Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1910-06-16
~ SEARS VERSA TILE
MEMBER OF SMART SET

who is she?" ran the rounds the
other evening at Durland's, New York,
when some of the smartest women of
fashion were holding what they were
plased to call 1.-The Ladies' Horse
Show"
The question referred to the smart.
trim, almost mannish figure in the
ring-a trig. young woman who was
Judging saddle mounts one minute.
driving tandem for the blue ribbon the
next, only to get off the box to take
try at the Jumps. 1t wasn't a hard
question to answer. One reference to
the program told the story. The slender,
swagger girl in the flat brimmed hat,
the cabbage-like buttoniere and the
short-skirted brown habit was the in
teresting Miss Eleanora M. Sears, some
time of Boston and some time of New
port, and occasionally of New York and
San Francisco
Really, she was quite as much of an
attraction as the horses and all the
other women themselves. Utterly OBJ
liNious of the lorgnettes and the opera
glasses, the buzz of chatter about her
and undisguised admiration of scores
OF men In top hats and clawhammers,
she went about her work with all the
businesslike attention of professional
With Mrs. John Gerken, of New York,
and Mrs. Charles F. Hubbs, of Brook
Ign, she was a judge of the saddle
horses. At her order the exhibitors
trotted. walked and cantered their
nags. When they lined up for the
inal judgment 1t was she who felt the
chargers neck and examined his hoofs
with the critical eye. And every time
when her suggestions led to the award
ing OF the blue rosette, which betok-
ened first prize. the audience agreed
with her. She knew her business; she
made no mistakes.
ning's duties. No sooner had she
judged one class of saddle horses when
she was out of the ring and back again,
this time exhibiting horse to dog
cart. The easy grace with which she
took her seat, the faultless handling
OF the reins, the perfect mastery over
the horse which she had never driven
before, betokened that here was a
young woman who understood the
game. She took the red ribbon--second
place-with a turnout that wouldn't
nave been in the running otherwise
It was her faultless showing off of
her exhibit that helped 80 much
And then the tandems. There was
plenty of excitement in jiffy. Even
that veteran, Mrs. Gerken, who drove
With others against Miss Sears, had
all she could do to keep her dogcart
from being overturned. The leader was
tremendously acknowledgement at the
blare of the band and the glare of the
lights. But round and round logged
Miss Sears with her tandem of ponies
She cut figure SIS and backed them;
she turned sharply and stopped abrupt
ly. Mrs. Gerken and several others had
to leave the ring, their pairs cutting
didOes to the last. Once more Miss
Sears got second-again with tan
dem that was probably the cheapest
pair on view.
But 1t was when she was in the ring
judging that the big audience got the
best view Of her. If it hadn't been for
the girlish figure and the knot of light
hair peeping out from beneath the
mannish derby one would have almost
imagined the smart judge to be hand
some youth. Only the skirt betrayed
the sex
always does-like a man. She has the
Harvard swagger," say her friends, at
we'll as the Cambridge men themselves
She walks with a long swinging stride
no mincing steps for her. Her boots
are low heeled and broad toed. He,
skirt is short, the lower edge approach
ing close to the knee. She wears stout
than & mans. Her coat is cut pre-
cisely like mans, loose and baggy a,
| the waist. Her waistcoat is white ani
| she wears q stock tricked out with &
| sporty pin. Her wealth of hair is
| slicked down close to her head. and
! strange to relate, all this mannishness
of attire only serves to accentuate hel
good looks. Believe it. Miss Sears is
good to look upon, with her laughing
eyes, her finely chiseled mouth, hel
shell-like pink and white complexion
and her slender, well-groomed figure.
To see Miss Sears standing in the
ring quite at her ease WAS alone worth
the price OF admission. She never
keeps her feet together as the average
girl does. Her heels are planted fan
apart and firmly. She clasps her glovet
hands behind her back, throws up hel
chin and rattles along with her talk