St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-02
Rain CUTS NO FIGURE
Official Washington, Dressed
in It's Best, Calls on the
President.
Baby McKee's Mother Aids in
Dispensing White House
Hospitality.
Everybody Who Is Anybody
at the Capital Among the
Callers.
Vice President Morton Gives
His Guests Pommery and
Other Fluids.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-Official Wash
ington assumed its most formal bearing
to-day and assisted in the ceremoniouS
eXaction which long years of custom
have sanctioned as necessary to the
proper observance of the opening of
new year. The drizzling rain that fell
all morning did not discourage the
thousands who annually observe the
official custom of interchanging calls.
Interest centered at the executive man.
sion, where the president and the ladies
of the cabinet were to receive those in
official and social life. The cold, pure
whiteness of the exterior of the man
sion was in direct contrast with the
scene within. There everything was
warmth and brightness. SmilaX twined
in and about the great chandeliers and
depended from the tops of tall mir
rors and windows. The East room,
where most of the callers assem-
bed, was the only one of the four
pubic reception rooms that secured lis
light from the sun. Great spreading
palms and tall rubber plants were
standing in every nook and corner,
while the mantels were banked with
gardens of hacinthS, ferns and hot
house plants. In the Blue room, where
the president and his party stood, the
decorations lent an added
CHARM TO THE GENERAL BEAUTY
of the oval-Shaped apartment. The
central chandelier and side lights
were shaded with unique effects
which brought out strongly the
changing culorS of various tintS
of llnA Tho fhrHn window .
in the back of the room were almost
hidden 10y MASSES of green. As IN the
East room, ,SmilaX, palms and rubber trees
prtdOminated. lie d-tioWered pOinsettas
and pink azal. as peeped out from among
| their green cousins. Under the mantel-
pieces, ferns, hyaciuthS and ice plants
% ""'"d. In the Red room. where
| the diplomatic corps assembled; and III
| ...D 49,. iUOin tne ucCUrdLiOlS were
much the same, differing only in the
| substitution of Towering plants to suit
| the colors in which each room was fur
| niShed. Eleven O'clock was the time
| SCI for the reception to begin. but it
| was past that hour when the diploma ic
| corps, the members of the international
| American congress and the marine con-
| ference, with the memuers ot the Vene-
| Zueldn claims commission, had assem-
bled i'll the Red room waiting to be re-
ceived. The driZZle with which the
morning opened had become cold and
steady rain. Outside the White house
| a great crowd of white-coated coachmen
sat on their carriages, while around the
Two main gates leading to the grounds
| curious persons had assembled to watch
| the carriages drive past. In the Vesti-
| bule of the mansion the relocated mu-
| SicianS of the marine band were seated
| ready for the signal to play. At a sig
| nal to Prof. Sousa the band i'll the cor
ridOr struck up Hail to the Chief"
| and those assembled in the corridor
outside the Blue room
SAW THE PRESIDENTIAL PARTY
| descending the main staircase. Lean
| ing on the arm of the president was
| Mrs. Mckee, who took the place of her
mother. Mrs. Harrison decided not to
take partin the reception on account of
| the recent death of her sister, Mrs.
| Lord. Mrs. Mckee wore a Martina
! Washington dress of white armure silk,
| princess back and train. Following
| after the president and Mrs. Mckee
came Vice President and Mrs. Morton.
| Then came Secretary Blaine with Mrs.
| Stephen b. Eikins, and alter them the
| other members of the cabinet. When
| the Blue room was reached the presl-
| dent and Mrs. Mckee took their places
at the head of the receiving line, which
was composed of Mrs. Morton, Mrs.
| Window, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Tracy, Mrs.
| Noble and Mrs. RuSk. The invited
guests were Mrs. Logan, Mrs. Hale, Mrs.
| German, Mrs. Mcmillan, Mrs. Hiscock,
Mrs. Ptatt, Mrs. Pugh, Mrs. Quay, Mrs.
Cockrell, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Car
isle, Mrs. Burrows, Mrs. Spring
er, Mrs. Lodge, Mrs. Butter
worth, the Misses Blaine and Miss
L Sin1tNl-inc Of NAy1r Vnplys
maker. the Misses HalStead. the Misses
Window, the Misses Ernst, Mrs. Glover.
Miss Miller, Miss Rusk, Mrs. Harlan,
Mrs. Drum, Mrs. Ernst, Mrs. j. V. Find
| lay, Mrs. 3. NJ. G. Brown. Mrs. William
| ). Harris, Miss Maude Grosvenor, Miss
| Anna Wilson, Mrs. Belkins, Mrs.
Charles Emory, Mrs. Wilmarding, Miss
Tracy, Mrs. and Miss RansdelI, Mrs
Carrie and Miss Proctor. After the re-
ceiving party had taken their places the
| reception proper began. The members
of the diplomatic corps, headed by
Baron de Fava, the Italian minister,
and many of them accompanied by
ladies, filed through the Blue room and
| into the East room. The guests as they
| approached the president
| WERE PRESENTED BY NAME,
Maj. o. H. Ernst, q. S. A, acting as
/ master OF ceremonies. The uniforms of
most of the members of the corps Shone
! with renewed brilliancy under the glare
| of the gas. Following them came the
| members of the international American
| conference. A majority of them dressed
| in conventional dress suits. The inter-
| national marine conference came on the
| heels of the Pan-Americans. The re-
| splendent naval uniforms attracted
| considerable comment from the lockers
| on. The members of the Venezuelan
claims commission completed this seq
/ ment of the programme. The chief
| justice and the associate justices of the
! United States supreme court, the Judges
| of the United States court of claims.
and the judges of the supreme court of
the District Of Columbia were announced
| after a few minutes intermission,
| Chief Justice Fuller shook hands cor
| daily with the president and others, and
| became SO fascinated with the scene in
| the receiving room that he went behind
| the lines and remained there for some
time. After the judiciary came num-
| ber of senators and representatives.
/ They did not attract much attention, on
| account of the plainness of their dress.
Neither did the commissioners of the
| District of Columbia. judicial officers of
| the district and few ex-mnisters of
| the United States vino came with the
| congressional party. By this time the
! East room was well filled with diplo-
mats, congressman and others. Ladies
were plenty. Here stood member of
| the diplomatic corps in resplendent uni
| form, talking to member of the Pan
American congress attired in conYen-