The sun., 1909-12-30
TABLEAUx ron HISTORIANS.
Real Trappings sf Old Times with Dc
scendants ef the Great 10 Wear Them.

scendaufs ef the Great TO Wear Them.
The real sword and smslls that were
worn by the late John jay at the court
of Louis XVI. real pistols that were
carried in the Revolution and real great
great grandsons and grand-uephews oi
original signers of the Declaration OF
Independence all figured as valuable
properties in the series OF historical tab
leaux which was given in the ballroom
of the Waldorf last night to entertain the
delegates OF the American Historical
Association and OF the American Eco
nomic Association, their wives and friends.
The reality OF the swords and smalls
was as unquestioned as that OF the
genealogies OF the participants and in
the latter case nearly all OF the fifty odd
characters that posed behind the drawn
curtains Of red plush bore names familiar
to the students OF American history.
There was Master George Pendleton,
the great great grandson Of Nathaniel
Pendletou. who stood up as second for
Alexander Hamilton on that fatal day
in Weehawken. Master George stood
rigidly In the pose OF the code dlello
while Alexander Hamilton. sth. faced
the long barrelled pistol OF another Aaron
Burr. Perry Tiffany. grandson OF that
ON the closed gates Of the shotgun in 1852.
wore the sword OF his exalted ancestor
when for a fieeting moment he again
commanded Tokugawa to stand forth and
be civilized.
The grave historians assembled in the
darkened ballroom saw history in new
and ingenious light through the first
tableau series. Nathan Hale fedg-
ling playlet in three sprouts, which was
written by Charles handel. a former
member OF the City History Club, was
acted by boys from various high schools
in true Shakespearian simplicity. sans
costume and sans scenery.
When George Washington said to Ma
than Hale in a cracked hass, You are
indeed young in years. even the grave
historians were moved to laugh. Never
theless the patriotic spirit OF the piece
was fetchingiy wrought at the china 4
by the flashing on a screen OF a picture
Of tho Nathan Hale monument in City Hall
Park,
Stephen Van Rensselaer,. Miss Janet
Townsend and Miss Frances Dickey. all
Of Peter Stuyvesant, appeared IN the
costume Of the New Amsterdam Dutch.
kindly faced and pleasing Peter was
Mr.. Van Rensse laer
Trumbull. the painter. might have
caught a glimmer of something familiar
the picture Of eight Periwigged and pow
dered Colonials bending earnestly over a
deal table upon which lay Q scroll. Peter
Gerry. great-grnndson Of Elbridge Gerry;
Gerald Morgan. great-great-grandson of
Francis Lewis; Robert r. Livingston.
great great grandnephew OF Robert r.
Livingston Of Colonial times-all OF them
signed once more a Declaration OF Inde-
pendence. while the men and women Of the
twentieth century down in the dark
clapped hands noisily.
Such 10 the strength OF the Van Buren,
family in New York that cast OF char
acters al long an that OF any drama could
he gathered for the seventh tableau, THE
Inauguration OF Martin Van Buren,.
There were at-granddaughters. great
nephews. great-grandsons and great
xrandnephews Of the former President In
the stage picture, all in the dress of the
period. Latter day folk who only remem-
Der Martin Van Buren, from their school
history days had a chance to SEQ almost
in the flesh the New York politician who
once occupied the White House.
The round OF tableaux was managed by
ten ladies'; they were Mrs. Thomas Hast
ings. Mrs. Henry w. Bull. Mrs. Arthur
Iselin. Mrs. Lawrence Waterbury, Mrs.
j. Borden Hartman. Mrs. Francis Key
Pendleton. Mrs. Belmont Tiffany, Mrs.
Ralph Sanger and Mrs. Clarence Mackay