The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-27
shonts, Social Success.

The resignation of Mr. Shonts draws at
tention to the successful social campaign
of the ladies of his family. The prime
factor in this really noteworthy success
is the Endorsement of the President and
the friendly hand of his daughter. For
the latter Is even more potent than the
friendship of Mr.. Roosevelt himself to
tho maid or matron seeking admission to
the exclusive circle of the midwinter
Dance or the benedict cotillon. An invi-
taton to the bachelors cotillon. once the
hall mark of the exclusive resident set
is easily obtained, even without executive
order.
But the Misses Shonts have penetrated
far beyond that old time standard of
quality Miss Marguerite may be said to
have made her debut at a state dinner
at the White House, while Mrs. Nicho-
las Longworth has acted as chaperon for
her and her sister on more than one
occasion.
The success of these two young west
ern girls MS by no means limited to the
Longworth or Roosevelt households. Let
ters of Introduction from Paris and Lon
don have been found of substantial as
sstance in resident circles. Even with
out the White House Endorsement the
Shontses would have had a cordial recep-
ton in Washington. They are not the
first Washingtonans by adoption who
have received greater social recognt-
ton at the capital than was bestowed in
their home city.
Besides their social experience in
Washington and London, the Shontses
have also many friends in Paris, The
Duke de Chaulnes ct de Picquigny on
November q OF last year announced the
engagement of himself to Miss Theodore
Shonts asserting that the marriage had
been arranged by his sster-in-law. A
day or two later Miss shonts, who had
been on visit to Panama, arrived here
and denied the engagement. saying that
she was mot guilty
1t appeared that the sster-in-law of
the Duke had mistaken the courtesy with
which the usual French matrimonial ne
gotations were received by hlrs. Shonts
for assent, not understanding that an in
dependent American girl would insist up
on making the decision herself.
His Career.
When Mr. Shonts was picked out by
Mr.. Roosevelt on April 8. 1905. as the
one man prominently fitted to build the
canal, or as it seems now, to direct the
preliminaries there he was president of
the Toledo, st. Louis and Western Rail
road, a place he had taken only year
before He had gone into the executive
control of the Glover Leaf Road, after
more than twenty years of service with
the Indiana. Illinois and Iowa Railroad,
during which his reputation as rail-
road man was established.
When he became chairman of the Ca
nal Commission he continued to hold his
place as executive head of the Clover
Leaf for some time, and even after he
resigned from that office his interest in
the road, together with the fact that he
spent little time on the isthmus, was
made the subject of criticism. The two
objections thus raised contributed to tho
failure of the Senate to confirm the NOM
nations of Canal Commissioners. They
are still unconfirmed.
In reorganizlng the commission the
President was carrying out plan he had
for obtaining more effective work on the
isthmus. He felt that the old Walker
commission was too cumbersome and
asked authority OF Congress to reduce
the commission to three members. Con-
gress failed to take the action he de-
sired, so the President then called for
the designations of the members of the
Walker commission. Obtaining these. he
named a new commission on April g.
1905, consisting of Theodore p. Shonts
chairman Charles L. Magoon, John f.
| Wallace. chief engineer 7. NJ. Endicott
| General p c, Hains, Colonel o. NJ. Ernst
and B. NJ. Harrod. The first three were
| named later as an executive committee
and thus the President attained the end
he had sought in appealing to Congress
for the reduction in membership.
Messrs. Magoon, Ernst and Wallace
subsequently resigned and Mr.. Stevens
who succeeded Mr.. Wallace as chief en-
glneer, was made a member later.