The Washington times., 1915-03-21
JEAN ELIOT~
LETTER.
CSAN, MY DEAR: A noble task
lies ready to the hand Of the fair
SeN nf Wnahinrtn,, noNt u,iniar

hcS ready 10 tne ll9Hd OF the falr
~ sex OF Washington next winter,
task worthy of their steel, like
TO demand the exercise of all their fem
inine wilcs and grsces, 10 try their
metal. and yet withal a task dear to the
feminine hcart-perhaps l had better
say to some feminine hearts.
BE 1t known that ever since the CEN
sus of 1890 the population of the great
and fiourishing state of Iowa has been
slowly but steadily decreasing, to the
niystification of such scholars and in
vestigators as usually PROFOUND deep,
dark, and understandable reasons for
such things. Af
Be IT. Known, moreover, that OF the
new delegation in Congress from Iowa
over one-half--to be exact, six out OF
tho total of eleven Representatives In
the House. arc bachelors or widowerA
If there be a proportionate number of
unattached men back home the rea-
son of the curious slump In the census
figures is not far to seek. The women
of Iowa seem to be neglecting their OPP
portunities, so. say l, 1t Is up to the
women Of Washington to do something
about it!
They are worthwhile set Of men,
too, these fine. breezy Iowans. Rich,
most of them; intelligent. and full Of
big ideas, There is Burton Sweet, of
tho Third district, who comes in next
December. He is widower of ten or
twelve years standing, and Is the father
OF one little girl of thirteen, to whom
he Is singularly devoted. There Is
Charles A. Kennedy, OF the First dis
trict, carried over from the last Con-
gress, who has been in Washington
long enough to prove that he is a bache-
lor sufficiently wary to render pursuit
interesting. And another widower Is
Gilbert N. Haugcn, from the Fourth
district, who Is a man of affairs, a
banker. and brainy person as well.
Another new man and n bachelor is
c. W. Ramsyer. of the Sixth district;
while the Seventh district will also
he represented by a single man. Cas-
sius c. Dowell, who is confirmed
bachelor and has probably caused
more concern and disappointment to
anxious mamas than any one man in
the State of Iowa. Frank p. Wood,
another left over. likewise a bachelor.
is a man of independent means and
a prominent banker at home.
1t is Disappointing. however. that
Maurice Connolly will not be here this
season, the more SO that he Is still
apparently as fancy free as before his
term in Congress. His defeat in the
race for Senator is. however, in my
humble opinion, but temporary set
back in his political career. and un
less miss my guess nightly he will
be back on The hill before long.
One more to be added to the ever
growing spring crop of engagements!
Mrs. Louis II. Fisher announces the en-
gagcment Of her daughter. Marie Char
lotte, to Richard William Austin, of
Uniontown, Pa. The marriage will take
place some time this spring. and Mr..
in Uniontown.
Marie Is the granddaughter of the late
Thomas J. Fisher, of Washington. She
is sister Of Kitty Fisher She IS an
unusually pretty girl, with lovely blonde
hair and a graceful figure.
-
Three new captains-all-marrie
installed in their quarters at the Wash
ington Barracks, Capt. John n. Hodges,
Capt. Virgil l.. Peterson, and Capt.
Thomas II. Emerson. Mrs. Hodges and
Mrs. Peterson are already at work set
ting their houses in order, but Mrs.
Emerson has not yet joined her hus-
band. The Hodges came to Washing
ton from Huntington, w. Va, where
lthe captain wss in charge of the work
lon the Ohio river dam lust below the
town. Mrs. Hodges, who was Claude
Coleman. of Texas, is an old friend of
Mrs. John J. Kingman, and the two
young matrons are enjoying the re-
newal of their intimacy. while their
children are fast laying the foundation
of another such tic. The little Hodge
youngstcr has DONKEY. which is at
once the delight and the envy of every
child on the post.
-. s.
Wanted, a beau" is the cry of the
debutantc these days. Uncle Sam has
been sadly inconsiderate in shipping the
young men of his service to divers
parts of the country for divers reasons
that appear quite unimportant to the
feminine eye. The Dolphin is patrolling
New York harbor with its quota OF
dancing men aboard; the scarcity of
officers at Fort Myer is due to the al
lurement of the polo tournament at
Aiken: target practice and camp at
Belvoir, Va, are absorbing the attention
of the Engineers, and the worst is yet
to come. No less than four of the men
from Washington Barracks have been
ordered to Texas City; Lieut.. John Car
ruth and Lieut. Frederick w. Herman
have already gone, and Lieut.. Howard
S. Bennion is to follow with Lieut..
Roscoe Crawford as soon as they COM
plete their postgraduate course at the
Engineer school, early in April.
Lieut.. Alec Surles and his bride
did YOU know he had bride? ] didn't
until just the other day--are i'll San
where Mr.. Surles is detail
ed to the Panama Pacific Exposition
in charge of the army polo squad. The
marriage took place the last of Feb
ruary at Ell Paso, Tex, where he was
then stationed. Mrs. Surles, who be-
fore her marriage was Anne Lee
Gaines. was an El Paso girl and the
daughter of prominent banker of
that city.
Alec Surles, who was stationed at
Fort Myer for some time. is remem-
bered In Washington as a squire o
danes, constantly fitting from one
flower to another, but his friends all