The Bismarck tribune., 1929-02-09
Marble Palace
WidO,us Nest to
Gaze D,Uellers

I0Ce DlCeLLefS
r WEALTHY and widowed sena
~ tor was seated a: dinner one
night. not so long ago. next tbs
wife OF cabinet minister. She begaf
10 twit him. as all Washington twit:
It's wifeless ohlcials. about the widows
who were setting their caps for him
The senator laughed away the charge
admitted that the town was filed with
hlithe and bereaved ladies'. but pointed
out that their Widows mites we're So
vast that they had little interest In
matrimony.
The wife Of the cabinet minister
looked up and down the table TO
Gather statistics. There were thirty.
two dinner guests. That meant six.
teen women. OF the sixteen. nine were
widows with millions.
1t Is no wonder. then. that The
colony OF marble palace widows :"
forms an important part Of that
larger circle known as the "rcsi.
dentals - in Washington society.
These residentials. who stand mid.
way between yesterdays cave dweller
and tomorrow's climber. form a circle
that Is large and important. moneyed
and satisfied. Fate. politics, leisure.
adventure sent them. originally. to
the federal city. They stayed on from
choice. Their evolution. from stroll.
ing players from forty eight states.
into an indigenous band. passionalely
loyal to the community in which they
have no citizenship. is entirely logical.
In the light Of early Washington his.
tory.
For the mighty Powhatan's red.
skins who glided down the Potomac
and loitered by its banks long enough
to quarry. stone near MIR. Coolidge's s
back yard centuries before it was MIR.
Coolidge's back yard were nomadic
tribe. Likewise. many of their pale.
face brothers at the nations capital
today are members Of a shifting guild
political gypsies Of Americas democ.
racy. changing every time the ballots
are counted.
But even a rolling stone sometimes
nnds cozy resting place. in the right
ueighborhood. where it builds a line
house. sends the address to the social
register. and gathers what social moss
there Is. That Is happening every
cay In Washington.
Since the major rhythm OF official
Ute is marked into bars Of four years
each. and since there Is likely to be
. change In the melody every fourth
March Z. tho rotating Job holders and
the ttinerant visitors on Capitol hill
regard az an old timer any one who
has weathered three administrations.
Nor IL this a contradiction Of the
previous statement that the real
Washington cave dweller measures
time by the clock that hung at Mount
Vernon. To the cave dweller 1t is
trus-anything introduced since the
days Of President Arthur Is q vulgar
innovation. But to the days influx
Of millionaires anything more than a
four year term smacks of old Nestor
himself.
Up Near the Top.
In between these two extremes.
then. stand the residentials. Some
are very near the cave dwellers them.
selves in prestige and millinery.
Others who started out as blatant
climbers have climbed SO high that
they employ naughty social secret
ries to guard against the 1928 climber.
even as they were guarded against q
dscade or 40 ago.
Most conspicuous Of the restdentials
are the marble palace widows. those
ladies' with vast fortunes and roomy.
gloomy mansions. who entertain lux.
uriously and furiously. and who par.
take Of all Washington's festivities
save the annoying. because SO ex.
elusive. simplicity Of the cave dwell.
er's hospitality.
There 10 Mrs. John Brooks Hender.
son, who sells real estate. pours wine
into cutters. and tried TO give Calvin
Coolidge . house. There 10 Mrs.
Thomas F.. Walsh. widow Of the Irish
nillwright. who made millions In all.
yer. and lived to eat cabbage OF gold
plata: and there II Mrs. John r.
Williams. Joe Letters independent
n3other-in-law. There Il MrS. Stephen
b. Elkins. whose daughter turned
dQwn ! duke to marry an Illinois
eveotheart, ana there II Mrs. Richard
Townsend. whose daughter broke
twepty mapesilins hearts when she
married tho Rhode Island sanator
whom shs h4sr divorced. And. OF
eoay,e, tharp q Aunt Delia tNrs.
Marshall FialAJ. vhoss aftar dinner
tSaet caussd a tntarna&ionA break
~1tA sDms e - South AnaEtean
sop1&s14e
All 49, women G1vo dinnarp.