The Portland daily press., 1884-01-16
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
Gossip About the White House Society
Notes-Parisian ToiIets-News from the
Capitol.
Special to the Press.)

WARRINGTON Jan. 10.
The President is very slow, not to say negli-
gent, in his social duties this year. Half the
winter has passed, and yet the doors of the
White House have only been open on New
Years, and that in conformity with long ago
established custom. He has been somewhat
annoyed by the statements going the rounds
of the press, that he would entertain largely
during the season, in order that it might have
some influence upon the political managers,
with whom he might have relations, and who
have the making Of a presidential boom. The
natural result is quiet at the White House,and
it is probable that the silence that reigns there
will not be broken before the end of the present
month, or nearly that time. The President
goes over to New York on the 25th, or about
that date, and will bring back his sister, Mrs.
McElroy, with him, provided she does not get
here sooner than that. 1t is expected that the
social season at the White House will begin
Immediately after his return, and that the
events will come thick and fast after that.
Heretofore there have been at least fonr recep-
tions during the winter, and about as many
dinner parties If the President gets all these
In between the first Of February and the be-
ginning of Lent he will have to be pretty busy.
The lack of events of this nature at the presi-
Dental mansion has created a good deal Of
comment among members of Congress and
others during the past few days. 1t Is not i'm
possible, however, that the present programme
may be so far changed as to bring one recep-
tion or dinner or two before the Presidents
visit to New York.
Tha coo;al x,orId ;s th;o vuaab cou a rivn itnn1f
largely to the giving and making of calls. The
number Of parties, and dinners, and events of
this nature is thus far this week quite small.
Quite lumber of important social events are
promised for next week notably the Bachelors
German next Monday evening, fancy dress
ball at Mrs. Halliday's on the same evening, at
which powdered wigs, quaint old dresses and
the minuet will be the features, and the mar
riage of Lieut.. Barry a compile of days later
The labors incident upon the large number
of calls that society ladies are now required to
make are SO great as to have caused good
deal of talk of some changes in the hours for
calling. OF late the hours for receiving have
not been supposed to begin much earlier than
three o'clock. Two is nominally the hour, but
very few begin this duty before half-past two
or three, and as it is generally conceded that
the hours ought not to extend later than six,
and really not later than about five, great
deal Of labor is crowded into two or three
hours To make thirty or forty calls. anden-
joy them, in two or three hours, is pretty
difficult task. The tendency in the past few
years is to crowd everything farther along. In
stead of the receptions beginning at half-past
one OR two, the ladies are rarely to be seen be-
fore two and half or three. breakfasts
are now given at half-past twelve and one, in
stead Of eleven, as they used to be. The hours
for dinner, instead of being six and half, are
now seven and half and eight. Evening re-
ceptions do not begin before nine, aud often
ten, and as for "Germans" the dancing does
not begin until midnight, and the supper
comes along about three or four, where there
is any given. A local writer, commenting up
on this fact, says: "To appreciate the time
and labor of making afternoon calls, one must
have personal experience. Every day has its
full complement of receptions, and it is only by
making thirty or forty calls in single day
that one accomplishes the round of official Wis
iting. There were complaints last week, and
a good deal of disappointment, by callers who
had the desire to do more than send in cards,
because ladies were not ready to receive, and
had not announced an hour other than two
O'Clock. There must be a beginning, else
there would be no end, and some calls must be
made early. The hours at evening receptions
are growing later and later If the hour of
nine is on the card of invitation, guests put in
ct appearance at $50, and if that hour is fixed
they 60 at 10. 1t has become the rule for
guests to straggle in at from 10 80 to IL o'clock
1t is simply absurd to affect the foreign custom
of very late hours, when there are so few men
and women of leisure in society,""
NOTES.
Major Arth ar, the Presidents brother, is at
the White House as the guest OF the President.
Alan Arthur, the son of the Chief Executive.
has returned, somewhat regretfully to his
studies at Princeton. 1t is so much more pleas
ant to be the Presidents son in Washington,
with everything at the White House and its
stables at command, than to be drudge of
student at college.
Col. Coppinger is here, helping Grandpa
Blaine take care of the baby, j. G. B. Coppin-
ger. Grandpa Brewster, whose daughter was,
it will be remembered, married about the time
Of the Blaine-Coppinger marriage, does not
have his grandchild with him. Mr.. Coons hay
ing found it necessary to get back to his busi-
ness engagements in Philadelphia.
Gen. Hastings, who married niece of Mrs.
President Hayes during the last administra-
tion, is now residing in the Bermudas, devot-
ing his attention largely to the production of
caster lilies and other flowers, making spe-
~ tha Ha han
tiful residence in his island home.
Secretary and Mrs. Teller go out very little,
as the Secretary finds it necessary to put in
several hours work in his Office every evening,
in order to keep up with his official duties.
A couple of handsome Parisan toilets,
which have just arrived for couple of Wash
ington ladies, are described as follows: The
first is of lustrous white satin, embossed with
silver leaves and arabssques in pearl and
white cut crystals. The corsage and train are
of this material, the petticoat of plain white
satin, with ruffles of Duchess lace The Sec
ond is of azure blue satin, of magnificent quail
ity trimmed with white ostrich feather bands,
fecked with silver, which heads deep ruffies of
Venetian lace, showing pale blue medallions
inthe center of each scallop in the web-like
design of the lace. This dress is made "Prin-
cess style," cut lyre-shaped in the neck, with
short sleeves A necklace of pale blue forget
me-nots, Of real turquoise, with silver leaves as
links, is to be worn with the last mentioned.
Sub Committees ON Commerce.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15-At meeting today
of the committee on commerce the following
subcommittee were appointed:
On the Bureau of Commerce and Naviga-
tion-Messrs. Clardy, Davis and Long.
On Shipping Commissioners and Shipment
and Treatment of Seamen-Messrs. Clardy,
Lyman, Bafksdale, Wadsworth and Stewart
On Commerce and Navigation, and Regula-
tion of Steam Vessels-Messrs. Dunn, Clardy,
Turner, Davis and Stewart.
On Tonnage Dunn, Barksdale and
Stewart.
GENERAL NEWS.