Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1877-03-03
4 state Dinner.


Esther Makcpcace. tho clatty
Washington correspondent of the
Snclamcnlo E'cori-fniDn. in n late
letter gave the following noble de-
scrpIion Of tho preparations for II
State dinner
tl,ss,- Grant. Jr, called Nv his
mates " Buck Grant, and socially
the most peculiar Of the President =
three SONS. IL an aflablo gentleman
uf - ur ~. iuhcriting his mother q
mobile il.,c rather than the stern set
features ~ his father. Since the
decline aud fnil of General Babcock,
be- onlciatos as his H. inr's private
secretary. and ia that capacity he
gave mc the freedom II the State
dining room at the Executive man
SION the other day duii1g tho hour
preceding the first Stac dinner of
The seasons. viz, that TO tho Justices
If The Supreme Court. the President
If the Senate. the Attorney General,
the Speaker of tho House, and their
respective wives.
rnE STATE DINING ROOM
Opens from the rcd room, which be-
sides being one of the lateral suite
of three tho Green, the Blue, and
the lied in which tho periodical re-
cepiionz are held, IN also Mrs. Grants
private parlor; aud here, above tho
granl piano. hangs the full length
family portrait Of tho Grants, paint
el when our President was Gener-
al IA command; aud Mrs. Sartoris
blooming. bashful little Nellie, in
short dresses and schoolgirl hat.
The entire picture has an artless, ru-
rnl air aud some way reminds me OF
that masterpiece, On famillc. describ-
al by tho Vicar II Wakefield, in
witch Sophia was n shepherds,
with ~ many sheep ~ the painter
would put IN for nothing" The
dining g.room II forty feet by thirty,
with handsome square mirrors nj
Sach end. brilliantly rejecting tho
f,riy gaa ic,a from tho two magnif-
cent chandeliers which ovorhang the
table, where plates may be laid for
thirty ais. The walls nre raised pa
per. gil,lcd. aud freshly hung in
panels ~ drab-gay. relieved with
brighter tinls. The ceiling IN newly
frescooi Ia match the walls; the red,
black aud gr on Brussels carpet is in
good state Of preservation. The
room had, as ! entered, tropical
fragrance from the profusion OF con-
ser,atory plants aud flowers set
around Ia every available spot.
I.ilac, holiotrope, violets. scarlet
ger#niums. aud many fragrant vines
peeped ou, from the floral ornaments
that danked tho table, and ut each
plate was n ravishing little boquets
IN tall. slender vase, with border
~ cut paper, the Presidents being
q triae the largest Of all. and having
rich white cameiia In tho centre.
Vines climbing up from four baskets
resting ON the up-strstched arms OF
the Three uraccs. and twined them-
selves around the chandeliers. In
The centre of the table IL silver
epergne, representing q long oval
iske. uron II rests Hiawatha's boat.
Walk Water" two feet in length,
wi,h that blithe young redskin in
d.s,riou@ly rowing nj nothing, in
one end This boat IN u relic Of the
Centennial, purchased by Mrs. Grant
ani was flied 10 overflowing with
dain,e.t aower., with q tiny dwarf
palm tree 10 the center.
fuH ssnvicE
That evening was Of purple China,
wiih the national colors In shield
shape. surrounded by our typical
eagle There II also buff set oi
china sosnsti,nes used. Two pearl
hsnilsi silver knives aud forks were
st each plate, the ono set 10 be re-
moves. after the fish. On ono Of the
slie.hoar,l=. among a sumptuous re-
serve of desert ware, Smith, tho
lailar showed mo y set of gold knives
with pointed blades, marked "Ths
President Of the United States, and
purchased In Van Buron's time, u
The scandal of our primitive ant
sa..s...s..t..al s..sl.lis IA A~ph nlatl