The San Francisco call., 1905-06-18
Fortunes Spent
by Social
Queens.
Expenses Are
as High as
S2oo,ooo.
Lady Dudley in
Tiff With a
Duchess
Special Cable to The. Call.


LONDON June 17.-what does it
cost to take house in London for the
season? The question is rather perth
nent. for in no previous year have so
many aristocratic mansions in Mayfair
been secured by fashionable Americans
for May, June and July. the three
months which London most consecrates
TO social gayety.
Mrs. Potter Palmer of Chicago was
early in the ..eld and did a particularly
good stroke by getting the Duke of
Abercorns historic town residence in
Green street, close to Hyde Park The
former May Goelet, now Duchess OF
Roxburghe. is installed in the Earl of
Dudley's house in Carlton Gardens. just
round the corner from Carlton House
Terrace, where the William Waldorf
Astors and Mrs. John Maekey have per-
naanent homes, and where the retiring
American ambassador, Mr.. Choate, re-
sided while III the metropolis. Mrs. John
Jacob Astor, who has never before had
a house for the season. is occupying
that of -ir Archibald Edmondstone, in
Portland place
Mrs. Glasgow of Virginia has the
Earl Of Scarhcroughs S town residence in
aristocratic PARK lane, where also stands
Dorchester House. the new American
embassy Mrs Frank Mackey mas fer
the coming season the home in Curzon
street of that other famous Anglo
American Mrs, Adatr. Mrs. Leggatt
has house in Bruton street. the
Loneys of New York one in Lennox
Gardens. Eben Jordan of Boston. the
Ballentines of Newark. N. j.. and Mrs
George Law also will secure residences
Tor the season-Mrs. Law, in all like
lihood. that in Portland square just va
Gated by the American Dowager Ouch
ess of Manchester This list of Amer
cans who have taken London houses for
the season isn't anything like COM
plete.
COST REACHES HIGH FIGURE.
The question that naturally comes to
ones mind is. How much does 1t cost
Well, there is fair number of ways
OF getting rid of money, and most of
them are known to Americans. but the
London house-for -the-season enterprise
is about the most expeditions of the
| lot.
1t can't be done for less than $4,000
and those who are the best authorities
IN London say that their respective sea
sons will probably cost Mrs Frank
Mackey and Mrs. Potter Palmer from
$3.50, 600 to 100000 each. Both OF thes
ladies are going to do the thing just as
well as it can be done Other American
hostesses, such as Mrs John Jacob
Astor, the Duchess of Roxburghe and
Lady Bateman (the former Mrs. Knapp
will probably get off for something like
100000
There is no stigma attached to renting
a house for the London season rather
than owning one for the good reason
that fully two-thirds OF the mansions in
Mayfair are unpurchasable through be-
ing 'entailed (Which means that the es-
tate, of which they are a part, passes
on from heir to heir and can't be sold,
About the lowest prices at which one
can get fashionable house for the season
is s25oo. Mrs. Glasgow, to be sure,i is
paying the Earl of Scarborough A500 for
his comparatively small place, but for,
nominally, $500 one can secure a mansion
containing, say, ten bedrooms, three re-
ception-rooms, a ballroom and stablins
for five or six horses
The word '.nominally," however, is es-
pecially good in this connection, for the
sum mentioned applies to the house Just
as 1t stands with furniture, OF course, and
doesn't include linen, plate or horses and
carriages All of these are costly, and to
possess them and do anything like the
sort of entertaining that is expected from
Americans in the West End will make
the cost of keeping up an establishment
of the size mentioned not less than $4,000
a month That foots up $4,000 for a
modest Season
Mrs. Potter Palmer starts off by pay
ing the Duke of Abercorn $4,000 for the
use of his house (not including plate and
linen), but in return for her money she
has the satisfaction of possessing one of
the most historic mansions In Mayfair,
and one of the ugliest.
EXPENSIVE HNECESSITIES.o
Mrs Frank Mackey, whose first assault
on London society, last year, proved so
uncommonly successful, has made a good
start this season by getting Mrs Adair's
house, for 1t Is one of the largest rentable
places in Mayfair. Like. Mrs Palmer's
house, 1t is an old Georgian mansion,
modernized. Places of this kind are most
esteemed for the season, as they combine
historical associations with twentieth CEN
tury efforts. Mrs. Mackey's house con-
tains twenty-five bedrooms, q splendid
ballroom, eight reception-rooms and es-
pecially commodious quarters for the SER
wants There is stabling for nineteen
horses.
Nowadays the American hostess in May
fair usually solves the help difficulty
by engaging a butler Of experience and
making him responsible for getting the
Others The correct number is about
fifteen and their wages, including the
buffers, will be 5000 for the three months.
Plate and linen can be rented for the
season for $500, but it's more swagger
to buy them outright, so most Americans
do so and spend $4,000 in the process
You can't have less than five pairs of
horses and as many vehicles, but Il Is
quite the thing to rent these. The cost
for the season. including the maintenance
and services OF coachman, will be $500