The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1870-05-21

WnQCUlI0 N1lkYAufJ
MONROE, La. MAY p. 1870
The Cost of a State Dinner:
The state dining room at the White
House. 10 handsome apartment. a
long table rounded st the ends, extends
through the middle Of it, at which
thirty-six can be comfortably seated
There IL plenty Of room, besides, for
the servants to perform their duties
admirably. New mirrors and chan
deliers have been added since the adj
ministration of President Grant, bat
the carpets, upholstering and papering
have descended from the johnson
regime. The exquisite taste of Martha
Patterson is seen on the daintily tinted
walls. the figures of the carpet 80 nicely
adjusted to the size of the room, the
dark green satin damask at the win =
dows. and the quaint chairs, under her
supervision arranged to match. A
clock, as ancient as the days OF Aadi-
son, adorns one of the marble mantels,
while . pair of hydra-headed candle
sticks, grim with age, descended from
nobody knows whose brief reign, grsces
the other. With the exception of a.
pair of modern mahogany sidcboards,
the furniture seems to have belonged
to the eras of Washington or Jefferson,
it is 80 solid and sombrc. The White
House was modelled after the palace Of
tho Duke Of Leinster, and the state
dining room, more than any other part
of the building, is suggestive Ola baro.
NAL hall. But if there is one thing
moro than another from which the
state dining room suffers, il is from q
dearti1 of silver. Steward Melah, the
silver-voiced italian whom the Gov
eminent employs to look after this part
of its business, actually wrings his
hands with terror and dismay when he
sets the table for State OCCASIONS
why, madam" says Meiah, "thero
isn't enough silver in the White House
to set respectable free lunch table. "
Now, the inconparablc Melah has been
steward in3the Everett House, Boston,
the Astor, New York the Stetson, at
Long Branch, the St. Charles, New
Orleans; and having served in these
first. class capacities, it may be possible
that his ideas are too exalted for the
same kind of work in the White House.
1t must be remembered that all these
state dinners are paid for out of the
President g private purse. The Pres
ident has put THE delicate matter into
Steward Melah's hands, and the Italian
gets up q didner according to the qual-
iy Of the guests. These dinners cost
from $500 to 81 500. though the aver
age cost is about 500. The state dim
ner in which Prince Arthur had the
honor of partaking, was composed of
twenty-n nine courses, and cost 81 500;
but tits only when royalty is to be en-
tertained that these feasts assume such
costly proportions. This modest sum
does rot include the wine and other
beverages. for these come under q sep
arate ''item." In no other administra-
ton has the Government appointed q
man to spend the Presidents money
Heretofore the. ''ladios of the White
House" have looked after this PIX of
the official business, and it will at once
be seen what frugality is necessary to
make both ends of the Presidential
year meet; but no man during the ex-
istence of the Republic, has been the
recipient of SO many costly gifts as the
present Exc cutiye, and he reflects hon
or in return by his Dnexampled and
reciprocal generosity.-lOivi in Phil
adelphia Press.