New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-04
BFURCATED SKIRT DRAWS SAYS STURGE IS WRONG
Mrs. Webster-PoweII Proves TO
Be Magnet at Reception.
Garment Attracts People Away
from Hostess in Governor
Room, City Hall.

If the solemn gentlemen in the portraits
on the walls Of the Governors Room III
the City Hall had not been so much IN the
habit Of maintaining dignifed silence they
would have exchanged some excited re-
marks yesterday when hobble skirts ana
willow pumes invaded their decorous
haunts. Later they might even have p1ckeo
up their coattails and flew.
1t all looked very innocent on the pro-
gramme, too, so the famous statesmen
we're taken quite without warning. II was
booked a reception to Mrs ELIZA Little
who has been the gracious hostess of the
Goversors Room in the City Han loF
eighteen years. and the Public Good So
ciety was the hostess.
1t began very decorously. too. There
was an address by the Rev. Mr.. James b.
WATSON. chaplain of the Old Guard and
chaplain to strangers. who won the graft
tude of the strangers by explaining how
Mrs. Little came to the rescue of the Gov
ernor's Room when it was threatened by
the advancing tides of city business. how
she offered her services free of charge as
custodian of those portraits and bits, of
antique furniture. and then how happily it
all ended when Mrs. Russell Sage gave
coo for the expenses. So the old room
was restored to the glory in which they
shone when the portraits were still new.
and Mrs. Little has been at home there
ever since
After this address a string orchestra
played romance by Grieg as an intro
duction to Mrs. Alma Webster-Powell's
singing of Mysterious Love- from Ira
viata."
! Before singing Mrs. Webster Powell
| laughingly said she would have to intro
duce herself. Then she referred to her
divided skirts. saying: The Public Good
Society would like to reform everything,
and if its president wanted to reform her
self. she'd have a life task, beginning with
her skirts
The gentlemen on the wall were sur
prised.5
What was the matter with her skirts
they wondered, but the crowd was so
dense all around the president of the Pub
lie Good Society that all they could see
were the six willow pumes on her hat.
Mayor Gaynor had been invited to be
present, but the prospect was too much
FLOR him. He sent a gracious little note
instead Borough President George Nc
Aneny went so far as to let his name APP
pear on the programme, but he was taken
i'll, so he sent a letter too William A.
fTenUeTSaSt, me IOntrOller, also was un-
able to attend. He sent a secretary.
Mrs. Webster Powell, though was right
on the spot when it came her turn to
speak on Our American Woman" Things
were pretty good here. in spite of the hob
bic skirts, she admitted
After some more music the reception
crush began, and it was then that the dig
nified statesmen on the walls began to feel
1f
dragged Mrs Webster Powell off the line
into a recess between George Washington's
desk and the grand piano and made her
show off her costume, especially the lower
part of it.
To begin at the very bottom, she held up
for inspection a foot incased in a black
velvet boot with very high heel.
Il don't anything reformed about
that muttered a woman in a rose-colored
hobble gown
But the Webster Powells" themselves
were the real thing. A long black velvet
coat which looked for all the world like
a princess gown until one discovered that
it buttoned ell the way up the 'front.' was
pulled back, upon the urgent request Of the
bystanders, and there they were.
Black satin ''Webster-Powells,'' embroid
cred with jet that was all; yet the woman
who them could attract a whole Gov
ernors Room full OF people away from
their regretful hostess.
With these bifurcated garments. which
have made her famous. Mrs Webster-Pow-
ell declared that she could solve the prob
lem of the high cost of living; for although
they looked as if they cost $500 they are
guaranteed 10 wear forever.
There was ore little man present-the only
one-and he seemed to have no interest in
the reformed costume. He is evidently
growing bald. It vas Mr. Webster Powell.