Show j NEW YORKS SOCIAL WAR The History of a Quarrel Between Two Society Leaders A society man with whom I had along a-long talk a short time ago reumked after he had settled the destinies of pugilism and the opera in America I It is rather amusing to those of 05 who are in the swim you know to see how little newspaperS seem to knoti of social affairs Here is a tremendous tre-mendous row going on in lew York societyone which has never before been equaled in the history of the town and yet not a word of it is to be seen in any of the society columns of tie papers If such a thing were to hit place in London instead of New Yoi Truth Vanity Fair and all of the other society journals would almost go to the point of issuing extras concerning it Here it seems to have escaped the notice of the papers entirely How do you account for it I Perhaps the thing is not worth the attention of the papers Isnt it worth the attention of the papers when Mrs Astor u snubbed and cut dead before fifty people in Newport bv Mrs Angast Belmont Is it so It is The history of the quarrel which has already divided New York society into two distinct factions is thus In the first place Mrs Astor as you are undoubtedly aware is a social leader of great prompence in New York Her family which is connected by marriage with this Roosevelts the Van Aliens the Draysons and indeed with half of the distinctive swell peopl of New York stands in the foremost position I suppose the Astors are the foremost family in America in a social way Mrs Aueust Belmont who is thedaugLterof CjmmodorePerry and comes of a family 100 years older than the Astors is also a very influential social factor Probably she is the only real rival of Mrs Astor It has long been understood that there is conMdtss ble jealously between the two ladies A few years ago the jouugest I son of he Bslmont family t Mr Oliver Belmont marriedI daughter of Mrs Whiting and toot her to France They separated and the bride came back to Ler mothers The Whitings are very aristocratic people and extremely popular besides They are I am told distantly connected con-nected with the Astors Whether this i is so or not they are hand in glove 1 with the Astor set and hence hostile to Mrs Belmont Young Mr Belmont has done his beat to get into society and his mother has pushed him vigorously vigor-ously but ikdoesnt seem to be a success J suc-cess Mrs Belmont declared last summer sum-mer at Newport that the WntujP wera thp cause of her sons miforta and she announced that she would co any Dun v who recognized them Mrs Astor give Airs Whiting a luncheons ftsw days after this to sboar her contempt con-tempt for Mrs Belmont and the latter cut her dead bey met the next time met Each of the laoies exertea he utmost influence among her friends ana 50 creyjs divided now into two disttDct bodies with New Yorks society Ieade lat l-at their beads Who will win Well the Astors have beenwoniafc at ever thing for the last 100 years and I n think they will keep up their prestige WilliamWaldorf Astor did not Wi a his seat in Congress 10 but hews5 appointed minister to Home WhL bun ten sees a congressman and goes better Brooklyn Eagle |