Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-16
MR.. MORTON's NEW DINING ROOM.
How the Vice Presidents Residence has
been Equipped for Entertaining.

One Of the most interesting rooms in Wash.
ington will be completed, as TO its building and
decoration. within two weeks. IL excites at
tention from the fact that the leading dinner
parties of the present administration will be
given in il during the next four seasons of win
ter gaiety at the capital. The addition which
Mr.. Morton has just been making to his great
house on Scott circle was chiefly designed to
accommodate this dining room. II is done in
red and natural oak. The walls are terra Gotta
and the high wainscoting of paneled oak; the
ceiling is Of paneled oak also showing the beams,
and the walls and ceiling are joined by a sort
OF arch-shaped cove continuous all around
and adorned with ornamental plastering IN red.
The designs of the plastering were made ex-
pressiy Tor Mr.. Morton. as were also the de-
signs Tor the oak carving, which is plentiful
and elaborate. Behind the Vice President as
he sits at table, will be a huge fireplace. with q
carved oak mantelpiece and a great mirror
above 1t. Nearly the whole OF one side OF the
room is occupied by a { pie bow window, with
enormous sheets OF 7 ate glass filling the
lower frames, and the upper frames containing
some mosaic glass. with designs in lead work
and Jewels" specially made for Mr. Morton
by Philadelphia firm. The floor is of inlaid
woods Behind Mrs Morton's place at the
table the dining-room doors are thrown open
upon sweep OF two parlors and 4 library, the
whole range OF the four rooms extending no
feet In a straight line.
NEW IDEA IN ENTERTAINING.
The new addition to the Vice Presidents
dwelling-itself as big a good-sized house
makes il one Of the finest and best-eauipped
residences in Washington. BY this same arch
ltectural change a second entrance has been
made with a second porte cochere, to be used
for convenience in entertaining. Tie notion
is as orig nal a. II Is admirable. You see, peo-
pie ind II disagreeable upon arriving at par
ties or receptions 60 run the gauntlet IA their
wraps OF crowds OF earlier guests laughing and
talking in the hallway aud on the stars But
as things viii be arranged in Mrs. MortOn's
house no such annoyance will be possible The
guests will enter the second great door and
VIII Ind Immediately within the portals two
big dressing rooms beautifully furnished-one
for the ladies at the left hand and another for
the men step beyond. When they are ready
they can proceed through a passage past the
dining room TO the pariors, where they will fnd
the hostess and assembled company On their
departure they will SAY good bye and return
through the passage TO the dressing rooms
resume their wraps and depart in good order
without having 10 make their way awkwardly
through the throng sti.l engaged in jollfica-
ton. And with this manner of fixing things it
will actually be possible for the vice president
to give dinner party if he wishes. while Mrs
Morton Is holding reception, and neither will
interfere with the other particle. The
butcher and baker and groceryman will have
big cupboards appropriated TO their con-
venlence IN the servants entry to put the pro-
visions into, so that they will not have TO go
into the kitchen and disturb the cooks. who
manipulate the culinary implements in front of
a range like that OF a hotel, with a hearth of
costly tiles "a feet long in front of it The
kitchen ftseif-like wi-e IN the new .<staitiou-,.
walled with white china tiles, and the ashes
are carried out of the house by small rail-
way.