The San Francisco call., 1906-09-18

the tourist variety swarm in Lon
Idon at this period of the year. but
those who claim equality with the
big s section of the British society
have deserted it. going for the most
part to fashionable continental re-
sorts.
The belle OF st. Moritz is undoubt-
edly Italia Blair. a daughter OF Mr..
and Mrs. Chauncey Blair of Chicago.
Wherever she moves a crowd follows
her and the story goes that certain
Italian Prince. closely allied to royalty,
whom she does not favor. says IL she
Will not marry him he will kill himself.
Duels have already been fought over
her. She is the admiration Of German
and French and English men alike. and
it is already admitted that she can
marry any one. 1t is years since any
American girl has made such a huge
success. She has carried of the palm
also for being the best dancer at st.
Moritz, which Is, of course, saying a
lot, for there dancing is a fine art
The other night the Grand Duke Alexis
asked for the honor of leading the
cotillon with her. Curiously enough.
she did not make much OF a hit here
in London when she was presented at
court, but this is no unusual occurrence.
as not infrequently debutantes are
trif1e raw. so to speak. But when they
have been out few months they get
used to their clothes. as 1t were. and in
less than a year they often develop into
great beauties. This is clearly the
case with Italia Blair.
vANDERBILTs MAKE STIR.
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt and her
daughter Gladys are also making a stir
at St. Moritz. They arrived in a mag
nifcent touring motor car in which
they had driven through Germany. The
car is provided with facilities for cook
ing, and at q pinch. the occupants can
sleep in 1t. Mrs. vanderbilts party in
cludes Miss Dorothy Whitney, who is,
OF course, very rich. She is under Mrs.
vanderbilt's wing and she Is going to
do a great deal OF entertaining for her.
The party had some amusing expert
ences In their long motor run and es-
pecially enjoyed the cooking of their
al fresco meals Once, when the milk
supply ran out. Gladys Vanderbilt
went into a field and MIXED a cow and
surprised even her mother. who had no
idea she could accomplish this feat.
Miss Dorothy whitney has numbers OF
photographs OF their doinss on the way
and a particularly good one OF her
friend Gladys in the character OF dairy
maid.
Each OF Mrs. vanderbiltss guests car-
ried a revolver during their long ride
quite necessary precaution. parts
of the country through which they
travelled being very lonely.
We see very little OF Lady Blanc in
London at any time. She spends near
~ all her time on the continent and
elsewhere. globe-trotting with Sir sey-
mour Blame. who. notwithstandinx his
Ts years, Is stHi Surprisingly ~nt." A
little more than three years ago. the
handsome widow of Mr.. Henry Blake
of Boston stormed the heart OF the vet
eran general, who until then had been
proof against all the snares OF feminin-
ity. The Baronst is not a wealthy man.
so the fair widows income does not
come aniss. They have charming lit
tie home In Lowndes street. rather
swagger part, where Lady Blame en-
tertains her friends for a few months
In the summer. but during the rest Of
the year it Is shut up or let
MIGHT HAVE BEEN PEERLESS.
Lady Blame is years younger than
her husband For all that 1T was quite
love match and 1t is well known that
had the American lady desired she
might have been a Scotch peeress. the
wife of a man with a big rent roll. she
preferred. however, by far, the retired
general, who derives his income from
his half-pay pension. At st. Morftz
where she and Sir Seymour have been
staying. she was often to be seen driv-
ing her husbands bath chair.
All the Drexels. John and Antbo,v