Evening star., 1908-01-11

TWO camps of celebrated Woin-
II en- as this winters rivalry OF
theater and opera in the matter
OF expensive furs.
Paris brilliant-clubdom. society and the
''all Paris or the carriage promenades.
afternoon tea establishments semi-pr-
vate eXpos.tions and supper restaurants
rejoices in the novel spectacle of famous
beauties throwing all their vanity into
single dress department.
No one thinks OF Nine de Merville's dia-
nsonds. but her sable kimono with venice
point applications. No one wonders al
the dogs autos of the Princess Bara-
tcf but At her long jacket of unique and
priceless sea otter. No one talks of
Maud Barson's slender waist and peachy
skin. bat of her chinchilla ulster, with it's
great silver fox collar.
Next day all changes. Raratoff brings
out her silver foxes. Barson is in sables
that are almost black. the lovely Boyer de
I.afory. who showed yesterday in breitch-
manZ and gold tulle. comes out in plated
ernl.ne: Felyne. VINO displayed chinchllla
lined with ermine. let's herself loose in
an astrakhan jacket lit up with wonder
full embroidery tints. and de Valicourt,
who made them jealous with her sable
mantle glorious with gold-embrOidered
applications. brides in a fairy-dream
wrap for soft days of ermine. VEN
ice point tulle. mousseline de sole
what do 1 know? So much so
that we almost forgot Mile. Simone's
chinese sables. some 300 years old. unique
cunningly mosaic sewed to make queer
skins that never were on sea OF land.
The cruelty and ruin of il is that they
are not content to. shine each in one set
of the most costly furS of Paris. Each
must have her sables, her chinchillas. err
mines otters. foxes, breitchmanz! 1t is
not enough to have furs: there must be
the magic combinations-furs lined with
furs. furs trimmed with furs, applications,
gold tulle. dull-tinted rich embroideries
and laces.
Rivalry in Furs.
There is scarcely woman in the two
competing camps who is not said to be
up to the ears in debt with all this wild
expense. chinchilla ulster with silver
fox collar may cost between 25,O0O and
10000 francs. A sable mantle may run
from 60.Oo0 to 100000 francs. Chinchilla
and ermine Innings may come between
30.0o0 ard $1,000 francs.
They tell how a danseuse of the Opera
Comique ballet led her fiance up 10 black
otter wraD whose price was Is, 600 francs.
Ii was a tri1a to the fiance but, to en-
joy the emoluments OF being coaxed he
put the purchase of
A lovely actress of the Odeon stood by
them in the shop and made swift calcula-
tions- Those black otters could not easily
be reproduced. Should mere dancing
girl. take them off under her nose? Yet
her own fiance would think it strong to
be asked for them. He had bought her
a chinchilla outfit to the hat and aigrette
only last week. She had spent her pri-
vate funds on silver fox and astrakhan
and was in debt for breitchmanZ jacket,
a stable stole and an auto coat of marten.
She rushed home and took her diamond
solitaires. worth 900 francs. out of the
casket She drove in haste to the local
shop monopoly. How much?" she asked
They offered her a 1900 francs maxi
mum. "ill take 1t all: yes she said
for she argued in her heart: ''The interest
will be low, and the 5000 francs remain
ing will buy me the broad-tail long coat
and the white and blue fox stoles must
have"
The camp of the opera in this war of
women includes foremost ladies of the
Opera and Opera -Comique ballets as we'll
as the stars of singing. The camp of the
theater includes all kinds of talent. from
the Theater Francois and Odeon down to
star without an orbit. 1t makes no differ
ence. The same desperate emulation to
beat the opposing camp in fur display
is in each breast, from highest down to
lowest.
Craze Furnishes Unique Show.
1t began. Ike swift craze, at the
opening of winter. BY the first days of
December it was laughed about all over
Paris. The elimination came, however
when Comoedia, the weekly organ of
both branches, proposed a unique benefit