Evening star., 1924-06-15
Home of the Pittrnans,
Long a Social Center,
Is Closed for Summer
Wife of Senator, Popular
Hostess, Soon to Join He.-
Husband in Tonapah, New,

senator and Mrs. Key Pittman are
permanent denizens of Washington,
and their home, Ridge Hall, on the
Ridge road, just beyond the American
University Park, once an adjunct
Oh the lovely Conduit road in its most
picturesque part, is usually one of
the popular places when Congress
sits through the summer. But this
year things are different. Mrs. Pitt
man mas already gone west, and after
visiting friends and relatives in Cali
iIornia she will join her husband in
h ohapah, New. She has always been
hIuong the active hostesses of the
senatorial set during the season, and
IN summer her home with it's excel
tent equipment has been an oasis in
deSert of closed official domiciles.
when, some twelve years as< Key
flttman, leading lawyer of Nevada,
was elected to succeed Francis G.
NewlandS, deceased, in the Senate, he
was the youngest member of that
podE, having just turned his fortieth
Year. He may still be counted among
the youngsters, though in recent
days newly chosen solons are more
Juvenile than in the past times. But
Tor the senator and Mrs. Pittman
these have been crowded years. and
as VoyagerS on the sea of adventure
theY may be said to hold the record
IN the higher official set. They might
both have the magic wora 'kismer"
Tor a motto, for their meeting in the
WlldS of Alaska under romantic cir
cumStances shows the workings of
tate. Senator Pittman is a native of
N1cksburg, Miss, and journeyed to
Washington in his prime to study law
@t the George Washington, then the
columbian, University. He selected
Seattle. Wash, as the city in which
TO practice his profession, and natu-
Sally he caught the gold fever when
the hordeS were setting out from that
city to the Klondike.
Mrs. Pittman formerly MimoSa
Gates, was born in village of Cali
forna-Eureka. which had gone
through a gold epidemic and settled
down to Il prOsaic existence. She was
educated at nearby convent and
having from her childhood a strong
clear soprano voice, she decided to
make music her profession. After
completing her education, she en-
tered Il conse rvatory in San Francis
60 and studied so diligently that
her health became impaired and one
acation she accepted an invitation
~ visit her brother, Humbolt Gates,
who was seeking his fortune about
Dawson. Her young brother, Edgar
r Gates, jr., accompanied her and
ii was fateful journey. Arriving at
the shack. on the Dyea, Miss Gates, as
she was then, found young lawyer.
living with him, Key Pittman, who
togned in Alaska, was also the owner
on several mines. The only woman
of the family, she took over the
household problem, and so success
fully that when the all-too-s short
summer ended and she talked about
returning to civilization and voice
culture, the three men eloquently
pleaded with her to attend TO the
more important duty in hand ana
continue her efforts in their behalt.
f1a inc "a d.
ship should soon spring up between
Miss Gates and her brothers asSo-
ciate was TO be expected, but not that
the two should suddenly in the depths
of the arctic winter determine @ 10
make the trip to Nome and get mar,
ried. The Gates brothers had located
their mines near Dawson, but legal
duties required the attorney TO re-
hide at Nome, so unless they raced
a winter in the frozen north sepa-
rated from each other. there was
nothing to do but get out the dog
team and start for the goal. Young t-d-
gar Gates went with his sister very
reluctantly and protesting EiolenIis MY
against it, But all went well. The
wedding was very quiet before the
proper authorities and such terri
torial dignitaries as could Dc COL
lected on such brief notice.
Senator and Mrs. 1'ittman are ire
uuently guests at nu'2tial ceremonies
and the subsequent feaSts, mere anu
in Nevada but their wedding banquet
was unique, consisting of such
delicacies as canned pork and beans
crackers. dried tomatoes and some
thin pieces of Clipped beer slminereo
i'm what passed for mil X. But 1t was
a glorious feast for tn D young lovers
and the prelude for Mrs. Plttman OF
the makeShiftS to get an accepta ole
meal out of thin air as 1T We're IheE
lived in Nome for four years after
this adventurous journey and Mrs
plttman acquired there a deep loFe
for silent places and for long solitary
trims on horseback and in canoes,
which she retains. 81 le frequently
strclls for miles along &c river bank
off the Conduit road and into the deep
woods which fringe 1t. She is an
enthusiastic musician al "a a generous
patron of all worthy musical cruSadeS.
But the studies which Cupid inter
rupted so summary were never
resumed except in the desultory way
nossible for one who has many other
demands on her time. Mrs. Pittman
sings at home. for that was the great
soIace of her brothers and their
friends during those shut-in weeks
at Dawson, before they ventured
forth to Nome.
Mrs. Pittman is the daughter of
MIR and Mrs. Edgar i. Gates of
Massachusetts,. the former one of
those who joined the gold rush to
california in the late seventies. She
is a lineal descendant OF that Gen.
Horatio Gates, who was the victor
over Burgoyne at the battle of
Saratoga, and is a member of many
patriotic societies.