Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-16

X TRS. PETER COOPER HEWITT. wife
kNl OF distinguished electrical in
~ ventor, walked down the gIngplank
OF the Mauretania tie other day. wearing
a conspicuous bangle on her ankle.
II was n striking creation OF the artistic
tewcicr. II flexible band studded with da,
monds It's designer was a society artist
OF note, Robin d'Erlanger, son of Baron
d'Erlanger, the well!inown Partisan fnan-
Cicr. lis value was estimated at 100000.
Mrs. Hewitt displayed the jewel on a
very suitable background-a shapely, silk.
clau ankle. Somebody asked her when
she had taken up this fashion and she an
swered Take it up! l originated it,
And Mrs. Peter Cooper Hewitt amably
stuck out her foot for the photographers
10 i'm at as they caught in their cameras
the bcicwoled ankle which is shown above
on this page.
II u chorus girl had done this very thing
everybody would smile and say silly
press agent nonsense"
But Mrs. Peter Cooper Hewitt docs not
need public notorie,y She is the wife of
New YORK mul,i-mi!ionare of estab-
lshed social and scientific standing.
Then why did she do II?
Why did Mrs. Peter Cooper Hewitt have
diamond anklet made for herself and dis
play it in public?
And why should she be pleased TO have
her bcjeweled anklet photographed for
public exhibition?
And would a frivolous freak OF this kind
amuse or meet the approval of serious
minded man of science who has spent q
lifetime in the silence Of his laboratory?
These seemingly trivial details concern.
ing the ankle and the bangle are worthy of
consideration. because they form part OF q
serious problem Why should a successful
scientist OF nearly sixty seek happiness
with a frivolous woman under thirty with
out any inclination for serious studies?
We are here faced with one Of the doep-
est problems Of human nature, but we
must first consider the essential facts
about the persons in this case.
Peter Cooper Hewitt has been one of the
most productive of electrical scientists For
thirty years he has buried himself in his
laboratories. One of his favoritc retreats
was in the Madison Square Tower He
invented tho Cooper Hewitt mercury vapOr
lamp, WHICH gives lSnt at the lowest cost
of any electric lamp and is widely used in
factories. He has invented wireless tele-
phone that will respond to one-hundred-
millIonth OF horsepower current and a
telephone that can be used across the At
lantic. Other inventions are the Cooper
Hewitt rectifier to enable direct currents
to be used with alternating circuits. a light
transformer for altering the wave lengths
of light ray and thus changing its color,
a centrifugal separator and several other
important contributions to science.
Mr. Hewitt became an inventor because
nature made him that way and not be-
cause he needed money. He Is the grand
son OF Peter Cooper. who was a noted bust
ness man. millionaire and philanthropist.
His own father Abram s. Hewitt, was one
or the leading citizens Of New York. His
family have had great wealth for many
generations and they belong to the most
fashionable set Of the metropolis
over twenty years ago Mr. Hewitt mar
Tied Miss Lucy Work daughter Of Frank
WORK and sister Of Mrs. Burke Roche. Il
woman of the same set as his own family.
In rev years 1t became apparent that,
IKE many other couples in society. they
were not particularly suited to one an
other Mrs. Hewitt was very active in
society and Mr. Hewitt was not always
VIII her. They had no children. a few