The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-29

Vi tue ilHest dinners IN w Washing
ton CITY are given by Senator Stanford.
lie does not give a great many. nor docs
ne entertain many people at time The
Hr-t dinner that President Harrison took
outside OF the White House was at STAN
lord's table. at this time the whole coun-
try was ransacked for novelties. and.
though 1t was February. Senator Stanford
haa some rare California cherries to place
before his guests. These were gotten by
express. and the great part OF the fruit and
the VINE used at the senator's tables comes
from California Flowers and greens are
sent across the continent, and floral pieces
are made up there and are shipped here
with sponges attached to them, and with
directions TO express messengers to water
them on the way. All ofthe nuts that the
senator uses come from his own farms.
ana he serves California olives to his
guests. These come from Southern Cali
iornia. and are sent in kegs. They are of
the choicest variety, of course. Ii is the
same with the wines. Many of those
served at his table come from his own
vineyards, and, though he always has one
or TWO foreign wines at dinner he be-
iieves IN the use of home products, and he
Is making great improvements in fruit and
vine culture. Not long ago be brought two
OF the most noted champagne makers of
France TO California, and he employs them
there in making champagne. These men
are studying the California grapes. and are
oevotlng themselves TO the production of
Tine California champagne.
SOME NOTED DINING-RooMs
Mr.. John L. Mclean is building an i'm
mense dining-room at the back of his big
Washington City house facing McPher-
sons square. This dining-room is lust
opposite Chamberlain's restaurant, and it
will he, | judge, as big a one as Stanford's.
1t has large bay window in the side. and
will be beautifully lighted. Another big
dining-room will be that of Senator Eu-
gene Hale, or rather of Mrs. Zach Chand-
Ter, for | am told that the big house which
has been built on the corner of Sixteenth
and X streets belongs to Senator Hale's
mother-in-law. This house will probably
be open this winter. The decorators are
now in it. 1t is the biggest house in
Washington City, and probably the most
expensive. 1t must cover quarter of an
acre, and IL has enough windows for a
big female seminary. 1t is great oblong
colonial building of cream brick and drao
stone, with q semi-circular entrance in the
middle facing Sixteenth street. This en-
trance has beautiful decorations in the
way OF stone columns, and the whole
house is tasteful to an extreme. 1t cannot
have cost less than 100000, and looks az
though 1t might have cost several times
tins amount.
this house is SCOTS circle, little back
from which, on Rhode Island avenue,
Vice-President Morton lives. Here is
another big dining-room. which Mr.. Nor
ton built especially for his Washington
City dinners. 1t was finished at the open
ing of the last congress, and 1t has cost
much more than the dining-room of Sem
Il tA1 - q 3D.
ii was built that it cost something like
$4,000. 1t has ceiling of paneled oak,
which meets the side walls in an arch
shaped cove, and below which, rising
from the floor, is high wainscoting. The
plaster between these is decorated In red,
and the designs for it and for the oak
carving were made especially for the vice
president. The mantel-piece in the Stan
ford dining-room could be built, / should
think, for less than 800. That in Vice
President Morton's must have cost at least
81. 600. Ii is of carved oak, with a great
mirror over it, and it has fireplace in
which you could roast an OK. The bay
window at the side of the dining-room is
another feature. 1t is made of enormous
sheets of plate glass and mosaic glass,
which were especially made for Mr.. Nor
ton for this purpose. The floor is inlaid
in patterns, and the culinary arrange
ments of the establishment are like those
of a hotel. The kitchen is walled with
tiles of white china, and the ashes are
carried out of the house by a small rail-
way.
DINING-RooMs IN MAHOGANY.
Some of the best dining-rooms of Wash
ington City are those of private citizens.
The house of Mr.. John Hay, the author
of the Life of Lincoln" is one of the
finest at the capital. Its interior decora-
in of
The hall is in South American white
mahogany, and at the right of this as you
enter the front door, just opposite great
fireplace, is a dining-room of red ma
hoganv. This is paneled and wainscoted
in this wood, and the wainscoting con-
tains blocks big enough to make the most
beautiful office desk you have ever seen.
Great mahogany rafters cross each other
over your head. and the supports of these
are carved columns of mahogany. Out OF
a red mahogany aicove you look through
plate-glass windows out upon Sixteenth
Street and Lafayette park, and at the end
of the room, facing the door. there is a
great fireplace rs big as that in Senator
Palmers $l2,o0o log cabin near Detroit,
which is surrounded by mantel wonder
full in its carving and which has ingle-
hooks at the sides where you can sit and
toast your feet before the Goals.
Senator Sawyer has a beautiful dining
room in his big brown stone house on
Connecticut avenue. Ii is like that of
John HAYS in that it Is inlald with ma
hoCany panels, but IL has frieze OF paint
ings in oil in which cuplds and peafowls
are playing together above the bald head
of the senator as he eats. The ceiling is
beautifully paneled. and the room is
decorated with rare bits of line china and
plate. 1t is lighted with lamps of crystal
and wrought silver, and its hanglngs we're
of peacock blue during part OF the time
that the senator has entertained IN II.
Mrs. Senator Hearst's dining-room will
not be open this winter, as she is IN
mourning. Ii was finished last year, ana
IL is A beauty. The room Is finished IN
the style of Dutch renaissance, and the
woodwork is of well-smoked old oak. The
ceiling is paueled, and the walls are COW
cred with stamped leather. The dining
table Is twentv->ix feet long, or II may be
extended 10 that length, and the whole OF
the apartment II sombrs IN the extreme.
In addition 10 this there is supper-roon
in the basement for use during receptions,
and this IS furnished in California red
wood and its hoor is of ilne MOSAIC.
FOSTER AND SHERMAN.
Secretary Foster has rented the house
which senator Payne occupied. Just oppo-
site the Portland fats, on Vermont ave-
nue.. His dinjng-room is at the back OF the
house and il looks out on beautiful lawn.
The secretary is rich and he will probably
entertain considerably this winter. Just
below him lives Senator McMhlan, OF
Michigan, in house which he paid $4,000
for. and which is beautifully furnished IN
every respect. All OF the justices OF the
supreme court are entertainers, and the
dining-rcom Of the supreme court Justice
is more important 20 him than his par!or.
be h.aufff,rE 3 ming