61

Mayor Defies 'Mandate' for Silk Hat

Daughter of France Wins $5 Prize; Metcalfe, Firm in Rejecting
Formal Attire for Paris, Recalls World-Herald Incident.

That shiny object going west
through the sky Wednesday night
may have been mistaken by some
folks for the moon, and the dark
object following closely could
have been scudding cloud. But
the first was a high silk hat,
and the second a fleeing coat. A
hat and frock coat fleeing from
the mayor.

More people acclaimed the hat
and coat for Mayor Metcalfe's
trip to Paris than were against
them. But the mayor is not
swayed. The mayor is still
against them both, firmly and
with emphasis.

The Silk hat editor of the contest
just closed went to see the
mayor to speak of cabbages and
kings, of silken hats and frocked
coats, and ayes and nayes, and
things, but the mayor motioned
him to a seat at a glance.

War in the Editorial We.

"I know why you have come,"
said the mayor. "And now I will
tell you a story. Once upon a
time many years ago Colonel Al
Fairbrother and Mrs. Elia W.
Peattie were the editorial 'We' of
The World-Herald. Needless to
say they both wrote editorials.

"One morning, Colonel Fairbrother
strode into Mrs. Peattie's
office and with the editorial page
in one hand, pointed with a
trembling finger to an editorial.

" 'Did you write that?' demanded
the colonel.

" 'I did,' replied Mrs. Peattie.

" 'Well read it then!' ordered
the seemingly irate gentleman.

"I don't have to read it," calmly
replied Mrs. Peattie, "I wrote
it."

Not for the Colonel.

The mayor paused to fleck a
bit of cigar ash from the lapel of
his becoming dark gray business
suit, then continued.

"The editorial in question," he
said, "was a solemn defense of
the hoop skirt. Colonel Fairbrother
pointed to the last line
of the editorial. "Read that!" he
volleyed. "Read it out loud!"

Mrs. Peattie ran her eye down
the editorial she had written in
defense of the hoopskirt, and
read with some emphasis, "And
we shall continue to wear them!"

Then the colonel's voice
boomed out like thunder, "You
may continue to wear them
madam, but I'll be ——— if I
will!"

To Talk About Omaha.

The mayor reached for a
match. "And that, young man, is
something of my position, I
heartily concur in the colonel's
declaration.

"I will not wear a frock coat
and a silk hat when I go to
Paris. In the first place a silk
hat is too hard, and a frock coat
makes me uncomfortable. On the
other hand Jimmy Walker wore
a plug hat and he got into trouble.
No edict of kings will make
me change my mind.

"I can tell of the beauties of
Omaha, and describe the advantages
of the finest city in the
work, much more effectively in
a nice soft hat and business suit,
In fact I feel confident that when
I get on my favorite subject,
they will be so interested they
will forget to notice just what I
am wearing. I will include evening
clothes, four sack suits, my
"tux," some nice linen suits and
a straw hat. I shall be neat and
clean and keep my hair trimmed,
and I am sure there will be no
cause for complaint."

(IMAGE)
"Madame Marguerite le Tourneux" and her prize winning letter.

The winning letter on "Shall
Mayor Metcalie wear a silk hat
and frock coat in Paris?" won by
unanimous vote among hundreds.
The translation, from the French,
follows:

"Sir: Being a citizen of France,
I am in a position to know something
of etiquette. In my country
the people expect the mayor
to wear a cutaway and silk hat.
Without this apparel, he exposes
himself to ridicule. With respect,
Madame Marguerite le Tourneux,
1807 Cass street."

In her housekeeping apartment,
"Madame Marguerite le
Tourneux," white of hair, rosy of
cheek and blue of eys, was delighted.

"Before I married, my name
was Marguerite le Tourneux—
now I am Mrs. David Hammond
Cole," said the winner. "My husband
has not so much work. I
am glad we won the prize!"

Mrs. Cole came to America as
a young girl, and some years
ago was a teacher of piano in
New York. Her father was a
wine merchant in Chantilly.