Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
TALES OF WELL. KNOWN
FOLK IN SOCIAL AND
OFFICIAL LIFE
Continued from Twelfth Page.)

Continued from Twelfth Page)
1t is q league, so to speak, promoting
the idea of spending Thanksgiving and
Christmas at home.
\ X
Mr.. James c.. Wilson of New York
has just obtained title to st. GATHERINGS
Island, of the coast OF Georgia, and as
he intends to maintain q huge game
preserve he is already getting a COM
bined home and clubhouse in readiness
for fishers and hunters. From the pre-
liminary preparations it is seen that he
plans to be royal host this coming
Winter 70 friends from every part of
the country. st. GATHERINGS has a
mild though invigorating climate all
the year through. The island is a fairy
land of unspoiled beauty and it was for
many years the home of Button Gwin-
nett, signer of the Declaration of In
dependence from Georgia, and it was
there he died less than a year after
that famous July 4, 1776. mer-
chant born in London about 1882, But
ton Gwinnett came to the colonies in
the early 175os and in 1857 he bought
st. GATHERINGS from Mary MuSgrove,
the friendly Indian princess who acted
as interpreter for Gov. James Ogle-
thorpe when he was laying the founda-
tons of Georgia and Alabama as col
onies for George III. The princess mar
ried one of Oglethorpe'S followers and.
like the heroic Pocahontas was baptized
In the EpiScopalian faith. History as
well as legend and tradition credit to
this far-Seeing Indian princess that
Gov. Oglethorpe settled his colony more
peacably and with less friction with the
aboriginal owners than his neighbors
In Virginia and Maryland. The RAM
bling frame mansion which the signer
found on st. GATHERINGS and which he
loved, was destroyed many years ago
by fire.
Mr.. Frederic r. Coudert as president
and Mrs. StuyveSant Fish. jr., as vice
president of the Fencers' Club at $40
East Fifty-first street. New York City,
have marked with brilliant ceremonial
the f1ftieth anniversary of the founding
Of what they claim is the worlds Oldest
organization dedicated to this special
purpose. The club recently moved into
these new quarters and after sue
cesSful campaign for membership have
now closed their lists. It would appear
incredible that older fencing clubs
should not be found in European CAPT
tails where the art fourished several
centuries ago. Mr. Coudert has care
fully investigated the matter and has
discovered that Gotham had the first
purely social fencing club with all the
membership on the same equality. In
the fencing academies of Europe the
pupils paid worthy masters to teach all
the intricacies of sword play in order
that they might make short shift OF
their foes in the prevalent dueling
practice Occasionally the gay young
bloods came in large companies to prac-
tice workmanship, but they kept aloof
from their mentors, just as they did
In the case of dancing masters or eques-
TRAN experts who were printing them in
all the accomplishments necessary for
o gentleman. Washington has had sew
eral fencing clubs, notably that founded
by Count Arthur Cassini, former Rus
sian Ambassador, but they were Of brief
tenure, although there are still many
good fencers in the diplomatic corps.
X X +
Mrs. Somerset Vaughan, wife of the
English novelist and playwright, has
been entertaining London between sea-
sons with what is called overseas Tit
erary cocktails" Not that the inSidiouS
liquid pick-me-ups are ignored in the
preparation for sparkling conversation,
but the real thing is the exchange Of
opinion and the bubbling wit between
various celebrities, social queens, noted
writers, actors, actresses and musicians
Of high repute. Mrs. Vaughan has no
special program, and refreshments are
served throughout the evening. Tallulah
Bankhead frequents the Vaughan sa-
lon, and when she tells a Negro story
Of her native Alabama she has an at
tentive and most appreciative audience,
Kochanslii. the violnist, sometimes
plays for hours, relaxing both himself
and his friends in impromptu rhapso-
dies and reveries. Claire Sheridan,
gifted granddaughter of the late Jerry
Jerome, can tell a thrilling ghost story
or recite weird psychic experiences in
the East Indies. Princess Obelensky,
sister of Mr.. Vincent Aston, and Lady
Cunard represent the intellectuals in
London society, and from this side of
the ocean comes Mrs. Harrison Tweed,