Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-12-30
CAPITAL SOCIETY
ON TENTER HOOKS
Before Wedding White House
Bride Was Taboo Because She
Was "In Trade"-Must
Accept Her Now.

Washington. d. c., Dec. 27.-With an
interest which might almost be de-
scribed as an apprehension, Washing
ton society is looking forward to the
resumption Of social activities by the
White House family.
What will the winter bring forth q
is h question asked and left I'M
answered over the tea CUP and the an
teprandial cocktail glasses of Wash
tngton's homes and clubs.
The course of the White House fam
NY, which by reason of the brief vows
and briefer benediction of an Episco-
allan ceremony, becomes a new fam
y, with a new first lady of the land"
is a problem to Washington society
more serious thar any which has con-
fronted it in a generation, for President
Wilson,. unlike any of his predecessors,
is marrying a Washington m
Society Concerned.
Washington has been well a%couain-
ted with many wives of presidents aft
CT they had come to make Washington
their homes, but the union of Woodrow
Wilson and Edith Boiling Gait pre-
sents an entirely new M unprecedent-
ed situation. The situation, besides
being new, has elements of concern to
the permanent jewellers in the national
capital. 1t would be different if the
president, even though he We're marry.
ing into a Washington family, was at
the time wedding with one whose rela-
ions with the official life of Washing
ton had been direct. Strange, un-
American, homogeneous as it may seem
in his lane of democracy and equality.
in years gone by, recognized that any
one engaged sin trade" had any actual
social standing in the activities of LIE
Grand Monde, as evidenced in the
round of festivities and functions here.
Mrs. Edith Boiling Gait, now Mrs.
mercial circle of Washington society.
Was Outside the Pale.
Regardless of the fact that the Boil
lings of Virginia rank in their own
home state as the equals of any
family in the ancient commonwealth,
the union of Edith Boiling with Nor
mar Gait, almost a score of years
ago, took the fair daughter of the old
dominion, a descendant of John Rolfe
and Pocahontas, u of her inherited
status and placed her definitely and
fxedly outside the charmed circles, so
far as Washington county was con
cerned.
The Calls of Washington constitute
a huge family and the present gen
grafton, as were the original arrivals
In the then new District of Columbia
away back in 1852, are actively en-
gagged in h jewelry and other lines
Of trade. Trade is trade, in Washing
ton, n trade is not society and never
had been ridiculous n un-American
as it may seem.
What makes the situation doubly
interesting is the fact that Mrs. Gait
herself has since the death of her
first husband been actively engaged
as the head of the jewelry firm on
Pennsylvania avenue which bears the
family name n which was estab-
|lished in 1902.
Was Real Proprietor.
The jewelry store has been located
at the same stand since the days of
Andrew Jackson. Mrs. Cats two
brothers conduct the business, but
she has been the actual proprietor.
Naturally. man. folks in society,
who previously have observed the un-
American 'in trade" rule, are wonder
ing what the attitude Of the new
White House mistress will be toward
them and Washington's social customs
of long standing.