The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-09
THE ANNUAL ORDEAL.
That rs What Presidents Gan Gall
Their New Years Receptions.
HOW President Harrison Spent the First
Day of tho Year-A Scene Which,
Though Magnificent, Proves
Very Tircsomo.
Especial Washington Correspondence

All interest on New Years day
centcrs in the Presidents reception ut
the White House. To stranger in
Washington nothing could be more in
tercating, nothing moro wonderful than
to attend the annual festive reception
and witness tho gorgcousncss and
scgrcg;ltcs about the Chief Executive
from year, TO year. varies but little.
Announcements are mado in the daily
papers concerning the order i'll which
the great men of our own and other
lands will enter the White House and
the time to II minute is given when each
separate body will be presented TO the
President; and the order thus announced
is always observed to the letter. Upon
one occasion, however, the programme
was unexpectedly interrupted.
President Arthur WAS receiving in
the Red Room, assisted by his sister,
Mrs. McElroy, Mrs. General Logan,
Mrs. Speaker Carlisle, and other ladies,
while back OF him were the members of
his Cabinet with their, families all
gorgcously bcdccllcd for the great oc-
casion 1t was the New Year of 1883,
and the reception had just commenced.
The representatives, of foreign Ma
tons. The diplomatic corps headed by
Minister Allen, of Hawaii, entered the
Red Room, were presented to the Pres
ident who extended his hand TO each
one oi them; and us they were passing
out into the great East Room, the
robed Justices of the Supreme Court
were entering, when, suddenly, there
was n cotnmotion, ali order was issued
to permit no one TO enter the White
House. and to close the reception
Minister Allen, of Hawaii, the Dean of
the diplomatic corps by reason of his
long years of service, had fallen sud-
denly, stricken with apoplcxy. and in
q few minutes he died in the midst of
the surging merry makers.
Tragedy is more tragic by comparison
with comedy; and there was a comedy
enacted here on that very day. One of
the leading newspaper men had been
detailed by the Evening Star to attend
that reception and furnish as perfect a
description us possible of every event of
the day. Well, he had attended recep-
;tions annually for half dozen years,
had q printed programme, knew all
about it, and wrote his description of
the reception the night before it oc-
icurred. He prepared his manuscript in
bulletins, to be sent down to the edi-
itorial rooms by messenger every fifteen
minutes Meantime, he went to the
apartments Of friend at the Arlington
Hotel. and there engaged in IL game of
poker. That game lasted until seven
oil IL i,s, ~
teen minutes, until half-past one
o'clock, the newspaper man handed his
bulletin to the messenger, and he faith
fully delivered his packages to the man
aging editor. At about eight o'clock in
the evening the newspaper man en-
tered the Star building. went up to the
editorial rooms, and there saw all of his
manuscript unused. He then went
down into the business Office took Il
copy Of the paper, and read full ac-
count of the description OF the sudden
illness, the fall and the death of the
Hawaiian Minister. Returning to The
editorial rooms, he wrote his rcsignn-
ton and departed. Since that time he
has attended strictly TO business, and
never trusts TO his imagination for de-
scrlptions of important events.
The White House reception was
carried out this year according to pro-
.grammc. Although it did not commence
until noon. the throngs and crowds Of
people began to assemble before ten
o'clock, and long before noon the pave
ment along the north end of
the grounds OF the Executive
Mansion was occupied by men,
women and children of all degrees, all
conditions, and all colors, from al,bas-
ter white to inky backncss. The gates
at the o-st and west end of the north
front We're guarded by brass buttoned,