Evening star., 1934-01-14
Washington Literary Society
Observing Goth Anniversary
Many Famous Men and Women on Rolls
of Cultural GrOups-FOunders In.
sPired by Cary Salon.
BY JAMES WALDO FAwcETT.

| BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
The Literary Society Of Washington
has been celebrating its sixtieth ami
| versary, but the occasion has had no
| publicity. Like the framework Of .
building or the armature Of . monu-
ment, the organization Is part OF the
supporting structure Of the cultural life
Of the Capital but 1t does not advertise
| its function and purpose. On the con-
trary, It has been content to do its
work quietly and unpretendingly. It's
modesty has been so effective that its
very existence has been overlooked. Yet
some Of the most eminent and widely
celebrated men and women in the city
have been among its members, and their
other interests have been generously
reported In the press.
the apparent mystery Is to be found in
the-tact that the society never has had
q permanent home OF its own. IT has
been q migratory body. meeting In the
ths Current shows q
the residences Of John Henry Mac.
Cracken, Tyler bennett, Robert Lincoln
O'Brien, Frederic Allen Whiting. DR..
George r. Bowerman, Herman H B.
Meyer, DR.. Gilbert Grosvenor and Mrs.
Isabelle s. Harrington.
The society's founders were Miss Olive
Risley Seward, Miss Esmeralda Boyle
and Miss Sara Carr Upton, whose in
spiration, 1t is said, was the salon In
New York presided over by Alice and
Phoebe Cary. The friends they invited
to join included Miss Julia T. e. Nc
Blair, still an honored member; An
tonic Barili, half brother Of Adelina
Patti and her first teacher: DR.! Samuel
College; Theodore Gill. zoologist, Ma
tional Museum; DR.. ]. E. Hilgard, chief,
United States Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey; Charles Daniel Drake, chief JUS
tice, Court of Claims; DR.. Elliott Coues,
soldier and ethnographist; Brig. Gen.
Benjamin Alvord, and John G. Nicolay,
secretary and b4ographer with John
Hay Of Abraham Lincoln.
Founders Program Plans.
Also, Miss Rebecca Clyde Boyle, Mrs.
Anna Hanson Dorsey, Mrs. Eliza A.
Dupuy. Miss Florence Fendall, Miss
Mary A. Henry, Miss Elizabeth Bryant
Johnston, Mrs. Jean M. Lander, Mrs.
r. Cary Long, Mrs. Mary E. Nealy,
Mrs. Ann Mary Coleman, Mrs. Rosa
Paige, Miss Amelia M. Strong, Col. I.
Edwards Clarke, Dr. Christopher c.
Cox, Col. Edward H. Cummins, James
Q. Howard, Hanson A. Risley, DR..
Joseph M. Toner, and DR.. James C.
yelling.
official" historian, says: THE founders
decreed that programs should consist OF
music. the reading Of q paper or
selected pieces and conversation. For
mai discussions were to be allowed only
by special vote. But when the mem
bership was enlarged to 40 this was
changed. and discussions were made
obligatory at every third meeting, topics
being carefully chosen beforehand by
the Executive Committee. There were
to be IS literary members, 10 musicians.
ana artists. The first constitution
oecreed that meetings were to be held
fortnightly at the houses of members
or friends and that all refreshments
are prohibited"
In 1873 the organization, having
grown in assurance, If not in grace"
elected as honorary members: Presi-
dent and Mrs. Rutherford B. HAYES.
Chief Justice Morrison r. Waite,
Speaker OF the House Samuel J. Ran
daL, Attorney General Charles Devens.
Spencer F: Baird, secretary, Smith.
sonian Institution; Alexander n. Ste
phens, W. w. Corcoran and Mrs, Ogle
Iayloe. All accepted the invitation
formally rendered.
Others who became interested in the
society at about the same date were:
Dr. Slg1smund Rudolph Blum, Austrian
olplomatist; Vicomte de Chambrun:
Gen. James "A. Garfield, later President;
MRS. -. D. p. N. Southworth, "best-
seiing novelist, and representative sci
entlsts, Jurists, physicians, Army off,
GERS, artists and musicians.
An active force in the organization
IN lts early days was Mrs. Madeleine
Vlnton Dahlgren, who wrote under the
name Corrinne and was for a while
permanent hostess of the group. The
nomaolc custom was revived when Gen
Garneld became president of the
society.
Topics Are Varied.
Ainsworth r. Spofford. librarian NJ
congress, long q member, wrote of the
hrst quarter century: In our evening
exercises there has prevailed a varied
range and compass Of topics, fitted to
prlng out earnest thought and manv-
SIDED comment. Essays, criticisms.
poems, short stories, reviews of noted
DOCKS, characterizations of great writ
ers, social studies, descriptive sketches
and brief discussions occupy the hour.
Inc only topics excluded are those
Wnlch touch the realm of politics or
the domain of religion. In our literary
sympoSia controversy has no niace
with all our freedom and variety of
opinion, my colleagues will bear me Wit
ness, our discussions have never de-
generated into personality or rancor.
we nave met upon the common ground
OF nterary and social good fellowship"
FROM the beginning the society was
body OF real practitioners Of the
several arts; it was not merely a fra
ternity OF dilettante apprecistors of
other peoples endeavors. Mrs. Frances
Hoogson Burnett was q member while
siie was winning fame as the sponsor
OF Little Lord Fauntleroy." Theodore
Roosevelt was an honorary associate
while he was living the strenuous life"
OF the White House.
Diplomats who belonged included
John W, Foster, John Hay, David Jayne
Hill, Maurice Francis Egan, Henry
White. Andrew D. White, w. w. Rock
hill and Baron Korff. Among leading
Lights of the bench and bar were AS
sociate Justices David j. Brewer,
Stephen ]. Field and Stanley Matthews;
Justices Martin F. Morris and Wendell
P. Stafford and Hannis Taylor. Sen
ators and members Of Congress on the
list were j., j. ingalls,, Randall Lee
Gibson, s. s. Cox, A. G. Curtin and
Joseph Roswell Hawley. Scientists in
cluded Alexander Graham Bell, Mai.
Gen. A. w. Greely. DIR. Harvey w. Wiley,
DR.. r. S. Woodward, DR.. Cyrus Adler.
H. Darlington Bolton, Frank Hamilton
Gushing, Henry r. Elliott, DR.. Daniel
Colt Gilman, Dr.. James G. yelling. DR..
william W. Godding, Prof Ferdinand
v. Hayden, Dr.. w. H. Holmes, Prof.
Samuel p. Langley, Prof. Thomas @.
Mendenhall, Louis A. Bauer, 8. N. D.
North, Maj. j. w. Powell, w. E. Stafford
and Carroll D. Wright.
Writer Members.
Writers-George Kennan, Frank g.
Carpenter, Philip l.. Gerry, Edward
~ M