Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-03-19

The recent decision of the members of the Silk Stocking club, the real swell local social organization, to de- cline the invitation of George H. Thomas, general passenger agent for the Little Rock, Hot Springs and Western road, to be his guests on a special train to Hot Springs Thursday night to attend the Arlington Hotel annual ball, created quite stir in To- Cal social circles and promises to de- velop into real social sensation.
 The invitation was extended several weeks ago and later, at a meeting of the members of the Silk Stocking club it was accepted. A meeting of the Silk Stocking club was called Saturday afternoon at the residence of Mrs. William H. Langford, the president, and later statement was issued in which it was stated that the members of the Silk Stocking club had decided to decline the invitation of Mr. Thomas. The decision, while it was endorsed by a majority of the members, did not meet with the ap proval of some of the members of the Silk Stocking club, and the mat ter has been discussed generally among the leaders of Pine Bluff so- ciety
 While no reasons were given for the final action, declining the invita- tion, it is stated that the reason the Silk Stocking club informed MT. Thomas that they would not accept his invitation Was because the mem bers thought that they should be siv- en the privilege to invite the guests to accompany them on the special train It is also stated that Mr. Thom- as invited several of his local friends and told them to invite 8 few of theirs. The Silk Stocking club members, it is said, objected to this manner of do- ing things.
 In the Hot Springs News of yester- day appears an article in which Mr. Thomas announces his decision not to send the special to Pine Bluff at all. It says:
 ~ General Passenger Agent George H. Thomas of the Little Rock and Hot Springs Western railway states that he has cancelled the arrangements which he had made for a special train to Pine Bluff next Thursday to con- Vey the members of the Silk Stocking club, we'll known social organza- tion of that city, to Hot Springs to attend the annual grand ball at the Arlington. Tbere was hitch in the plans at the other end of the line which made it advisable to postpone the excursion to some future date.
 Governor and Mrs. Lon " Stephens of Missouri and a number of other prominent visiting and local society people were to have been members of the committee upon whom would have devolved the pleasant duty of scorting the Silk Stockings to this
 
 city.
 "The Arlington ball, one of the most important social events of the season, will take place according to schedule next Thursday evening"
 The Hot Springs Sentinel-Record, \ in anticipation of the Silk Stocking clubs coming said:
 Accepting the kind invitation of Mr. George w. Thomas, general passenger agent of the l.. R. X H. s. R. R. and P. B. & w. R. R., the members of the Silk Stocking club of Pine Bluff and their friends will attend the annual ball at the Arlington hotel next Thursday night. MT. Thomas will have special train, appropriately decorated, that will leave this city at 2 o'clock Thursday morning, return ing between and , in the afternoon. Besides every imaginable equipment of special train, MT. Thomas has ar ranged for an orchestra to and from Pine Bluff From Pine Bluff papers we learn that the affair has occasioned impatient anticipation, and the elite of that city's social set will be MT. Thorn as guests to the Arlington annual The following from this city will gC to Pine Bluff to accompany the party to this city: Governor and Mrs. Lon V. Stephens, Mir. and Mrs. Stallcup Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Ellis, Mir. and Mrs. Frank Stearns, Mrs. John G Higgins; Misses Mildred Gibson