Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-11-23
STANFORD RECEPTION.
A BRILLIANT AND PLEASANT
SOCIAL OCCASION.
Senator and Mrs. Stanford Receive
Their Friends at Their San
Francisco Residence.
rs. F. examiner. Norenher 81

Is. F. Examiner, November 22d.l
The public reception which Senator and
Mrs. Stanford gave to their friends at the
California-street mansion yesterday was an
occasion to be remembered
For many months the mansion has been
in the hands of household seryitors. The
beautiful rooms, with their wealth of
treasures, the costly trappings, the superb
bric-a- brac, the valued paintings and tapes
tries, the ornate furniture with its richness
OF gilt and satin, the collection gathered in
yesrs of travel and search all were thrown
open.
1t is rare indeed that the public has had
an opportunity OF seeing so delightful dis
play of garniture.
Though Mr.. and Mrs. Stanford rarely &C.
cupy their city mansion, it is pleasure to
note that the house is always open. The
impressive look of the great corridor, the
wide rotunda, the lofty rooms, under the
soft gaslight, and the genial warmth of the
whole show that after all the house be il
vacant or not, is yet the home of comfort.
Kings palaces are ever ready for the
mates are always open to the maenates
themselves and their friends. And so when
Senator Stanford yesterday invited his
friends to come and call upon himself and
wife, 1t was a courteous act. And it was
equally courteous on the part of the gen.
eral public that 1t did not abuse the priv
lege. 1t is rare, indeed, that a rich and
benevolent man, having thrown open his
Luxurious home to the people, is not over
run by mob.
The Senator'S mansion yesterday was a
model of quiet and decorum. The ladies
and gentlemen congregate6 there came to
pay deterrent respects to Senator Stanford
and to add their wealth of compliment to
Mrs. Stanford, who has been seen too little
in her residence on the hill.
The mansion was beautifully decorated.
The spacious rooms were adorned with all
the art gatherings of the household. The
galleries were thrown open, the pictures all
unveiled, the statuary undraped.
Senator Stanford was the picture of
health. Mrs. Stanford beamed with a
wealth of cerdiality and her diamonds
shone like an aurora borealis The lady
wore a richly lowered dress of material
that would even fill Worth with wonder
She received Der guests with that grace
which has ever governed the Stanford
household, and while the Senator talked in
an interesting way with one or two favored
guests Mrs. Stanford devoted herself to all
The reception was entirely informal.
Once the guests card was handed to Mrs.
Stanford and her greeting given, he was at
liberty to wander about the beautiful home
and admire its beauties.
Senator and Mrs. Stanford were not com
PEELED to devote all their time to their
guests. To aid them in showing the treas
ures of the mansion were Vice President
A. n. Towne, of the Southern Pacific.
Frank NJ. Pixley, Ben G. Truman, Colonel
]. P. Jackson, Major @. N. Shaw, Mr..
Towne's son-in-law; Treasurer Timothy
Hopkins, of the Southern Pacific; Alexan-
der Badlam, Judge Lorenzo Sawyer. ard a
number of other intimate personal friends
of the Senator. These gentlemen escorted
the guests about the spacious rooms.
pointed out the various objects of interest
and dwelt upon their rarity and value.
The saddest and, perhaps. the most inter-
esting of the treasured works of art in the
Stanford mansion, are the various portraits
of Leland Stanford, Jr.
These were conspicuous in almost every
room of the house, but one upon an easel
which represented young Leland, with
shadowy wings behind, as though an angel
were lowering about him, attracted especial
attention. The pure faced boy stands out
with almost heavenly expression. The
Mater Doloroso is kissing the patient bows
hand, as his spirit is being carried to the
realms above, and the whole atmosphere f
the painting is one of peace, resignation
and sanctity. This beautiful work, by a
celebrated French artist, stood upon an
easel yesterday, surrounded by flowers and
adorned with smilax. Other pictures of
young Leland were visible everywhere.
They were of life size, half size and in all
sorts of attitudes. Never was boy born so
richly endowed with portraiture as young
Stanford. Thousands upon thousands
have been spent alone in transferring the
boys features to canvas.
Other features of the art gallery which
have not for years been opened up are
works of Bradford, the Arctic painter
Gerome, Tom Hill, Salvador Rosa, Yer
boeckhoven, Paul Veronese, De Haas.
Charles Nahl, Tayenier, ]. W. Rix, Bianchi,
Yelland and Others Themes Hill is rem
resented by nearly twenty paintings. Some
of them are of Hills best work; others, it
is plain. are pot-boilers, paid for out of the
millionaire's generous purse.
The statuary in the mansion is also al
most forgotten. Yet there are some lovely
pieces. A study OF a Bacchante, which
must have cost fabulous sum, attracts the
eye ever. An ancient-looking figure, all
seams and scars, also attracts attention. 1t
is inscribed: This is a reproduction in
marble of terra Gotta stat1ette excavased
at Tanagoi (Asia Minor, aud is an exam
pie of the best period of Greek art which
fiourished about 400 B. c.
But there is no room here to describe the
newly revealed beauties of the mansion on
the hill. The reception lasted until the
evening shadows fell and the street lamps
showed the way. The Senator stood the
ordeal well, and at the collation. which was
set did the honors in his old time way.
THE GUESTS.
The guests Of the afternoon were 50 num-
erous that nobody could remember them
all, but here are 8 few names as they were
gathered:
In the first place, Mrs. Timothy Hopkins
and Miss A. M. Lathrop received with Mrs.
Stanford. TheD there were: Colonel and Mrs
]. D. Fry. Mrs. Adam Grant. Mr. and Mrs.
Robert p Hastings, Miss Annie Lathrop.
Colonel John S. Mosby. Mrs. Joseph
L. Moody, Mrs. Martin, Hon. and Mrs.
W. w. Morrow. II. G. Nash, Alex
ander Badlam Mr.. and Mrs. John Quincy
Adams, William Alvord Mrs. Thos Breeze,
Mrs. Clayton. Mrs. Elisha Cook, Miss Cook.
P. Danfortb, Miss Fannie Danforth, Mr..
and Mrs. Henry L. Dodge. Mrs. John O.
Earl, Judge and Mrs. o. P. Evans; Mr.. and
Mrs. F. NJ. Pixley. Ira p. Rankin, Mr.. and
Mrs. Irving NJ. Scott, Miss Alice Scott, Mr..
and Mrs. Chas. n. Shaw, Captain and Mrs.
Smith, Mrs. n. L Tatuu,, Judge Lorenzo
Sawyer. Mrs. Frona Wait, James Scoble,
Mrs. E. r. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Adam
Grant Mr. and Mre Tbamoc praa,a