Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-12-24
WEBSTER IN THE STATE DEPART.
MENT.

A Foreigners fmprss<ions Of the Great
Expoundef:
From Ds Baeourt's Souvenirs OF Diplomat" +"
There was d curious exhibition yes
terday, which gave q very just idea of
American manners. All the Diplomatic
Corps were to be presented to the new
President. We all assembled before
hand at Mr.. Fox's, the English Minis
teri, except our colleague, the Russian
Minister, who pretended to be sick, in
order to obtain a private audience.
From there we went to the Presidential
palace. We had agreed upon the
speech which Mr.. Fox was to make in
our names. On our arrival at the
White House, as they call the Presi-
dents house, the new Secretary OF
! State, Mr.: Webster, who was very
awkward in his functions; made his ar
rangements with Mr.. Fox, after which
we were placed in line against the wall,
by rank, according to the time of resi-
dence here, and after a long time
for country where the chief of
the Government has no right
to keep any one waiting, tho old
General came in, followed by all the
members of his Cabinet, who marched
| in single file and sn stool behind him
| Mr.. Webster named to him. Mr.. Fox
read his address to him; then the
President put on his spectacles- and
read, in his turn, his reply. Then,
after having made shake hands with
Mr.. Fox, he walked from one end OF
our line to the other, giving each Of us
shake hands without saying q single
word. This ceremony ended he re-
turned to the room he had come from
and brought Mrs. Harri on, widow of
his eldest son, whom he presented to
the Diplomatic Corps in body. Mr.
Webster, who followed him, then
presented Mrs. Finley, mother OF this
Mrs. Harrison, in the following words /:
Gentlemen, L introduce to you
Mistress Finley, the lady who attends
Mistress Harrison" and take note, this
good lady who ATTENDS the others"
takes care of the others; is blind. Then,
suddenly, crowd of people rushed
into the room; they were the sisters,
wives. daughters, cousins and friends
of the President and his ministers,
whom they introduced to us, and vice
versa, in the midst of the greatest con-
fusion; most of the men who accom-
panied the women wore frock coats.
It was evident that the poor Diplo-
matte Corps were destined to serve as
food for the curiosity of these male anC
female boobies. Seeing this, after ex
changing few words with Mrs. Web
ster, the wife of the new chief, 1 hur
rieI home.
There was another scene quite equa
, to this at the State Department or
eign Office; it was told to me by Nj
q Martini, Charge d'Affaires of Holland
Thinking that it was the proper thinI
to make his first visit to the Secretar.
: of State at his Office, he went there
few days ago; he was shown into Mi
Webster's room, who was surrounds
by dozen political friends. After say
ing, "How do you do he showed hin
! into the next room, the door OF whic
a was open, and said, "There are tn
ladies'" M. Martini found Mrs. Wei
: ster and ten other ladies, who told hiI
d they had come to examine the Stat
" Department; then they went out b
$ another door, leaving him alone. II
IS went back into Mr.. Webster's room
: VINO continued his conversation wit
- his friends without taking the slighte'
notice OF his presence, and nj. Martil
v was obliged to leave without speakin
of the official business which had bee
!" the object of his visit This gives q
;" idea of the people we have to deal wit
J and of the etiquette of the Americt
le Government.