Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-03-05
From eur wssAthutou .toftssPondcp''
wAsatEeroN, March ist 1870.

society, that have known during my seten
years residence here. No day passes Without
a fashionable and expensive dinner no even
ing without number Of parties. It's a marx
orour growing extravsgance that, hitherto, din |
ners have commenced at six O'Clock. This win |
ter they begin at half psst seven. They usual !
ly last from two to three hours, and the guests
are expected to leave In from ten to fifteen
minutes after tho conclusion of the dinner.
That space Of time is allotted to the gentlemen
TO retire to the smoking room to enjoy tile
luxury Of q cigar Balls and parties begin
soon after nine. and lust till midnight II there
is no dancing. If dancing is participated In,
the party Is expected to continue till near day
break. A young lady who lately arrived at
party at the fashionable hour of two in the
morning, remarked that this was the seventh
party sue had been to that evening and that
there was one more she yet expected to attend
before she returned home. | wonder at what
hour she took her breakfast next morning |!
fancy she would have had but little appetite.
OF course it IL needless to say that all this is
extravaganza; that the expense is tremendous,
and the practice unhealthy, Still 1t is the
fashion, and therefore, it is certain 10 be fol-
lowed Society in Washington IS more di-
vidcd into strata than in any other city in the
land, and ones place in the strata does not de-
pend on culture, or worth, or wealth, but on
Office. The President and his cabinet, tile Su-
preme Court and the foreign Ambassadors, oc-
cupy the highest stratum Next to them come
the Senators, and then follow the Members OF
the House aud the wealthy inhabitants OF the
District. Any custom participate d in by the
President and the Ambassadors. however eX-
pensive. however unhealthy, is sure to be imita-
ted through oil the humber forms of society
Wine drinking, on large scale, is one of the
fashions; and If Mr. Coliax ever comes to be
president, shall rejoice to have man in the
White House who gives temperance dinners.
These Presidential dinners are given every
week or two The two first dinners of the sea-
son-and the season begins here with the open
ing of Congress in December-are given to the
Supreme Court and the Ambassadors. Thar
the Senators are invited, democrats as well a
republicans, for no distinction Of party is mad
here, and the date of invitation and the plac
at table is determined by the letter OF the al
: phabct that begins the name. After the Scnat
Is all through, the Members of the House ar
invited.
On Thursday of last week, President G 'in
had his closing reception; for Lent Is nov
upon U.S. ! arrived at the door of the Whit
House at half past nine o'clock to find the doc
closed, and small crowd waiting admittanc'
The window Was open aud out Of it were il
suing those callers who had concluded thci
II. rL, t,,lI mn l1ut sn rrti,
. was the crush within, that eight ladies had
= ready tainted; but l did not believe him.
: think he exaggerated the truth to sOothc IN
ruiiied feelings at being locked out so long.
: stood at the door twenty minutes waiting at
mission. Near me stood pretty girl in thi
:. party dress, with bare arms, and with her hea
. protected from the cold by flower or tw'
and here she had to stand that bitter col
night, in February, for nearly half an hour
: the open air, till the crowd in the house had s
v thinned out that the crowd out doors could |
~ !, admitted AT last our turn came, and we ei
! tered the White House to find u long lille
: closely packed people, slowly awaiting the
) turn to shake hands with the President. Ha
an hours pressure brought this crowd befo
the President; few minutes more led us I'M
the East Room, where the crowd could pr
menade in one direction but rs for dancing
" or walking IN any direction, except with til
crowd, 1t was impossible.
The most marked event of the week in I'll
Senate, has been the admission of Hiram
- Rcyels To his seat, as the successor of Jef. ID
~ Wis. In the House the principal fact has bet
=, the expulsion of b. +. Whittemore, of Sou
- Carolina. Mr.. Reycls is light colored ma
!, or Quadroon, and he made his first public {
:. fort in II temperance speech at the Congreg
~ tional Church last night. He Is man OF ia
-, talents, and should think of good judgmen
a, Mr.. Whittcmore was expelled for selling Ii
nomination To Cadetship. lie was oiiert
,s $500 to be used for political purposes in h
=, district If he would nominate certain your
n. man and he did It. lie never took the mont
n, himself, but 1t was expended in his distriC
10 The House took the ground that no mi
m should sell the power entrusted 10 hi
or whether the money was paid to him directly,
"a to any cause he approved Of So Mr.. Whit
:, more was removed. He has returned 10
:. State, and, very likely, will we reelected, Il
:. til N The House will admit him.
n On Saturday night meeting was held he
10 10 nom nate Gen. Butler TO the Presidency
4. 1872. TIE attendance was small, and
meeting poorly managed. At its conclus
y. the attendants went to Gen. Buffers hou
y serenadcd him md called him out But
general feeling her, is lla, it is too early yet
,o talk of u nomination that will not be made
~ two years AMI hall, and when that nomir
!, ilon comes, Gen Butler will probably fl
a more opposition among / rominent Repul
-, cans than Democrats. But with the peop
:. the General IL very popular WORCESTER
nj - ---'--------7-----
Frans our CeIuasbss Correspondents.