Weekend At White Sulphur

at fight sulphur springs west virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is the most celebrated of the historic watering places around which much of the history of fashionable southern society has revolved since the country was young though today white sulphur is seldom thought of as a health resort it was the curative properties of the spring water which gave the place its tremendous vogue throughout the last century to be seen at old white during the season was a social obligation fuel the South's men and women of fashion felt able to ignore everyone who was anyone in those days flocked there annually to take the Cure and to join in the smart life of the hotel which grew up around the springs guests of the Greenbrier hotel today our frequently lodged in the old cottages many of them dating from 150 years ago which have how such celebrated historical figures as clay Calhoun and the great robert e lee 13 presidents of the united states have also stayed there it was a flight salt for almost a century ago that the governor of North Carolina made his immortal remark to the governor of South Carolina it's a long time between drinks and here the mint julep one of the famed contributions of the south to good living was invented than brought to full perfection in the smart world of today among people whose doings are reported and photographed the Greenbrier hotel still occupies a unique position it's gala reopening after several war years during which it had been taken over by the government was an event which made social news and focused attention once more on the little village in the West Virginia Hills from the terminal station of White Sulphur to the Greenbrier hotel is only a short distance but all the trains are met by an antique those flat lessly polished coach maintained by the hotel in memory of the days when any purposeful exertion was considered unbecoming a gentleman or his lady since the war of the green wire has been redone inside and out and has emerged as one of the handsomest resorts in the western hemisphere the reconversion was the work of one of America's most widely-known decorators Dorothy Draper whose designs are marked by the bold use of masked color though Greenbrier's decorative scheme is new its clientele remains basically much what it has always been traveled people of means and background industrialists and bankers and well-known public figures like Clark Clifford White House confidant and advisor during most of the Truman administration but for all the elegance indoors fly fat green wire goes on mostly outdoors since the hotel grounds are some 7,000 acres in area there's plenty of room for everyone and for every open-air pursuit in the daytime most activities center around the casino a deluxe Country Club the hotel maintains just for its guests there are six clay courts built for championship tennis where any enthusiastic weekenders who want to can perfect their backhand stroke and there are acres of porch and terrace where those whose interest in the sporting life is more academic can work up a becoming 10 while watching prince alexander hohenlohe and some of his friends run through a few fast sets of mixed doubles these days greenbrier appears so often on the glossy ER magazines as a background for notables that it is taking on some of the familiarity of a national landmark a sunny day may find jerome Zerbe snapping mrs. Igor Cassini on a lineup of newsreel and still camera men concentrating on such eminent personalities as J Arthur rank famed british film magnet His Royal Highness the Duke of Windsor and former senator Burton kaif wheeler of Montana while the Duchess of Windsor and Miss grace amerie watched from the sidelines among those who may be found basking in the sun at Greenbriar are such socially prominent personalities as mrs. da leader Ellis and John Jacob Astor third Otavio Boucher and mrs. byron see boy frequent visitors as well are the Winston guests and Michael Phipps but John Sims Kelly's and mrs. Fulton cutting junior in the tournament's at Greenbriar are many of the great names of golf but there are equally well-known personalities in the gallery mrs. Lucille Vanderbilt and mrs. Nicholas DuPont may be found in one of the many groups of spectators and there are scores of others whose names make frequent copy for newspaper columnist at Greenbrier tournaments there is almost always a large and faithful following right around the 18 holes especially when the foursome includes Bing Crosby and golfers kristin p and ben hogan for the audience is reasonably certain that when bing is in good form something is sure to happen sooner or later that will make the trip well worth while though he is only an amateur at golf being is a professional at low comedy whose antics add immeasurably to the fun at Greenbriar back at the hotel as the afternoon ends the day's big push begins for most of the staff at the greenbrier dinner is looked upon as an occasion not just a routine operation it is handle like the important and pleasant part of civilized existence that it can and should be on Saturday nights the dining room is in top form with every woman wearing for smartest gown her most treasured jewels at the next table maybe the John Jacob Astor Zand their guests climax of the weekend is the Saturday Night ball held in the Greenbrier's elegantly decorated rose ballroom glistening with crystal and gilt blatant a subdued key to give every woman the agreeable feeling that she looks her best it is one of the most beautiful ballrooms in the country and a perfect background for a Strauss waltz danced by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor you there are always a few tireless dancers who keep things going until the last possible moment and by the time the ball is over it is invariably close to dawn you for weekenders sunday is departure time a time which comes all too soon but hotel records show that few Greenbrier guests ever spend but a single weekend at White Sulphur or one weekend has a way of leading to another and the trains that take guests away seem always to bring them back sooner or later to the green and lovely lawns to the leafy hills and the clear warm sky of bold white