The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-11-20
THE WASHINGTON SEAouN.
SOME IDEA OF THE FORTUNES
SPENT IN ENTERTAINME EMS.
Shopping Bills Run Up by Some Wash
ington Ladies.-The Cost Of Flowers
"a Coed Joke On Harrison.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1S.-The outlook
for the coming season is that It will be
most expensive one. Prices have gone
up on everything in the markets, and
the dinners Of the winter promise to
cost twice as much as usual. The item
OF wines is nearly doubled by The in
crease in the tariff, aud everything from
fruit to beefsteak has jumped upward.
The cost of living is constantly on the
increase in Washington, and the day
when a Congressman could entertain
like q prince on IS 900 year has long
since gone by.
The Vice President is putting on an
addition to his Shoreham Flats, and be
is spending a great deal of money in
Washington. His household expenses
are very large, aud there is no more un-
founded charge than the one to the ef-
feet that be is penurious in such mat
ters. I remember call | made upon
him month or SO ago It was a. the
time that there Vas story going around
the press that Mrs. Morton had very
small allowance OF pin money, and that
the children dressed simply on account
Of the closeness of the Vice President.
During my call, while | was in the Vice
Presidents office, servant entered and
handed him g note. After reading it
Mr. Morton turned to the bearer and
asked: "Did Mrs Morton tell you how
much she wanted?' Upon being asked
in the negative, he turned to his secre-
tary, y no was seated at his desk, and
requested him to Eli out a check for $500
| for Mrs Morton, and he went on: in
case she requires more for her shopping
this morning, she will let you know"
| The secretary oboyed his instructions,
and N ment later the servant departed
ith the check.
~
It is slmosJ impossible to estimate the
cost of keeping up house like that Of
The iortons. He gives as fne dinners
as President Arthur, and Arthur's din
ners cost So, 600 apiece. | venture to
say that it costs him $50, 00G year for
lis Washington entertainments, and the
same may re SAID af Postmaster General
Wanamak ker, thor-- his expenses are
materially cut down by his noI using
vines. [ am told that Mr. Wanamaker
tiudS it very awk ward to give dinner
IN Washington without wines, but that
his Sunday school principles will not
pernit him TO serve them. lie spends a
great amount Ia flowers, and the flower
bills of the capital are by no means q
small item Madame Romero, the wife
of the Mexican minister, spent $500 IN
the flowers she used at one of her recep-
tions. She turned the whole legation
building into a bower of fragrance and
beauty, and she, for time, transformed
winter into summer. The flowers OF
many dinner cost more than the din
, ner itself, and Washington is fast becom
ing one of the great flower markets
of the United States. Nearly al! the
| flowers used in Baltimore are supplied
from our greenhouses, and flowers are
shipped from here all over the South ant
3 North One Of the biggest florists Of thu
: capital tells me that Postmaster Genera
5 Wanamaker spends from $4,000 to $40,
' 900 year in flowers, and Vice Presl
dent Morton buys the choicest and rar
est Of flowers and ferns for his hous
decorations. Mrs. Morton PERSONAL.
superindends the arrangement OF he
It floral decorations. She is a practical bus
mess woman and a good housewife an
she understands just what things ough
to cost and knows how to make a bal
= gain. Mrs. Whitney spent an immens
), amount Of money on flowers. She alWay
# gave her florist carte blanche aud let hil
h bring tie best he had Mrs. Hearst an
Mrs. Stanford invest fortunes III flower
: every year, and Mrs. Hearst arrange
AZ with her own hands the elaborate deco
b ations Of her reception rooms. Many
is the senator's wives, and alSo the wlv'
Il of the congressman, get tloWers from tt
9 government greenhouse. These they &
5, not pay for, but the supply isby I
Of means equal to their social nece ssity.
Speaking Of Mrs Morton's flower bill
it will be interesting to know just VIII
flowers cost here. You can find the fine
roses at the capital, and during the Sc
son the buds will cost you from if
al cents to dollar and half apiece. ia
oueminot roses always sell for about
le dollar at Christmas time March,
lr. Niels bring SO cents bud, and
SD France roses are about the same. Lii
las of the valley are about a dollar a doze
.ty Tea roses bring about twenty five Ger
ng a bud, and violets bring from one doll
ue to two dollars per hundred. Pinks 4
lly worth so cents dozen and smilax Sc
ce. for 25 cents a yard. You car get pr
ty basket Of flowers for So but if y
IN. want something very fine it may G
you as high as SIS. 1t is very p(
boquet which is not worth s., and
am have seen single bouquets which sold
- as high as 500.
ef- Senator Justin 5. Morrill, will be
the Washington in few weeks. He is
the clipper as a young satyr, and he 10,
fau anything but four score. Neverthel
" ~ he celebrated bis Goth birthday last "
20; ter, and at his reception an incident
~ 80 Cured which has been standing ]
~ - on the President ever since. Presld
oII, III Harrison usually goes nowhere but
an the Cabinet houses. He is, howeve
strong friend of Senator Morrllls,
be made an exception in his case and
tended his reception. 1t was during
early part Of the evening while be wa
'urs the crowded drawing room that he
tie. tlced little old lady smiling at hin
though about to speak. AS he C;