The Progress., 1894-01-20
"a Nico Souvcuir.


''''' 'if''it y Nirp
Especial Curro-tpnsrnr.1
ASIiINGToN, Jan. r. The Whit, lin.
Is now the center If attraction II, II,
world. It's the sun Of the social e,-.to,,, -
the capital All eyes are tu,p,d -,
the executive mansion. and urI,,,,,,,. ,t,,
persons Of social pre.-n-ious who I,,., ~.
invitations 10 the presidents recartio,. I,
Is at these receptions tha, ono moot ,,...,,.
n"'y worth meeting It. is in tho ,.,.,
room and the corridor of the old hon. ,I,,t
one may touch elbows with the bupdr,ls,f
men "l iane aud women of distinction who
compose the official circle Of the America,
.'Il''L As may be easily supposed. there
Is great anxiety to secure these invitotio,s
WI" ot th' most difficult tasks which tho
president S grand chamberlain has to per.
FORM Is the making out of this list Of guests
at the annual receptions
suppose you knew the president had a
grand chamberlain? At any rate that is
the most important part of his official din.
Ties. In any country but this he would lac
called chamberlain, too. but in our sim.
pie republic. where we must make a nrc.
tense of simplicity aud avoidance If all an.
pearance of imitation Of foreign customs
we call him n commissioner of public build.
ings and grounds. Nominally he has charga
of the big structures i'm which Uncle sam
houses his great executive machine at thu
capitol, the grounds round about them and
the Washington monument These things
take little of his time 1t Is rs functiouary
in chief to the president of the United
States that he finds his most exactiug and
important employment
The willy Pushcr.
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
lace of Importance. masculine or feminine
He knows the "puSherS' ~ well as any
man in town. and 10y long experience has
learned how to deal with them gently, but
eifectually The "puSher." you should
know, Is distinCtively a Washington iusti.
tuition. II Is a term conveniently used for
designation of the man or wumau-gener.
ally a wOman-who has no official or other
claim To social recognition and yet insists
upon getting it. He or she is person who
deliberately and persistentlv pushes" in
where Desire leads, but Right does not open
the door
The "pusher" has an easy time Of it at
the public receptions given hy the ladies Of
the cabinet and the wives of spuators. There
the "pusher' needs no card of invitation
and may walk i'm with head high and par.
take of the best that is offered. BY little
manipulation of diplomatic sort he or ohG
If did not desire TO avoid ungallantry
would drop the "he' altogether-may even
have the pleasure Of seeing his or her name
in the newspapers i'm the list of guests.
Where the Most Fun Lies.
The wife of the chief of division. or Of q
mere clerk, or of tradesmau. for that mat.
ter finds the afternoons" of the cabinet
and social circles easy to conquer. But the
card receptions at the White House are not
so speedily mastered There is way Of
doing it which has been employed, but it il
not a satisfactory method. II is more or
less hazardous and likely to lead to annoy
ance. This is by going without an invita-
tion. OF course it is not necessary to show
cards of invitation at the White House
door. n rule requiring an exhibition OF
tickets, just like a theater. would he aw-
fully awful bad form And yet there have
at various times been serious discussions as
to the advisability 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 n time as withit After all, the
most fun at a White House reception con-
sists of watching the diplomats in their
uniforms aud court outfits, of having near
views of great men and women, of close In
snectinn of the gnwns and persons Of distin-