Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1913-04-01
West Virginia Society In New York.

!
The West Virginia woman-a type
which the poet has left unsung
somed forth en- masse in New York last
night for long enough time to make it
apparent that the Byrons of the Blue
Ridge have missed great opportunity.
For, as she displayed herself at the
Hotel Plaza in her flashing jewels and
her Paquin gowns the woman of West Va
is as brilliant creature as the proud
est of her sister com nonwealths has
given to Gotham.
There were blondes and brunettes
and in-betweens, and women with silver
hair who had grown old artisticaIly-
women of the kind prose cannot well
describe. They ran to metre and rhyme
in their looks and in their voices, when
they raised them in the chorus of West
Virginia Hills highly sentimental
ballad which yet makes no mention of
the pulchritude of the gentler West
Virginians
1
ner, the West Virginia Society didn't
show its ladies to such advantage.
They had President Taft and smatter-
ing of Senators and other high public
officials to deliver some weighty words.
But last night was ladies night and in
place of the heavy weight speakers
there were few to make remarks
about down home" topics and then an
orchestra to fiddle away for the dance.
Col. William OH. Washington, presi,
dent of the society, made it understood
right at the start that the eighth annual
dinner was not to be highbrow, for
NAL affair. And the colonel. it might
be said in passing, Is lineal descend
ant of the brother of the George Wash
Ington who played such an important
part in the first troubles between the
residents of America and those of
Enpland.
OLD FASHIONED WEST VIRGINIA
GRACE BY THE COLONEL
Since our chaplain, the Ri. Rev.
David H Greer, is not present to offici-
ciate. said Colonel Washington. 81
am going to say grace in the good old.
fashioned West Virginia way. Down
home, when people wanted to make
others feel at home and get the meal
started without any constraint. they
used to say: Stranger, jest make yo'-
self to hum and do yo' own reachin' y
That's all I've got to say to you"
1t was regular West Virginia din
ner that was brought on. 1t began
with Virginia oysters ran through
Potage Shenandoah and Potomac black
bass, took in dash of West Virginia
ham and Blue Ridge turkey and wound
up with Allegheny ice cream and
Southern cakes.
Mayor Gaynor had promised to be
present. but he wasn't able to appear.
Neither were Senator O'Gorman and
other distinguished guests who had
been expected But the ladies'. seeing
the dancing so much nearer, didn't
seem to mind it bit, and the vacant
seats at the speakers table were filled
with dignitaries representing other
State societies.
There was George Gordon Battle,
the lawyer, who attended as president
of both the North Carolina Society and
the Virginia Society, although he is by
no means twins. Frederick E. Farms
worth, who is President of the Michi
gan Society, and, incidentally, of tn,
American Bankers Association, sa
next to him. Along the line wer.
Albert Mitchie, President of the Mary
land Society; B. ]. Calm, Presiden
of the Tennessee Society; DR.. John A
Wyeth, President of the Alabama So
ciety. Walter L. MacCorkle. President
of the Southern Society, and Richard
Reid Rogers, President of the Ken
lucky Society.
There were present $50 West Vir
ginians, nearly half of them women
But when they sang "West Virgins
Hills" the volume was as great as il
a thousand voices were blending.
The society has four vice. presidents
Stuart Hirschman, A. Welles Stump
H. S. Mcknight and Judge Moore
The governors are Turner A. Beall
w. T. Coe, l. v. McGlone, Peter w
Rouss, Joseph H. Beall, j. C. Nc.
Knight, Stephen D. Hirschman, o. A.
Campbell, G. B. Lab oyteaux, Roger
Chew, the Rev. J. II. Logic, F. w
Nash, John G. Luke, Thomae B.
Foulk and George w. Lewis.-Ne1
York World,