Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-16

There are number of cities in tue
United States in which fanny pedigree
has a social Importance which TO iio1h-
of wealth will overcome. Despite ."e
fact that all Americans are supposed 10
be, born free and equal there arc socia'
advantages derived from, b'fth Mnic.'
money cannot buy, and these usually
are most influential in the Older c:1'es'
In Boston the social prominence Oh
Beacon street has been lost in the deNei-
opment of Back Bay as reslden'ial
section, but the families who once DOM
mated Beacon stree. still are largely in
fuential in directing the social affairs
of the city The newly arrived Million
aire may penetrate to the outer court OF
Boston society,", but he cannot lie OBJ
livious to the existence of an inner cir
Gle extending throughout all New Eng
land which is cn.y open to those who by
inheritance have had known positions
from the time of the colonial regime.
In New York the preponderance oil
enormous fortunes possessed by persons
coming from all
Lavish Extravaganza parts of the
in New York City. siyen a lavish
extravaganza to many social affairs that
would not be countenanced by the old
knickerbocke- founders OF the city. bat
notwithstanding this. the descendants o.
these old families still exercise social
authority The family with modest
competence inherited from long line OIL
ancestry has a recognized advantage
- rs1
who desires to break into New York So
ciety does not ignore. There have been
women of old New York families who
have had at their disposal for season
the automobiles and carriages OF some
social climbes, who felt more than re-
paid by the social benefit she derived
from being seen in the society OF the
are women of old Knickerbocker stock
in New York who have been known to
accept fees for introducing the newly ar
rived rich into society and by so dong
rights as the English noblewomen who
make no secret of accepting from - GtJ
to $4,000 for presenting American heir
esses at the English court and afterWard
introducing them TO London society.
In Philadelphia. however, such buSl-
ness methods do not obtain in social at
fairs. This city is still ruled socially by
the old assembly list, consisting of the
representatives Of the families who found
ed it nearly a century and a half ago. The
list is carefully revised each year, and
the first question asked regarding the
addition of a new name is: who were
her grandparcnts?'
Society in Philadelphia is still largely
Influenced by the simplicity of the Quak-
ers. and there is
Family Requisite not that lavish ex-
in Philadelphia. ina s1sewne pe The
question of money seldom enters in. A
Philadelphia woman would ride in the
public street car rather than in the car
riage of woman of unestabIshed So
cial standing. The fact that the old for
tune of the family has disappeared makes
no difference i'll Philadelphia, even
though woman may become a bread
winner. For years one of the leaders
of the assembly set, who was most in
tiuential in the addition of new names.
was a woman of no wealth who was
supporting herself upon salaries received
from two institutions for a line of work
in which she had developed special talent.
The fact that a member of the old
Bddle family made and sold fine hand
worked blouses and lingerie did not pre-
had preserved its fortune as we'll as it's
position. Another girl, as a debutante.
could hardly procure simple cotton
frock and plain white slippers for the
assembly dances. Yet she was the re-
cipient of ask much attention as any of
the others, and, when a couple Of years
later she decided to act as agent for a
certain coal company, it did not AFFECT
her social position. Her society friends
gave her their orders for coal and their
invitations to dinners and dances, unin-
fluenced by the fact that her commissions
from the sale of coal provided her family
with comforts of which they had been
deprived for whole generation.
X ):
Strangers in old Philadelphia laugh at
the tradition which makes Market street
the dividing line
Market Street Is between those
the Dividing Line. positton and
those without it, but the fact has been
we'll established and even now the dis
tinction exists. Few names upon the as
sembly list are to be found north of Mar
ket street This does not indicate, how
ever. that those who dwell in the vicinity
of Rittenhouse Square have all socia!
recognition. Many of the older families
now prefer to live in the suburbs and
their old residences on Walnut or Spruce
streets are occupied by newcomers WHO
hope by their location to secure social
recognition. something that does not al
ways fc,1ow. Ut is expected :..at the
esta blishment OF the magnificent new
opera house on North Broad street will
have great influence in overcoming the
distinction against the section north Of
Market street. At first there was a
strong feeling that the opera house would
be unsuccessful because the fashionable
set would not cross Market street, but
the past three years have proved that
al lo,,o fo.. s.ic,