The Washington times., 1920-08-29
CHRISTIAN HEMM|CK
DIVORCES RICH WIFE
Gets Decree in Chicago From
Wealthy Mrs. Barney, WASH
ingt0n Social Leader.
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"f0hSst SSStot GO00Vts
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placed in the hall OF the Barney
home. The report that Uatalie hsd
been the model for the statue was
denied by the Barneys, who declared
that the work was merely "some sort
OF antique"
as follower OF the Persian religion
Bahaism, which had a church In the
French capital
There was no Indication OF trou-
bue between Mrs. Hemmick and her
husband until about a year and a half
ago. when she suddenly surprised
Washington and New York society by
Issuing invitations 10 one Of her so
cial functions. signed Mrs. Barney
She continued TO drop her husbands
name and though there had been
no divorce proceedings. she was
recognized In society circles there
after as Mrs Barney.
Shortly afterward Mrs. Hemmick
moved to California and her hus-
band went to Pittsburgh, where he
had planned to start IN business ex-
plotting patented soap. This VEN
ture was unsuccessful and he there-
upon tried to establish himself IN
the moving picture exhibiting tusi-
ness, planning eventually to operats
a string OF theaters across the couIs-
try.
His plans were changed, Il is IN
derstood. when Mrs. Hemmick refused
to support him with additional cspt-
tai.
since that time the two have not
lived altogether. Hemmick has been as
ISOLATED In New York brokerage
nrm. where he is at present located.
Mrs. Hemmick returned to her
Rhod Island avenue home here last
fall with her daughter and son-in-law.
M. and Nine. Dreyfus- Barney. She
entertained extensively with a series
Of informal dinners the Duchess de
Clairmon Tommaires, Nine. Edward
Gillett, and many other Partisan
notables. Miss Natalie Barney. her
other daughter. was here until last
autumn. when she returned to her
Paris home.
Mrs. Barney's reputation as an art
list is no slight one. Nine years age
she held in Paris an exhibition OF
eighty-three of her own paintings
Many of thes had been done in Paris
and others were painted in the studie
of her home here. The pictures re-
ceived the serious attention and the
commendation of the art critics OF
the French capital. One of the paint
ings, a pastel of the artists daugh
ter. Natalie, was purchased by the
French government.
James McNeill Whistler. her teacher
was her lifelong friend. and was otter
at her Paris studio. One year before
his death Whistler posed for Mrs
Barney Her portrait of him, a pastel
done in impressionistic style, is con
sidered one of the best and most sym
pathetic Whistler portraits now II
existence. 1t has been exhibited
many times. and photogravure OF
it forms the frontispiece of more
than one authoritative volume Of art
criticism.
For. number of years Mrs. Barney
has been interested in the industrial
education of children. Over a decade
ago she bought two buildings in thh
city in order to equop them for the
Industrial work whwich she believed
should be taught the children oi
Neighborhood House settlement. Bo
sides giving the use Of these build
ings she has finfianced the settlement
industrial work with the proceeds od
plays which she herself has wrwitteI
and produced and with the proceeds
of beautiful dyed stuffs made In the
industrial department at Neighbor
hod House.
Mrs. Hemmick studying dyeing un
der Prof. Pelew Of Harvard. She hAf
originated a formula for dyeing good
which produces such remarkable ant
exquisite color effects in scarfs and
dress goods that experts marvel al
them. The formula by which they art
dyed i sknown only to Mrs. Hemmicf,
and to J. P.>S. Neigh, in charge of tn,
industrial work at the settlement
Prof. Pelew has declared that he couh
not understand how such beautifu
color effects were obtained as thos1
for which the Neighborhood HousA
dyed stuffs are distinguished.
Prison reform is a subject OF alb
sorbing interest to Mrs. Hemmick
She advocates that the governmen
send its man and woman prisoners b
aid in irrigating the vast plains q
the West and to study agricuitNN
there.
"Then." she says. "let them rails
grain and make rough bread to b
given to all as freely as water, lig6
and highways are given. In paymen
to the prisoners for this work I ~
lieve the Government should tho
give them small pieces Of land. -
which. when their terms have beea
served, they could earn q living wtAh
out crowding back to the cities. SURE
ly this Is no utopian dream"