The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-12

1t was 1880 o'clock when President
new Pension Office building, which was
beautifully decorated for the occasion. He
was Immediately escorted to the Presidents
room where for half an hour he held an in
formal reception, the members of the Re
ceptiOn Committee and small number of
distinguished persons being present with
him. The President was accompanied by
Miss Cleveland and Mrs. HOyt, his sisters.
and by his brother, Rev. Mr.. Cleveland and
wife and two sons, Mr.. Hast
ings, his nephew, Miss Hastings,
Miss Nellie YeOmans, Mr.. and Mrs. Bacon,
the Presidents brOther-in-law and wife
of Toledo and Colonel and Mrs. Lamont.
About the same time ex-PreSdent Arthur
arrived, and he, too, was escorted to the
Presidents room. With him were Secre
taries Lincoln and Chandler, Secretary and
Mrs. McCullOch, AttOrney-General Brew
ster and Mrs. Brewster, POstnaster-General
HattOn and Mrs. HattOn, Secretary Teller
and Mrs. Teller. Vice-President Hendricks
arrived about the same time aud joined the
President In his room at this time there
was large and distinguished gathering, in
Guiding persons of the most diverse shades
of political opinion. Besides the persons al
ready named there were Senator Bayard,
Colonel Villas, of Wisconsin; General Sheri-
dan and Mrs. Sheridan, General ROSecranS,
Hon. Dan Manning and wife, Senator Pen
dletOn, Hon. Richard T. Merrick, Senator
Wade Hampton, Senator Brown, of Georgia.
Justice Field of the Supreme Court and
Speaker Carlisle. There was no formal re-
ceptiOn by President Cleveland but large
number of persons pressed about him, and
some of the gentlemen standing in the i'm
mediate vicinity made the presentations.
After half an hour spent in this manner,
the room became OVercrowded. and the
President and Vice-PreSident the former
escorted by Senator PendletOn and Richard
T. Merrick, and the latter by Representa-
tiveS Eaton and S. V. Niles, left the room
and made the round of the ball room, the
band playing Hail to the Chief" After the
Presidential party had left the recep-
ton room the crowd continued to pour in
through other doors unaware that Mr..
Cleveland had left. Standing near the
center of the room was Senator Bayard and
a crowd pressed about him and shook hands
with him as they passed, apparently under
the impression that he was Vice-President
Hendricks. When the Senator at last dis
covered that he was being mistaken for
somebody else he abandoned the room. The
scene in the ball room AZ this time was ex-
ceedingly brilliant. The large hall was
completely filled with constantly moving
crowd numbering several thousands, while
from the balconies thousands more
looked down upon the scenes. The
bright toilets of the ladies, the bril- !
liant uniforms of the dipiomates and |
army and navy officers, the flowers. the |
glittering jewels. the decorations and lights /,
were prominent features of the scene and |
will be long remembered. The President |
after making a tour OF the ballroom, re-
turned to the reception rOon, and for little |
while received all who came in to pay their /
but at 11:50 he and his party left /
the building and Vice-PreSident Hendricks /
and his party also retired. The dancing |
continued until very late hour, and 10, 600 |
appears to be a very low estimate of the |
number of persons present in the ballroom /
and balconies during TIE evening, among