Evening star., 1925-05-31
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson to Be Honored at Geneva
Congress Members Plan Look In
on League

is another hostess or large companies
OF guests all this week and next and
she is also having 'at homes" in the
orchards and serving tea or frozen
dainties when the weather suggests
them. right in the midst Of the flower
laden trees.
Mr.. and Mrs. James Abercrombie
Burden, who are among the philan-
thropically inclined members Of the
SyoSSet colony of Long Island, have
turned Il pretty penny by throwing
open their garden for the benefit of the
East Side nursery, of which Mrs.
Burden is the president. Naturally.
many will pay to see the mansion and
grounds which were the home of the
Prince of Wales last Autumn, and the
tree which the British heir planted
commands universal attention. Wood
side, the Burden place, has thousands
of every variety of flower that looms
In the Spring or any other season,
but it's wild violets on a bank off the
dense forest which edges the house on
three sides are unusually lovely at
present. The rhododendrum, laurel
and azalea also are in full glory and
make such a wonderful sight that
many wish the prince, who expressed
such admiration for Woodside, could
see 1t in the opening year. The Gus
tom OF opening beautiful gardens for
an entrance fee devoted to charity
now so prevalent all over rural New
York, began IN Westchester and Mrs.
Whitelaw Reid was one of the pio-
neers. But long before this Charles
Dudley Warner, the eminent man of
letters, used to open his gardens at
Hartford, Conn. for charity and he
wrote concerning these al fresco fetes
mostly for orphanageS and children s
hospitals that Notwithstanding all the
mischief which woman did in a garden,
he liked to see, her there among the
flowers and pretty gowns which al
most put the flowers to blush" Mr.
and Mrs. Harold Irving Pratt of GleT
Cove have had their box-hedge garden
open all the Sundays of May for diff.
ferent civic charities.
Mr.. and Mrs. Leonard Cox, the for
mer young architect fast acquiring
fame and the son of Kenyon Cox, the
well known artist, were the special
hosts of the gay party held at the
Minettas, the garden apartment which
has transformed the sordid surround
tngs of Minetta Lane, East Side, New
York. into a sylvan bower. Mr.. Cox
designed this beautiful building and
its spacious grounds, which Is set
right in the heart of what was the
ugliest and most hopeless looking
his home there. One OF the features
of the party held last Wednesday was
an exhibition of art work called "Our
Own Home Exhibit" and collected
from the various studios near by
Minetta Lane, once the home of fash
ion and wealth, was the residence of
Gen. Sir Peter Warren in the days
when the British governed New York
Sir Peter was an admiral and In
charge OF the fleet about the Sound
and he married the daughter of a
colonist we'll known in revolutionary
history, James de Lancey. Every inch
of ground of Minetta Lane is now
utilized by the crowding artists, and
one of the really unique houses in the
district is where the lane turns and
where Maitland Belknap the artist,
has built q house on lot which Is Is
feet in front and dwindles down to 5
at the rear. He calls 1t Wedge
House-on-the-B Bend" and it Is marvel
GUS how every inch has been covered
by a studio and dwelling combined.
Mr.. Cox, who is giving undivided at
tention to redeeming unsightly spots
in large cities, has been decorated by
three ernments-France, Belgium
and Rumania-for his work in assist
ing the upbutlding of ruined villa ges.
He Is the grandson of that hero of
Antietam, Gen. Jacob Dolson Cox, who
was second in command under Sher-
man in that fateful battle. Gen. Cox
was twice Governor of Ohio and was
Secretary Of the Interior under Grant.
Mrs. Alton Brooks Parker was host
ess at the art exhibition held in New
York City last week by the Su1grave
Institute. The purpose was to show to
the members and all interested in this
foundation the offerings made during
the year to the former home of the
Washingtons in Northamptonshire
before they are sent to adorn the old
manor. NJ. Emil Fuchs, the painter
and sculptor, also exhibited many of
his works done in connection with the
society's efforts to make Sulgrave OF
today much as 1t was when Lawrence
Washington, its owner, was laid to
rest in the Abbey church of st. James
in 1864. Gov. Lee Trinkle of Virginia
and Mrs. George D. Hope of this city
have been among the indefatigable
members of the national committee
which is gathering from every source
souvenirs of the Washingtons in this
country, in order to adorn the North
amptonshire manor. Judge and Mrs.
Alton Brooks Parker also have
been among the earnest laborers for
Sulgrave. and the exhibition this past
tainments which they have devised
to stimulate public interest in this
Anglo American association. Sui
grave village, which boasts a popula-
ton somewhat below a thousand, is
growing rapidly owing to the fire.
quent visits from Americans and a
modern hotel is among the contem-
plated improvements.
Mrs. Ida NJ. H. Starr, widow of
William j. Starr, whose splendid
wooded estate with its mansion, Hope
House, is one of the show places of
Maryland, has recently planted two
oak trees from the suburbs of Pekin,
her first foreign importation. The
late William j. Starr was one of that
committee of 100 members appointed
in 1907 to preserve the native shade
trees of the District of Columbia and
to replace those which had died with
others of enduring strength. Mr..
Starr had planted the greatest aggre.
cation of oak trees found in all Mary
land and he used only the yearling
variety, and he with the aid OF Mrs.
Starr, who is now carrying on the
work, has proven how quickly the
oak will grow under good conditions
and with scientific and regular treat.
ment. These oaks, which form an
avenue of dense shade, though less
than 20 years old. have reached such
perfection in height and general con.
tour that they have been frequently
photographed for screen purposes by
foresters in every part of the country
Mrs. Starr, following the general plan
outlined by her husband, intends to
plant in her wooded acres, every tree
which grows in Maryland, and she
will in time make over the property
! to the State as a memorial arbore-
tum of Mr.. Starr. Besides proving
that oak will grow perceptibly under
favorable conditions Mrs Starr has