Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-03-05
AMONG THEM
LIKE HEnM|TS
No Change Since 1856 In
Fifth Avenue House.
Only Outings In
Yard.
women-the three Wendell sisters, the

-~s>>>>>><<%H8a %3\A<<%>~1
women-the three Wendell sisters, the
youngest past fifty. and two maids.
whose age is probably little less.
Each of three younger sisters Is al
most a replica. on an even Quieter and
more unobtrusive pattern. OF Mrs.
Swope There is in each case the same
gray hair. drawn tightly down over the
ears: the same dead black clothing,
cut in the style of two generations
lures. But the self reliance Of Mrs.
Swope's manner is entirely missing
Unknown to Passing Throng.
In all the years during which the
tide of New York life has been flowing
unanimously up and down the avenue
beneath the blank windows Of the old
Wendell house not one Of all the mil
lions has got a glimpse Of one of the
jewellers within. On two sides the old
house Is encompassed with little
grass grown yard. surrounded in its
turn with high brick wall.
In this yard the three sisters take
their only outdoor exercise At irreg-
ular intervals Of several days when the
weather is fine the three venture forth
into this yard, but they never do so
until after nightfaIl. when the big new
Office building that towers beside their
home is empty and its windows are
dark and still.
What 90 they do in all those long
days? Nobody really knows. Save
for the trusted business associates and
employees Of John Wendell. not. one
soul in New York now possesses the
privilege of entering his house. Many
years ago the Wendell family preserved
relations Of friendship with a few of
the other old Knickerbocker families.
such as the Goelets and the Kings
lands.
With $6O.OOOOOO to draw upon. the
three sisters make their own clothes.
These clothes. like Mrs. Swope's. are
always black. always severely plain.
cut on patterns Of thirty or forty years
ago. and always worn until shabby.
Not one of the four sisters. 80 far as
known. has ever possessed IN article
Of jewelry. The running expenses Of
this house Of millions probably do not
exceed 500 a month.
Go to Irvington For. Summer.
Up ut lrvington is the Wendell coun-
try estate. For score Of years the
annual migration to and from Irving
4 ton has formed the sole occasion Of
the public appearance of the four sis
tiers. Every spring they. Mr.. SwOpe
and the two old servants leave the
house at Thirty-ninth street and walk
the three blocks Up to Forty second
street and two blocks to the Grand
Central terminal to take the train for
Irvington. Even this brief excursion
is matter for anxious preparation and
Is undertaken in fear and trembling.
The Irvington estate. where the en-.
tire family invariably spends the whole
summer, b even less known to the
public than the town house. The ex-
tensive grounds IRE inclosed by a high
wall, with n massive gate.
The permanent staff Of the country
house consists Of one venerable gar.
dener, who. like the other servants. has
been In the family for years uncount-
ed. and a man Of nll work, Though the
estate is In the fashionable section If
Irvington. not one of the neiShbors
has ever knowingly seen the sisters
faces.
| Sometimes Seen by Strangers.
None the less the life Of the sisters
at Irvington has in recent years been
more open than that in their New
York house. The grounds afford op-
portpnity for outdoor exercise without
fear Of exposure to curious eyes On
one or two occasions neighbors pass.
ing the big gates have caught fleeing
giimpses Of one Of the little old WON
en- peering forth into the strange world
outside.
/ On still rarer occasions the little fam
lily party has been known to venture
forth in the little old family carryall.
a two seated vehicle of the type popu-
lar in the seventies. drawn by a horse
which looks almost as ancient
An Irvington man who for ten years
has delivered milk and groceries at
the house and has carried vegetables
from the kitchen garden to the rail-
way station says he has never seen
any of the sisters.
William Diaz has been manager Of
the Wendell estate nearly all his adult
life. yet he has not seen one Of the
three younger sisters In more than
twenty years.
One Family Trouble Revealed.
Just once the internal affairs of this
strange family have been brought forth
In unhappy form into the light Of day.
In 1899 Miss Georgiana left the r.
vington home and appeared at the
Park Avenue hotel. She was removed
a few days later to the psychopathic
ward at Bellevue hospital. She was
taken back to Irvington by her broth.
er. and In October Of the following
year the family asked that she be