The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-03-31
FOm Tie Wasaisson Correspondence Of the Philadelphia tre
A State Dinner at the White House.

From The Wasai9on Correspondence Of the Phadpnsd tssS'
A State Dinner at the White House.
Tie estate dining room" at the White House
H a handsome apartment. A long table, roun-
.ded at the ends, extends through the middle of
IL atwhich thirty-six can be comfortably seased.
There is plenty Of room besides, for the ser
wants to perform their duties admirably. New
mirrors and chandeliers have been added since
tlle administration of President Grant, but the
carpets, upEolstering and papering have de-
scended from the johnson regime. Ihe ex-
auisite taste of Martha Patterson is seen on the
daintily tinted walls, the figures OF the carpet
SO nicely adjusted to the size of the room, the
dark green satin damask at the windows, and
the quaint chairs, under her supervision, ar
ranged to match. A clock, as ancient as the
days of Madison, adorns one of the marble
ymantles, whilst pair of hydraheaded candle
sticks, grim with age, descended from nobody
knows whose brief reign, graces the other.
With the exception Of a pair OF modern ma
hogany side-boards, the furniture seems to have
belonged to- the eras of Washington or Jeffer-
son, it is so eolid and sombre. The White
House was modelled after the palace of the
Duke of Leinster, and the state dining-room,
more than any other part of the building, Is
suggestive of baronial hall. But if there Is
one thing more than another from which the
silver. Steward Melah," the silver-voiced
Italian whom Government employs to look af-
ter this part of its business actually wrings his
hands with terror and dismay when he 'gets"
the table for state occasions.
A rare work of art adorns the center of the
long table in the state dining-room. 1t is sew,
eral feet long, and, perhaps, two feet wide, and
Is composed of gilt and looking-glass. The
foundation is a long mirror, and this is beached
by perpendicular shore three inches in height,
but Of no appreciable thickness. Little, fern
like upheavings may be seen rising out OF the
tawdry gilt at equal distances apart, and these
are used as sreceptacles for natural flowers. But,
lest the guests should look into the mirror, and
see each other facetiously reflected, at moments,
too, when the human mouth assumes anything
but poetic proportions, large vases of flowers
are strewn on its CLASSY surface, and the mis-
caiefof the mirror is nippedin the bud. The or
nament is not merely ornamental; it is useful
It answers the very purpose to help out So
cial ambuSeade, for it can be so arranged as to
hide the President from any guest from whose
presence he is suffering, whether said person
comes under the head Of enemy or friend.
Conversation at State dinner can not be
general. Each guest must depend upon his
own neighborhood. The quality of the con-
versation depends entirely upon the kind OF
people who manufacture it. Mike Walsh ter
rified Mrs. Franklin Pierce at State dinner by
talking about his sgoing fishing on Sunday"
A modern Congressman filled up the official
time between each mouthful by telling his next
lady neighbor the exact things which his pal
ate craved. He didn't like "French dishes"
but he was "fond of pork and beans, as we'll as
ice cream and canned peaches" No doubt the
word Jenkins" will be flung at your cores
pendent for these social criticisms but gentte-
asun is the highest term which con be applied
to politician, and the people have just as
much right to description of an official din
ner as any other public event, especially when
the Government employs public functionary
in the person of Steward Melah to see the dig
nifty of the nation carried to the perfection
point.
Once upon a time an accomplished young
American woman had the honor to dine with
the Car of ali the Russias. During the Royal
entertainment plate of delicious grapes was
passed around. 1t is true the young lady saw
the golden knife which rested on the side of the
basKet but as the fruit came to her first she
had no way of learning its use so she did Just
as she would have done in America-she reach
ed out her dainty fingers and lifted from the
dish whole stem of grapes. What was her
CONSERVATION to see the next person, as we'll as
all the other guests take the golden knife and
sever single grape each, and transfer it to
their plates. Had young Russian lady in this
country helped herself to a whole chicken the
error would have been precisely the same 1t
is true the young lady committed no crime, but
her feelings and those of her friends would
have been spared had she learned the etiquette
of royal tables before she became an Emperor's
guest.
1t is the evening of the Presidents state din
ot tad hpf
pected to be punctually in their places at
o'clock P. II. President and Mrs. Grant are
already in the bed room awaiting the company.
The ladies have disrobed themselves of outer
wrappings, and, like graceful swans, they sail
slowly into the presence Mrs. Grant is in full
evening dress-jewels, laces, and all the ct
ceteras to match. Her lady guests are attired
as handsomely as herself, and the gentlemen
aEe expected to wear black, swallow tail coats
and. white neck ties.
President Grant leads the way with the wife
of the Oldest Senator present on his arm-not
the oldest Senator in years, but the one who
has enjoyed the longest term of Office The
President is followed by the other guests, whilst
Mrs. Grant, assisted by the husband of the wo-
man who honors the President by her exclusive
attention, brings up the rear, and after slight
confusion the guests are most comfortably sea-
ted.
The ambrosial soup is followed by French
esoquet of meat. -Four admirably trained SER
wants remove the plates between each course,
and their motions are as perfect as clock work
These servants are clad in garments OF faultlcss
cut which serve to heighten to the last degree
their sable compilations. White kid gloves add
the finishing touch to this part of the enter
tainment. The third "course" of the dinner is
composed of fillet of beef, fanked on each
ty of mushrooms to keep them company. The
next course is dainty in the extreme 1t is
made up entirely Of the luscious legs of par
tridges.
1t will readily be seen that full descrip-
tion of the twenty-nine courses would be alto