Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-04-15
PRESIDENTS AT DINNER.
HOW THE NATIONS CHIEF Ex,
EcuT1vEs HAVE RNED.
Washington and the Shad-Enter
IN OF Larry Days-Later
Presidents Careless Eaters.

Washington had plain tastes. As
Presidenth he was even inclined to be
c~c,.c.oiral. He used 70 lecture hi=
seward every week on the evils Of ex-
t~rlvaraYce. Bat the steward. Al *
| ~ce.le1t man named Frances. VINO wcr-
slipci Washington and had a proper
sense Of the dignity of his position.
waali mu,tcr at the end OF each weekly
lecture; 10y, be nay discharge me if
he will, bat while he IS President and |
am steward his table will be supplied
with the best the country can at I'd"
Washington had a special fondness for
tsl. Oae February Al early Delaware
shai, cat.-ny in advance Of the season.
WAS ~e,ze from the market by Frances
and served Up t~riumohantly at the Pres,
dental ta.le.
..W4la, tisn is that7' cried Washing
ton. a the savory oIor met his n~ostrllS.
"A shti, SIT, said Fraunces. glee
fully. The only one in the market,
the first one Of the season.
.,But the prIceI' Washington, face
grew stern.
"rnrce-three dollars, STAN the
steward.
Wa,hin.ton's stcrnness increased.
Take it away he cried. at shall
never be sail that l set sue an example
Of cx~trava.ancc.'
Aud the disn which was too great Al
extravaganza for the President was
carries of into the kitchen, where the
servants ate it with no qualms ofcon-
science.
Washington's INN cdiate successors,
Adams and Jefferson, were light eaters
in private, but the former gave stately
and magnificent banquets, while the
latter kept a generous table in the large
frcc-handed Virginia style. Forty guests
was no unusual number, and it is said
that the marketing for a single day fire.
quent.y amounted to as much as $50.
Madison revived the State dinners of
AdaJs's time with a good dcal Of the
attendant cercm onial, which Jefferson
had discarded. Yet Mrs. William
Winston Seaton in her diary rather
Sights one of the banqucfs at which she
was present. "The dinner" she says,
was certainly fine, but still | was rather
surprised, rs it did not surpass some
nave eaten in Carolina. There were
many French dishes, and exquisite
wines, | presume, by the praises be.
slowed upon them; comment on the
quality Of the wine seems to form ting
chief topic after the removal Of the
cloth. Candles were introduced before
the ladies left the table, and the gentle,
men continued half an hour longer to
enjoy d social glass" But Madison
himself was a light drinker. When he
had hard drinkers AT his table he would
invariably dilute his wine with water in
order to keep up with them, or else
merely touch the glass to his lips while
the others took deep draughts.
In strong contrast to Madison's ban
quets We're those gwen By Andrew Jack
son. He hated conventional etiquette
even mere than Jefferson did and Sc. his
face more sternly against ceremonial.
He always used a steel fork himself and
provided his guests with Que steel fork
and a silver one. After dinner he
smoked a long-handled corn.cob pipe.
1t was his wish to throw the doors Of
the White House open to the people liz
general and allow them to partake Of his
hospitality without any special invita-
ton. Bat after a trial or two this ex-
pertinent was rellnquished, though not
until the carpets in the East Room had
been ruinci by the punch which the
crowd split on the floor in their eager
ness 70 get at the buckets which con
otv, - 1,3 A. l..~-,,
ladies hal been irretrievably spoiled and
glasses aui furniture haI been broken
and the President hai been well nigh
choked to death By the surging masses.
At ais farewell reception Jackson intro
duceI q curious novelty. This was an
enormous chccsa a yard thick aud as biz
As 4 barrel IN circumference, which was
cut into thrcc-pound pieces and dis
triblted among the guests. This proved
such a great success that Van Buren, was
tempted u emulate the example. But
the carpets al the furniture suffered go
severely from the greasy crumbs which
fell upon them that the experiment
was never again repeated, and indeed
the custom Of serving eatables at general
49, - oh a AoAESct VITA
|aa BIreas lest term. II had crown
10 I've sucl q -larin- abuse thac Just
prior u the c~.eetloa OF 1910 hungry
crowds hai ba- e-ei the. Eas. Room.
clamor.n- 70 ne led. AZ threatening 70
vote ae.In>: Vaa Buren, Il they we're no.
entertained.
The ieatas Of two Presidents mar b.
directly associate WIKI the table. The
first President Harrison caught A fa.s,
coil "Ale out marketing, his iavaSab.,
custom, before breakfast. Taylor die
OF CHOLERA mo.bls, resulting from .
hearty ineal OF cherries washed down
win ice milk, wA,ca BE par.ook Of o.
h. =e,uTn from q Fourth Of JULY Gee
ora.ioa. In Al hour he vas seized with
CRANES n I've days he was dead.
Nt,a tie exception OF P.es;de,.
AFaa,. tae .ateE Presidents nave iii
Deer 7'.ae' careless eaters. pavia- sna.!
atteot.oa n :he delights % IA, .a1,e
when they i;nei e. fanii.e, AMI allow
Ing ;-e!r stewards or the la lies Of tie
w mia -. "