Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1912)
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX. PORTLAND, JULY 23, 1912. y-N'CE hailed as "the most extrava Ugant woman In New York." Mrs. Julia Watt Morris Curtlss Law rence, petted member of Society that of the npper case S" and erstwhile possessor of many millions. Is to come Into her own again. The Spender, as she was once known among; her Intimates, for years enjoyed the somewhat doubtful dis tinction of being- able to find more ways In which to keep Uncle Barn's legal tender in general circulation than any of the wealthy women she num bered among her friends. She set a pace for extravagance that left all competitors In the spendthrift class far In the rear. Where the ordinary multi-millionaire owns one yacht, she had two, maintain ing them with a full complement of men the year round. Her country and city residences also she managed on the same prodigal scale. They were always open. The same number of servants were employed, the same number of horses and automobiles were in service when the mistress was away as when she was residing there. In her purchases she was equally re gardless of cost or utility. Anything that took her fancy was ordered sent to one of her numerous addresses. It mattered not what the price of the ar ticle was or whether she needed it. In fact, often she would trouble to open the package after It was delivered. The mere act of purchasing, appar ently, was sufficient to satisfy her caprice. Indeed. It has been stated that a large storeroom at one of her country estates Is completely filled with packages fresh from milliner or modiste that have never been opened. Cat to Mere 950,000 m year. Five years ago. In spite of her enor mous income, she found herself deep In debt, and at the instance of her son, Louis H. Morris, a conservator was appointed for her $20.000. 000 estate. Her annual allowance was to be $50, 000. but even this amount was found to be woefully Inadequate for her needs, and again she found herself be set by creditors. Wherefore Justice Brady of the New York Supreme Court has lately decided that she may again assume entire con trol of her properties, the conservator has been released from his duties and she will speedily enjoy again the In come of her vast estate. Those who were familiar with her neteorlc spending methods In former days are awaiting with Interest the result of the court's decision- Will Mrs. Lawrence again merit the title of "The Spender," they ask, or will she retire quietly to the seclusion of one of her country places now that she has regained control of her fortune? The answer is not yet forthcoming. There are those who do not hesitate to declare that the first Is much more probable. They point out that during the years when the control of Mrs. Lawrence's millions was in other hands she found that an income of $50,000 a year was entirely Incompatible with her requirements. Do what she would she kept getting deeper and deeper Into debt, until, according to her own testi mony on the witness stand, she was unable to pay even her gas bill or any other indebtedness that required an immediate cash outlay. On the other band, there are many that believe that her days of spend thrift prodigality are over. They give as their reasons for this opinion that Mrs. Lawrence is now happily mar ried, which was not the- case during the period that she attained celebrity through her extravagances. Also, they argue, she Is no longer as young or thoughtless as she once was and she has learned much through her experiences. ftSOO a Day Pin Money. But whichever Is right and the Te- sult of the court's decision will soon be made plain it Is certain that a long time will elapse before any one eclipses her record as a spender. "Five hundred dollars a day Is not too much for a person with my Income to spend for pin money," once said Mrs. Lawrence, In the days before the court interfered with her mode of life. And she more than lived up to the state ment. Indeed, It was largely the fact that she had far exceeded this amount that originally led to the appointment of a conservator of her great estate. As already mentioned, even with her enor mous income she managed to Incur debts that aggregated hundreds of thousands of dollars, and many of her properties had to be sacrificed to meet the demands of her creditors. As the only daughter of Thomas Watt, whose father. Archibald Watt, once owned the greater portion of the north ern end of Manhattan Island, Mrs. Lawrence was born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. But the wealth that she inherited from her fa- "Five Hundred Dollars a Day Is Not Too Much for Pin Money." Mrs. Julia Watt Mom's Curtiss Lawrence. eft TT ther, large as It was, became small when compared to that which came to her on the death of Miss Mary G. Pink ney, whose favorite niece and heiress she was, who when she died some years ago, left a fortune variously estimated at from $10,000,000 to $30,000,000, with the probability that It was much nearer the latter than the former figure. Prior to her death Miss Plnkney had made many lavish gifts to her niece of money and property. Nothing that her favorite wanted, no matter how costly, was denied her, and It la said that Miss Plnkney on Beveral occasions paid her debts when they became too pressing. This, in spite of the fact that without assistance from her aunt, Mrs. . Law rence's personal Income was considered a large one even in a city like New York, where large Incomes are more common, perhaps, than anywhere else in the world. Woman of Adventures. Three times married and twice di vorced, Mrs. Lawrence has been much in the spotlight of publicity during the past dozen years, as much by reason of her varied matrimonial ventures as through her lavish expenditure of money. Nor has she lacked exciting experiences of other sorts. Once she very nearly fell Into the hands of a band of adventurers, and only through the barest accident es caped marrying one of their number. As it was, probably no one outside of her immediate family and her lawyers will ever know of how much she was mulcted before the premature denoue ment of the plotters' plan enabled their victim to escape. It was this final straw, however, which persuaded Mrs. Lawrence's son, Louis H. Morris, to apply for the ap pointment of the conservator of her estate, whose duties the court has lately discontinued. At the time of the application her son stated that he was fearful lest his mother should wed one of the "hang ers-on and grafters," with whom she was continually surrounded, and who had bled her for hundreds of thous ands of dollars during a series of years. It was during the course of the testi mony In this hearing that the amaz ing expenditures of Mrs. Lawrence were revealed. No woman in New York's most exclusive society was ever more lavish in the distribution of her millions than she. She was Lady Boun tiful not only to the friends of her own set, but also a host of parasites that gorged themselves upon her largess. According to her son who vised her accounts. It was nothing for her to or der a dozen sets -of furs, or shoes or hats at once. Parasols at $450 each, Imported gowns costing $5000 and $10, 000 a piece, sets of Russian sable and ermine by the dozen sets at from $6000 to $15,000 a set," Jewels, aggre gating $750,000 in value, automobiles, steam yachts, three stables full or horses and carriages at her different residences and an extra $1800 per month carriage bill in New York City the year round, were a few of the fads and foibles of Mrs. Lawrence, which the court heard about. Her Bills for Hats. Not content with one steam yacht, she bought another and kept them both in commission with crews of ten and 14 men each. While one yacht was out of commission salaries were Btlll paid to the crew, aggregating $2100 a month. Hat bills of from $750 to $1600 per month and florist bills ranging front $200 to $900 per month were also on the list of her buying. In some months it was shown Mrs. Lawrence's hair dressing bill alone amounted to more than $500. She was also in the habit of glvln away large sums In cash and checks to the parasites who continually sur rounded her, according to Mr. Morris, and these items ran into the hundreds of thousands. Mr. Morris also told how his mother would enter a. store, and with a total disregard for the value of money, order great 1 quantities of goods sent to one of her country places or to her New York home. "Mother had a habit," he told tho Judge, "of ordering a dozen sets of furs, or shoes, or hats or what not. Out of this array she would perhaps select one of each and then neglect to return the others. Of course bills were rendered for the balance. One room in the town house and another in the place at Casco Point, near Fairfield, Connecticut, are filled with all sorts of goods purchased by my mother, pack ages which have not even been opened." He also told how his mother had an account with three New York florists. and that cut flowers of the most ex pensive sort were sent daily to the various country places and to the town house even when his mother was away. With a stable full of horses for uss wWle she was in town, Mrs. Lawrence, or Mrs. Curtiss, as she then was, en gaged a number or carriages irom a New York liveryman for every day In the year at the rate of $10 each day. These carriages were hardly ever used, as she had her own horses and carri ages both in the country and city, but the bill was allowed to run. An Army of Servants. At each of her country places thero were permanently employed two coach men, three cooks, two chaurreurs, two laundresses, three housemaids, a lady's maid, four footmen and two butlers. This did not Include the gardener and his staff. In her town house there were two butlers, one page, two cooks, two footmen, two chauffeurs, two coach men, two laundresses and a man and woman who acted as caretakers. Altogether it was estimated that Mrs. Lawrence's expenditures amounted to more than $750,000 annually, in some years far exceeding that amount. As Julia Watt, Mrs. Lawrence was considered one of the most beautiful women in New York. She first married Peter H. Morris of Boston, but obtained divorce from him in 1897. Three children were born of the union Louis H.. now 33 years old; Keith, 23, and Hilda Charlotte Edgerton, 21. In the year following the granting of her divorce she married Dr. Rollin A. Curtiss. He had been her physician and her children's tutor some years previ ously. But the couple were not happy and another divorce was the result in 1904. It was following this period that Mrs. Lawrence, then Mrs. Curtiss, gained her reputation as "New York's most extravagant woman," being enabled through the death of her aunt. Miss Plnkney, to indulge her luxurious tastes to the fullest degree. It was In 1910 while she was cut off from the control of her estate that she met Dr. George Alfred Lawrence, one of the most noted neurologists In the United States, who was called In to treat her for a serious nervous com plaint. He cured her and straightaway the two fell in love with each other. They were married quietly in Wilming ton, Del., In February, 1911. And now Bhe is once more to have control of her millions, by decree of the court. Will she repeat her previ ous performances or will she settle down to a life of simple luxury and content? It remains to be seen. "An Income is like a reputation," once said Mrs. Lawrence wittily, "one must live up to it." And there the matter stands. BY JOSEPH BROWN COOKE. EVERYBODY knew that Semple was a simple-minded soul. He was too true to be trustworthy. He meandered along the macadam of life in a manner mighty momentous. But nobody ever guessed that he was a good sport. And so, when Semple said he wanted to get next to Nasturtla. 'everybody lit up and grinned. Nasturtla was a grafter. She was a sweet-scented, soulful little vanity bag, who manicured the No. 10 Visible Writ ing outfit In the front office all day and angled for table d'hote dinners at night. She had never lived west of Thoid Avenyeh In her life, she was a perfect lady, and she didn't care a damn. Wasn't that nice of Nasturtla? This part ought to be in a foot-note, but the Editor says that foot-notes are barred in straight fiction. This is sure straight nothing crooked about Nasturtla! Her real name Is not Nas tursia thought "Nancy" too common thought the Editor didn't want this fact made public. I thought he was Interested. But I found he wasn't much, not over a cent a word anyway. However, all I want to say is that Nas turtla thought "Nancy" too common place, and got her new name out of a garden where Nastursia grow. Sing. Nasturtium. No, don't sing it, child; It means singular, and it is singular, too! Now you know all that you really ought to know about Nasturtla, espe cially If you are young and trusting So. we'll get right along with the story. In fact, we must! The secret of success In short-story writing Is action! We must get action! All the mail-order courses say so. And we do get It. too! Everv time! Occasionally t the cashier's window; usually at the "car-golng-lown" door. But you bet we get action somehow! So simple Semple sidled up to Nas turtla. He said: "Miss Mooney" (that's her other real name). "Miss Mooney. we've known each other so long and er so pleas antly that I er wondered. . . . It's a trifle unconventional perhaps, but I er know a Jolly little Bohe mian place Just artists and writers and . ." You see. he was trying to ask her to So to dinner with him. And sho under stood. Her beautiful head, crowned with Its glorious mass of Titian hair, bent forward a trifle over the keys. She was sure swell, from her switch to her shoestrings. Semple simply smiled. She dropped her eyes modestly to the floor picked them up and re-inserted them, deftly. Then she whispered, softly: "Ain't you tV sassy one! Yuh know X never go out with no man, 'ceptin', muh gen-mum fren. But I feel that I can trust j-oo-oo!" It was said! She would go! It was so simply, so artlessly, so Ingenuously, that she never turned a hair under her Invisible net. There was no affectation about Nasturtla. Her words had come so directly from her heart that her brain had been free to act quite Inde pendently end, even as she spoke, she typed four lines of an order for 6000 pairs of lumbermen's socks, to be shipped to Seattle. Let us hurry on. He was waiting for her at the employes exit. (Entrance in the morning. Accuracy of terms is es sential to success.) He grabbed her elbow and, leaning toward her. intoxicated by the elusive fragrance of her silken hair, whispered, hoarsely: "Come. Nasturtla, the car will soon be here." "Cadillac? she breathed, nestling close to him with the trustfulness of a little child. "No, we ain't goin' .Jhere this time, little girl," he murmured. "Them places is all right, but I want teh show you a little joint that everybody ain't on to. We get a Fourf avenyeh car right at this corner." Foot-notes are barred In straight fic tion, but I want to say at this point, that I could have made the preceding paragraphs much stronger If the editor had not protested. Reading notices are barred, too. If either the Cadillac Hotel or the Cadi 11 ao Motor Car Company wishes to Insult me. it must not be. I might play both ends against the mid dle. But I would not. (My telephone number Is in the book.) The action has been going on all the time. The car Is nearlng Grace Church You know Grace. Pretty good joke, that! I got It out of one of the quar ter magazines. They're the only ones really worth reading. They make you feel young again, and take you back to the days of your happy, happy child hood without an effort. The car stopped. Nasturtla and Sem pie alighted. In English they hopped off. They went well, I m not going to say where this place is. It's a quiet little place, frequented by artists, mod els, literary people and others (booze fighters, counter-jumpers, has-beens, thinks-they-were, et al., see back of dictionary). Few people know of it much to the owner's disgust. It has an atmosphere of Its own. You Just bet It has! Action all the time. Nasturtla and Semple are walking rapidly up the street. They trip up the steps. (Nasty trips down, but we must not blame her there was a special sale of nearsilk hosiery at no. nothing doing, reading notices barred.) They enter. Quick work here. Semple gets it. The table in the corner, by the window. No, child, he doesn't buy the wlndowl He gets a table, In the corner, near the window. (Distinctiveness of diction Imperative.) He backs Nasturtla up against the wall with easy grace and seats himself op posite her. She can see the whole room. All he can see Is the Pomeranian com plexion carefully massaged Into her finely chiseled features. (That's pretty subtle. Pompelan people please answer. Page rates on application. We can meet at the house of Panza.) The girl is sweetly sweet. Semple says: "Garsong!" In an Instant the obsequious waiter Is standing deferentially by bis side. "Deenay poor duh. Vang blong soop- ary-ur! ' says Semple. "Very good, sir,' says the waiter. "Two dinners an' the extry white wine.' I cannot use foot-notes. Yet I ought to explain that Semple is speaking French. It is necessary In these little Bohemian places. The waiters are al ways foreign, you know. Mostly Irish But to proceed. The action goes on The place Is hot and full of actors and artist3. From the actors we get the I action from the artists the hot air. They were hot air artists. There were also a few other people. They paid cash. In the next room a fellow was singing "All Alone." Everybody wished he was. The orchestra that is to say, the piano and fiddle, tried to drown his noise. But, no. The place was very Bohemian. . The dinner was served. There was a dead fish, laid out reverently on two slices of tomato. It was said to be an anchovy. Identification Incomplete. They ate It Then soup; trimmed with the garnishings of yesterday's entree. They absorbed It, noisily. Then more fish. Also dead. Very. Then the en tree, garnished with the trimmings of tomorrow's soup. It was very Bohem Ian, Nastursia smiled. It was not at Semple. She did not think he saw it, but he did. It was a sweet smile. He changed the five-spot over into the other pocket. She smiled again and raised her eyebrows. Semple lowered his. He was getting wise. This kept up. Semple looked Innocent, but he was getting wiser every minute. Again she smiled over his shoulder and blinked. No, child, Semple was not on the blink. The caffay was served. Coffee at Child's caffay at this unique little place. It's spelled cafe same as a sa loon. Semple turned his head and yet his head was not turned. I told you he was a good sport, hut nobody guessed it. He looked over his shoul der. He saw the object of -Nastursia's adoration. Hush! We must speak reverently now. God made It, therefore let It pass for a man. That is adapted from Shakespeare. It Is part of Portia's por tion. We are very literary. There Is true culhah In all we write. The man behind Semple continued to ogle Nastursia, openly. She responded, coyly. She thought Semple was too easy to notice. He was simple-minded. Had he not been be would not have been wasting his money on Nastursia. But she did not regard it in that light. She considered herself irresistible. There was an old song, "I may be crazy, but I ain t no loolr That was Semple. No fool hel He rose from his chair and begged Nas tursia to excuse him for a moment. Such things have happened before in these quaint little Bohemian places. Especially toward the end of dinner. Nastursia beamed. Scales have beams, but the scales did not fall from her eyes. She was dazzled by the splen dor of her new conquest. Alas and alackadayl Poor Nastursia! She never noticed that Semple took his hat and stick when he left her. Her eyes were fixed on the O A A. Foot-note at last, by GUM! Object of Adoration. A little boy came along with roses, absolutely fresh from the Ice-box. The O O A glanced at Nastursia, then at the boy and raised his eyebrows. Just about all he could raise. The boy looked expectant. Nastursia closed her eyes, dreamily, and opened them again, coyly. She was thinking how she could make Semple believe she had bought them herself. The word was given. The boy ap proached Nastursia and she selected a bunch of roses, critically but 'daintily. The boy returned to the O O A. A 10-cent piece lay on the corner of the table. The boy looked at It, wonder- ingly. Nastursia was surreptitiously bowing her thanks. The O O A pushed the dime toward the boy, haughtily. The boy shook his head, disdainfully. Eheu! Eheu! This is Latin, and means the same as alas. alas. Would that we could draw a veil! But we cannot. Or a check! But nay. The truth must ever rise triumphant and that re minds me to say that there are some darn delicate touches in this story. But nary a touch In this quaint little Bo hemian nlacel Not much The O O A had exactly 50 cents In his pocket. - THE DEADLY PARALLEL Original schedule Dinner, 40 cents; waiter, 10 cents Total, 60 cents. Revised schedul Dinner, cents; 40 " flowerB, 10 cents; waiter, nix Total, 50 cents. "It was always a dime," whispered the O O A in a husky tone. "Desa rosa verra final Twenty-flva centa!" Insisted the boy, stolidly. A ravishing smile of gratitude stole from Nasturtia's half-closed eyes, and she raised the roses to her lips and caressed them, languidly. Bah Jove, old chap! Damn the ex pense, doncha know! Be a sport and use your wits, old top! The other fel low looks simple. Scratch an acquaint ance with him when he comes back and stick him for all three dinners. Easy enough. Girl old friend. Haven't met for yeahs. By the way, pocket must been picked! j-,arge roil oi nuis (unpaid) when leaving home. Thanks, awfully She'll fall for that all right, bless her dear, inexperienced little heart! Think all the more of a chap with a bit of spunk, no doubt! Let her go! The scene shifts. Semple is at the cashier's desk writing a note. When it is finished he pays for one dinner, and that's one dinner won. Then he points through the little peek-hole In the wall to the O O A, who Is ex changing significant glances with Na stursla, and whispers to the cashier: "Old sweetheart of the lady. Quar reled once but will make up now If they have a chance. Send him In this note and tell him I've gone. They'll both thank me ' for It. I've paid for my dinner and here's a quarter for the waiter." The cashier smiled, understandlng ly. Many a love affair has been ar ranged in these quaint little places. There could be no question about a gentleman who would leave a quarter for the waiter, and Semple departed amid the bows and salaams of all the hired help. The note was handed at once to tho O O A. He opened it with tremblins fingers and read: "Nobody but a cheap skate woul I butt in on another man's girl in a. quick-and-dlrty like this. You have certainly qualified for the title anil seem to be having an the run. I cannot deprive you of the pleasure of paying for her dinner. Good-night, Mr. Cheap Skate, and good luck to you both." I have said that Semple was a good sport. He was. He never would have left Nastursia In the lurch had he known that she and the Cheap Skate together could not scare up the price of even a single dinner between them, and that they were both arrested for attempting to beat a hotel. Selah. (Copyright by ShorUtory Pub. Co.) SLEUTHING FOR THE FOOD CROOKS (Continued From Pace 2.) be proven. The shipment of an assign ment from a given manufacturer can usually be proven by the clerks and records of the railroad handling the goods. The dealer receiving them can establish the Identity of the packages going Into the hands or the Inspector, The chain Is thus complete. If the pure food board decides that the case shall be prosecuted. It Is turned over to the Department of Jus tice and through It the local United States District Attorney is instructed to proceed. The Inspector produces the evidence upon which the suit is brought. Aside from this there is the procedure of seizure and destruction of unfit goods that may be resorted to. Here the violator merely loses the value of the goods, which may amount to a small or great financial loss de pending on the circumstances. It is this organization of 40 inspect ors, built up in Dr. Wiley's time, who are the actual fighting champions 01 pure food for the ninety millions. They eruard that portion of the milk of the Nation's babies that is shipped from one state to another; they guard the oanned goods that supply the multi tude; they Inspect the beverages that are drunk by all the people; they see that the medicines of the country are labeled In accordance with the con tents of their retainers all things that go Into your stomach and mine and that are not of local manufacture, with the single exception of meats, which are handled by another inspection service, are ever under the eye of these Inspectors. The Secret Service, which has as its object the prevention of counterfeiting, the Postoffice Inspectors who make dif ficult the operation of fraud through the mails, the special agents who are eternally vigilant that the customs laws are not violated these and other detective agencies of the Nation have grown famous through their exploits. It Is doubtful, however, if any of theso has a superior force . of detectives to that body of men which Is engaged by the Department of Agriculture to round up the crooks who seek to put unfit products into the stomachs of the peo ple. Certain it Is that none of the law violations which these other organiza tions seek to prevent mean so much to all the people as does the manner of food they eat three times a day. J (Copyright .1812 by W. A. JJufuy.J J