The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-12-25
many from making the Intended

Reaching Music Hall lthe exposition Buili
ings,l Gen. Grant walked up the main aisl
arm in arm with the Mayor OF the city, pre-
ceded by portion of the reception commit
tee and followed by soldiers and citizens
For moment the swelling notes of tn
great organ united with Thomas Orchestra
hiied the building, and then there arose sucl
4 shout OF welcome that the music wa
+ drowned in the cheers which rang fortl
from. more than two thousand threats
People stood upon the CHAIRS, pushing
croWding, Singing, until they Sseemed min
gled in one solid, living, moving mass, 81
full of enthusiasm they could hardly contain
themselves while the Mayor delivered bis
brief address OF welcome. Gen. Grant re.
Piled in a few fitting sentences and then the
cheers r. ng out again., round upon round.
until the orchestra, with its sixty piecss,
] found it was quite forgotten and that, fol
once, the assembled multitude preferred the
music of It's own voice TO the more stately
cadences of Stratus or the grander strains OF
| Wagner.
| Coming downfrom the platform, the Gen.
eral commenced the labor of Handwriting,
but in few moments the crowd had become
so dense movement either way was impossi-
BILE, and the shaking process was abandoned.
Then the Mayor pronounced the ceremonies
ended, the procession reformed, and the
General was escorted to the residence ofMrs.
Washington Mclean where, from three until
seven, was held one Of the most brilliant re-
ceptions Cincinnatl has seen TO. many a
day, rendered to Mrs. Grant and the ladies
of her party, by Mrs. Mclean. 1t was quite
exclusive, -.only five hundred invitations be-
ing issued, land was intended to include on
ly the creme de la creme of Porkopoiis town.
The apartments were handsomely decor.
ated with smilax, ivies and flowers; the re-
freshments were served from tables laden
With cut glass, silver, and delicate china;
the toilettes of the ladies were elaborate and
expensive enough to brighten any young
man out of dawning aspiration to secure
the right to settle some fair one s dressmak-
er's bills, All III all it was as elegant as
could be desired.
Following close upon the heels of the re-
ception came banquet at the Grand Hotel,
where were assembled two hundred and sew
enty of those who were so fortunate as to Sc.
cure an invitation and sufficiently in funds
to be able to pay eight dollars for a ticket.
The arrangement and decoration OF the
tables had been placed in skillful hands,
and their success was very gratifying to ar
tistic Cincinnattians. The floral decorations
were very beautiful, the dainty blossoms
seeming to have reached perfection just in
time to do honor to our city's guest who sat
in the center of the north side of the grand
dining room. Directly in front of him was
most exquisite flower piece. An oval, near
ly three feet long, slightly raised, formed the
base. In the middle of this was as lovely
an American flag as you ever laid eyes on,
and one that had plainly not been in the
wars. 1t was all made of flowers
1t was in size about eighteen by
twelve inches. The thirteen stripes were of
vivid red and white carnation. The field
was made of the sweet scented blue yiolets,
with delicate bordering of purple hello
trOpe.
Little stars of white iessamine dotted
themselves around in a radiant constellation
The oval background was flied in with var
ious light colored and white flowers and Dor
dered with airy green. The name III. S.
Grant, was daintily wrought in among the
flowers, the letters 81. S. above the flag
and ''Grant" below it.
hasty glance at the tables before the
work of demolition commenced revealed
many beauties OF the art Of the cook which
it seemed too bad to destroy.
In pastry there were baskets and pyra-
mids of decorated fruits, urns of orange
glaze, fountains supported by cupids and
dolphins, fruit gloce Of mouget, pyramids
a la Noel, and Castlian pyramids, all OF the
most exquisite workmanship.
OF fish there was suberb muscalonge, a
la p0rssienne, and Kenebec salmon gl0ce, in
Grand Hotel style.
There was magnificent bird pie in pyra-
midal form, decorated with quail in feath
er.
Ham, Cincinnati style, festooned and
picked.out with devices in pastry, resemb-
ling shells holding var-colored jellies.
Pyramidal forms of boned turkey, chicken
salad, aspic OF oysters, shrimps, beef, tongue,
surmounted by Tyre, festooned with smil-
ak, lobster in jelly.
The browning glory of the work was a
center piece-a fountain Of cosmopolitan def
sign-with cupids. dolphins, sea lions. &C.,
decorated with smilax, the whole surmoun-
ted by portrait bust Of General Grant,
Speeches, Toasts and social chat prolonged
the banquet till an early morning hour.
There may have been wine-weary heads in
town next morning, but Gen. Grant was
not among the number.
A breakfast at the hotel, with few ac-
quaintances, reception Of delegation Of
the clergy OF the city followed by that Of the
ex army and navy officers, and then General
Grant and party started for Columbus, there
to repeat the programme, with slight varia-
tions.
Here it was banquet, there twas a
hop.
Crowds flocked to the Gibson House to see
them off, and many fingered to inspect the
rooms which had been especially fitted and
adorned for their occupancy. The proprietors
of the house had spent money with lavish
hand and had left nothing undone which could
add to comfort or beauty OF the apartments.
The flowers had withered, but all else re-
NAMED as it had been, and spoke well for
the taste and liberality OF the managers Of
the hot6n~ak