The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
CAPITAL A REALITY
Washington Really Center of
American Life Now.
SOCIAL LIFE ON SOLID BASIS
Does Net Consist of Strangers Only,
as In Days Gone By-yVeaIthy Glass
Find II Proper Place for Winter
HOmes-Men In Public Life Must
Pass CarefaI Inspection.

The Washington of to-day. the great
world Capital. the center OF American
political activity; the men and women
who are now living and working and in
triguing and trying to shape the destinies
of this great nation; this Capital IL a
scaled book to the vast majority Of the
people who have never been able 10 visit
1t apd see for themselves the workings of
the tremendous machinery Of government.
Truly the newspapers faithfully get out
the record Of the official acts of the
Executive and Of the Court Of Last Re
sort and OF the debates in the Halls OF
Congress; there are accounts OF brilliant
official functions and Of the doings Of
Washington society. so called. which, in
reality. until a comparatively recent date
was nothing but the ephemeraI crowd OF
officials and visitors called 10 the city
by curiosity or business. says a writer
in Van Nordens Magazine.
WashingtOniaHs Not Irreverent.
1t would scarcely be fair to call the
average Washingtonlan irreverent, but
certain II is that man must be
mighty hero 10 command his unceasing
homage and altogether escape criticism.
Even that great personage the President
is often measured by the ordinary stand
ards and his cccentricltes noted with
amusement II is not that there Is any
lack OF respect for the high Office. but
the inhabitants OF the capital are like the
Parisians-they insist on looking at the
personal side OF the incumbent, ana they
do not hesitate 10 let their judgment be
known. For instance, they are wont TO
point out with a grin, 10 their country
cousins, the excellent photographs Of the
Chief Magistrate engaged In jumping a
raw-boned hunter over a iive-barred gate
and that agOHized look of ROOseveltian
determination and that characteristic
body pose of a stout two-hundred pound
er trying 10 compass with his short legs
the barrel Of an immense horse.
Then there was the incident OF the
washlines, when the entire battery Of the
Executive Office was brought % bear up
on the unfortunate head OF local cleo
trio lighting company to compel him to
cease the discharge from the tall chin
ney OF the plant Of dense black smoke
that deposited copious showers of SCOT
upon the immaculate linen spread upon
the lawn attached 10 the White House
laundry.
At first all of the Washington house
keepers and the esthetic souls that dread
the pollution OF the grand white marble
departmental buildings were deeply inter
ested, but soon the true hun10r Of the
situation dawned upon them and every
body watched with glee for the daily de-
Velopments OF the contest which finally
pulycrized the wight who had said he
could not burn bituminous coal without
sometimes emitting smoke
Recalls Japanese Wrestler.
And then there was more mirth than
censure when, recently, japanese wrest-
lers Of high reuown tumbled about on
mats spread upon the floor of the ma
jestic East Room, with its memories Of
great receptions. and funerals and state
ly balls Some one recalled thar after
all, Abigail Adams had not hesitated to
hang tie Presidential wash to dry i'm that
august chamber. so why not an athletic
exhibition instead of "a dance, by noble
foreigners-for this particular japanese
wrestler was OF the blood Of the Sa-
mural So again Washington was amused
instead Of angry.
Winter Homes Popular.
For a long time it was the proper thing,
socially, in the course of a winter fight
from Newport % the Florida pines or
beaches &c stop a week or two in Wash
ingtop. Then, from the wealthy class.
grew a little body that decided that in
the Capital Is the proper place for a
winter home They outgrew the accom-
modations offered by the hotels. though
some of the latter-day Eostelries compare
favorably in many respects with those of
the metropolis itself, Therefore they have
built themselves homes after their own
planning, number of which are of re-
markable architectural beauty. The move
ment in this direction may be said to
have begun in earnest about a decade
ago, when the Chicago merchant prince
Letter, erected his white marble imitation
of the White House on Dupont Circle.
Many Others Follow.
Following came many other paiatial
edifices, such as those of the Hendersons.
on the heights of aristocratle Sixteenth
'street, the thoroughfare which it is now
proposed to rechristen Executive ave
nue." the commodieus mansion OF the
multi-millionaire Walsh, on Massachu-
setts avenue; the Townsends. on the same
broad wayfaTe; the vast edifice that Bel
lamy Storer built on Seventeenth street,
only to place in the agents hands for
rental to wealthy tenants when Storer
himself left IL after a very short stay to
take his ambassadOrial post in the Aus
ri "a fpi Sro in
Madrid. The Senator's of means were
fond of building homes after their own
fancies until it began to be whispered
about that TO build a house meant to
shorten the. stay in national politics
Such was the fate of the late Senator
Window, and Of Stanford, and of Saw
yer. and Of a number Of other Senators
who built well but not wisely in Wash
ington.
Winter Season Lively.
All of these great buildings are the
scenes Of social events of the first order
of Importance during the winter season.
These are planned long in advance of the
actual event and always after a careful
inquiry into the programme of the social
and official entertainment TO be offered
at the White House during the season, for
it would be an inexcusable offense for the
social aspirant to offer a dinner or q
dancing party or a reception in Competi-
tion with the President or even with his
lady so strictly is this rule observed
that it is by no means uncommon for
d wOuld-be hostess TO send cut notices
recalling invitations for a reception when
the unexpected happens. and hasty
TO attend a gatheging there In honor of
some notable guest whose coming could
net have been foTeseen. The unfortunate
protector of the dinner or reception or
dance or whatever it may have been
contemplated TO Offer To- her friends Is