The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1952-09-20
SOCIAL CALENDAR
The Monroe Story Continued
BY ALMIRA PARK


the birth of the little brown boy
william Monroe Trotter) on his
qrandmother's farm in Ohio; of
his school days in Hyde Park
where he excelledin scholarship
and physical proves (school
fights; Of his church activities;
of his entering Harvard College
where he maintained high Schol-
arship and won money prizes
sufficient to pay all his college
expenses. sThe last chapter left
him and his family moving from
Hyde Park to Boston year after
the death Of his father, 1t. James
Monroe Trotter, who had sue
ceeded Frederick Douglass as Re-
corder Of Deeds for the District
of Columbia, an appointee Of
Democratic president, Grover
Cleveland. Now 60 on with the
story. - It was in the Spring
of 1898, a few months before the
family left Hyde Park to make
their home in Boston, when the
young collegian was in his 2lst
year and Sophomore at Har-
ward, that he was introduced to
Boston Society. This was at the
first of a series of Sunday after
noon musicales held at the home /
Of his uncle and aunt, Mr.. and I
Mrs. William H. Dupree of 100 /
Northampton st, at that time one
of the only two families on the
street. The street and the houses
on it were all well kept as if
vieing with the fine residences
on Massachusetts avenue (then
called Chester Park whose rear
portions were almost as at
tractive as their fronts. Here
the "400', elite of the city, all
eager to meet the Hyde Park
folks who previously had not
mingled in Society, had as
sembled. A fine program had
been arranged; Samuel W. jamie
son, pianist extraordinary, rend-
cred two selections to thunder
Gus applause and then intro
duced his two pupils, Monroe
Trotter and his sister, Maude, the =.
former performed difficult COM
positions brilliantly; his sister !
followed and her encore was
by Mr.. Jameson. I
Mr.. Edward Everett Brown was :
master Of ceremonies. Among :
those present were Madam Nellie /,
Brown Mitchell coloratura So
prano, and her sister Miss Edna !
Brown, also a singer, DR.. and
Mrs. S. E. Courtney, Mr.. and Mrs. !
U. S. Ridley, Miss Marian Rid !
lev. Mrs. Phoebe Glover, Mr.. and
Mrs. w. O. Goodell, Mrs. Vir-
GINA Trotter, Mr.. and Mrs. Hem
mings, Misses Annie Hare,
Maude Quincy, Hattie Smith, Ger
aldine Pindell Cater Mrs. W. M.
Trotter), Georgine Glover;
Messrs. William G. Nell, William
Hare, w. H. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs.
]. H. Lewis, Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph
Lee Ito name a few who are
remembered). These were a part
of the fabulous "40O', noted for
its charm and aristocracy of
manner. Only one couple has
survived the passage Of years -
Mr.. and Mrs. w. O. Goodell, !
parents Of Emma Newman-Mr.
Goodell in his 90's-who live
quietly on Claremont Park, tho
Mrs. Goodell, remarkably active |
and alert, often is seen in pub
lie gatherings and sometimes (
participates on programs. The +.
old order no longer exists
as a unit-the old heads have
died, many of their children have
either passed away or moved to
other cities, while the few de-
scendants Of the old order still
here have either given up all
social participation or else have
lost their identity in the new
order-a very much larger circle
whose membership is less re-
stricted. To belong to the old
400" one had to be ''to the manor
born, as it were. It was d very
clannish group. Those coming
from other cities seeking admis-
sion had their credentials closely
examined. And some of these are
known to have fought for years
before being finally, grudgingly
admitted. I have said one had
to be to the manor born to en-
ter. There were two notable ex-
ceptions. One was the case of
the young school teacher who
freely admitted that her parents
were common folks" but whose
superior accomplishments singled
her out for notice and whose final
admission to the group was pre-
coded by invitations to help in
charity theatricals. Here, she
shone - her talents were extra
ordinary. She possessed marked
thespian ability, she sang de-
hghtfully in a high contralto
voice, was a fluent ana pleasant
conversationalist and could hold
her own with the men as a pub
lie speaker. Ut was about the
time the Boston Literary and
Historical Association fiourished).