Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-31

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while taking Of ths Ohio cycions -
! prominsnt ofBcial IN one Of The Do
parsmsnfs, fhs other day, the phasss q
conversation varisd % eiviI services ~
form, and 70 the somparativs sdminis-
srasicn Of poblis sfair& q II can no
Iouees 81 dsnied.r sAid my friend, . that
table diplomacy i . growing factor IN
tbs administration Of public affairs in
this country. I snesn.s he continued,
!. thai The drift OF conversation Of men
Of note, while seated around the festive
board, bears q potent influence in do
tsrminins soms knotsy question or in
shaping course 70 be pursued In an
important matter. In this respect We
are following the example OF the En-
ropean powers, AMONG whom State
dinner 10 looked upon - q much more
important matter than . simple dinner
PARTY. viewed in the light Of it's results.
U0 KUN tM8E EE8&84AB Akt40A 4<48
paid more attention to the White House
dinsers than any OF bis predecessor,
aud be has 90 improved their character
and style that his Successors cannot
afford to allow them to degenerate iiko
portant TO be trified with. After dinner
taIkirg or speech making has grown TO
be such an art that he who can get mp
Ia q q
little speech II really as influential as
be who can crate by the hour from
platform or upon the floor Ut some iegls-
lafive chamber
Probably the greatest conversation
alists in the country. continued the
official, "are Blame and Conkiing.
The latter, while socially c0nversinR, rs
perfectly charming. Although he Is
cold and vain, no can win stannch
friend By i've minutes conversation
With him. Blaine's wonderful memory
always comes to his aid. No matter
what or who is being talked about, he
invariably recalls some incident or the
name Of some person connected with
the subject in such b way az to make q
doubt that he has Won many q friend
O4QauoQ o0 E0knIkoOUAV4 4AtAAf Va Aa5
father, or his grandfather. / was at q
dinner some time since at which Blaine
was an honorod guest. The conversa-
ing TO me he said, rather abruptly:
Aren't You the great-ereat grandson Of
very much amazed. for the Governors
name was not mine, and ] couldn't tell
l. - - he
learned afterward that my Boy. who
bears that family name. was at his
house that day with the Blaine child
rem, and at dinner he remembered my
sons name As being similar to that OF
the Governor referred to, and knowing
that my family was frem that State, be
Immediately jumped at the connection
and figured ont the generation, and
struck it exactly"
Apropos Of this conversation, it may
be interesting TO recall some of the best
after dinner takers. There are lots Of
them in Congress. Maginnis, Curtin,
Bragg and Reed have heard make very
happy speeches, and | have no doubt
there are many others equally good.
Ben. Butterworth Is q great card at a
dinner party. He is host in himself.
He is full Of wit, but il is of the anec-
dotal kind, and he is always ready with
good story which Just suits the ooca-
sion. Chauneev NJ. Depew, of New
York, has Hardly q superior in this line.
He has an inexhaustible fund of humor,
and when he rises to respond to toast,
or to some remarks which have just been
made, his brilliant ey. speak almost as
eloquently as his voice. He takes his
audience by storm, and they are eom-
pletely overwhelmed with pyrotechnie
display Of wit, repartee, rhetoric and
happy comparisons. General Grant can
talk well, though he has great reputa-
ton, especially in Washington, for keep
ing quiet. He talks good common sense
all the time, and expresses himself we'll.
He can make good speech occasion
ally, too. Among ssmy officers General
Sherman perhaps leads He has VOL
derful faculty for remembering things,
and his "Reminiscences are always effect
i've. being brought out when particularly
agreeable TO those present. His great
fault, though, is that he is too rambling,
and he often talks good deal without
saying much.
The President arrived in Washington
as quietly as possible on tuesday, and
on Thursday moved out to the Soldiers
Home, where his daughter Nellie and
her cousin had before arrived. Mrs.
McElroy will not leave Albany for this
city until near the holiday season, and
IN the meantime the Presidents house
hold will be in charge Of the servants.
Absolute quiet ia what Mr.. Arthur de-
sires now, and he drives daily to the
Soldiers Home as soon as he disposes
Of the most pressing business.
There is no truth in the report that a
wedding will occur at the White House
this winter, and the social quid nuncs
now say that the President has no intep-
ton o. marrying.
That West Virginia majority |. CON-
ing down. LKNox.