The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-30
NEWPORT SOCIAL
 EVENTS ARE MANY Many Noted Families at the
 SeashOre THE SOCIETY GROCER Fritz Garrettson Exposes the Abuses of Credit System Among the Cottages By the Sea. Other Items
By MARGARET WATTS DE pEysrER

news Item or the week Tn connection WIKI the fashionable summer resort.
 August Belmont first built By the Sea nearly 80 years ago and was one of the standbys of Newport in its early . history as a resort of fashion and up to some 15 years ago were a part of tae fashionable life of the Rhode Island re- sort.
 The present August Belmont although he has had she mansion modernized in many ways, has been careful not to de- stroy it's attractive old stlye architecture Mr and Mrs. Belmont are to come shortly to take possession of By the Sea- and for time they are to have with them Mir Belmont's son and daughter-in-la | It will be MT. Belmont's return here as summer resident after about 15 years and it will be Mrs Belmonts first coming to Newport to live.
 Fritz Garrettson, the society grocer Of Newport, has begun his annual campaign against the practice of the purchasing agents of the great houses of demanding a percent on their purchases and declares be is determined to put stop to this system of blackmail.
 Fritz Garrettson is one of the characters of Newport. Brought up to be a man Of leisure, one of the set of young bioods' popular in the city by the see, he never cared for life of idleness. After being in business in town he was compelled by financial reverses to enter the retail field at his summer home. At the time il was a venturesome move but he wen. into 1t heart and soul.
 Always at his grocery. he frequently did up the parcels himself, served GUS toners to tea and sugar and butter, and his pluck put him a substantial basis in a short time. From the first reformer, he has brought to light some of the skeletons in the domestic domin- ions of Newport. The retail merchant
 of that town has a short harvest It is said that there Is one price for the summer resident and another for those who love there all the year around Unlimited credit was given to cot tagers, but r was Garrettson who first had the temerity to kick at the system and bring into court all delinquent debtors. In Rhode Island the jaws are quite severe, Imprisonment for debt still exists, and there several le gends of men being arrested at dinner or at house parties other entertain ments at the various cottages and be- ing bailed out by their hosts and { friends Mir. Garrettson did not proceed to these measures, but he exposed many of the abuses of the credit system. He has been mayor of Newport anc his efforts a establishing fair trade did not interfere with his political sue cess. His last move, that of refusing to pay tribute to servants for the trade of their masters, is more far reaching than may be supposed.
 All large households in town as well as in Newport and small ones. as well, suffer from this form of petty graft. Marketmen, grocers and dealers in all kinds of supplies must grease the paws of the cook, the chef the house. keeper, the butler and even the private secretary. Position of this kind in many of the great houses are much sought E after owing to the revenues derived from these sources Stewards of yachts are particularly culpabIe in this regard. The writer knew personally of a scheme
 by which two stock companies were II formed for the purpose of furnishing yacht and other supplies to certain
 millionaire and his own employss were
 members of the corporation. He dis
 covered it, however, and there was a
 rumpus.
 MT. Garrettson certainly deserves the II gratitude of a long suffering communi-
 
 ceedingly rich frequently take these
 abuses with philosophy. So much aside
 for running expenses, but even among
 them. there are many careful of their
 household expenses. But people of les
 ser means and of moderate incomes | have to suffer in proportion.
 | Summer residents at Newport have in late years given much time and money
 toward beautifying their grounds, some of them notably MT. Edward J. Berwind, | having spent large sums in this way. Mrs Richard Gambrill has recently add
 ed very attractive touch to her lawn.
 | She has had erected upon 1t what she
 terms a summer house. and has had
 long arbor placed in the midst of her II karden and hung with roses it attracts
 the attention of everybody. Mrs. Gam I brilrs grounds are for the most part
 taken up with great beds of old-fash-
 toned flowers whose bright colors rem II der her place of the most engaging
 in Newport
 II Mrs. William B. Leeds has placed her
 villa and grounds at Newport in possess II sion of her servants for the summer.
 | They have the run of a large part or II the grounds and. as the butler has been
 ordered to provide literally for them, l they are quite 'in clover in a summer
 home by the sea. Mrs. Leeds is coming
 I back from abroad early in the fall. and I it is her plan to spend next season at I the Rhode Island resort. | Mrs. Reginald C. Vanderbilt and her 1 little daughter. Cathleen have returned to their Newport home. Sandy Point farm, from a visit with Mrs. Wliilam | K. Vanderbilt, Jr, at Roslyn, l.. I. | Newport is to receive a visit this sea I 1 son froms Lady Granard, who was Miss | Beatrice Mills. She Is coming from Eng ] land to visit her parents. Mir. and Mrs. | Ogden Mills, in the latter part Of Au- | gust. About the same time Mir and Mrs. l Henry c. Phpps. the latter formerly
 Miss Gladys Mills. will arrive at Ocean l Lawn. and the family will be reunited
 for the first time in severa, years. | The reunion will make for much en- tertaning. especially as Mrs. Maturin Livingston, mother of Mrs. Mills, has gained much in health since her arrival
 at Newport three days ago, and is in ex- cellent spirits. Mrs. Mills has had spe ciaI apartment arranged at Ocean Lawn l for her mother. giving her a view of
 the scenery over the cliffs, from which the breezes literally pour into the room.
 The yachting season is now at its height The long-oistance cruise of the l New York Yacht, club is the next i'm portant event thes'rendexvous being as usual at Glen Cove. L. l., on Thursday. August I.
 From there the run will be to Morris