Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-08
From our regular Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, ID. c., January 8. 1880.
Our New Year opened up as bright
and balmy as a May day. The sun
shone brilliantly, and the beautiful
weather was enjoyed to the fullest ex
tent by our callers. Even our ''oldest
inhabitants" who, in resistance to
modern innovations, are as tenacious
and unyielding as the Bourbous, gener-
ally succumbed 10 the seductive influ.
ences offered by the clerk of the wealth.
er and our handsome ladies, and joined
in the tlrong OF callers, whose carriages
rolled through the streets from early
morning till late in the evening. In
ante. bellum times there was no observ.
ance of New Years day as a holiday
wherever slavery obtained. The slave
began his round of gaiety on Christmas
eve and ended it with New Years
morning, going then TO work precisely
as on other days OF the year. The
master himself conformed to the Gus.
tom, and nowhere i'm the South was il
observed as a day Of rest or leisure.
Hence the custom of devoting it to call
ing on friends, and thereby keeping
alive old memories and friendships.
came here since the war as an innova.
ton which our native old iogies have
resisted and condemned, though with
annually lessened columns, until now a
mere corporals guard refuse to open
their houses and usually hospitable
boards to their acquaintance. These we
will bury, with their prejudices, in an.
other year or two, and then Washing.
ton may be regarded as wholly rejuven.
ated.
The White House is, of course, the
first and main object OF attention. OF
fetal etiquette requires the members of
the United States Courts, as well as each
subordinate official, from members OF
the Cabinet down, and soldier and sail.
or, to pay their respects to the Presi.
dent on New Years Day, and as the
foreign legations are also included in
this compulsion, the White House ne.
cessarily becomes the centre of an i'm
mense throng of callers. The glitter of
gold and decorations is seen on all sides,
even from | to . o'clock, when the
doors are opened to the common citizen,
who pour into the mansion with a jam
and crowd that is fearful TO weak nerves
and costly dresses. The interior Of the
White House was never more tasteiully
decorated. The corridors bloomea with
potted plants, whose fragrance filed the
air. Flags were arranged in various
forms in all the parlors, and their folds,
as well as the chandeliers and mirrors,
were festooned with flowers and ever.
green's. The Marine Band discoursed
its sweetest strains. The President and
Mrs. Hayes, with her assistants, ''re-
ceived' in the blue parlor. The tot.
lettes of these ladies, as we'll as those Of
the ladies of the foreign legation, were
very rich and beautiful, and the ere.
ception" throughout may be taken as n
decided success in numbers and splen.
dor. The parlors of the Cabinet officers
were also thronged. There were many
gay scenes about the city, for half the
world, the ladies, kept open house, and
the other half was out calling. The
list of ladies who would receive, which
our papers published, covered nearly
all our elite and smaller fry" and right
well was the day employed. Our ladies
generally discountenanced the dispens-
ing of liquors, and, as a consequence,
less inebriation was seen than in the
past.
The day, however, had with it some
sanguinary aspects. A colored man
opened the bloody ball by shooting an
other negro TO death and dangerously
wounding two Others. These three men
were in the murderer's drinking saloon
and, becoming boisterous, a quarrel en-.
sued, out of which grew the deadly as.
saut. About midday young lady
named Horton attempted to kill Sena-
tor Morgan's (of Alabama) son, but in.
ilicted only n slight wound in his
shoulder with her pistol. She was i'm.
mediately arrested, but was perfectly
cool throughout the whole affair and
examination at police headquarters.
Miss Horton came here from Alabama
last summer and entered suit against
young Morgan for breach OF promise
and seduction. Her story of wrongs
suffered at his hands is fearful one,
and, IL true, ii is no wonder she is in
clined to take summary law into her
own hands. Felix.