Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-12-07

there were afternoon teas. IOOay IL
would take a Sherlock Homes to find
one group of women in this city play
ing bridge, and 1t would take an equal
ly keen-eyed detective to find tea
party given as tea parties usually are
given, purely for social purposes.
There will be no big society events
In this town during the coming winter.
The president will not give even ms
official receptions, the affairs which
are supposed to be so fixed by prece-
dent that not even war or pestilence
could displace them. The diplomatic
reception, the judicial reception, the
congressional reception, and the army
and navy reception all are to go by the
board.
Washington hosts and hosteSses by
common consent have agreed to give
over all balls and big parties. Inc
debutantes of the year are not TO DC
allowed 'to debutante."
No Society" Left to Enter.
In truth in one sense there is no
society left in Washington for young
girls to enter; that is, there is no
society as one generally understands
the meaning Of the word. The de-
butantes will meet their sister de-
butantes and the elders of society vir-
tually every dsy,A but they will meet
them around the table on which hos
pital garments are cut and surgical
dressings made.
Washington will see more weddings
this winter than ever before, but not
one of them will be, SO to speak, a
high affair. The other day young
woman who is the daughter OF for
mer cabinet officer and the niece OF
another former cabinet officer, was
married in this town to a man OF
high official position. Ordinarily the
wedding would have been one OF the
big things of Washington social life.
AS it was it was solemniZed in the
presence of about twenty people. II
this seclusiveness and excluslveness
had occurred year ago it would have
been the talk Of the town.
Already this year there have been
twice as many weddings in Washing
ton as in any like period in the history
of the place since it became populous
town. War weddings are the order OF
the hour. Almost every day there are
a dozen weddings in Washington OF
young men who, having joined the serv-
ice, wish with their brides to be mar
ried prior to the coming Of the order
to report for duty somewhere"
Washington Is Overcrowded.
Let no one come to Washington. to
take a position under the government
without first securing a proper place
to live after reaching the city. Young
women especially should make proper
arrangements for a home in this town
before coming here to take work of
any kind. There is work here, but be
sure you can do it, and be sure before
coming that you will have a place to
live. 6
No one at distance perhaps real
ICES just what the condition is in town
today. Hotels, boarding houses, and
lodging houses are filed to overflow
ing. A night or two ago SO persons
spent the sleeping hours in the big rail-
road station because they could not
find beds within the limited time given
them after their arrival and the hour
when most persons go to sleep.
Washington is meeting the situation
gradually. The chamber of COM
merce and other organizations of citi-
zens are doing all that they can to
provide living places for the incom-
ing workers to say nothing of those
who are coming here on business
which will occupy only few days OF
their time The local authorities are
doing good work, and it is assured
that when advance notice is given,
persons who are coming here to live
will be provided with proper accommo-
dations and proper surroundings, but
the man or woman who comes here
without knowing where he or she is
to go, is likely to experience discom-
fort and even hardship.
In certain sections of Washington
today the streets resemble those of
Chicago and New York. Automobiles
have increased rapidly and the num-
Der of foot passengers has much more
than doubled in the business districts.
Washington instead of being the quiet
ly sedate city which it was not long
ago, is today place of hurry, rush
and crowding.
Working Room Scarce, Too.
There have been two problems to
confront the government authorities
and the local business boards. One
of them is to provide living places for
the additional workers and the other
is to provide working room for them.
The government has taken over build
ing after building, and as many of the
places which have been commanders
ed, or virtually Communicated, are
apartment buildings and hotels, an
additional number of people have been
randorod fompOrari1v homeless This