The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-21
ONLY A BIT OF PAPER.
YET THERE ARE BEGGING, eLuFFlNe
AND sctiEMlNG TO GET
Invitations to the White House Recsptiop,.
The "Pusher" I'm Washington Society.
! How He Succeeds by tho Aid of ALBANIAN
J tine Cheek-A Nice Souvenir.
Especial Corrcspondcnce.1


Especial Corrcspondence1
w ASH1NGT0N, Jan. The White House
Hs now the center of attraction in tho social
world. 1t is the sun of the social system OF
The capital. All eyes are turned toward
she executive mansion, and unhappy the
persons OF social pretensOns who have no
invitations to the presidents receptions. 1t
Is at these receptions that one meets every
Dody worth meeting. 1t is in the east
room and the corridor of the old house that
one may touch elbows with the hundreds of
men of fame and women of distinction who
compose the official circle of the American
capital AS may be easily supposed, there
Is great anxiety to secure these invitations
One of the most difficult tasks which the
presidents grand chamberlain has to per-
form is the making out of this list of guests
Mt the annual receptions.
suppose you knew the president had a
grand chamberlain? At any rate that is
the most important part of his official du-
ties. In any country but this he would be
called Il chamberlain too, but in our sim
pie republic, where we must make pre-
tense Of simplicity and avoidance of all ap-
pearance of imitation Of foreign customs,
we call him commissioner of public build
ings and grounds. Nominally he has charge
of the big structures in which Uncle Sam
houses his great executive machine ut the
capitol, the grounds round about them and
the Washington monument. These things
take little of his time. 1t Is us functionary
in chief to the president of the United
States that he finds his most cXacting and
important employment.
The willy PusIer.
The present grand chamberlain is Colo
mel Wilson of the army He knows his
business. Washington society is an open
book to him. He is familiar with every
face of Importance, masculine or feminine
He knows the "pushcrs'' as well MS any
man In town, and by long experience has
learned how to deal with them gently, but
effectually. The 'pusher," you should
know, is distinctively n Washington insti-
tuition. 1t is Il term conveniently used for
designation of the man or woman-gener-
ally woman-who has no official or other
claim to social recognition and yet insists
upon getting it. He or she is II person who
deliberately and persistently "piIshcs'' in
where Desire leads, but Right does not open
the door.
The "pusher' has an easy time of it ut
the public receptions given by the ladies of
the cabinet and the wives OF senators. There
the "pusher' needs no card of invitation
and may walk in with head high and par
take of the best that is offered. BY little
If did not desire to avoid ungallantry
would drop the 'he' altogethcr-may even
have the pleasure of seeing his or her name
III the newspapers in the list of guests
Where the Most Fun Lies.
The wife of the chief of Il division, or Of a
mere clerk, or of Il tradcsman, for that mat
ter, finds the afternoons of the cabinet
and social circles easy To conquer. But the
card receptions ut the White House are not
SO speedily mastered. There is n way of
doing it which has been employed, but it is
not Il satisfactory method. 1t is more or
less hazardous and likely to lead to annoy
ance This is by going without an invita-
ton. OF course it is not necessary TO show.
cards of invitation Mt the White House
door y rule requiring an exhibition of
tickets, Just like Il thcatcr, would be nw-
fully awful bad form. And yet there have
ut various times been serious discussions us
to the advisabili,y of adopting such rule.
AT every card reception in the executive
mansion there are hundreds Of people who
come without cards. They simply walk IN
at the front door and make themselves at
home. They do not know many people
there, but this makes little difference.
Without acquaintance they can have al
most as good Il Time as with it. After all the
most fun at IA White House reception con
sists of Watching the diplomats in their
uniforms and court outfits, of having near
views of great men and women, Of close in.
spection OF the gowns and persons Of distin-