The Press., 1885-01-08
WASHINGTON LKTTER.
Wsahington, b. C.. ynl

WsAnluxtOns U. O., ShA F, lSo9. New Years day was observed in Wash ington after the time-honored fashion. AL though the custom of calls on that day is going out in some of the leading cities. 1t is adhered to here. Indeed Washington may be called the New Years city of the world. Beginning with tho president and going down the scale, everybody receives. The distinguished, the obscure, the wealthy, the we'll to do, the "hard up'' and the ''run down" open their doors and welcome callers.
 The white house reception was unusual ly grand. President Arthur had invited over sixty ladies to assist at his last New Years reception, and they were socially equally to the ocdasion, greeting callers as as hospitably as their chief B sides the cabinet ladies and those of the supreme court, there were the wives of senators, representatives, and many others prominent in the society circles of the capitol. The president was beaming with health, good spirits, and c,rdiality, and the official pageant that wished him hap py New Year was imposing in it's gorgeous uniforms, d, corations, and foreign Court regalis. Cabinet officers, ex-cabinet off cers, foreign diplomats, suprems court justices, and justic 5 of the distr.cs courts, 
 ters, assistant secretaries, heads of bureaus, commissioners, upeii ltendents, assistant postmasters g sueral, att'T,r,ys g.ADeral, so-
 icitors general, veser ns sol.ller d civic organizations follow d 1 .Dr ,,.r
 A brill ant scn te W ,s vt iessed hy the privileg d fe~ wno p-.pal lnto the east room while it was throagci with the dip lomats in their C. si umes of mauy co.ors, with gllt lace, gdld braid, dangling words and shining helmets. There is nothing gorgeous in attire, head or foot gear, sash es or epaulets, that the vanity or foreign powers has not patented. One could see the green velvet court dress of Brazil the
 brilliant helmet and uniform of Frances military attachee; the oak leaves, acorns and wheat, embiematic of Belgium; the mandarin costume of the Chinese charge d d'afaires the gay, curious Turkish garb, and so on in endless variety. The new Japanese minister, in flowing satins, gold wrought shoes and rare embroideries, look ed on in ill concealed astonishment at his first New Years reception in America, while the British minister, in dark suit and gold lace, chatted with group of la- dies of different nationalities.
 While the diplomatic corps was passing by the receiving party, the band in the vestibule very appropriately played the patriotic airs of the nations represented. It was interesting to notice how quickly the notes were srecognized by the repre- sentatives of the countries to which the airs belonged, and the pleasure it gave them.
 The Oldest Inhabitants Association term mated one division of the days reception. When the last hoary headed citizen had grasped the presidents <hlnd, there was a momentary pause in thereception, then the doors were again thrown open. The people, regardless of race or color, began to surge in, and the public reception com menced. The president did not change his position, did not suffer himself to look tired, did not even take time to wipe the precipitation from his brow, but went right to work again shaking hands. The pro cession seemed endless, but he was ready for each extended hand, expressed New Years wishes affably, kissed some chil- dren gracefully, and did other gracious things that even president of the United States was not expected to do. It was 8 motley crowd that passed by him, though the cattle drover with his whip and the pedlar with his pack, to whom tradition has assigned place at the presidents pub lie receptions, were not there. The rich and the poor, the fashionable and the plain, infancy. old age, and All the intermediate ages were in the procession. There were many handsome toilets, and many dam aged ones, and in the crush that is una- voidable on such occasions, clothes as well as their wearers suffered. The procession had to be stopped occasionally, to allow the crowd inside to be reduced, and then the line would again begin to move. It went on and on thus until the time for closing arrived.