The Indianapolis journal., 1890-02-02
THE IDEAL SOCIETY DINNER
Interviews with Our Statesmen's Wives
on Cost, Length and Menu0fa Feast.
Spreads That Cost from $S to SIS Plate-A
Diplomatic Dinner and the Bill Of Fare of
One of the Feasts ct The White House.

U
pin, at s25 per dozen; crates of canvas
back ducks. at s6 per pair; thousands of
ices. at 81 per plate. These are some of the
extravagances that are slipping down some
of the throats of the capitals visiting pop
ulation this season. Then the flowers
Who can compute the gold that has gone
mp in the odor of orchids ut 81 apiece. roses
at $40 per dozen, white lilacs at 80 cents per
spike, and lilies of the valley at 10 cents
stemf On the altar of New Year week
$4,000 worth of blossoms were sacrificed.
for during that time Roswell p. Flower put
5000 into the flowers of his only daughters
wedding.
The fruits we use are also costing gold
galore. Twice in the social history of the
capital opulent hosts have fioated straw
berries in their white wines when it cost 25
cents apiece to bring each berry from Cali
fornis to Washington. Ex-senator Palmer.
our present minister 10 Spain, treated his
guests to such a luxury last year, and this
winter these 25-cent strawberries rolled
over the palates and through the larynxes
of Senator Stanford's guests when he dined
Mrs. General Grant. From all accounts
that dinner of Senator Stanford's to Mrs.
Grant was one to make your eyes bulge out
and your mouth to water. There were only
eighteen guests, and they ate from plates
OF gold and silver. The queen of plenty"
had scattered roses all over the table,
and under each bit of crystal there
a while 6s R6span 6na Gf pSn had S9eSess Ses
der of the same priceless web. Instead of
linen, the fnger-bowls rested on napery of
lace. and the lordly terraDin was served in
individual silver tureens. Every. piece
of fha lxv m nd . ho
cures of the capital describe the dinner as
gastrOnomic poem.
The last Chinese minister gave a dinner
before he retired, at cost of S2S per cover.
and the wines used at the feast are not in
cluded in this estimate. His bill of fare in
cluded sharks fms and birds nests. The
two best dinners of the present season have
been the state dinners of the exc cutive
Morton. Both series have necessitated q
reform in the number of courses The
time of sitting at the table has
been cut down, and the first state
sumed only an hour and three-quarters and
at Vice-president Morton's the guests were
at the table only an hour and half. Sec
Tetary Blaine and Mrs. Zach Chandler
dinner one of the best they ever sat down
TO. and this shortening OF our dinner hours
promises to be q success.
The cost of state dinners makes one of the
Most governments feed their Presidents.
and psy their society bills. Uncle Sam
gives him house, and he finds himself.
Custom makes him give at least four state
dinners every year, and inasmuch as each
one of these costs him at least thousand
dollars, it will be seen that the sum
total is worthy of consideration.
Demonet, who has for the past thirty
years been caterer for the White House.
tells me that presidential viands are going
up. He says he served ices to President
Buchanan at So per dozen and was glad to
get the money. Now he charges a dollar
plate and does not think this at all too
high.
Mrs. Benjamin Harrison enjoys a dinner
party more than any other entertainment,
and next to dinner she Is fond of q
luncheon. She makes an admirable hos
tess for both and she intended to give
many little affairs of both kinds. had not
her programme been changed by the deaths
IN the administration circle. She will say
nothing of the cost or extravagance OF
Washington dinners, but only states that
she thinks they are "A very pleasant feature
of the capital, or as her daughter, Mrs.
Mckee puts IL:
II begin TO think I am growing old. for
enjoy dinner so much more than dance,
and IL used to be that never thought of the
dining-room when / was out in the even
ing"
Mrs. Morton has made number of inno-
yations IN table appointments and menus.
Il
broidery or lace in her linen. She uses very
few flowers and many fern-fronds does
away with boutonniers and uses bonn bs in
stead of individual ices. A dainty conceit
with her IS to scatter q few violets and
bit of lemon verbena upon the water of the
fnger-bowls. She has most elegant table
service of silver. Her dinners would delight
Brillat Sayarin. What they cost no
one knows. but it would not be a strange
thing if the amount of the Vice-presidents
salary Is several times eaten up by his
dinners When Evarts was Secretary of
State he spent, it Is said, $50 900 more than
Sherman once told me that the expenses of
his entertainments during his secretary
ship of the Treasury was greater than the
amount he received from the government.
ginning ofthis letter. however, are confined
TO the wealthy few. The average dinner
in Washington costs SIP and upwards per
cover, and the following interviews which
have had during the past few days with
the leading ladies of the capital give much
of interest regarding the successful dinner,
as to how long 1t should last, and as to
what it should probably cost.
My hrst talk was with Mrs. John Wana-
maker. She said: Il attended dinner the
other night which only required one hour
anu ten minutes for the serving, and it was
one of the most delightful affairs of the
season The host told me that one hour is
all he would allow his wife for dinner
courses. but that she always took ten
minutes grace. OF course the service must
be faultless. and the courses few, and am
glad TO notice that the latter has been
adopted this season. Washington people
go so much In o season that they are too
weary TO remain long at table. Mr. Wana-
maker thinks dinner should not be given
during the social season. for he says, the
people should be at their brightest and
best at q dinner, which, according TO
his view. is the highest type of enter
tanning. Yes. it is true,b Continued
Mrs. Wanamaker. that | do not favor
anything but white linen, both for
luncheons and dinners. and do not in the
least believe In extrayagant embroideries
and laces about the table. The only color.
l think. should be produced by ferns and a
few roses. They used TO make a perfect
garden of a table. having bed of flowers
from one end to the other, but am glad to
say simplicity and purity once more govern
table appointments. OF course. like small
dinner parties, bat one must give large
ones at times. / can never entertain more
than twenty-slx. as my dining-room will
seat no more. L never serve wines"
Il next called upon the wife of our Chief
justice. Said she:
Il have noticed q change in dinners this
season. They have fewer courses, and are.
consequently, less elaborate. 1t Is GER
tainly a desirable change, as to the person
fatigued with seasons gayeties nothing
IL 80 tiresome as to SIT ar table two hours
and half. AZ the Vice-president's dinner
we left home at few minutes before s
and returned at 1880 o'clock, 20 that we
were not at the table more than an hour
and a half. All enioyed il for the courses