The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-01-03
WHITE HOUSE GUESTS.
Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland Give a
New Years Reception.
A PROCESSION THREE HOURS LONG
The President and HIS wife Shake Hands
with All Those Present One Boy Cheers
For Grover Interesting Incidents of the
Occasion.

Occasion.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2-With bright
stars overhead, reasonably clean pave
ments under foot aud crisp clear win
terry air, official Washington was favored
with all the conditions necessary to the
complete enjoyment Of such New
Years day as only Washington knows
Official Washington it may be ex.
planned, includes the presidents house.
hold, the cabinet circle, the judiciary
from the supreme court down, the am.
bassadors and ministers plenipotentiary
with the legation attaches, the members
of both houses of congress, the officers
Of the army, navy and marine corps, va
rious commissioners and heads of bu
reaus, with postoftice assistants and dep
uty secretaries aud lesser functionaries
of the government departments Ac
cording to the timehonored custom
which was observed to the letter all the
officials called at the White House.
where they were received in the order
of their ranks. to pay their respects TO
the president; all the cabinet secretaries,
generals and admirals in turn received
the officials Of lesser rank and many
congressman and others kept open house
for their constituents and friends. So
ciety in general has in past time given
itself over to the making and receiving
of formal calls, but in Washington rs in
other cities the observance Of the first of
January as social day has come to be
disregarded, and there were probably
fewer open houses than ever before.
The PEE pie who did not take part in
the oldfashioned observance had fine
opportunities, however, to observe those
who did. When Il Washingtonian de.
sires to make an unpleasant comparison
in the matter of weather he custOmarily
speaks Of New Years day, but the year
of 1895 violated the tradition utterly and
furnished the finest sort Of show day
IL was nothing short of a show i'm the
fashionable section of the city--the spec.
tacle of streets crowded with handsome
turnOutS making the rounds from one
official residence to another, the gold.
laced and many colored regalias of the
diplomats of Europe and Asia upon
which the populace are privileged to
gaze but this once in a year, and the i'm
pressive uniforms of the army and navy,
which the officers stationed at headquur.
ters rarely find occasion TO exhibit.
All the brilliancy and interest of the
day were for three hours sheltered under
the roof Of the executive mansion where
gaslight III the ceremonial parlors fell on
banks Of palms aud troops OF richly at
tired ladies and many notable men.
Apart from the interest which always
attaches to the president and his family,
Mrs. Cleveland has personal popularity
which draws many to her receptions
Yesterday she shook hands with 1very
man. woman and child who filed past in
the long procession of three hours
length and gave to the greeting of each
one warmth which gained for her the
everlasting friendship OF the recipient.
The president also grasped every caller
by the hand and had word for every
one when there was time The ire
sponsible youngsters were in line as
usual, and one Of them voiced his enthu.
siasm appropriately, as he thought by
shouting shrilly, "Hurrah for Grover, "
as he walked into the blueroom
One old man, walking on cTutChes,
seemed tired when he came in, and Mrs
Cleveland noticed him and led him to n
chair among the cabinet ladies', uged
him to rest, and so he sat in the state
parlor for half an hour Watching the pro.
cession.
The man 'with wheels in his head, "
who has been personally commissioned
by the Lord to do something ridiculous
or dangerous, is the terror of the occiL.
sion. He was also Oh hand. Very ap.
propriately he Wore long hair, and after
he had passed the police lac drew from
his pocket II document bearing weird
symbolical designs in red and blue, but
the appearance of the receiving party
seemed to dazzle him so that he merely
shuftled past without putting it to any
use. The policeman who endeavorS to
do his duty in compelling the observance
of regulation and apprehends some high
dignitsry of the government in his mis-.
guided zeal is always in evidence To,
day he endeayored to bar Secretary La.
mont from the blueroom, but readily
yielded his point when the secretary
good naturedly revealed his identity
There were no accidents, however, and
no unpleasant incidents, and the recep
ton was success, although not 81
many people attended as came last
year.