Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
Tales of Well known Folk
i In Social and Official Life
NJ Berenger, New French bassador Here
|. Skilled Fencer-British King Recipient of
Queer "Christmas Gifts'-Notes.

Chief Justice Mr. Randolph is in his
! 85th year. but hale enough and alert
enough to attend TO his duties he Is
! a link with the est perhaps unique
! in the Federal service. For the Wa
Department has had but 80 heads
since the first Secretary, Henry Knox.
, ,e.ved under President Washington
and out of this total the venerable
grandson of Andrew Jackson's war
chief, Gen. John II. Eaton, has served
Is of them, including the incum-
bent, Dwight Filley Davis. The
office of Secretary of War, MIR. Paris
recalled. had been held by two men
who became president of the United
States. Grant who served ad interim
under Andrew Johnson. and William
Howard Taft. and 1t had also the
president of the Confederacy, Jeffer-
son Davis.
Sir Richard Cameron's famous estate
on Staten Island. Clifton Burley, has
heen sold to 0ndicate, and will be
divided during the coming Spring into
building lots; and so passes the most
historic and extensive holding in that
section. The present head of the Clan
Cameron is Duncan Cameron, who
married Miss Mary Turnure, and
whose only child, Mary Cameron, mar
ried Mr.. Juan Mayer of this city. For
years, under Sir Richard and his i'm
mediate heirs. Clifton Burley was
thronged with Gotham's most illus
triouS, and the parties for young peo-
pie We're especially notable. steam
boat used to be chartered from the
quarantine landing, and the guests
were then conveyed overland to the
mansion. Mr.. Cameron had four sis
tiers. the only surviving one being
Anne Cameron. who married Belmont
Tiffany. Fifty years ago Staten
Island possessed more magnificent
dwellings than any section outside the
big city, OF these only the splendid
domiclle Of Sir Bache Cunard remains
in it's stately situation. Commodore
Vanderbilt's white stone house. deep
in a forest of evergreens, has been
turned into a garage and fuel station,
and the only trees about are few in
tubs. The lovely little cottage. SO
familiar in the pictorial sense, in
which lived the commodore's mother.
and in which she received all the
brides Of the family. and later their
infants, was preserved when the
property was sold. and 1t is now the
residence of the keeper of the garage.
The fine stained glass windows in
which Commodore Vanderbilt had his
famous horses immortalized now are
In the stables Of Gen. Cornelius Van
bilt, in Fifth avenue.
Prince Serge Obolensky and his
wife, who was Miss Muriel Alice AS
tor, the daughter Of the late John
Jacob Aston, and his first wife, now
the widowed Lady Ribblesdale. are
spending the Winter in New York. 1t
may be that this scion Of the ancient
rulers Of the Muscovite empire will
take up a business career in his wife's
native land. She has a tidy fortune
and could live here very comfortably.
even If her husband chose to toll not
nor spin. but he Is an energetic young
man with a turn toward mechanics.
In the days before the Romanoff
throne collapsed little was heard Of
the families Of the rulers who were in
power before Peter the Great grasped
the scepter. But now, at least four
heirs of different dynasties reside in
this country and have their eye out
for an opportunity to retrieve their
lost estate. since universally 1t is ad-
mitted that the Russian people. If
their thoughts return to a king or en-
peror. will hardly call another Roman
Off to the throne. But Prince Serge is
seemingly not intriguing in this way.
but is looking for an opening in a con-