Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
By M.iRG.ARET b. DOWNING.


Mrs. Charles G. Dawes. Second Lady
Of the Land. is the president of the
Chicago Plant, Flower and Fruit
! Guild. ~ organization founded in Chi
caEo bv Mrs. Robert Rutherford Nc
Cormick. which is rapidly assuming
nationwide proportions. 1t is most
! likely that Mrs. Dawes will endeator
to depict the advantages of such 4
medium in city located in open, fer
tile valleys, as Washington is. This
guild according to the philanthropic
wifi of the Vice President. furnishes
an outlet for the surplus yield of the
: So 900 and more gardens ana small
farms which surround the Illinois ms
tropolis. Booths which are managed
by members of the Junior League are
in evidence at all suburban stations
and in the city proper as well, where
the products are exhibited. Much of
this >. sold to maintain the booths and
nav salaries. but a good portion is set
aside for the city's shut-lns In hos
pitals and reformatories. even III the
prisons. All the Spring the proper
authorities gather all the seedlings
deposited at the booths by gardeners
who are thinning their beds or hot
houses, and these are carefully dis
tributed for window boxes in various
which are sent in are used to beau
tify the sordid surroundings i'll the
South Side dwellings and public build
jnss. When fresh vegetables come II
the luxury of having such for delicate
appetites in the poor wards of nos
nitals is not to be calculated nor the
CHEEKY effect of flowers all through
the hot weather. 1t has been esti'
mated by Mrs. Dawes, Mrs Robert
Mccormick and others who are much
concerned in the success of this simple
hut effective service. that fully seven
eiShths of the gardens in the local
area contribute TO the booths of the
guild. A branch of the society has
recently been opened in Peoria and
S ringfield, and many centers Of
population in adjacent States have
followed this excellent example.
MIR, and Mrs. Frederic. B. Pratt
have recently opened their new home
in Glen Cove. Long Island, and have
been entertaining variety of guests,
many of them artists who wish TO
INSPECT the splendid French panel
ing, which despite drastic laws to
forbid the expectation of ancient
carved oak interiors. Mr.. Pratt was
able to buy and ship before the decree
went into effect. Unlike nearly all
the new mansions on Long Island, the
Frederic Pratts have built a tradi-
tional Norman French domiciie of ST.
Quentin stone, and the landscaptng
so familiar to those who visit st.
MaIo or other resorts of the Norman
coast has been fashioned on exact
1ines.s Several of the formal rooms are
panelled with the ancient oak and
walnut which prevailed In the seven.
teenth century. Nearly all came
from demolished chateaus and man.
sions which were not to be rebuilt, and
the interior pieces were offered in job
lots. The French government, how
ever, seeing the avidity with which
these paneIled walls and ceiling were
purchased by foreigners. put an en-
barge on such and placed them in the
hands Of the public monument and
arts committees. Mr.. Pratt, however.
had to employ many American wood
carvers to make the odd pieces
harmonize on his walls and on the
ceilings.
Lady Mendl of London, better
known as Miss Elise de Wolfe. has
been one of the organizers of the ex-
poSlIlon IN nonOf Oh MdFle AHLotilHelto,
and in this she had been aided by Mr..
James Hazen Hyde, Mrs. Paul Dupuy
and Ma. Talbot Taylor, all important
members of the American colony in
Paris. This display Of poignant relics
OF the unfortunate queen has been
most artistically arranged in the group
of historic rooms reserved for such ex-
hibits in the chateau of Versailles and
it was one of the features prepared as
q special welcome to Mr.. and Mrs.
John Rockefeller. jr.. on their first
visit TO the restored palace. Mr..
Rockefeller contributed a half million