The Washington times., 1908-11-08
Big Horse Show Begins
With Stag Lunch
in Garden.

masculine element of the -Four Hundred
10 Madison Square Garden tomorrow be-
tween 1 and , The luncheon is an an
nual affair given by the management Of
the Horse Show on the Sunday before
the opening and always brings together
a very representative crowd under the
presidency Of Cornelius FeIiowes The
Vanderbnts. tie Whitneys. Clarence
Macksy, the Duryea's, the Keenes,
oliver, joe AID Herbert Hartman. viii
liam Jay, the entire clan Of HitchcOcks.
Hamilton W. Cary, II. II. HOLSTER. e.
ID. Morgan. August Belmont ana his
boys, as well as his brother. Perry. the
Gerrys, and scores more besides will all
join in drinking success TO the greatest
! American horse show Of the year-a
truly national affair AS usual the
luncheon will be a very festive and jolly
function. of a nature to promote good
fellowship and sympathy for man and
beast. the latter being the horse and the
former it owner and admirer.
Early OF the following mOrning-that
is TO say. Monday-the familiar call
Of the Dugle in. the arena at Madison
Square Garden will proclaim the open
ing Of the Horse Show, and incidentally
OF the New York season. The exhibition
promises 10 prove more brilliant IN a
social sense. as well as from an equine
point Of view, than any OF its predeces-
sors. There will be nothing 10 dstract
from the interest, since the opera a,
the Metropolitan Is only throwing open
its doors after the show has come 70
a close. Moreover, every one seems 20
be imbued with the impression that hard
times are at an end; that the effects
OF the panic of a year ago have spent
themselves, and that an era OF prosper
fly is at hand
True. the Manhattan opens It's operate
/ season tomorrow evening; but while
hOnOTs are pretty well even in the mat
ter Of artistic rivalry between tie Ham
merstein house and the Metropolitan,
70 cannot be denied that there is moth
| inE so far at the Manhattan 10 COM
pete in a social sense with the parterre
row of boxes at the Metropolitan. This
sO-called diamond horseshoe continues,
/ IN spite of all efforts which have been
made TO supplant IL. the favOrite reudez-
VOus OF the smaTtest section Of our
world or fashion throughout the winter.
II is therr that the leading figures in
society arc sought, and always 70 be
found, on certain nights OF the week,
and this being the case. II becomes the
principal trysting place Of friends and
acquaintance, where they are always
sure 10 md one another and where they
can discuss plans FOR the present and
for the future and organize entertain
ments Of various kinds so as not to
clash or interfere 9th one another.
The parterre row owes its continued
vogue 70 its eXcluBiyeuess.
OF course, there will be a number Of
familiar faces absent this winter from
their places in the parterre row at the
METROPOLITAN. None viii be missed more
than the late Mrs AstOT. who, from the
time OF the building Of the house until
the breakdown of her health a little
over a year ago. was one OF the most
known and respected figures Of the en-
tire audience. AS regular and exact in
her attendance at the opera as in every
thing else, she would invariably make
her. appear ance IN her box, on the ex-
IRENE eft side Of the row looking to-
ward the gtage, at the same hour. and
her dress and her magnificent jewels, as
well a. her gracious presence, aroused
so much interest, not only on the part
Of her friends. but also Of strangers and
and from Europe. that her loge seemed
TO serve as the focus Of all the glasses
of the audience. Her demise places in
mourning large family connection, and
among those who Will be thereby kept
away from the opera this winter viii
be Mrs. Jack" Astor. who retains her
pre-enainence as the most beautiful and
fascinating woman Of the four hundred;
Mrs Marshall Orme Wilson. Mrs. J.
LaureDs Van Allen, Mrs. Robert Collier,
Miss Caroline Draytou, young Mrs.
Theodore Douglas Robinson, besides a
number OF others.
Fortunately Mrs. John Jacob As,or
and Mrs Waldorf AstOr are not only
klnswOmen by marriage but likewise
the closest and most intimate of friends.
Otherwise society might be treated now
10 a revival OF the controversy of nearly
a quarter Of a century ago as TO the
right to the designation OF Mrs. As
ter" It was this controversy that con-
tributed more than anything else TO the
expatrfation OF William Waldorf Astor,
and to his abandonment Of his American
citizenship. AS long as his mother was
alive she was undoubtedly the" Mrs.
Astor, and the wife OF her husbands
dressed in any other way than as Mrs.
William Sstor" When she died her
son, William Waldorf. naturally mag
ined that his wife would succeed to the
designation OF Mrs. Aston" But the
title, If title il can be called, was as
sumed by his aunt. Mrs. william Aston,
and defended with such quiet energy
ard PERTH acity that she finally carried
the day, with the result that ne aban-
doned not only the field but his native
land for good and all.
Mrs. Alfred G. Vanderbilt will no
longer hold court I'm box No Is, as she
has been in the habit of doing at the
last six or seven Horse Shows. and
considerable curiosity exists as to who
will be invited by her former husband
to view the gay scene from thence.
The Reginald Vanderbilts will likewise
be at the show, also Mrs. Gerry and her
daughters, the Z. II. Harrimans, the
Robert Gerry's, the John r. Drexels,
the Warrens. the Onattvias, especially
the very pretty young Mrs J Victor
Onativia. who was Miss Clara Barclay,
and Mrs. L Townsend Burden, with her
smart daughters, Evelyn and Gwendo-