The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-31
A SOCIAL AWAKENING.
NEW YEARS RECEPTION Ar THE
wurTE HOUSE
opens tho scason--It Is The FIRST of
the serics OF Rcccptions Given nc
the white House Every WIN
ter The Arrangements.

4
Sc the ono city OF the United States where
the custom OF calling on New Years Day
has not become obsolete and IN Washing
ton the New Years nay reception Is con-
4 fned 20 very small OFFICIAL circle. In
terest. ~ courve centcrs in the whiss
! House. In the last administration the vice
president enve elaborate receptions, which
divided interest with the receptions OF tho
president. but MIR. stevenson. unlike Mr..
Morton, is not wealthy and In his quart
ess at the Bbbltt house he would not have
room for many people. SO the White
! Mouse reception on the LIST OF January
viii haye go rival
There is great deal OF curiosity IN
Washing ton about Mr. Cleveland'a FIRST
reception. Washington people have grown
thoroughly accustomed TO the White
House reception In general and have lost
I Interest in q, but there was a peculiar
| flavor TO the Cloveand Now Years Day
4 reception OF five or six years ago. Even
tho Oldest inhabitants can not remember
tho time when curiosity drew 40 many
people to the White House on O New
Years Day as flocked there 10 attend Mr.
Clevelands receptions. The line formed
on Pennsylvania avenue hours before tho
reception began, and all through the morn
ing and the e1rly afternoon tho column
or people in double file extended past the
treasury building ana down Fifteenth
street, patiently waiting for admission TO
the White House grounds. The pubEs IN
terost IN MIR, Harriscn's receptions was 80
much less that Washington people are a
little curious TO know whether Air Cove.
innd retains his attraction for tho multi
tude.
a Whlte House reception Is always a
brilliant scene The brightly lighted rocms
are richly adorned with plants and flow
ers and picturesque mass OF people
surges through tlien constantly. There Ia
tho rustic of silks, the murmur of half
spoken greetings from thousand throats
and perTncatinE an, the delicious m,rsic
OF the Marine band. II you are stranger
IN Washington 1t viii pay you TO hold
your place IN line for an hour or two, IL
only for a ten-minute glance at the scene.
II you know u senator or a congressman;
who can pass you through the lines. you
need not wait with tho multitude on tho
outside.
The routine of a White House reception
does not vary much Each year the pri-
vate secretary of the president gives to
the newspapers a formal announcement
OF the order 81 the day. According to this
announcement the president, on the lst
OF January, will receive;
Al II o, m.--rhe vice president, the cabl-
net and diplomatic corps.
AT 1iil5-Thc chief justice and associate
Justices OF the supreme court OF the
united States and the judges of the United
States court OF claims and OF the supreme
court OF the District Of Columbia.
~ 1i:g5 Senators ana representatives IN
eongf~as, the commissioners of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and the ilidiclal officers
os the diatrcti ex-members of the caDi-
net and ex-membeis OF the United States,
At i1ao-'rhe officers of the army and
navy and OF the marine corps.
At l2-The Interstate commerce commits
sion. Tho regents and secretary OF the
Smithsonian Institute. the civil service
commissioners aSsistant secretaries OF the
different departments. etc.
AZ le15-The Associated YoferaNs OF the
War of 1876, the Grand Army, Tie Loyal
Legion, the Oldest Inhabitants, &c
AZ 1885 and until oclocll--Cif zens.
This order was very well ptintained,
though occasionally a naval otdcer finds
himself mixed up with the crowd Of con-
gressmen, or a justice OF theA siiT rene
court comes ~ ten or fifteen nf9utes be-
hind his colleagues. There are Nseyerai
objects In establishing an srder oEpreco-
dence in the reception OF guests, Rfnclal
etiquette demands Il; II di5JributA the
burden Of hand-ghaling evenly, nj It
siyes a more formal character 20 thA re-
cepuon,
The burden Of a White tIopse tecerdAp
falls heavily on the shoulders OF ColntN
John NJ WILSON, IT, s. A. the s,ipnrintendN
ent of public buildings IN his official ca
pacity Colonel Wilson has rtarge of the
White House, Therefore he Directs the
for tho reception. He gives
orders for the decoration { { the reception
rooms and sees that these orders are exc
cutod and when the work IL completed
and the reception hour approaches. he
takes his place at the presidents, lift
and all through the long 30 rs OF the
morning he introduces thu visitors 20 the
president with q most perfect courtesy
Everything TINT Colonel Wilson Goes Is
done we'll
nected with the White House, but II does /
not supply the decorations for the nubiic |
Great wagon loads Of |
palms ana rubber plsnts and huge loSes |
IF cut flowers are brought from lie rrcpa-
Eating gardens Tall palms are plac1d In |
Inc corners Of the east parlors; sf,aller |
llunts bank the mantels and ropes OF /
imilax hing from the crystal chandeliers. /
There are other decorations IN the red !
larlor, the blue parlor AMI the green
1arlor and there IS n line Of palms in the
to hedge IN the Marine bend.
The entrance 10 the White House on
Sew Years day Is through The main door
way on the north; the Kit ~ through a |
ial window just east OF the Ior;e-cocherc
rhe north doorway Is narrow. There IS NO
inner doorway except lhe one NhicH letus
rom the blue parIor 10 the 9ortico on the
onth front 80 a platform Is built and an
.wning spread. and as a column Of men
M women moves inio the doorway, a
iolumn moves ont OF the window. II Is
rot the same column, for the people scat
or When they reach the east pai,lor and
cave the White House irregularlg; Horne
,oople 80 right through, some linger for an
lour or moro.
The first Corners AZ the White House nre
he newFnaper correspondents Who are 10
write the story OF tho reception. Trey |
ne privileged 90 come before the Tecep- 1
ion hour ara 10 make themselves at home
!, the i;ibic part Of the mansion Then
.onie the vice president and his family
md the members Of the cabinet~-tha secfe-
ary OF state with his ~ife, the secretary /
4 the navy with his daughter. and 30 on
The president receives them h his library I
ipstairs and there they leave their coats
Ind wraps. Then come some young Girls
shofa Mih. Cleveland has inviled 70 assist
X the reception They are not 20 faind
n tie reception line. because mat honor
y reserved for the lee presidents wife
mi Inc women OF the cabinet circle Ttes |