The New York herald., 1872-06-23
The Possible Future Hostess
Of the White House.
Miss Ida Greeley Presiding at an Ex-
perimental State Dinner.
Hungry City Men Running Wild
Among Country Edibles.
A Jolly Day with the
Philosopher.

revisited the scenes Of her childhood on the occa-
sion, for the first time since her return from
Europe, and a number Of gentlemen prominent in
the present canvass accompanied him to obtain
view for their own satisfaction, of that wonderful
wOodchopping that promises to shape the ends OF
the canvass, "rough-hew them how we wilI.n Ethan
Allen, chairman of the National Executive Commit
tee; James NJ Scovel, OF the New Jersey Executive
Committee John Mulaly of the Metropolitan Record;
Ralph Meeker, son OF the editor of the Greeley
(Co) Tribune, and the representative OF the
HERALD comprised the distinguished company that
met the Philosopher and his daughter at the depot
and accompanied them to
THE NEW ASHLAND IN wEsTCHEsTER.
At the Chappaqua station they were met by Mr..
J. r. Stuart and Mrs. Stuart, James M. Nelson, an
ex-Assemblyman Of Rockland county, who was
student under Henry Clay, and who distinguished
himself by his strong opposition, although demo-
crat, to the Tweed charter; Professor Jackson, OF
the Military Institute at Tarryt0wn, and his son
Mr.. Silver, one OF the officers OF the Tarrytown
Greeley Club, and by Mr.. Louis A. Coates, one OF
the Greeley speakers OF the canvass. This distin-
guished party at once proceeded TO
THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE WOODS.
and the Philosopher and his friends, after 'taking
drink as usual, and looking over the farm halt
ed on the wooded knoll and went to work on the
trees.
Miss Ida Greeley, in view OF the probability OF her
becoming next year
THE LADY OF THE WHITE HOUSE
in Washington, deserves fuller description. Her
mother has for many years been an invalid and is
now so unwell that Mr. Greeley hesitates about re-
moving her from the st. Cloud Hotel, where she is
staying in this city, to the homestead at Chappaqua
and in the event OF his election the most arduous
duties OF hostess OF the Executive Mansion would
devolve upon his eldest daughter. Miss Ida Gree
ley Is young lady OF about eighteen, of medium
height, handsome, with the soft dark eye, shapely
features and fine complexion OF her father. mass
OF dark brown hair Is done up In becoming folds
about her head. Her manners aflable and cor
dial, her conversation ready and sprightly, and
from the success with which, assisted by Mrs
Stuart, she presided at
THE FIRST STATE DINNER
OF the coming administration under the evergreen
shades on the farm yesterday it was made evident
that her domestic accomplishments are thorough.
She may be epigrammatcally described as the Phi
losopher refined out OF his angularitles and eccen
trictes and emininized. She heard of her fathers
nomination first in London, Mr.. Smalley, OF the
Tribune, having teegraphed her mother at once on
receiving notice OF It, and, rs she admits naively,
nomination at the Baltimore Convention, and, In
the event of IL, believes he will be elected She
~
vote would vote for Mr.. Greeley which she thinks
the woman suffragists as party would not be
likely to do
THE PERIIs or THE CAMPAIGN
Ethan Allen, Scovel, Mullaly and the rest OF the
gentlemen ranged themselves about the woods
where Mr. Greeley had laid out his trimming pro-
gramme, and Allen and Mullay, at least, having
never seen the Philosopher at this exercise,
awaited his movements with some apprehension,
and watched them with a feeling akin to terror.
They were frightened Mt his danger. When the
reckless Sage hoped boldly on limb fifteen feet
from md -, n
knotty limb bent under his weight, Allen turned
pale with horror.
PROTEST FROM THE PARTY.
"This won't do Scovel," said Allen; ''see what a
slip might dol If that limb gave way, or those
smooth soed shoes slipped, or that axe should re-
bound and cut his leg, and he should double up
over the limb and fall that distance to the
groundn-and his voice became husky with the ter
ror OF the situation.
scovEL-Now, you be easy. He's done this for
fifteen years, and he's as safe there as you are
the stump
may go to the well, you know, any number OF times
and be broken at last. One false blow or a slip might
be the death OF tne liberal party The National Com
suade him to vent his surplus energies hereafter
on subsoll ploughng or something Of that sort.
The Philosopher meantime, unconscious of the
discussion in his interest going on be-
low, continued calmly trimming his trees. He
stopped for moment in his work to point to a tall
rough bark tree growing near.
'Allen,n said he, "yOu used to be a farmer. Can
you tell me what sort OF tree that is ~
WHAT ALLEN KNOWS ABOUT FARMING.
Allen, with ready intelligence replied that he
didn't know. Young Meeker said 1t was cucum-
Der. Nelson agreed with Meeker. Mullaly thought
1t was rutabaga. Nobody guessed right, and the
said that 1t was yellow poplar a
very uncommon sort Of tree for this part of the
country.
NELsoN-wel, that's what's called cucumber
out West
Meeker corroborated this statement
The PHTIOsoPHER-But that is not o cucumber.
ALLEN (confidently)-NO, no, know cucumber
when see IT. haven't farmed for nothing
SC0vEL-Well, If 1t Is a cucumber | wouldn't
want more than one slice of IL for breakfast.
MULLALY (solemnly1-Ifit 1t Is not a cucumber why
cucumbereth It the ground
The PHILosoPHER-Wen, Allen, here's another
tree III try you on pointing to thin, gummy
looking sapling).
to be familiar with. Iwould call that a hemlock
The PHILosopHER-Nonsense That is a pepper
dge, one OF the gum family. IL grows altogether in
the West Indies.
ALLEN (thoughtfully) How did it get here, them
The PHILOSOPHER turning abruptly to his work
again)-Well that can't Say.
THE FARMER sTUMPED.
Great jubilation ensued ON the part of Allen on
thus ''stumpng the exponent OF agricultural wis
dom, and he turned with a triumphant air to Null
aly-"I guess that fetched him. lie can't teach me
anything about farming.n
KEEN APPETITEs.
The visitors had already become hungry. Allen
looked at his watch continually in hopes that he
could hurry old Time along to two O'Clock by that
means. Scoyel claimed that so long delay before
meal time was a cdsus beHi. Mullaly being offered
cnance 10 Try ms hand ab cnopplng SAID he pre-
erred steaks to chops. Everybody had on salts
factory appetite except the Philosopher, who per-
sisted in trimming his trees up to the hour OF two
ana needless OF the awful moaning in
spirit OF the hungry party below.
AN UNWILLING SET.
IL was not until after two that the Philosopher
came down from his perch unhaTmed. He then
wanted Allen to try his hand at cutting down a small
sapng, but the Chairman OF the National Commit.
tee replied that some OF the Illustrated papers had
put him in a woodcut: but he wasn't woodcutter
Mullay being called on said II they persisted in his
choppng wood he'd 'cut,r and with that he started
In the direction OF the evergreens where the lunch
awaited them.
THE DINNER.
The iirst state dinner was immense success.
Mr.. Greeley occupied the head OF the table, nanked
by Mr. Coates on his right and Judge Nelson on nus
left; Professor Jackson occupied the foot anu MISS
Greeley and Mrs Stuart the seats OF nonor III me
middle. The table was set as llsnaI lh tne ever