Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-01-11
President Arthur's Reception
Broken up by Sudden
Death.
Elisha Allen. Minister from Hawa
Dean of the Diplomats, the
Stricken One.
\ Sketch OF the Dead Diplomats Long
and Somewhat Remarkable
Career.
A BRILLIANT OCCASION MARRIED py DEATH

BRILLIANT OCCASION MARRIED BY DEATH.
New Years day at tie capitol was
altogether given over to ceremony
The weather was hslmy aud spring.
like, The streets being thronged with
gentlemen without overcoats. The CEN
ter OF attraction, of course, was the
White House, every other public build
ing in the city, including the capitol.
being closed and deserted. The plan
was to occupy the fore part of the day
IN ceremonies at the execution mansion.
and the afternoon was very generally
gwen to promiscuous calling. The
morning papers contained over a page
giving the names and actresses of ladies
who would receive their friends, and it
was remarked that for many wear
had their been so gay q New Year az
this promised at Its opening. The
prophecy would have been realized had
not death silently entered the White
House in the midst of lis gayeties and
thrown pall over everything. Up to
the time of the interruption the White
House reception was it is said. the
most brilliant within the reoollect-
ions of those who have been
living presidents. The surroundings
were perfect in every appointment and
the preparations had been completed
to the most minute detail. The house,
but recently decorated By Tiffany,
looked fresh and new, even to the great
square east room, which for years has
been an ungainly combination of diney
gray and glaring red. Luxuriant
plants and broad-leaved trees from the
tropics added softness to the artificial
decorations and loaded the air with the
most exquisite odors. The Marine
oand, with It's choicest repertoires, was
seated in the grand hallway, and dis
coursed strains which have a place in
the music of American history. At11
o'clock the band played "Hail to The
Chief" and
THE PRESIDENT
entered the blue parlor and took his
wonted station. He wore morning
suit of black with dark necktie, white
gloves and red carnalion on his left
lapel.
THE SHADE or DEATH.
Minister Allen, after leading the di.
plomatic corps as its dean and going
through the ceremony of presentation,
passed into the green room. where he
engaged in conversation with various
gentlemen for about an hour, seeming
TO be mainly occupied with single
topic which he was unable to dismiss
from his mind. He spoke to various
members of congress and senators with
reference to the threatened abrogation
of the Hawaiian treaty. He passed
back and forth a time or two from the
blue room to the green room, when at
little after II O'clock he bid adieu to
friends near him and started toward
the clerK's room.
On going to the coat room he fell into
what was believed for the moment to
be fainting fit, from which he would
soon recover. He never spoke again,
however. He was native Of Salem,
Mass, having been born there in Janu-
airy, 1904. He looked ten years
younger. He was educated as Il
lawyer. He commenced practice in
Maine. He was speaker of the as
sembly at the age Of 80, and was elect
ed TO the twenty-seventh congress as a
whig. He was defeated for re- election
by Hannibal Hamliu, then democrat,
after which he removed to Boston, and
became q member Of the Massachu
sets legislature. He was appointed
consul to Honolulu by Taylor in 1849,
and since that time has been actively
Identified with the interests of the
Hawaiian kingdom. After leaving the
service of the United States he be-
came
CHIEF JUSTICE AND FINANCE MINISTER or
HAWAII,
and, as early as 1856, was appointed
special envoy to the United States.
II was largely owing to his exertions
that the Hawaiian treaty WAS negOti-
ated, and all his energies have recent
ly been directed against the movement
in favor OF its abroga'tion. His skill rs
diplomat has been very marked. He
was man Of fine ability, extensive
reading, and much esteemed by all.
During his residence in the Sandwich
Islands he became the owner of sew
eral large sugar plantations which
have made him wealthy. He had the
entire confidence Of King Kalakaua,
and the visit of that parsonage is un-
derstood to have been planned by Mr..
Allen as one of the means OF promot-
ing the interests Of the kingdom.
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