The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-03
NEW YEATS RECEPTIoNs.


they established the seat of government
here, found the genial festivities of
| Christmas already transplanted from
Old England, and they brought from
New York the cordial observance of
New Years Day. It was in New York
then the national, as it is now the COM
mercial metropolis-that President
George Washington was waited on, by
the leading New Workers, on the LIST of
January, 1870, in accordance with the
custom of the city. The President re-
| sided in what has more recently been
known as the Franklin House, at the
head of Cherry street, and a gentleman
| who was present wrote that latter be-
ing severally introduced, and paying
the usual compliments of the season,
the citizens mutually iuterchanged
their kind greetings, and withdrew,
| highly gratitied by the friendly notice
| of the President, to most of whom he
was u perfect stranger"
In the tevening, Mrs. Washington
held her first levee, and, while speak
ing of the occurrences of the day, she
remarked: 'tNothing so pleased the
General as the friendly greetings of the
gentlemen who visited him at noon"
When the seat of the Government
was established here, the French GUS
tom Of official visits on New Years
Day was added to the social visitationS
patterned after those of Gotham Mrs.
|
slight ceremonials of the White House,
adopted the programme since carried
| out. The President first receives the
! Foreign Minister'S, the Judges of the
Supreme Court, and the officers of the
army and navy, and then the doors are
open for the sovereign people.
Before General Jackson's day, the
cream of Washington society used to
attend the New Years receptions, and
refreshments were dispensed. But the
| Democratic admirers of Old Hickory
took possession of the White House,
| fighting for the punch, and on one New
Years an immense cheese, which had
been presented by New York diary
| man, was cut mp and distributed among
them. Since then boisterous partisans,
impertinent clerks, shoddy upstairs,
and importunate place hunters have
crowded and damned, and surged
through the White House on New
| Years Day, excluding welI-bred peo-
| pie Many who do not care to "run
the gauntlet in such an iII-mannered
mob, congregate about the doors to see
the foreign ministers in their court liv-
cries, and the army and navy officers.
It is not, however, the fighting men
who figure here on such occasions, but
the bureau officers, whose Subserviency
to Stanton has gained them brevet rank,
and who pile on all possible insignia
thereof.
The report Of the Library of Congress
shows that it has 99. $50 volumes, ex-
elusive of the 10000 volumes of the
Smithsonian Library, now being re-
moved to the Capitol. The two wings,
each ninety-ive feet in length by
| galleries, are nearly completed, and as
they, with the main hall, are construct
ed entirely of iron (including the
shelves), there can be no danger offire,
/ which has twice consumed our Nation
| al Library. The total length CT iron
shelving is now 81 $3.50 feet, and, adding
the shelving in the law library of the
| Supreme Court and in n document
| room, the entire length of shelving is
%, ] As feet, or nearly five miles. These
accommodations afford space for the
safe keeping of about DC, 900 volumes
and it is to be hoped that Congress will
soon authorize the purchase of the
unique Force collection, which merits
=. a national resting place.
! PAYMENTS OF INTEREST AND DIVIDEND
The semi-annual disbursements in n.
! Y, exclusive of the Government. eX-
4 ceeds Sl5, 1000, 900. The Treasury De-
/ partment will commence 10 disburse
I gold, as interest on the public debt
There will be 81, 900, 900 of this amount
/ paid out at the Sub-Treasury here on
the 10th proximo, and about IS, OOO, 600
| Will De PAID out IN currency as interest
on the Seven-thirty notes. The Man
haitian Company will pay out one mil
lion seven hundred thousand on ac-
count of New York State. The Ohio
State Agency will pay S350,0O as inter-
est, and tnke up 500, 900 OF the princi-
| pal of the debt of that State. Tennes-
see will pay here 500, 600 as interest on
its bonds. There will also be some dis
bursements here on account of Cali
| fornia and Kansas, The Bank of the
Republic will pay the interest on the
Georgia State bonds.
AN ingenious cLnoclTet in tba yvast