The Washington times., 1919-07-09
PRESTON GIBSON
TO WE'D DIVORCE
Will Marry Heiress Grand
daughter of Late Henry
n. Rogers.

Preston Gibson, man-about-town,
prominent in society OF Washington.
New York, and Newport, whose first
wife divorced him, naming a score OF
correspondence is TO marry again
according to dispatches from New
York.
His bride to be is Mrs. Beatrice
Rogers Benjamin Pratt multi-mil-
lionaire heiress OF H. H. Rogers,
famed for beauty, daring gowns, and
her fad OF wearing stockings that do
not mate. Mrs. Pratt has just been
divorced from Alexander Dallas Bache
Pratt, scion OF one OF New York's
oldest families.
Preston Gibson-he should right
fully. be called Lieutenant Gibson now,
for he served in the war as an officer
In the marine corps-began paying
suit to the beautiful Mrs. Pratt, ac-
cording to gossip from Newport, while
the latter's divorce suit was still in
the courts. According to this same
gossip, which emanates from intimate
friends OF both, the couple will defy
conventionality and be married prob
ably within a fortnight. Mrs. Pratt
has been divorced less than a week.
BY his new marriage. Lieutenant
Gibson will become the consort of
millions-and incidentally the step
father Of three children. Mrs. Pratt
and her children are now in New York
living at one of the smart hotels.
There, alsoE is lieutenant Gibson.
Da2AInE Figure Here.
Lieutenant Gibson was, for years,
one OF the most dashing figures in
local society. .-,
hills bride-tc-be Is no less dashinE
figure in the ultra smart set of
New York and Newport. Inheriting
millions from, Henry H. Rogers of
Standard Oil fame, she has long been
noted for gowns that are unique, al
most, to the point OF being bizarre.
She appeared at one function clad
in what appeared to be a light
swathing Of lace-of the transparent
variety, and wearing one stocking of
white. and the other of black. She
leading figure" in the world of
fashion.
Since he left Yale in 1900, Gibson's
career has been an eventful one. His
courtship of his first wife. who was
Miss Minna Field, then only seven
teen years old. daughter of the late
Henry Field, and niece of Marshall
Field, and later his wooing OF the
beautiful and accomplished Miss
Grace Mcmillan Jarvis. daughter Of
the late William Jarvis. of Chicago.
were the subjects of many romantic
stories, some of which Gibson is said
to have incorporated in his plays.
Caught Monument Rail-.
Following his wedding Miss Jarvis,
Mr.. Gibson's second bride. it was said.
was not satisfied he was making
a career" for himself. and Gibson.
who already had been doing news
paper work, set out to cover the
Democratic national convention.
Gibson also staged the feat of
Charlie Street, catcher for the Wash
ington baseball team, who was the
first man to catch a baseball tossed
from the window OF the Washington
Monument.
About the time OF his second mar
rage Gibson turned his attention 20
writing plays. One Of his early pro-
auctions, The Turning Point" vas
found to contain lines almost identi-
cal with some of the dialogue OF
Oscar Wilde's The Ideal Husband"
and "a Woman Of No Importance -
But this resemblance proved to be =
good publicity getter for the play.
adopted the epigrams OF Wilde, and
attributed the resemblance to 'un-
conscious absorption" This an
nouncement caused wide discussion
among college professors and dram
atists regarding the extent to viii. n |
playwrights and novelists were VIC !
Tins of such absorption" Deadly |
parallels" Of Gibson's lines and Those |
of Oscar Wilde were run in dramatic |
sections, and the play had a Longer |
run than any Of the other Gibson |
productions.
Lavish in Production.
Gibson was lavish in his expendi- !
ture on his productions. He generally !
had them tried out in the Shubert |
Theater in New Haven, inviting |
Washington friends and dramatic |
critics to make the trip to see the
initial production in a private car. !
and entertained them in New York OF
the way back. The opening nights
of his plays in Washington invariably |
brought a brilliant social gathering
to the theater.
One OF the first productions Vas