The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-01-08
Washington, Letter.
trrom Our Regular Correspondent

From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 2, 1880.
Our New Year opened up as bright
and balmy as 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 BourboHs, gen.
orally succumbed to the seductive in
f1ueIfces offered by the clerk of the
weather and our handsome ladies, and
joined in the throng of callers, whose
carriages rolled through the streets
from early morning till late in the
evening. In ante-bellum time & there
was nO observance of New Years day
as 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 custom, and nowhere in the
South was it observed as day of rest
or leisure. Hence the custom of de-
voting it to calling on friends, and
thereby keeping alive old memories
and friendships, came here since the
war as an innovation which our native
old fogies have resisted and condemned
though with annually lessened col
umns, until now a mere corporaps 9
guard refuse to open their houses and
usually hospitable boards to their ac-
quaintances. These we will bury,
with their prejudices, in another year
or two, and then Washington may be
regarded as wholly rejuvenated.
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 mem
bers of the Cabinet down, and soldier
and sailor, to pay their respects to the
President on New Years Day, and as
the foreign legations are also included
this compulsion, the White House
immense throng of callers. The gilt
ter of gold and decorations is seen on
all sides, even from 1 to O'Clock,
when the doors are open to the COM
mon citizen, who pour into the man
sion with jam and crowd that is fear
full to weak nerves and costly dresses.
The interior of the White House was
never more tastefully decorated. The
corridors bloomed with potted plants,
whose fragrance filled the air. Flags
were arranged in various forms in all
the parlors, and their folds, as well as
the chandeliers and mirrors, were fes-
tooned with flowers and evergreens.
The Marine Band discoursed its sweet
est strains The President and Mrs.
Hayes, with her assistants, received"
in the blue parlor. The toilets of these
ladies, as we'll as those of the ladies of
the foreign legation, were very rich
and beautiful, and the reception"
throughout may be taken as decided
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
lists of ladies who would receive,
which our papers published, covered
nearly all our elite'' and "smaller
fry" and right we'll was the day en-
ployed. Our ladies generally discon-
tinued the dispensing 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
another negro to death and dangerous
ly wounding two others. These three
men were in the murderer's drinking
saloon, and, becoming boistrous, a
quarrel ensued, out of which grew the
deadly assault. About midday a young
lady named Horton attempted to kill
Senator Morgan's (of Alabama) son,
but inflicted only slight wound in
his shoulder with her pistol. She was
Immediately arrested, but was per.
fectly cool throughout the whole affair
and examination at police headquar-
ters. Miss Hortor 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 a
fearful one, and, if true, it is no won
b al
law into her own hands.