vanderbilt Mrs. 1 Cornelius Vanderbilt, Sr., Mrs. George ". Vanderbilt, Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt, Mrs. W. D. Sloane, Mrs. IT. Mex. Twomb- ly, Mrs Seward Webb, and of course Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt and her sis ter, Mrs. Ogden Goeet, have been in abeyance pending the complete recov- cry from typhoid fever of MT. Cornelius Vanderbilt. This recovery is now happily assured --5t e..t t.s A-s .
 The most important fashionable event of the present week will be the musicale to be given by Commodore and Mrs. Elbridge T. Gerry at their beautiful resi- dence, No. l East Sixty-flrst street on Thursday evening at which several of the leading artists of the Grau Opera company will appear For this musicale Commodore and Mrs. Gerry have issued invitations to every one on their visiting list, and the attendance will therefore be larger and in n way more representa- tive of New York society in general than at tile ball which will be given by Mrs. Gerry more for the members of the younger set later in the season.
 Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Mrs. Astor's daught er-in-law, Is looking remarkably beautiful this winter, and seems to be taking much more interest in the social activities of the winter than usual She IS faithful in her attendance at the opera snd is always surrounded by a throng of admirers there as elsewhere. MT and Mrs. Robert J. Collier, who for a time were not in close touch with the Astor connection, have been looked upon with much more favor by their Astor rela- tives of late, and have issued invitations for dinner and following musicale in , honor of Mrs. Astor, Sr., on January 25. Two much cherished trophies of the revolutionIthe Bible on which Washing ton took the oath of office as first Presi- dent of the United States and the sword used by General HerIimer In the battle of Ariskany, when he had his horse shot under him and his leg broken. thrill ed all patriotic hearts at Tuesdays re- ception at Sherry s of the New York City Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Mrs. Donald Mclean, regent. 1t commemorated the wedding anniver- sary of General Washington. Both relics of the country's early struggles were loaned to the. chapter for the day and were the subject of interesting addresses following the reception. A number of dis tingushed guests addressed the members of the chapter. The decorations were especially handsome. The collation. was quite elaborate. In the past the chapter has given number of brilliant enter tainments. but there are indications that this seasons function will exceed any thing that the chapter has heretofore given. The receiving party consisted of the first regent of the cnapter, Mrs Roger A. Pryor; the second regent Mrs. R. Ogden 4Doremus; the present regent Mrs. Donald Mclean; the first vice-re- gent, Mrs. Clarence Postley; the second vice-regent, Mrs Edwards Hall; the re- cording secretary, Miss Mary A. Spring. CT; the corresponding secretary. Miss Myra B. Martin; treasurer Mrs. Thomas H. Whitney; the registrar, Mrs. Vernon M Davis; the historian, Miss Emma G. Lathrop; the chaplain. the Rev. J. Nevett Steel, vicar of old Trinity.
 Staatsburg had a number of house par ties, much smaller and less formal than they would have been hads it not been for the recent death of MT Heber Bishop, Hoyt and of course the Mills families had