The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-28
fFTY's NEW YEAR
allies Receive Callers and
e..ux Drink Winea
] PROMINENT LADIES THINK.

- ..r stuyvesant Lost His Leg
r.ves' Temperance Feast-Mrs.
= ,,,sop Opposed to Liquors.
.-sros CRY, Dec. %. - (Copy-
Z, 1; ssoa New Years comes next
"a rifh 1t come the vexed ques-
- have to be solved on that day.
s. hold New Years receptions2
5. ofger wine or strong drinks to our
8 ..-.r friends? And shall we require
4 appear in morning dress or in
y tsiI coatsY
s..S;nr ladies of Washington hold
4 a;6srent views upon these ques-
have talked with some of the
.tstiye women among them this
M give you here the opinions of
n them.
uss. Ex-MrSIsTER FOSTER.
roeter. wife of the ex-minister to
n Ia. ~ think New Years recep-
.SonId be continued. They should
"a 4 Washington, if nowhere else in
.ssrtry. The president and cabinet
tssn open house on that day, and
: .eeers of the army and navy and
y voung men can use the occasion to
asr duty calls. 1 have spent much
n y married life abroad, and am at
81 q the custom by its hospitable as
IN ssi.p have, however, seldom kept
.louse myself, but it has been because
- i.uvhters and myself have usually
;cx;ted to assist other ladies on that
IL ABOUT the serving of wine to call
a. n. y replied Mrs. Foster, 81 am not q
,bstinence advocate, as believe
s. IS often occasions when glass of
~ 81 physical necessity. But do not
IS Of offering liquor to young men,
n ra.eneral thing, older ones either.
1uue the latter have in most instances
] 6r control of their appetites, and do
oessly succumb to such temptations.
N 81 are special occasions, such as
demsn's dinner, for instance, when
4, should never be omitted from the
q. md Mr.. Foster always follows the
Y s. IL this respect. If, however, /
suy large entertainment,
N conine myself to coffee and
ion in lieu of liquors. On the other
n my daughter Eleanor, now Mrs.
eing, is an advocate of strict temper
4 snd upon the occasion of her mar
ehst winter, positively opposed the
nstion Of having wine or punch of any
Many young men are tempted
d New Years against their better reso-
T Hims to take glass when offered by
niair friend to whom they fear to give
ne. 1t would, however, be pity to
bndon the institution merely because
neare weak enough not to be able to re-
over indulgence in drinking while
ID round of social calls, and / hardly
: u that there is any serious danger
Fastening Washington in this respect"
MES. SENATOR MCPHERSON.
m Mcpherson, wife of the New Jer-
senator, said
4 think the custom of keeping open
mN on New Years day most attractive
h thaf is, when not carried to too great
htxtent, such as one is inevitably drawn
kbin Washington, where the practice
hen degenerates into mere form. Of
A years the habit has largely died out in
wv York and New Jersey, and the New
1nrs Inequalities are now extended in
Riniormal way only to relatives and per-
= nal friends, among whom the observance
! kept up right royalty. The reason of
!: y falling off is that SO many abuses had
into the observance that the orig
"a significance of the custom had
: most entirely disappeared. The old
v Rich settlers were the originators of the
aaion, and even as early as the days of
q Peter Stuyyesant the dignified knicker-
nrters INDUCED in over dissipation while
pon their New Years rounds, and
eemed to consider their duty only half
enormed unless each home became the
sene Of regular drunkenly bout. 1t is
eifKnown fact, though one generally
suppressed among the descendants of
nese early settlers, that the first governor
ost bis leg through fall sustained while
overcome with vine on New Years night,
ei'er q day Of social roistering."
Although personally approve of the
peasant CUSTOM" Mrs. Mcpherson con-
anued' Il seldom individually carry it
Wv oecause am generally opposed to the
'aering OF wines or liquors of any kind to
,oung men, and it is impossible to draw
le nne without giving offense. l would
= nke anyone to urge drinks upon my
w ~no' fortunately, is exempt from such
Akness, and | would not care to be one
S'smpt any other youth. Of course 1
soula conhne my refreshments to nom
1'oaleants, but the senator is so imbued
ssa eae old Scotch habit of offering hos
rsAil1y IN glass of whisky that he would
shes.n 'o'"' oA' -
~ rREsIDEsr HAYES TEMPERANCE FEAST.
49,, ueiiese, however, that such questions
win Always be left TO the individual
~ s, An example of the futility of
a. ~ pan may be drawn from the result of
-. memorable temperance dinner given
49, resident Hayes, where the guests de-
49, 49, nom the White House only to in
ps ,sV % an unlimited extent in the for
~ s.aen nquor, either at their clubs or at
~, .ss'oence of some one of the company.
-. s'a nave the annals of the city re-
sss 49, such general abandonment to in
ss sse'ance as that eight among the prom
~ ' ( guests who but few hours previous
N Ae recipients of the generous, and in
d. 'spee1e but one, lavish hospitality of
=, eaist executive. A lady who
present at the time remarked
g. ~ afterwards that she had never be-
Il, y, y vince indulged to such an extent,
- , ..a on that evening she, with others,
d, 'ssurhed home TO a champagne supper
nr..s was prolonged far into the night.
d, 'sss kind of reaction set in with
~ temperate, which extended to the