Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-04

tom. Not much could be learned about
it. II was easy enough TO discover that
the custom antedates the recollection Of
the oldest inhabitant, and as in the olden
days there were no society reporters, no
historians of the drawing room, the
early history Of the White House New
Years must, no doubt, remain forever
in some mystery. As good an author
ity as can be found on this point
says the first New Years reception
at the White House was given by
Madison in 1910, Madison having caught
the idea from the customs of the elite Of
New York, among whom he mingled
while the seat of government was at that
city. Washington Irving confirms this
by describing his call at the execu-
tive mansion New Years, 1911, he saying
of Mrs. Madison in his lively way:"A
fine, portly, buxom dame she is, who has
a smile and pleasant word f1 every
body Her sisters, Mrs. Cults and Mrs.
Washington, are like the Merry Wives OF
Windsor; but rs TO Jenny Madison, ah!
poor Jenny! he is but withered little
Apple John" II is certain that the New
Years reception was continued by Mon
roe throughout his administration, which
good authorities have declared 70 mark
the period of the most highly cultured
and most distinguished society in Wash
ington. But those were not public re-
ceptions. They were merely for the
| gentry, and invitations were issued. In
1924 the first public reception was held,
and In the old National 1ntelligencer OF
next morning was published congratula-
tions to the public on it's good behavior.
Probably the custom Of making New
Year calls grew out of the affairs at tho
| White House. The first private house in
Washington thrown open for the recep-
ton of visitors on New Years was the
Taylor mansion, which still stands,
now occupied by Senator Don Cameron.
That was in 1880, and here the members
Of the diplomatic corps had habit OF
presenting themselves after their formal
call on the president, all arrayed in court
dresses and accompanied by their secre-
taries and attaches, which were fully as
numerous in those days as in this, though
l doubt il as many of the diplomatic
"cubs' were sons or other relatives OF
the ministers and ambassadors as we find
at the present time. While Dolly Madl-
son still lived in that famous old house
Just around the corner from Don Came
rons mansion, the diplomatic corps and
other society leaders used to pay her the
handsome compliment Of proceeding in
body from the White House to her
parlors to wish her many returns OF the
day. An old lady who remembers Mrs,
Madison quite well tells me that favorite
of all White House favorites was good
deal such a woman as Mrs. Logan-a
woman of plenty of heart and sincerity,
all frankness and tenderness, and yet
with lots of tact and splendid memory
for faces and names. This old lady also
remembers that forty years ago it was
the custom of the society ladies to make
Of the New Year S recep ption at the White
House an occasion for the display ol
their new gowns and bonnets and othel
winter finery, just as Easter Sunday Il
now the recognized occasion for the dis
play of spring bonnets.
As one looks at the well dressed and
well bred crowds Of people-eyen tn
humblest members Of the great public
! looking well and acting well-at tn
! modern New Years reception, he i
) led to the thought that our soci
, ETY. is growing better in form ant
substance, notwithstanding the CT ucism
of some moralsts and would be reform
; ers fancy that in manners the peopi
, who make up the throngs at the capita
/ are now much Of an Improvement ol
Q those Of Jackson's time. At any rate,
4 would be almost impossible now to dupli
cate a scene which living eye witnesse
youch for as having been enacted at th
= White House when Old Hickory fra
came tn mower. So ereatw . curiosl