The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-20

Richard Barry in the New York Times -T ME was when breaking into New
 York society was a simple mat
 \ ter You merely waited. Event ually, In the course of several genera tions. you stood chance of being in vited to the very best homes.
 It was three generations before the Astors amounted to anything as social beings in this community. The Van derbilts made the extraordinary leap in better tine--in two generations thanks to the mental resource and de- termination of a doughty social war rior whom the family acquired by mar riage, and later lost by divorce.
 However, these days belong to a cen tury that is past The new woman had not arrived. Especially the difference could be noted In the resources of lux ury. Then the chief avenues to femin- inc interest were gowns, jewels, furs. cookery, dancing and children. But now-how the ingenuity of man has multiplied the approaches to the cita- del
 People get in" New York society now in few years; sometimes in sin gle season.
 Now multiplicity of avenues of ap- proach have been discovered. Here are ten:
 Dogs. women's clubs. publicity, chari- ty. summer resorts. graft, the opera, first nights, travel (foreign). woman suffrage.
 The avenue of dogs alone indicates the advance we have made. Some syn ic may call 1t retrogression. How cruel when one can thus lessen the years necessary for a social entree!
 Children used to be the avenue of ap- proach. which has been usurped by the later pets. A woman coming to New York from an inland city. one, two or three decades ago. made it her first rule to enter her boys and girls at the most exclusive boarding schools and col leges She hoped that her children would form acauaintances with the children of exclusive women. Through these acquaintances she aimed to ac- quire, and sometimes did acquire. the introdurtions she coveted.
 One of the first moves of the socially ambitious woman in New York these days Is the requirement of dog. It must be the proper kind of dog Pitt ful mistakes are made in securing the wrong sort of dog. Attention cannot be too careful in gaining possession of a dog with the proper pedigree. the re- quisite appearance. and especially, the exclusive brand.
 If the proper beginning Is made, If the right sort of dog is secured, the next step Is to enter him at the first exclusive dog show. This may be done the very first year, And there the woman has her first social opportunity.
 There are dog luncheons, dog dinners, dog receptions to which her canine will be invited and no canine can go alone. The mistress must be included Some day she may eventually be invited on ner own account.
 Another avenue for the social climber is the summer resort and foreign travel. In itself New York is a glacial city. so- ciaIly Its surfaces are so rounded that it must be a hardy climber who can\se- cure hold Thus many have resolved to bring into the strategy of their cam paign a flank assault on the citadel of caste.
 They remove their artillery to dls- tance. They pay outrageous prices to the hotels in the fashionable resorts in summer and to the stopping places on. the grand tour in Europe in the hope of thus scraping valuable acquaintance, one which, in the winter time, will prove prove efficacious in opening some metropolitan door. Seeing Europe or enjoying the country are mere minor chords in their attempt at symphonic arrangement of life.
 Most of them fail. The average ten- ure of residence in New York of the wealthy women who come from else- where Is seven years-the life of the chorus girl. of the yellow reporter. and of the bounder tenant at Newport