The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-11
A CABINET DINNER.
Description of a State Feast at
the White House.
FLOWERS BY TIE THOUSAND.
Our Presidents as Hosts Jackson's
Punch Ruined the Garrett Washing
toms 0rarrels With His steward.

WAsHINGToS Cry, Jan 5 Special Cor
respondence. President Harrison gave
his nrst state dinner Of the season on Tues
day evening. II was 10 the members of
the cabinet and their wives. and the White
House was gorgeousiy decorated for the
occasion. The pariors were so richly
adorned with slowers that the Blue and
Green rooms looked like fairy gardens, and
the palms, which in great trees, hlled the
alcoyes of the East room. made the whole
seem like vision OF the tropics. The
mantels under the big mirrors were turned
into beds of gay-colored bowers, the walls
and pillars were decorated with green, and
the dining table was wonder of floral
decorations.
STATE DINNER FLOWERS.
1t is impossible to describe the flowers
which il takes TO decorate tho White
House upon state ocs aston The con-
servatory of the executive mansion must
cover nearly an acre. and both this and
the Botanical gardens aid in making the
parlors beautiful. The broad windows of
the mansion contain alcoves, and these are
hidden by rare tropical plants, the bases of
which are sometimes surrounded by
blooming azaleas, making bright streak
of the uIantels are dazzling lnosaics of
crimson and white flowers, and blossom
ing plants or great palms line the long
promenade corridor OF the White House,
standing against the wall under the por-
traits of the presidents, and making an
avenue of green which leads ON into the
conservatory and climbs the stairway TO
the second story. The bowers of the state
dining-room are arranged by the hands of
artists. AT some of the state dinners of
the past few years the mantels have been
covered with immense double tulips rising
from messy banks Of green. The windows
are beautifully decorated and the table has
had mowers arranged in all forms and
shapes At one time the decoration IN the
center of the table was miniature repre-
sentation of the Hanging Garden of
Semiramis, and il took 5000 MOWERS by
actual count to make this. At 4 dinner
given TO the supreme court there was @
temple of Justice on the table which con-
tanned 1900 flowers; and at one, given TO
the cabinet, there was q bridge and ships
which contained goo cut towers in their
making. As costly as roses are now, it
takes about 200 for every state dinner,
and about the same number of carnations.
During one winter 6,0O0 sprays of the hly-
of-the-valley, 100 strings of smilax and
5000 other mowers, including heliotropes,
cainelllas and aZaleas, Gala lilies, vloletS,
marguerites and other flowers were used.
The mantels OF the dining-roonl are often
decorated with hyacinths, calnellas and
potted plants, aud flowers are often
bought to be added to those taken from
the conservatory and the public gardens.
THE WHITE HOUSE CHINA.
The White House china shows at it's best
at state dinner, and the rich porcelain
service, which was bought during the
Hayes administration, comes forth in all
oil ie astsa frpf
from special designs by an American art
list. 1t was modelled and burned at Tren-
ton, and il contains some of the most
beautiful articles in the 2,J00 pieces of table
ware which belong to the china closets of
the executive mansion The decorations
of the dinner service are especially fine.
One of the great platter5 has a painting of
stately wild turkey, and the dinner plates
have all sorts OF different designs. One is
a hungry-looking bear resting In the fork
of a tree. Another represents deer, and
a third a buffalo bull. The fish plates
have pictures of rsh on them, representing
the american varieties. aud one of
the dinner dishes contains the pic
ture of a raccoon iii persim-
mon tree with q negro looking for
him with lighted pine knot. Some of the
old pieces of china are much better than
these, but great deal OF the best of 1t has
been sold from time TO time TO make place
dents wife who has made an inventory of
the furniture of the White House, and she
believes that all of its tlne old articles have
an historic value, and that they should be
preserved. Since the White House was
opened by Mrs. John Adams, more than
half million dollars has been spent for
furniture, and the amount OF belongings
now in the White House would not bring
$4,000 at auction. and ii Is question
whether they would bring $4,000.
THE PRESIDENTS SILVER SERVICE.
great deal of the table silver has disap-
peared but there is still some which finds
a place of honor at the state dinners One
of the most beautiful parts Of the whole
service is the solid silver service which
was bought by President Monroe. The
shapes Of these articles arc curious and
beautiful. There are two soup tnreens
with covers, and these tuTeens are affixed
TO large oval-shaped fiat-bottom stands,
which spread out beneath them like wait
ers. There are silver cake baskets, silver
gravy boats solid silver coffee and tea
urns and there are Iine cut glass eiaret
jugs with silver tops. One of the most Gu
rious pieces of the White House silver
service is the silver Hiawatha boat which
was bought at the Centennial exposition
of 1876. This is used at most OF the state
dinners and is always hlled with flowers.
Here are also the gold spoons and forks
which were bought by President Van Bu-
rem and which formed campaign issue
when President Harrison's grandfather
ran against him and beat him.
The glass OF the White House IS
also very fine, and ii takes
great deal of il for the
wines which arc used at tile state dinners.
A great deal Of the glass vas Wanufact-
ured in this country and a New York firm
made nfty dozen pieces at one time few
years ago. These were ordered carly dur
ing Cleyeland's term and some OF the artI-
eles have an American eagle cut upon
them. The American eagle perchcd above
the words - f. 3,lttribug tapBl - the coat
of-arins of the White House and you find
il upon most of the decorated ware. Many
OF the light glasses arc ut gold, ruby or
amber ware and there are dozens OF punch
glasses, gobiets, tumblers, champagne GAS
ses and all Of the other articles which
make up tie complete Table service. This
glassware Is the inest thar can be made in
this country and the same nrFn which
turned out this order was the one which
supplied President Grant with some Of the
glassware which he used ID the White
House The table furniture, by the way.
was very fneager during Grants hrst term
and when Mrs. Grant asked her cook TO
make arrangements for the hrst state din
ner he found tie supply ct plate very
scanty, and said;
why. madame. there Is not enough sill
yer il this White House 20 ht out free
lunch table
THE PRESIDENTS IS HOSTS.
General Grant spent great deal on en-
fertaining when be was in the White
Housn He saved no money whatever
while he was in Office. and he had 80
many friends that be gave Eve times as
many big private dinners as he did state