_ March 24, 1916. 
Nearly all of the Aiken colony attended a moonlight 
picnic supper in the pine woods near Robinson’s Pond last 
Tuesday, when Mrs. George von L. Meyer entertained 
for Miss Edith Deacon of Boston, who is visiting Miss 
Julia Meyer. All brought hampers and the supper was 
_ cooked over a pit fire. The night was so warm that even 
motorists discarded wraps. 
: SOUTHERN RESORTS 
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? The first annual private horse show given by Thomas 
Hitchcock last Friday and Saturday at Aiken was a great 
success. Mrs. Charles A. Munn was a prominent exhibi- 
tor. Over 300 members of the winter colony. had a picnic 
luncheon on the lawns of the Hitchcock home on Friday 
during the show. 
Oo 8 9 
_ Mr. and Mrs. Larz Anderson stopped at Miami on 
the homeward journey from Palm Beach in their house- 
boat, Roxana, and gave a dinner party to friends at that 
resort. 
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Countess Gizycka (Eleanor Patterson) of Chicago 
and Washington arrived in Aiken this week for a visit at 
\) the cottage of Mr. and Mrs. George von L. Meyer and 
» Miss Julia Meyer. 
Eternity—A unit of time much used by persons ad- 
dicted to story-telling. 
WASHINGTON’S smart society was out in force at 
~ the last concert of the season at the National Theatre 
of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Preston Gib- 
son had Miss Sheridan and Miss Todd in her box. With 
Mrs. William Crozier were Lady Spring-Rice, Thomas 
Spring-Rice and Countess Cellere. Miss Harriet Souther- 
land was a guest of the German Ambassador. Mrs. Mar- 
shall Field also had a large box party. Among those in 
the large audience was Miss Valerie Padelford. 
Mrs. Henry C. Perkins, Mrs. William Slater and 
Mrs. Marshall Field were among the patronesses for the 
_ Russian ball at the Washington Playhouse, recently. The 
affair was under the patronage of Mme. Bahkmeteff, wife 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 5 
of the Russian Ambassador, and was a benefit for. sick 
and wounded Russian soldiers. Russian decorations were 
used and the ladies were asked to wear the Russian head- 
dress. 
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At the Fritz Kreisler recital Mrs. William F. Draper 
and Miss Margaret Draper had with them Admiral Clover, 
Miss Clover and Mrs. Chauncey Stigend. Mrs. James 
McMillan had with her Mrs. Preston Gibson and Mrs. 
FE. Rollins Morse. In the audience were Miss Valerie 
Padelford, Miss Caroline Ogden Jones and Mrs. John 
W. Weeks. 
Oo % 
Mrs. Oliver Wendell Holmes was among the lunch- 
eon guests of Mrs. Rufus Day last Tuesday. 
oo 
John Hays Hammond is spending a few days in 
Washington where he is staying at the Willard. 
o & 
Mrs. Ernest W. Roberts was among the luncheon 
guests of Mrs, Richard Young last Tuesday when she 
entertained at the Willard in honor of Mrs. Josephus 
Daniels. 
Oo 8 O 
The playhouse charity concert was a great success 
and Mrs. George Peabody Eustis gained new laurels when 
she appeared with the Boston Quartet. In the large and 
fashionable audience were Lady Spring-Rice, Mrs. Pres- 
ton Gibson, Mrs. Nicholas Longworth and Mrs. William 
F, Draper. 
Oo & 
Counselor of the State Department and Mrs. Frank 
Polk entertained at dinner last Wednesday in com- 
pliment to Lady Harrington of England, who is visiting 
her mother, Mrs. James McMillan. 
Oo 8 9 
The Italian Ambassador and Countess di Cellere and 
Mrs. William F. Draper were dinner guests at the Willard 
of William Miller Collier, former Minister to Spain, and 
Mrs. Collier, last Wednesday night. 
3 
Mrs. Wm. F. Draper has taken the Geo. R. Fearing 
villa at Newport for the coming season. 
N recent years the comparative mildness of our winters 
; has led us to believe that the present winter was an un- 
usually severe one. In many respects this winter has in- 
_ deed been severe, but according to the early history of 
_ this section there were many winters much more trying 
_ for the inhabitants than the past winter. Modern inven- 
_ tion has done much to relieve the hardships of the severe 
- winter. Our imagination can hardly grasp the difficul- 
_ ties experienced by the early settlers in this vicinity. The 
following article which appeared in the Essex Antiquarian 
in October, 1899, tells of the terrible winter of 1716-17: 
a “This was a mild winter so far as temperature went, 
_ but since that time probably an equal amount of snow has 
not fallen in any other season. Cotton Mather said that 
_ the country was overwhelmed with it. 
Mi “Snow began to fall early in the winter months, and 
, it was five feet deep in December. ‘Travelling was almost 
_ impossible except on snowshoes. 
“By February snow lay in great drifts, in some places. 
twenty-five feet in depth. In the woods it was more than 
a yard deep. 
“The greatest storm of the season began on February 
i8th and continued till the 23d, beginning again on the 
24th so violently that all communication between neigh- 
bors ceased. The storm left the snow from ten to fifteen 
feet deep on the level, and in places for long distances 
twenty feet. The oldest Indians had never heard of a 
storm that was its equal. 
“On the day the second storm began, Sunday, the 
24th, no religious meetings were held throughout New 
England. 
“The winter was very disastrous to animal life. 
Many cattle were buried in the snow and starved or 
smothered to death, some being found dead after the 
snow had melted, standing and apparently still living. 
“Others near the sea, being blinded by the snow 
wandered into the water and were drowned. Many sheep 
and some swine and even poultry were lost by being 
buried under the drifts. 
“The wild animals of the forest became desperate 
with hunger. Succulent shrubs were buried beneath the 
snow, and deer found sustenance scarce; the bears and 
wolves, both being then numerous in our forests, also be- 
came ravenous and killed, it is said, ninety-five out of 
every hundred deer, This caused such a scarcity of deer 
that the general court passed an act compelling towns to 
choose deer-reeves, whose duty it was, as far as possible 
to protect the deer. These officers were annually elected 
until the country had become so populated that the ani- 
mals had entirely disappeared. 
