The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-12-11
HIS SALARY AND HIS EXPENSES.

HIS SALARY AND HIS EXPENSES.
The President is the only prominent
official under the Government who has
salary large enough to permit him to
meet the expenses of his position. The
obligations of entertainments eat up
the average salary, so that private for
tune is necessary to the maintenance of
prominent official position at Washing
ton. The Presidents salary of $780,
600 year is further augmented by a
number of allowances. In the first
place, his house costs him nothing. 1t
is heated and lighted at the expense of
the Government. He has also retinuc
of servants to look after the house in
the shape of doorkeepers and ushers.
The cook and the house servants pro-
per are paid by him. These are few
in number and are no more than would
be found in the average house of man
of moderate means. Nearly every Pre-
sident is able to take away with him a
handsome sum left from his salary
President Hayes was the most econ.
omical of them ALL 1t is said that he
saved in the neighborhood of S15O,OOC
out OF his four years salary. This is
probably an exaggeratiou. He took
away certainly 100000. Grant, in
his eight years of service, it is said
saved SSO,000 but he lost a good deaI
of money in his various business ven.
lures during his Presidential term.
Mr.. cLEvELAND's RECEPTIONS.
The official entertainments at the
White House do not begin before the
lst of January. They begin with what
is known as the New Years reception.
This is one of the most marked events
| ofthe Washington social season Every
| body of any prominence IN official OF
private social circles at the capital goes
to the White House on that day. Try
as one will it is next to impossible to
keep amiable idiots from some of the
public receptions. AT recent recep
tion Simon Pure down Easter from
Maine, that lived on the same street
with Mr.. Blaine, grasped the Presi.
dents hand and holding him off at a
distance exclaimed: "Stand off Grover
right there, and let me take good look
at you. l helped put you in here and
| want to gaze on my work" He was
gently passed along the line and the
current flowed smoothly as before.
New Years is the one reception or
that day where ladies go. The win
dows of the White House are darkon
ed, the interior is lighted with gas, &C
thas the general effect is that Of ar
evening reception. The members OF
the Diplomatic Corps, who are receiv
ed first upon that day, always weal
their full-dress court uniform. The
army and navy officers who call are
obliged to appear in full dress. The
fact that these three important classes
of officials wear full dress has inhuen
ced number of civilians to appear il
full dress upon that day. There never
has been any established rule upon the
subject. Gen. Grant used to alway,
wear evening dress upon the occasion
of the New Years receptions. He helG
that the diplomatic and army and navy
people paid him the honor of appearing
in full dress before him, and that he
could not do less than to put on full
dress to receive them. Hayes wore
full dress. There was quite a contro
versy between him and the Secretary
of State, Mr. Evarts, upon this subject
MIR. Evarts insisted that there was nc
occasion 10 life which warranted the
putting on of a dress suit in the day
time. SO he used to appear upon these
occasions in a closely buttoned frock
coat. The Cabinet all followed Mr.
Evarts with the exception of the one
| already named. When Arthur came
to direct the ceremonies of that day he
adopted the regulation frocGcoat morn
ing dress. The majority of his Cabi
net people followed his habit. There
was for the first time something like
uniformity in the rule of dress at the
White House. The necessary conse
quence was that the majority of the ci
william callers soon conformed to the rule
of morning dress.
TIE LADIES.
The ladies who called wore, as
rule, visiting costumes, although mum
Der of the wives of the diplomatic peo
pie and ladies who were going to re
ceive at home would appear in full
dress. There was no rule, however, il
this republican court. There was moth
ing to have prevented any lady from
coming in the plainest of street walk
ing dresses without being specially re
marked. These receptions are gener
ally described as something very bril-
liant. That is hardly the word to ap
ply. They are very agreeable and pleas
ant, however. They begin a little too
early in the morning for brilliancy, TIL,
diplomatic people are received at 10. 80
The privileged callers are all received
by 1880. From thel. on until 2 it il
an indiscriminate crowd, made up of al
colors and conditions.
The old colored man you see in tn,
hall has been present at all these recep
tions ever since the war. His oIl,
name, or at least the only name tha
any one knows, is Arthur His officia
position is to stand in front of Col. La
monts door and keep the officiou
throng from worrying the President
private secretary to death He ha
turned away men that tried to see Lin
coin, and can do it so gracefully tha
the visitor feels better than if his wisl
had been granted. The Marine Bant
is always stationed in the ante-roon
during these receptions. The visitor
pass along in regular order from thi
ante-room, where they leave thei
wraps, to the Red Parlor,a high, ,squar,
room, and then into the Blue Parlor
an oval-shaped room, where the Presi
dent stands. There is an absurd Gus
tom at the White House of having
long line of ladies to assist the Presi
dent in receiving. 1t can hardly b,
said that they assist him. The ladie
invited by the President are placed il
line according to the official position o
their husbands. There they stand in
solemn, stiff row. Sometimes the visi
tors are presented to them and some
times not, If you happen to know on