The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-14
House Mrs. Cleveland will hold her recep-


tons on Saturday afternoons.
In addition to these, there may he SOM
other receptions at the White House, anC
there will he lot Of quiet little dinners a
which other things than the current gossi,
of the day will make up the conversation
Some of the biggest political schemes are laic
at dinner tables and foreign governments
think 50 much of these court dinners tina.
they give their ministers "A fund for enter
tanning. The Russian minister has such q
fund, and the minister from England
has big house here, which was
bought for his occupancy 10y his gov,
eminent. 1t is 50 with number of other
legations, and political wire pulling goes on
about the tables of the members and SEN
ators rs well, Not long ago the seat of one
of the leading members of the United States
senate was in question. 1t was charged that
the senator had used money corruptly to OBJ
tain his election, and his friends here wined
| and dined his brother senator's OF both
parties, hoping thereby to make friends OF
them Whether the charges as to the buying Of
votes were true or not don't know. | am
sure that the senator himself is too honest a
man to have had anything TO do with such
methods personally; but, at any rate, the
wining and the dining had their influence,
and he held his seat without trouble.
There were fewer New Years calls this
year than last, and the custom of calling
seems to be falling into case of "innocuous
desuetude.' Some ladies received, but few
cards were used by gentlemen, and as to pic
torial New Years cards, they are almost out
of vogue. 1t is now the popular fad to use
only your name, putting Mr." before it, and
the WORDS Happy New Year are left off by
most gentlemen.
The custom of serving wines at New
Years is also undergoing n change, and
there was not 50 much of it this year as last,
and less last year than the year before. The
worst article served, however, is this de-
liciouS Washington punch, which tickles
your palate while it steals away your brains,
and makes you feel like a god while you act
like a fool. | have before me new recipe
for this punch, as it was used by Surg. Gen.
Barnes, and you may see, if You will test it,
that my words are correct. 1t is called
Regents punch" and it is royal article.
Take the juice of six lemons, one pound Of
loaf sugar, one pound of current jelly, half
pint of strong green tea, hot, and dissolve the
jelly in the hot tea Then take one quart OF
Jamaica rum the older and stronger the bet
ter, one jug of curacao and two bottles Of
old brandy. Mix these harmless articles
together, and when it is served add plenty Of
ice. Then add one quart of champagne
extra dry-for each half gallon of punch,
slice Il couple Of oranges very thin and drop
them on the top of the liquid, and you will
have drink that would have delighted Bac-
chus, and that, had Alexander the Great
begun with it instead of wine, would have
killed him OFF long before he had conquered
the world.
Another punch much used is champagne
punch, and this is somewhat similar in its
but fully as insidious in its eff
fects Take pound of loaf sugar, pint of
strong black tea, the juice Of four oranges
and six lemons, and two bottles OF cham.
payne Add to these a half pint of old
brandy and ice to your taste.
Mrs. Gen. Ricketts, punch was somewhat
but equally strong, and her recipe
has been copied by many society lady, and
The punch has been drunk by thousands OF
Did stagers. l have one which provides for
\ gallon and three-quarters of very nice
liquor 1t is to take three quarts of boiling
water, three pounds of sugar, and add to
,hese one pint of lemon juice, one pint of
brandy or two pints of Jamaica rum. Mix
hese well together, then stir in one pint Of
peach brandy or cordial. This drink is one
which none but an old soaker had better at
.empt, and, like the two recipes above given,
you will be better off if it is in some other
stomach than your own.
THOMAS J. TODD