The Washington times., 1935-07-05
NOW
Richbergs Shun
DU POnt Home
MUCH TOO BIG
BY HELEN ESSARY

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del,
July 5-When Mr.. and Mrs.
Donald Richberg stepped into
the lobby of the Hotel Henlopen
they we're down here looking
for a cottage-a strange man
hurried up to the director Of the
late NRA and said:
81 recognize you by your
pictures, sir. May 1 shake your
hand? Also, Mr.. Richberg,
there's a question I'd like to ask,
If may. What do you think Of
General Johnson"
81 think he's-he's a swell
guy!"
Thank you. sir. for your
opinion"
The Richbergs are the cele.
brities the Rehoboth colony is
most interested in this sum-
mer. When Mr.. and Mrs. Rich
berg started on their tour Of
cottage hunting with Mr.. Daniel
Anderson they were offered a
half a dozen large villas by the
Delaware sea. Great handsome
places with ten to twenty bed
rooms. Florence Richberg said:
Splendid, but 1 don't want
TO run a country club"
Dan Anderson replied:
J "Why these aren't country
clubs. These are the homes of
various members of the Du Point
family. That beautiful pale
pink StuccO one by the ocean
belongs to Mrs. Weir. You can
rent it for $4,000 the season.
She's thinking of going to
Gilbert. That cottage just over
the way is only $4,000. Fine
places, all of them. In other
words, Du Point places. Houses
only offered to a special client,
such as yourself.
! Donald Richberg was too po-
lite to say what he must have
thought. And what I thought
when I heard the story. That
1t was rather amusing that a
part of the great monied oppo-
Sition to the NRA was offering
its houses to the NRA'S de-
fender. Possibly the Whining
ton dynasty regret the fatal
Supreme Court decision.
Mr.. and Mrs. Richberg have
rented one of the most charm
ing cottages at Rehoboth. Not
so large, perhaps, as the Du
Pont cottages. But an enchant-
ing house, nevertheless.
1t is the Whiteside cottage,
set in a grove of pines with a
rock garden running up its
slope.
Indoors there is one very large
living room with a high
raftered ceiling, pointed like a
studio ceiling above the tall
brick fireplace. The walls are
hung with tapestries and sam
piers. The colors are woodsy
colors of brown, green and rust.
In the living room and adjoin-
ing screened porch big setteeS,
rugs, chintz-covered chairs,
earthenware bowls of tiger lilies
and ferns are in the same rest
full tones.
The bedrooms and study, up
four steps from the living room
and dining, have like charm of
furnishing and arrangement.
Rehoboth is practically the
same as it was last year. AS
we drove into the village,
crossed r oboth Avenue,
: where the train tracks are
grown up with black-eyed SUI
sans and grass, and turned into
! First Avenue, the colony's
smart matrons were darting in
| and out of the stores and mar
/ ketS-shopping in bathing suits
and shorts, just as they did
last summer.
On the beach, under the
bright umbrellas, at the chain
stores, or on the boardwalk,
Wilmington and Washington
friends, who haven't met for
months, rushed eagerly at each
other. And with a Darling,
how are you," took up their
summertime acquaintance
where they left it in September.
! Last year we lived back in
the woods. This year we are
close to the ocean. Though I
miss the fragrance of the pines,
I love the sound of the surf. AS
I sit here writing on a lavender
painted table I can see the
white caps far out at sea and
the waves breaking on the
sand. The umbrella boys are
sticking the umbrellas in the
sand. A breeze as cold as
Maine ever managed in the
summertime flutters my cur
tainS.
The resort has a more pros.
porous look than it did last year.
Many cottages are freshly paint
ed. Shiny cars hurry by. The
slot machine on the village
square draws a daily crowd.
The movie house has raised it's
prices. But, despite these small
changes, the place is the same.
The fish man goes by in his
wagon, footing his horn. Coun-
try people offer vegetables daily
at Your back door. A big col.