Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-04
Don Masculine Attire for
Mountain Climbing.
STARTLE SUMNER COLONY
Invade Dining Room of Hotel at
Indian Lake. N. Y.
PROPERTY Is NOW DEBATED
Country Folks Stare at Knicker-
bockered Feminity, and Native
Guide Is Abashed.

NEW YORK. August s.-Nisitors Who
returned TO this city yesterday from
Sabael. " Y. on Indian lake, report the
summer colony at that resort divi.ed into
two hostile camps and the tongue OF
gossip wagging furiously.
The question al issue is whether or not
il is strictly within the limits OF the con-
ventional proprieties for young women
who are bent upon mountain climbing 10
array themselves for that purpose in the
festive knckerbockers and other outing
clothing of masculine cut belonging to
their husbands and brothers.
How Trouble Began.
There was a merry party made up, 1t
seems. in the Locke House late last week
and they sailed forth bent upon scaling
the topmost peak of Dug mountain. The
romantic plan was TO leave I'm the after
noon. going by water to the foot OF the
mountain to camp there for the night.
after having dinner at the hotel. and then
to start on the mountain climbing expedi-
ton at four o'clock the next morning. re-
freshed from a night under canvas In the
fragrant woods. close 10 nature.
1t is assumed that this program was
carried out successfully, though the party
of mountain climbers had not Yet re-
turned to the Locke House from their ex-
ploits when the homecoming tourists who
brought the news to New York left that
hotel They say all they know is that
four of the women in the party OF ANA
teur mountaineers went into camp Prodigy
nigh, arrayed I'm male attire. though the
actual ascent Of the peak was not to be
begun until the next morning.
Invade Dining Room.
This. they say. might have passed
without more than casual comment and
a lifting OF the eyebrows on the part OF
NINE. Grundy," but the quartet OF girls
and women i'm knickerbockers, tweed
Jackets and wooden stockings even made
bold to enter the hotel dining room and
eat their dinner in that unconventional
attire and this caused mild protests from
some of the other persons present.
AS this party left the hotel after dinner
the porches were buzzing like dynamos.
and many a sidelong glance was cast to-
ward the group as {; swung jauntiiy down
the road. the women striding along with
that freedom of movement to which
knickerbockers are well known to be
more conducive than skirts.
When the explorers sailed forth to be-
gin their climb the next morning In the
bright sunlight Of publicity. the native
country folk stared In frank amusement.
and farmers wives. hanging over their
front gates, exclaimed. well. did you
ever,
One of those who brought the story
here said the young native guide who lad
been engaged to lead the expedition SEEM
ed SO abashed that they thought OF get
aing him a pair of binders from a neigh
boring farmers horse, but he protested
that this DEVICE would seriously interfere
with the performance OF his duties as .
faithful guide.
Some in the Party. d.
Some OF the members of the mountain
climbing party. though not all OF its
personnel were Mr.. and Mrs. Leghorn OF
Boston, Miss Mary Richie. Miss Fret
ganz. Mr. ard Mrs. Hallowel OF Phila-
delphia. and the Messrs. Leghorn. Little
and Rowland.
Sentiment at the Locke House. In 20
far as Ii could be polled and classified.
is reported to be about evenly divided,
half of the summer visitors contending
that the costume affected by the young
women was perfectly appropriate to a
mountain climbing expedition. while
those who take the other side Of the argu-
ment insist that. even though that be
admitted. the point of the proprieties was
blunted when the bifurcated outing gar
ments were worn In the dinner room OF
the hotel.