Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-10
GIRLS IN TROUSERS
SET HOTEL ASTIR
Indian Lake Summer Colony Startled
by Climbers Appearance at DIM
ner-Was 1t Proper? ls
Query

NEW YORK, Sept. 9.-Visitors whC
returned to this city from Sabael, N
Y, on Indian lake, report the summer
| colony at that resort divided into two
hostile camps and the tongue of gos-
| sip wagging furiously. The question
at issue is whether or not it is strictly
within the limits of the conventional
proprieties for young women who are
bent upon mountain climbing to array
themselves for that purpose in the fes-
tive knickerbockers and other outing
clothing of masculine cut belonging to
their husbands and brothers.
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 noun
tain. The romantic plan was to leave
in the afternoon, 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 expedition at 4
o'clock the next morning, refreshed
from a night under canvas in the fra
grant woods, close to nature.
1t is assumed that this program was
carried out successfully though the
party of mountain climbers had not
yet returned to the Locke house from
their exploits 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 amateur mountaineers went
into camp arrayed in male attire, al
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
Of no
part of mime. Grundy," but the quar-
tet of girls and women in knicker-
bockers, 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 the party left the hotel after din
ner the porches were buzzing like
dynamos, and many a sidelong glance
was cast toward the group as it swung
iauntily 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
begin their climb the next morning in
the bright sunlight of publicity, the
native country folk stared in frank
amazement and farmers wives, hang
ing over their front gates, exclaimed,
"Well, did you ever?"
One of those who brought the story
here said the young native guide who
had been engaged to lead the expedi-
ton seemed so abashed that they
thought of getting him pair of blind
ers from neighboring farmers horse,
but he protested that this device would
seriously interfere with the performance
of his duties as a faithful guide.
Some of the members of the noun
tain climbing party, though not all of
its personnel, were Mr.. and Mrs. Leg
horn of Boston, Miss Mary Ritchie
Miss Freiganz, Mr.. and Mrs. Halo
we'll of Philadelphia and the Messrs.
Leghorn, Little and Rowland.
Sentiment at the Locke house in SO
far as 1t 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
argument insist that even though that
be admitted, the point of the proprie-
ties was blunted when the bifurcated
garments were worn in the dinner
room of the hotel.