The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-25

it meant death to the Huntington
climb.
1t would be amusing, probably in
structive, could one but read Mrs.
Huntington's innermost thoughts as
from her windows opposite she sees
the aristocracy of society and climbers
of all lines flocking to Mrs. Herman
Oelriches's day at home. Does she
wonder where Mrs. Oelrichs gets her
patrician regularity of feature, her
housekeeping gait and her cleverness?
For it is clever to mount so gracefully
a ladder spiked with thorns. Mrs.
Oelrichs, it is said, understands the
value of background. 1t does create
a nervous f1utter, nevertheless, when
ever the rumor is revived that it is
to Mrs. Oelrichs New Workers must
look for the longed-for Salon"
This must make the cold shivers fairly
run down Mrs. Astors back.
Power of the Stock Exchange Is to
be reckoned as the second best means
to social place nowadays. Indeed we
are frequently reminded that the seats
there have gone up in value. The
stunningly gowned, one can even say
charming, daughters of James ]. Hill
are seen at the most exclusive houses
in town, and one hears continually that
they now have entrance into the court
circle of London.
Until the crash came, the family of
the late Calvin Brice was allowed to
spend $4,000 a season at Newport, and
went so far as to keep a well-bred
gentleman at a salary of $1,000 a year
to advise them in their social aspira-
tions. Many are the strokes of genius
recorded to the credit of this talented
individual, Mr.. Beatty. That he lived
up to his patrons expectations may
be inferred from his having been left,
on the death of Mr.. Brice, as sort
of pensioner to his companion in
finance, Gen. Thomas.
Perhaps in this family of notable
millions we may trace some judicious
management on the part of Mr.. Beat
ty. Certainly steady upward move
is being made by the second genera
ton. To hold the reputation of a
blooded capitalist is quite as good a
thing as being a social planet This
position young Edward Thomas en-
joys, while his sister, Mrs. Livingston
Beekman, very neatly illustrates that
the slow process of climbing the lad
der may be eluded by deftly throwing
the matrimonial lure to one who in
infancy was rocked on it's dizzy hight
Indeed, this is the third way, and the
one purely legitimate, of pushing into
the front ranks.
In this connection few have forgot
ten the somewhat amusing attempt
that two sisters made in society some
years ago. Not, however, until the
announcement was blurted out of
their brothers engagement to So
ciety woman did society take notice.
That same evening at the opera their
brother was summoned to appear in
the box of Mrs. Aston, and later in
that of Mrs. Mills. He and his family
were thus landed at the topmost rung.
BY her presence in society o-day at
least one charming little lady has COM
pletely knocked into cooked hat the
old idea that a Climber with the big
C must indelibly be backed by money,
or a marriage of position. 1t is true
that this ladys father, a famous man
of the turf. is also a Californian of
millions; but then she is not on the
most amiable terms with the worthy
gentleman, and shares none of his
golden glamor. She is clever, original
and has in full share "the go" which
augers success. The story is related
of her that when she first determined
to take society by storm and leave
climbing to those with a taste for
drudgery, she met her first success at
a house party given by Mrs. Stuyvesant
Fish.
1t was a large gathering. assembled
for the week end. the sort at which it
would be one of che new, artificial
crimes for woman to wear the same
dinner gown twice, or not to have
them all of the smartest cut Our
little lady's trunk arrived late: some
thing had befallen them by the way.
The dinner hour did not wait. Sud-
denly from a fit of the dumps she
arose tore off the bodice of her gown
surveyed with satisfaction the dainty,
black silk cache corset that was re-
vealed. The skirt she wore was also
black and hung about her in the long,
heavy folds taken by broadcloth.
Then she deliberately stripped her
hostess white curtains of the broad
scarlet ribbons which tied them and
artiscally began the decoration of
her own person. She made neat belt
of the ribbon, just the thing to fasten
with a diamond sunburst, secreted in